Aftermath

The punishment room was deathly silent except for the faint, labored breaths of the girl lying on the cold stone floor.

Matilda lay motionless, her body covered in bruises, gashes, and deep welts. Blood seeped through the torn fabric of her clothing mingling with raw, exposed flesh. Her body, swollen and battered, was barely recognizable.

Her roommates arrived at the punishment room, only to be shattered by the sight before them.

Nora needed just one look at Matilda to break into uncontrollable sobs, her body trembled as she covered her mouth, her eyes widening in horror.

"No… no, no, no… this isn't real… Oh, Goddess…!" she wailed, her voice cracked as she stumbled forward. Tears spilled down her cheeks as her knees buckled, and she collapsed beside Matilda.

"Matilda…!"

Lynda swallowed hard, her nails digging into her palms as she clenched her fists. Her lips trembled, and her eyes glistened with unshed tears.

"This… this is inhumane," she murmured, her voice a mix of rage and sorrow. "How could they do this to her?"

Sylvia remained silent, her face unreadable, but in her eyes, there was a flicker of empathy, perhaps even guilt.

Crossing her arms tightly, she tried to mask her emotion. "We need to get her out of here," she muttered, her voice firm despite the tension in her posture.

Nora's sobs grew violent. She clutched her head, fingers tangled in her hair, her breathing ragged. "She… she can barely breathe! How could they be so cruel, Lynda? She's dying!"

Linda's jaw tightened. "Then we need to move fast!" She snapped. "Crying won't help her now."

Madam Tera having finally regained her composure, exhaled deeply. "Enough! We have to take her back to her room before she loses any more blood,"

With the girl's help, Madam Tera gently lifted Matilda. A weak whimper escaped her lips, barely audible.

"Shh… you're safe now," Madam Tera murmured, though deep down, she feared Matilda was too far gone to hear her.

They carried Matilda back to her quarters, where Madam Tera immediately summoned a healer.

The girls hovered anxiously, their faces pale with fear.

That night, a suffocating silence hung over the room, broken only by Matilda's ragged breathing and Nora's quiet whimpers.

Outside, the corridor buzzed with low voices. A crowd had gathered. Some omega girls came to sneer, others came to gawk or murmur hollow sympathies.

"Tsk. She should've known better than to cross Amelia," one girl scoffed.

"She's lucky to be alive," another muttered.

"Pathetic. What a weakling."

Lynda shot up from her seat, rage brewing in her eyes. She stormed to the doorway. "Get out of here if you're just here to gloat!" she barked, her voice sharp as a blade.

The gossiping omegas scurried away like rats.

Lynda lingered at the doorway, her breathing heavy with restrained rage.

Madam Tera had gone to fetch Doctor Noah a while ago.

"I wonder what's taking her this long," she muttered, her tone laced with worry.

"She will be back soon," Sylvia muttered, but even her voice held a subtle note of unease.

Moments later, the healer, Mr Noah, finally arrived. He was a wiry man with streaks of grey in his dark hair, his sharp eyes scanned Matilda's injuries with practiced ease. He gasped at the sight before him. "This… this is far worse than I expected," he muttered, his expression grim.

"Will she survive?" Madam Tera asked, her voice tight with worry.

Mr Noah crouched beside Matilda, carefully inspecting the raw swollen wounds. His fingers feathered over torn flesh, and a troubled frown creased his face.

"Her body is in terrible shape… some of these injuries have already started festering."

Nora let out a strangled sob, gripping Matilda's limp feverish hand.

"It will take time, but I will do my best," Noah assured them. He rolled up his sleeves. "Hold her down. This will be painful."

For the next two hours, the room became a chamber of suffering.

Matilda's muffled cries of agony filled the air, her body convulsing with each touch of Mr Noah's hands. Nora's broken sobs only grew louder, echoing her friend's pain.

Mr Noah worked tirelessly, treating each wound with precision. He cleaned deep gashes, applied salves, and stitched torn flesh where necessary.

Even in her delirium, Matilda murmured weak, desperate apologies. "I'm sorry… I promise I won't do it again... Please, let me go just this once…"

Nora's chest tightened painfully. She stroked Matilda's damp hair, her tears falling freely.

"Matilda, stop apologizing!" she whispered fiercely, her voice cracking with grief. "This... isn't your fault!"

