“Oh my gosh, she looks like a drowning rat!” A loud feminine voice shrieked. Her exclamation was accompanied by raucous laughter of the four pairs of eyes that stared down at me.
I bite my lower lip angrily, balling my fingers into a fist. I wasn't new to these condescending treatments from my pack members, but no matter how much thick skin I grow, they always devise new means to hurt me the more. Their latest scheme did an even worse job of hurting me. Sitting on a pile of cow dung and a pool of pig's blood dripping from my head to my body was my limp figure. The pungent smell of cow dung stung my nose, while diffusing into my skin as I sat there with hot tears streaming down my face.
“How do you still manage to live with the knowledge that you killed your parents, you cursed omega!” another voice chided.
Being an omega was a life of misery, suffering and a thousand shades of mockery in-between. I was never considered a member of the pack, and hell, I was treated worse than an animal. From running inhumane errands, to sleepless nights, to being an object of deliberate mockery and humiliating entertainment, I've lived through it all. I would cry myself to sleep every night, while praying to the moon goddess to come to my aid and give me a mate that'd save me from my misery.
Somehow, it seemed as if the moon goddess decided to smile on me today. I could feel the long dead butterflies in my stomach come back to life, fluttering restlessly as my heart began to pound erratically. My wolf, Bianca, leaped excitedly within me.
“Mate!” Bianca screamed enthusiastically.
“Mate? Who's my mate?” I thought to myself as I raised my head.
The noise and snickers from the pack members had died down to a murmur, indicating that a strong personality had stepped in.
My eyes were covered with coagulated pig blood and with the back of my palm, I wiped off the mess from my eyes. To my greatest shock, standing before me was someone I never imagined. Charcoal hair, high cheekbones, cold amber eyes, and the most perfect jawline ever. It was Lucas Jeddah, the son of the alpha.
Lucas was the human definition of beauty and perfection, and I was nowhere close to being in his league. Why is he suddenly exuding such a sweet scent that is making my brain fuzzy? Why do I feel such inexplicable pull towards him all of a sudden?
It can't be true…
Lucas Jeddah is my mate!
I swallowed hard as our eyes met for a fleeting second. His eyes held no atom of emotions and his expression was unreadable. My heart hammered in my chest as I waited for his next line of action.
“Who are you?” His rich baritone filled my heart, causing my wolf to leap excitedly inside.
“I.. I… uhmm” I stammered, causing a mild snickering sound to erupt from the small crowd. “My name is April Gortham”
“I don't care about your name,” his voice boomed with indifference. “April Gortham, who are you?”
I swallowed again, my name has never sounded so bitter on someone's lip as it did on Lucas’
“I…I am an omega,” I muttered.
“Louder!” Lucas thundered as his eyes turned a deadly shade of crimson.
“My name is April. I'm an omega, and I work as a maidservant in the Pack's farm,” I spluttered in a rush with my eyes shut tight.
My heart raced wildly as a thick fog of silence settled around us. Lucas hadn't said a word. Why isn't he rejecting me as his mate outrightly?
Slowly, my eyelids fluttered open, and the resplendent sight before me threw me off the cliff. Lucas towered above me, his eyebrows arched, and his lips curled up in an amusing smile that didn't reach his eyes.
Does he think I'm funny? Why is he not reacting and rejecting me? Is he really okay with being mated to a worthless omega like me?
“8 p.m tonight.” He said.
“Huh?”
“Be at the palace and dressed in your best attire. Our mating ceremony holds tonight.”
My heart swelled in excitement. I've found my mate, and he isn't rejecting me!
A small smile played on my lips as I looked up into the heavens, silently thanking the moon goddess.
“But!” Lucas' voice boomed, cutting through my thoughts. “Make sure to rid yourself of every lowly stench.”
Without another word, he turned on his heel and stormed off, leaving gasps and murmurs in his wake. Everyone threw furtive disdainful glances at me, but I didn't care about what they did or said anymore. Only one thing matters to me…
My mate is the Alpha's son!
•••••••
7:35 p.m
I stood before the intimidating palace gates, tugging at the end of my floral knee-length dress, while shrinking under the scrutinizing gaze of the palace guards.
“What are you doing here, omega!” He growled, scrunching his nose in disgust.
“I'm here for the mating ceremony,” I quivered.
“And who sent you the invit—”
“Let her in! She's my guest,” Lucas's voice interrupted. He was dressed in a flowing regalia, his eyes glinting with mischief as he approached where I stood.
“You're early,” he turned to me.
“Uh.. yeah.. I didn't want to keep everyone waiting,” I mumbled.
“That's good, because everyone is here already.”
My eyebrows instinctively furrowed as I raised my head. What does he mean by everyone is here already?
“Follow my lead.” Lucas ordered.
I inhaled deeply before falling behind his steps. My wolf jumped gleefully at the sight and near proximity of our mate, but unease sat pretty in the pit of my stomach. Something just doesn't feel right.
