THE BROKEN LUNA

Chapter 2 : Finding Her Mate

Omegas were a minority in the world. Each pack has their own rules when it came to omegas. Some were treated worse than what Stella knew while some enjoyed a fairly good life.

The identity of an omega is determined by three categories:

The first was lack of wolf. Those who didn't get their wolf at the age of 16 were directly thrown into the omega category.

Second was an orphan with no one to care for them. Most omegas fall into this category and these are treated just fine as they all reside in an orphanage.

The third and the worst category was none other than the one Stella belonged to. The one who were not born within the pack but taken in as rogues.

However, Stella's life was still much worse than the rogues who were taken in and treated as free labour.

Stella had stumbled upon the Silver Howl pack and taken in. She didn't gain a wolf at the age of 16 and she was an orphan without a guardian figure. As she was still a child back then, she was thrust into a random family to be raised as their personal punching bag and servant.

The Alpha never cared to look back on how she was doing.

The Omegas left an isolated area for her to sit in. The surroundings chairs were empty. No one wanted to sit with her. Stella sat silently and looked at the stage where everyone was going to get their passing certificate.

It was truly the last day of their school life. Graduation, as some called it. Stella was handed her certificate at the end of the ceremony after three hours. Her name was spelled wrong and the certificate wasn't laminated like others were.

It was a useless piece of scrap. She wouldn't be able to get into a university with this certificate.

Not that Stella ever stood a chance to attend university.

Holding the certificate, she left the building and sat by a tall tree at the back of the building where no-one went. The silence gave her a little bit of peace before life becomes hard again.

On the way back home she found Nora chatting with Austin at the school gate. She was twirling a piece of hair between her fingers and smiling widely. Austin leaned against the gate with his legs crossed over the other. He was a head taller than Nora. They matched quiet well in Stella's opinion.

They were both worse bullies in Stella's life.

Stella slipped away before they could spot her and left. Having not spoken the entire day was a normal thing. Sometimes days would go by without speaking a single word. At this point Stella wanted to declare herself a mute like how others sometimes called her.

She passed by the calender on the wall. Her eyes fell on the date circled at the bottom. It was Nora's birthday. It was coincidentally Stella's birthday as well. No one knew except for Stella.

She was looking forward to it just a little more than the previous ones. For the ones who failed to gain their wolf at the 16th birthday, their 18th birthday could be their last chance to have one.

Stella hoped to have her wolf and join the soldiers at the frontline. The only part of any pack that does not discriminate. To put it bluntly, they couldn't.

It was a place that needed manual power the most. The more the merrier.

Patriotism came last in the list of reasons why Stella wanted to join them. The most important one being the highest chance of survival. The chance to get out of this house and built a life of her own.

For others, finding their mate may also be a good way to get out of a bad household situation. For Stella, it was nothing more than another disappointment. Because the chances of her being rejected by her mate were hundred percent.

Having a wolf could open up a wide range of outlets for whoever wants to leave their old life behind. May it be finding a mate and start a new life or built a new one by themselves.

Stella hoped to have a wolf not to have a mate. She wanted to survive.

-----

Stella's morning of her 18th birthday started with a steaming hot bottle of water being emptied over her hand.

Nora held her trembling hand down over the kitchen sink. Her flesh turned a bright red under the ongoing steam of hot water.

"Next time, make sure the temperature is right!" Nora snapped at her face and left the kitchen.

Stella quickly opened the tap to cool down her burning skin. After a few minutes, she rushed to finish the morning breakfast.

It was Nora's birthday and called for an elaborate meal. Stella woke up early and spend hours in the kitchen with a sense of emptiness in her chest.

Her wolf didn't show up.

It didn't mean Stella could sit and cry. She went on to prepare the breakfast Nora liked and even suffered like everyday.

"Mom, Austin is coming over for breakfast!" Nora announced happily at the dining table.

Nathan's mood soured, "Why?"

"He's my boyfriend, I called him." Nora shyly smiled at Nancy and said, "It's my 18th birthday. What if he's my mate?"