But Matilda continued her inaudible pleas, lost in her agony.

Finally, the healer administered an injection.

As the sedative took effect, Matilda's trembling stopped. Her ragged breathing evened out, and the room fell into an uneasy silence.

At the far corner, Tina sat stiffly, arms crossed. She hadn't said a word the entire time.

Was she reveling in Matilda's suffering? Or was she shaken by the cruelty of it all? No one could tell.

Meanwhile, in the Pack House.

Luna Kim sat in her private chamber, a dimly lit study tucked within the grand walls of the Pack House. The scent of lavender and sandalwood lingered in the air, mixing with the soft crackling of a fire in the fireplace. She leaned back in her high-backed chair, fingers pressing against her temples as weariness settled deep into her bones. Across from her, a subordinate stood stiffly, his expression tense as he relayed the grim details of the incident.

Luna Kim exhaled tiredly. Amelia had gone too far.

Luna Kim sighed, rubbing her temples. "How could Amelia be this unreasonable? That poor child… she didn't deserve such cruelty."

But she quickly dismissed the thought. She's just an omega, after all.

She knew she could have stepped in, could have stopped Amelia...but was it worth straining her relationship with her daughter over a servant?

Perhaps a simple apology would be enough.

The next morning...

Madam Tera had barely rested when she received unexpected news, Luna Kim was looking for her.

She left Matilda's bedside, instructing the girls, "Watch over her. If anything happens, call me immediately. You're excused from morning chores, but you'll handle the afternoon shift instead."

Then, she hurried to meet the Luna.

Luna Kim arrived bearing gifts and a professional physician.

She offered an apology, or at least, a shallow attempt at one. "I… regret what happened," she said, her voice carefully measured. "I brought a skilled healer. The one assigned to the omegas is… inadequate."

Madam Tera's lips pressed into a thin line. "We will manage, Luna," she said coldly.

Luna Kim hesitated. She could tell that Madam Tera resented her...and rightfully so.

Still, Madam Tera remained polite. "I have work to oversee, Luna. If I do not finish in time, I may be punished as well."

Luna Kim sighed. "I understand."

Yet, for the first time in a long while, she felt powerless.

As the day dragged on, the Omega quarters remained eerily silent. The girls moved mechanically, their expressions hollow.

Despite Matilda's absence, her suffering lingered over the dining hall. The omegas moved stiffly, their usual quiet obedience now edged with unspoken resentment, fear, or perhaps exhaustion. The tension was suffocating.

Pack members pretended not to notice the change in atmosphere, carrying on as if nothing had happened.

But Alpha Richard did.

He frowned at the unnatural tension. "What's going on?"

Beta Gerald stepped forward, reporting the details. The room stiffened.

Alpha Richard turned to his daughter. "Amelia. Is this true?"

Amelia stiffened. "Father..."

"Answer me."

Her gaze flickered to the pack members watching. If she admitted it, she would be humiliated.

So, she pouted, her tone sickeningly sweet. "Father, it was just an omega! It wasn't even that serious..."

Alpha Richard sighed, rubbing his temple. "Next time, let Beta Gerald handle punishments. That girl suffered too much for merely bumping into you."

He sounded like he was reprimanding her, but the indulgence in his tone was unmistakable.

Williams scoffed. "Dad, you're spoiling her. Do you not realize that her behavior could lead to disaster?"

The room went silent.

Williams' voice was sharp as a blade. "What happens when the Omegas turn against you? When your favoritism sparks a rebellion?"

For the first time, Alpha Richard hesitated.

His gaze flickered to the omegas, standing stiffly in the background, silent, but watching.

Then, he exhaled. "Matilda will have two months to heal. She will not be assigned any chores during this time."

The tension in the room eased, slightly.

"And," he continued, "from now on, omegas will receive at least two meals a day. I believe I can afford that."

It wasn't justice, but it was something.

Some omegas felt a flicker of relief. But the nobles and aristocrats were displeased.

Even Amelia looked betrayed. "Father! You're taking their side?!"

Williams smirked at her outrage. "What's wrong, Amelia? Not getting your way for once?"

She turned sharply to him, her face twisted with fury. "Why are you always against me?!" she screeched.

Williams simply leaned back, looking unimpressed. "Because someone has to be."