Chapter 1 - Omega Morning
Lyra
Pre-dawn grey light fell over the keep as I scrubbed blood from the stone floors on my hands and knees. My palms were raw, but I didn’t dare stop. Whose blood was it? Nobody important enough to name, I supposed. Just someone who disobeyed Alpha Kane and didn’t get away with it.
Around me, the other Omegas went about their early morning chores. We woke before the rest of the pack, cleaning, cooking, mending, and tending. Our labor was as unseen as ourselves, but any slacking off was noticed immediately.
I knew Alpha Kane was on the move before I could see or even smell him. The hallways grew softer as any conversation between the Omegas came to an abrupt halt. Silence followed him like an ocean wave as the Alpha passed by without acknowledging us.
He came around the corner and I instinctively bowed my head. But not before I caught a glimpse of his unruly black hair and silver-threaded eyes. They burned into me, pulling me closer to the floor. He towered over me like a giant as he passed, the leather of his boots creaking right next to my ear. His aura screamed of power as sharp as his cheekbones…and his temper.
I kept my head down and my movements small. I even timed my breaths with the scrape of the brush, avoiding the stones I knew would creak. Attention from Alpha Kane meant correction. Correction meant pain.
Behind him were his closest Betas, a female named Seris and a male named Dante. “You missed a spot over there, Omega,” Seris hissed, narrowing her sky-blue eyes at me and brushing the long, blonde hair from her shoulder. I choked back the urge to inform her I hadn’t done that corner yet, instead nodding mutely.
Talking back to Seris was as bad, if not worse, than mouthing off to the Alpha himself. Everyone knew she was lined up to be his bond mate and Luna. Just spend five minutes with her and she’d tell you five times. They were perfect for each other, honestly. Mean, stuck on their own power, and more dangerous to walk on than eggshells.
The trio passed and I returned to my task. My senses assaulted me with scent shifts, the sound of footfalls, and mood changes as the three continued on toward the council chamber. I’d always been sensitive that way. Not that any of it had ever saved me from the same treatment as the rest of the Omegas.
Life returned to the group as the heavy council chamber doors thudded closed at the far end of the hall. A pair of early 20’s female Omegas entered the hall where I was scrubbing, their faces bright with nervous excitement.
“Maybe the Moon Goddess will surprise us and choose an Omega as the next Luna! Instead of that mean-girl ass, Seris.”
“Anyone else would be better, honestly.”
Despite being their same age, I didn’t share any of their enthusiasm or join in the conversation. I’d attended three Choosings so far, and I’d never been called forward. Not even for another Omega. Not everyone was fated to bond, I supposed. And I could handle that. Being a background character was a position I’d trained for my entire life.
No, I wouldn’t be called up tonight. I’d be serving during the ceremony. Carrying water, clearing dishes, and cleaning up afterwards would be my only participation. The excitement of being chosen was for other people.
I finished the patch I’d been working on and turned to the spot Seris had pointed out, passing through a beam of moonlight that spilled through the high windows and onto the well-worn stones. My head began to ache and I straightened for a moment, figuring I’d been bent over for too long. It wasn’t a sharp pain, more like a deep, pulsing heartbeat in my brain. I pressed my thumb to my temple and worked faster, jaw tight. The sooner I could stop bending forward, the sooner my blood pressure could go back to normal.
As I scrubbed, my mind drifted back through the past. Perhaps it was the Choosing ceremony tonight making me a little nostalgic. I remembered being small, curled up beside my mother. I loved to wrap her dark hair around my fingers as she held me, whispering softly to me in the dark. “You’re a special girl,” she insisted, as if it were the most important message in the world.
Then her tone would change. “If they hear you howl, they’ll kill you. So you have to remain in control at all times.” I didn’t know what she meant at the time, and still didn’t. But I remembered how she smelled like fear and iron, and the way her lips would tighten.
I never asked why. I simply nodded my little head, and imagined what it would be like on the day I was chosen. Surely my bond mate would be the biggest, strongest wolf in the pack. Just like the stories Mom told me about Dad.
“He was the strongest wolf in all the land! When he howled, the very rocks trembled at his power. Armies knelt before him and Alphas feared him.” She’d stroke my cheek with a faraway look in her eyes. Nowadays I knew she was just making up tales. And I knew if such a wolf existed today, he certainly wouldn’t choose me.
I’d never howled before, not even once. My wolf, if I had one, must have been broken. No matter how many times I called, no one answered. Honestly, the thought was rather comforting. The Moon Goddess hadn’t seen fit to call me up, I didn’t have a wolf to complicate my life, and I was used to my life as it was. Being special sounded like a lot of work.
Footsteps began to echo in the hall above my head, doors opening as the pack began to stir. I finished scrubbing the final few stones and dropped the rag in the bucket, the water now tinged pink. It felt good to return to my feet and give my aching knees a break. I padded quietly to the window and dumped the water into the flower bed below, then hurried toward the kitchens to help serve breakfast.
The spread today was much fancier than usual. Trays of fresh breads filled the air with their scents, and bowls of sliced fruit added color everywhere I looked. Mountains of meats made my mouth water, despite knowing I’d be lucky to taste any of them.
A pair of Gammas were in charge of the kitchen, their faces flush and hands waving anxiously as they conducted the orchestra that was the breakfast staff. “You two take that tray of bread and put it at Alpha Kane’s table! You three fill the pitchers with juice! Are the utensils and plates all set?”
I joined the group grabbing cups for the tables, eager to be busy before I was assigned a worse task. Carefully, I slid my fingers through the bulky handles of the mugs and clutched as many as I could safely carry in my arms. The ceramic clinked as I followed two other Omegas into the massive dining hall.
The entire pack was gathered today. Anxious anticipation was so thick in the air that I could barely breathe. Young, unchosen Betas wandered up and down the tables in brightly-colored robes with metallic threads woven through the fabric. They chatted excitedly with each other, while Gammas in deep crimson robes watched in small groups. Males and females of both groups glanced at each other, eyes locking in silent hopes that the Moon Goddess would agree with their pairings tonight.
As I set the mugs beside chipped and weathered plates, low drums began outside. Their beats were slow and ceremonial. I knew they’d continue from sun-up to sun-down, when the Choosing would begin. The sound vibrated through the stone, echoing in the busy hall.
My chest tightened even further and I gasped for air. I put down the final mug and leaned against the table for a moment, the edges of my vision growing dark. As the pressure of the drums hummed in my cells, something felt like it was stirring deep in my stomach.
Not with hope, but with fear.