Walking into the ballroom, I was greeted by the sight of the pack members deeply engrossed in light talks and clink of champagne glasses. Not a single gaze was directed towards me. I was invisible. Even at my mating ceremony?
“Follow me, and don't say a word.” Lucas' voice interrupted my train of thoughts again.
I swallowed hard and nodded, increasing my pace to match his long strides. Slowly maneuvering the crowd, we got to the stage where the Alpha and Luna sat on their royal chairs.
“Is she the one?” Alpha Kilian asked Lucas.
“Yes dad,” Lucas replied. “I didn't want to do anything behind-the-scenes, so I brought her to the mating ceremony.”
What's going on here? I thought to myself as my eyes darted between father and son.
“Sit here,” Alpha Kilian's voice dripped with every bit of disdain as he pointed at a wooden footstool by the corner.
Confused, I nodded obediently and began heading towards my ‘royal seat’, but Lucas' voice over the microphone made me freeze in my tracks.
“Good evening everyone, without wasting much of your time, I'm glad to announce that I've found my mate…”
My heart skittered into overdrive as a feeling of pride washed over my body. I was finally getting a dose of goodness and my life is about to change for the better.
“Dear members of the Lorentz pack, it is with pride that I announce my mate, who is none other than…”
Lucas' voice blended into my ear drums like a melodic symphony and involuntarily, I found my legs moving towards the spotlight where Lucas stood in his full glory.
“...Also, I hereby reject April Gortham as my mate as she is unfit for the status of a Luna of this prestigious pack. Hence, I choose Natasha Dunches as my mate!”
Icicles flooded my veins as I froze at the spot with my eyes wide open. Lucas didn't announce me as his mate. He'd intentionally invited me here to publicly reject and embarrass me!
A high-pitched alarm set off in my head, and my breath hitched in my throat as I watched Natasha's slender figure make her way to the spotlight. Lucas smiled broadly and placed a loving kiss on Natasha’s lips, while his left hand snaked around her lower back.
With a clapping and standing ovation, the pack members cheered on Lucas and Natasha, completely ignoring my presence on the stage. When the ovation died down, Lucas turned to my direction, a dangerous smile playing at the corner of his lips.
“I know you feel bad, April, but can't you see that you don't fit into my status quo?”
A scornful smile tugged at Natasha’s lips as she tightened her grip on Lucas' arm. She'd known from the start that Lucas would reject me.
“Well, I have an offer for you,” Lucas smirked. “Since you're unfit for the role of a Luna, I'll give you a befitting role.”
“Don't do this please!” my wolf cried.
No, no, no, no….I begged internally, but Lucas' next words shattered my essence of existence.
“You, omega April Gortham, will become a palace maiden eunuch, and tend to my Luna,” Lucas spat out. “...and that's final!”
•••••
I let out a tired sigh as I slouched onto my bare spring bed, sniffling as I wiped my puffy eyes. I've endured all the humiliation meted out to me by the pack members, but being publicly rejected by my mate was the apex of it all. Pain jabbed relentlessly in my heart and fresh tears began to pour down my face.
Rejecting me wasn't enough for Lucas, he went as far as labelling me as a maiden eunuch, smashing all my hopes of finding happiness in another mate.
“You're being loud with those sobs,” a redhead who lay crumpled by the corner snorted. “There's nothing special about people like us. Deal with it and move on fast.”
“I am different!” I fired back, a surge of anger coursing my veins.
“If that makes you sleep at night,” the redhead sighed and turned her face to the wall. “Being an omega is already hell, but being a cursed omega?”
Her words drove a thousand pins into my already broken heart and a fresh burst of emotions flamed through my chest—it wasn't self-loathing, nor pity.
A wave of righteous anger crashed over me, pushing me up to my feet. Boldly, I moved towards the door, grabbing the door knob and throwing the door open. Stepping outside the maidservant quarters, I slammed the door with a new found strength.
“Bitch!” I heard the redhead curse loudly.
The biting cold night wind did little to douse the volcano of anger bubbling inside me. I am done!
“I can't continue living like this,” I muttered under my breath.
Without sparing a glance at the palace doors behind me, I let my feet pound hard against the damp, cold soil. Henceforth, I'm going to survive and live on my own terms, and with that unbridled determination, I ran…
My hands wrapped my stomach as yet another growling sound erupted from my inside, reminding me that I was hungry. I hadn't had anything to eat for the past twenty four hours—I was too excited to be officially mated to Lucas that I had totally forgotten about food. My once dignified anger had long dissipated and now I'm battling with the regret of running away from my pack.
It was a pitch-black and starless night, making it even harder for me to navigate through the thick woods. I had stumbled a few branches, gaining fresh cuts on my knee and elbow. Should I really continue into this forest? What if I end up becoming breakfast for a roaming wild animal?
