Rejected and Claimed by her Alpha Triplets Chapter 14: She’s too weak

14

~Lisa’s POV

"You’re still breathing," Milo said, crouching beside .

I let out a soft laugh, though it was weak. "Barely."

He didn’t touch , but just being there, just having soone who didn’t look at like I was dirt, ant everything.

"Thank you," I whispered, trying not to cry again. "Thank you for staying."

Milo looked at for a long mont, his eyes kind but tired. "You don’t need to thank . You don’t deserve the way they’re treating you, Lisa. None of it."

My throat tightened. I couldn’t even reply.

"You’re stronger than you think," he added quietly. "I know it doesn’t feel like it now. But one day... you’ll get through this. Just hold on."

His words felt like a soft cloth over an open wound. Not a cure, but a comfort. I nodded slowly.

"Thank you," I said again, my voice shaking.

He stood, brushing off his trousers. "I have to go now. Duty calls. But I’ll co back later to check on you, alright?"

I nodded once more, trying not to let the fear show in my face. Being alone in this place... it scared . But knowing he’d co back, even just to check, gave sothing small to hold onto.

He gave one last look, then turned and walked out, the door closing softly behind him.

And I was alone again.

The silence wrapped around again after Milo left, and it felt heavier than before. I sat there on the edge of the bed, hugging my knees to my chest. My clothes were still damp from the water Belinda threw at . My hair stuck to my face, and my skin felt cold.

I stared at the closed door.

They didn’t co.

Not that I expected them to.

But still... part of had hoped they would check on . Even if it was just to throw more insults. At least it would’ve ant I was still on their mind.

"They were nice once," I whispered, more to myself than anyone else. "Weren’t they?"

I closed my eyes.

I had only t them briefly as a child, back when they weren’t yet Alphas, back when their faces still held light instead of anger. Back when three boys stepped in front of a rogue wolf and saved a trembling little girl in the woods.

I had never forgotten it.

Even though they never looked at again after that day, even though I beca invisible to the rest of the pack... I rembered them. That day was carved into like a scar, and I held on to it. I had admired them, quietly, from a distance. I guess... I thought they would still have so piece of that goodness left.

But now?

Kael’s cold eyes. Damon’s cruel laugh. Rowan’s mocking voice.

This... this was not what I imagined. This wasn’t the dream my younger self foolishly clung to.

I looked down at my hands.

"They hate ," I muttered.

A tear rolled down my cheek before I could stop it.

And for the first ti, I truly wondered if this place, this pack, would ever let live.

I was just about to close my eyes, thinking maybe I’d finally drift off for a little while, maybe escape the pain for just a mont, when the door creaked open.

I sat up quickly, heart skipping, thinking it might be Milo again.

But it wasn’t.

It was the head of maids.

Behind her stood two other maids, silent, their eyes low. The head of maids, Matilda, walked in with heavy steps, her black shoes thudding against the stone floor like they were carrying a warning. Her expression was cold, lips pressed in a tight line, eyes sharp and uncaring. She looked at like I was nothing more than a broken plate she had no patience to fix.

In her hands, she held a bundle of dull gray fabric.

The maids’ uniform.

My stomach tightened. I didn’t have to ask to know what it ant.

My heart dropped.

"Get up," she said flatly, her voice as hard as her stare. "Ti to get back to work."

I blinked at her, confused, still feeling the ache in my body. My legs trembled just from sitting up. My head spun slightly, and my lips felt dry and cracked. "I... I’m not feeling too well," I tried to say, lifting my hand as if that would help her understand. "I just need a little more ti..."

I didn’t see her hand coming.

But I felt it.

A sharp sting spread across my cheek as her palm t my face with full force. My head turned with the slap, and a soft cry escaped my lips before I could swallow it. The sound echoed in the silence. The two younger maids flinched but said nothing.

"Did I ask how you felt?" Matilda hissed. "You’re not here to feel anything. You’re here to serve. To obey."

I stared at the floor, biting down on my bottom lip until I tasted blood.

She tossed the uniform onto the bed like it was trash. "Put it on. You’ve wasted enough ti."

Then she looked at the other two maids. "Help her change if she’s too weak to do it herself."

I sat there frozen for a mont, heart pounding in my ears, the air thick and heavy around . My fingers curled into the sheets, and my body wouldn’t move. It wasn’t that I was too weak, it was that I didn’t want to move. Not like this. Not because she ordered it. Not because I was being stripped of the last bit of dignity I had.

Still, I reached for the clothes.

The fabric felt cold in my hands. Rough, like sothing ant to scrape away any softness that might have still clung to . It slled like old sweat, soap, and obedience.

I wanted to scream. Truly. I wanted to tear the walls down with the sound that was clawing at the back of my throat. I wanted to cry until my chest was empty and my skin turned to salt. I wanted to look Matilda in the eyes and ask her if this was what she considered strength, breaking soone who had already been broken.

But I didn’t.

Instead, I nodded.

A small, tight motion of my head. No words. No defiance.

Because what choice did I have?