"He turned 18 two months ago. He would have known if you were his mate." Nathan jabbed back.

Stella's head lowered further. The chances of finding mates starts from the time the wolf shows up. Nathan wasn't wrong. Austin would have known if Nora was his mate by sensing her wolf when she turned 16.

"There is still a chance!" Nora argued back.

Stella quietly placed the door on the beautifully decorated dining table. Even a fresh bouquet of flowers were brought early in the morning and placed in a clean vase to decorate the table.

"Mom, Stella filled boiling hot water in my water bottle that I'm going to take on our trip!" Nora complained as soon as Stella turned her back to them.

"Is that true Stella?"

Stella came to a halt. She knew running away wasn't going to help. She turned to them and immediately stumbled back when a metal spoon hit her forehead. The spot turned red just like her burned hand. Then, Nathan stood up and grabbed her by the hair.

"Were you trying to ruin her mouth?" He hissed.

"N-No -" Stella winced.

"You dare to speak against him?!" Nora snapped, then said, "Mom, I don't want to see her. I already punished her for it. You can continue later. Austin is about to come and I don't want him to see it!"

Nathan let go of Stella's hair. She crashed against a wall. The back of her head hit it, making the world spin in her eyes. However, instead of staying there, she shuffled on her feet and rushed back upstairs. Her feet stepped on the air several times but it didn't stop her from running upstairs. Even a few hours of delay in beating can save her.

As soon as the door closed, Stella slumped on the floor. Her eyes saw a mess of haze and soon her vision went dark.

‘Stella..’

‘... Wake up…’

Hearing voices in her head was not uncommon. Stella often heard her father's screams or his gentle voice talking to her during those nightmares.

The voice today was something else. She did not remember anyone speaking to her in such a gentle melody.

Stella opened her eyes to find the ceiling of her bedroom. She was down on the floor, soaking in the water that had leaked in yet again on a day of thunderstorms.

One tilt of the head reminded her why she had passed out. The left side of her head throbbed painfully.

It was storming outside and there was no way another plastic was going to survive it.

Getting off the floor took a considerable amount of effort on this particular day. Then, she changed into another outfit. A pair of oversize tshirts and long trousers. They were both black, very much in line with her current dark and gloomy mood and the weather.

‘You need to start dressing better. You resemble a widow who lost everything.’

Stella paused and looked around. There was no one except her in the room. It was a small room too. With no place to hide.

She took a deep breath, shook the dizziness off her mind and went back to folding the few clothes she had on the rack. She blamed it on her deteriorating mental health.

One rack was enough to carry her clothes. They were scarce to begin with. The water was slowly gathering under her bare feet.

Lying in the cold made her back sore too. The bruises swelled up and got worse while she was out. It was better to wear loose clothes.

As she crouched low to soak up the water into a spare bucket, the voice made itself known again.

'You should get a broom for that.'

Stella squeezed the water out of the old cloth into the bucket. The action took out some of her frustration.

"What is this? Am I finally going mad?" Stella asked herself, staring at the ceiling.

'Those voices give you bad advice. Have you seen a mentally ill person like you?'

Stella blinked in confusion, "This is who?"

'Your wolf, Serena. Glad to see you finally. Now, if you'll let me -'

Before Serena had the chance to properly announce herself, Stella burst into tears right there. Her legs gave out and folded under her. Both arms covered her face and the sleeve of her shirt soaked up the day tears.

'Tell me those are happy tears.' Serena stated.

"They are," Stella cried, "Where were you? I kept waiting."

'Got lost on the way. Now stop crying. Aren't you happy? Wait.'

Stella was still not over the fact that now she also had a wolf. The same wolf that will increase her chances of getting a slightly better life.

"How long was I out?" Stella asked in between sniffles.

'Twenty minutes. They threw you in this room.' Serena answered but she sounded distracted.

That's when Stella felt it too. The faint scent that felt so attractive that it made her mouth water. Her hiccups stopped and so did her tears.

A horrifying realisation struck her and Serena confirmed it right then.

'That's our mate.'