My chaotic thoughts were interrupted by the loud clap of thunder, followed by lightning, and just as the lightning was about fading into the darkness, my eyes caught sight of a menacing figure skillfully hiding behind a large tree trunk.
Its large brown eyes glinted in the dark as it began moving towards where I stood rooted to the spot. It was a wild bear!
Before my brain could register the sight of the wild animal, my legs had already started moving on its own accord. My chest thumped loudly as I ran deeper into the forest. Nothing mattered anymore at this moment. Not Lucas. Not the rejection. Not my miserable omega status. All that matters to me at this point is surviving!
Blood rushed to my ears as I stumbled over a thorn of shrubs, gracing my skin with yet another bout of scratches. Blood trickled down my body as I picked myself up and continued my desperate race for survival. Another clap of thunder was followed by heavy patter of raindrops which suddenly grew into a full-blown downpour. My clothes were soaked in minutes and my sight became blurry, the soil underneath my feet became slippery, making movement a herculean task. I threw a furtive glance over my shoulder, and behold the bear was closing in faster than I had expected.
“April, you can't die this way,” Bianca cried.
“Shut the hell up and take over my human form!” I screamed back in anger.
If only I could turn to my wolf form…
I was still lost in thoughts when I tripped over a broken branch and crash landed on the wet soil with a loud thud. I could barely register the shock, before my body suddenly began to tumble down the steep hill. Air puffed out of my lungs, and my eyes burned with pain, the slashing sounds of jagged tree stumps and thorns tore through my skin, and my body kept rolling down like a broken record. I could feel my subconsciousness float out of my body, and suddenly everything stilled. My body wasn't moving anymore, and the pain was suddenly numbed.
“Are you dead?” Bianca’s voice sounded far away.
Maybe I am dead…
As much as I didn't want to die, the peace and quiet that comes with death is quite an alluring incentive.
Breathing the last whiff of air in my lungs, I let my subconsciousness slide into abysmal darkness.
•••••
“Is this heaven?” Bianca purred as a tiny shred of consciousness crept into my body.
“Hmmm. So heaven smells of croissant, bacon and apple pie,” Bianca sniffed harder.
Such a lousy weak wolf! I hissed internally.
I tried to move my body but every fiber in my body suddenly weighed a ton. I rolled my eyes in frustration— if I was dead and in heaven, then why am I not waking up?
Is this how the moon goddess runs the afterlife?
A mild shuffle of feet and clinking of plates jerked back my consciousness.
“Is she still unconscious?” A dangerously brusque voice asked.
“She's awake now, but she's yet to open her eyes,” a soothing male voice replied. He sounded professional, like a medical doctor or something.
“Open your eyes!” The gruff voice ordered.
Is he referring to me?
That voice commanded unmistakable authority and I'd be foolish to dare ignore it. Slowly, my eyelids fluttered open, squinting at the bright natural light that filtered through the open windows.
I blinked twice before my eyes settled onto the pair of most beautiful sapphire eyes I've ever seen. His jaws were taut, and his eyes held no atom of emotion, yet it pulled me in like gravity. A bold scar ran from his earlobe to his cheekbones, and his pepper and salt hair fell in long waves, stopping short below his neck.
What in the name of beauty is this! My thoughts roared.
I had just met him, but the mere sight of him was already stealing air from my lungs, and plunging my heart into free fall.
“Who are you?!” His voice rang, pulling me out of my subconscious daydream.
“I…I …uhh…I am… my name is April Gortham,” I stammered, wincing at the throbbing headache that dulled my senses.
“And what are you doing here? You must be a spy from the neighbouring pack.”
“Huh? No, no, no, I'm… I'm not a spy,” I began in my defense. “I was just trying to escape from my pack and then…”
My voice trailed off as it dawned on me that fragments of my memories were missing. The last thing I remembered was the loud clap of thunder and my body tumbling down the hill.
“Bold of you to think that I'll buy such feeble lies,” he scoffed.
“I'm not lying… I… ouch!” I let out a yelp as I tried to move my hands. A slight turn of head made me discover that I was bound in chains on the bed.
What sort of inhumane treatment was this? Does the stench of being an omega follow me around?
“You should count yourself lucky to be alive,” he said, approaching the bed. His height towered over the bed, and the scent of musk and leather breezed into my nostrils.
“By the order of things, you should be dead by now,” he growled as he leaned forward. “... because anyone who trespasses into the Whitlleburg pack dies right away!”
A soft gasp escaped my lips as reality dawned on me. Staring right back at me was no other but the most fearsome Alpha in the whole of Northern Ireland— the infamous Alpha Derrick.
I've heard alot of horrible things about Alpha Derrick and his brutality, but one thing I've never heard is that he was all shades of hands-down perfect beauty.
Fear crippled my muscles, while pure attraction glued my eyes to him.
“Holy fuck,” I whispered.
