LILITH
We were so royally screwed. Yet, if we didn't make it to the moon festival in time we'd be worse than royally screwed. We'd be dead. More ironically, there was a higher chance of us being dead than making it on time.
My heart was pounding so hard as we all sprinted towards the arena. It didn't matter that I could barely see what was in front of me or that most of us were exhausted from the week-long preparation of the Moon Festival. All that mattered was that we arrived before our Alpha, the Alpha of West End Pack.
The only good thing about running barefoot while being barely conscious from not sleeping for three consecutive days was that I was not alone. Today, every Omega was late and we were all flying through the woods to meet up.
"Faster!" someone shouted behind us.
We surged forward as one ragged mass, all driven by terror. The festival grounds were just ahead, glowing with torchlight and silver lanterns, and the sound of music and laughter.
"Hurry up!" Another person barked.
I narrowly escaped being shoved and trodden upon by the volume of moving bodies surrounding me.
"They're not fast enough," one of the handlers jeered. "It's almost time, they'll put us in trouble."
I swallowed trying as much as I could to improve my pace and suffering for it. My calves cramped painfully, threatening to give out beneath me, and my head swam as though I were drunk. My stomach cramped sharply as I ran, but I had learned to ignore it.
When was the last time I ate?
"The last Omega to arrive will suffer greatly!" One of the handlers growled and surged forward with speed that we omegas could only have in our fantasies.
It seemed that they, too, were scared of arriving late. Their departure spread panic and frenzy throughout the crowd. Bodies slammed together. Elbows jabbed ribs. Nails scratched skin. Someone shoved me hard from behind, and I stumbled, barely catching myself before hitting the ground. I cried out, more from shock than pain, but no one slowed. No one helped.
Why would they? I was always the one left behind.
I fought to keep moving, legs screaming, lungs on fire. Every breath felt shallow. My heartbeat roared in my ears so loudly it drowned out everything else.
The arena came into full view. I was close, so close that I almost breathed in relief.
Suddenly, pain scattered through my scalp as my head snapped back causing me to scream. The force pulling my hair only yanked harder until I crashed backward.
Three Omegas stood over me. I recognized them immediately.
They worked alongside me, ate beside me, and slept in the same quarters. And yet, they had always watched me with narrowed eyes and sharp smiles. I had never understood why they always singled me out. I had never challenged them or taken what belonged to them. Still, they hated me.
"Well," one of them said, planting a foot on my belly to pin me down, "where do you think you're going?"
My chest heaved. Were they insane? Couldn't they see that we were all in danger?
"Please," I whispered. "Please. We just need to—"
"To what?" another interrupted, crouching low so her face was close to mine. "You really think you're better than us, huh?"
"I don't," I said quickly. "I swear. I don't."
They laughed and exchanged looks.
"Someone has to take the blame, don't they?" The third one sneered.
My eyes widened. I looked to the crowd of other Omegas that were almost at the arena.
"Please no," I whispered.
They laughed again.
"Someone has to be last, Lilith. And that someone will always be you."
"Please—" I begged, pushing myself to my feet.
The third Omega smirked and kicked me hard in the side. The air whooshed out of my lungs as the pain overpowered my senses. My strength gave out. The ground rushed toward my face, and the world dissolved into darkness.
When I came to, my body ached everywhere. I blinked, vision swimming, and found myself staring at boots.
Two guards loomed over me, sneering.
"Well, well," one said. "Look what we found."
Strong hands grabbed my arms and hauled me upright. I cried out as pain lanced through my side, my feet barely touching the ground as I sagged between them.
"You defied orders," a sharp voice snapped.
I looked up.
The Omega handler stood before me, his face twisted in irritation. He was tasked with keeping us in line. His eyes flicked over me with disgust, lingering on the dirt smeared across my skin, the tear tracks on my face.
"I—I was pushed," I stammered. "Please. I tried. I swear I tried."
He raised his hand.
I dropped to my knees instantly, the motion sending fresh pain through my body. "Please," I begged, voice breaking. "Please don't—"
A low growl cut through the air.
Everything froze.
The handler's hand stilled midair. The guards stiffened. Even my own breathing caught painfully in my chest.
The Alpha.
Fear slammed into me so hard it made me dizzy.
"Move her," the handler hissed urgently. "Now."
Rough hands dragged me forward again, half-carrying, half-shoving me toward the arena entrance. One of the guards leaned close and warned:
"You'd better get to your position," he muttered. "If the Alpha sees you like this, you'll wish you were dead."
Then they shoved me away and dispersed quickly.
I stumbled, barely catching myself before falling again, heart hammering wildly.
Alpha Jaxon Talon.
Just his name was enough to make wolves shiver.
I had only seen him a handful of times in my life, always from afar, always surrounded by power and fear. The stories about him were endless. They said he was a tyrant. That he ruled without mercy. That Omegas meant nothing to him.
I dragged myself into the arena. I was not sure I would make it.
The edge of the arena seemed impossibly far away. My vision dimmed at the corners, darkness threatening to close in. My body felt too heavy and was throbbing with pain. I managed another step and found myself swaying.
It was one step after another until I managed to slip into my assigned spot at the edge. I inhaled deeply, so grateful that I had made it just in time because as soon as I settled down, the lights dimmed and the arena became silent.
He was here, the Alpha was here.
I lifted my eyes despite myself.
The overhead roof slowly cranked open, revealing the night sky above. The full moon hung directly overhead and Alpha Jaxon Talon stood beneath it.
My breath caught.
Something about watching him stirred an unfamiliar sensation deep inside my chest.
Mine.
The thought startled me. Frowning, I looked away. But a faint tingle spread through my body, starting low and traveling upward. I shifted slightly, confused by the reaction, and the way my attention seemed locked onto him without my permission.
Slowly, he lifted his head and howled. His howl tore into the night, vibrating through the very ground beneath us. It rolled across the arena, calling the pack together beneath the moon.
In response, we all howled back as one. This was my favorite part of the ceremony, because for those few moments I felt like I belonged to something larger than my suffering.
As always, the howl ended with laughter and cheering. But the Alpha did not relax. Instead, his posture shifted. His head tilted, nostrils flaring as he drew in a deep breath. His gaze sharpened, sweeping slowly across the arena.
A ripple of unease moved through the crowd. He sniffed the air again. Then he howled once more.
Pack members gasped. This howl was different. The sound echoed across the grounds, but this time, no one answered.
Whispers broke out immediately.
"A mating call…"
"That's a mating howl—"
"But how—?"
My heart began to race.
The tingle inside me intensified, spreading insistently, curling through my chest and down my spine. It was as though that sound had reached inside me and wrapped itself around something I did not know existed.
My fingers clenched into fists.
This was wrong.
I should not feel this. I should not react at all. I was an Omega, we did have mating calls or mates. Whatever was happening had nothing to do with me.
So why did that howl feel like it was meant for me?
The Alpha stopped howling then growled, and began to pace slowly across the arena. His gaze scanned the crowd again, nostrils flaring as he searched. The tension in the air thickened, pressing down on my chest until breathing felt difficult.
He howled again. This time, the sound was unmistakably commanding.
It slammed into me with devastating force and a howl ripped from my chest before I could stop it.