The Alpha's Marked Omega

Chapter 3

Vera’s POV

The softness of whatever I was lying on made me jump up and look at my surroundings. I'd never been on something so soft in my life and I thought to myself. “Had I died already?”

“You foolish girl!” I heard a man grumble from behind then I turned to see Keith running to me, grabbing my bleeding arm. “What on earth is wrong with you? Do you have a death wish?”

“I…” I staggered off, just feeling the pain now that he mentioned it. I never knew I was hooked to a fluid.

He ordered me to stand still and he wrapped something around the bleeding vein before he sat me down. I whispered thank you to him since that was the only thing my brain could formulate at the time.

He simply nodded, headed out, and walked back in with a tray of food and some clothes.

"Are you okay? Do I need to call the doctor again?" He asked and I shook my head.

“Alright then. Freshen up and meet me in the common area. I'd like to discuss something with you."

I stared at the food and immediately covered it back because it wasn't something I knew how to eat. I took a few minutes to freshen up and I stood in the corner while he sat there like he was taking a nap.

“Sit, Vera. I'm not going to hurt you.”

Though his words were comforting, his tone wasn't, so I picked the farthest chair from him.

“How are you feeling?”

I shifted in my seat, glancing down at my hands before meeting his gaze. “Better, thank you. I… I know I’d be dead if you hadn’t stepped in.” I swallowed, my voice catching as I remembered the last moments before I lost consciousness, the sight of fangs and claws closing in on me. “I’m grateful you saved my life, Alpha.”

He didn’t respond right away, his expression unreadable, merely nodding as if to acknowledge my words but not linger on them. I watched him warily, feeling as though he were dissecting me with his gaze.

"Why are you so stubborn headed, Vera?" I heard him grumble but didn't answer as I couldn't figure out an answer to give.

After a moment, he leaned forward, his eyes narrowing thoughtfully. “What age were you when your parents died?”

The question caught me off guard, and for a moment, I could only blink at him, surprised by the sudden, personal turn in the conversation. “I… I never knew them,” I answered softly, trying to keep the tremor out of my voice. “They died when I was born, so it was just me and my grandmother for as long as I can remember.”

He nodded, his eyes darkening slightly. “And your grandmother. What happened to her?”

I bit my lip, my heart tightening at the memory. “She raised me, taught me everything I know. But… one day, they came for her. Said she couldn’t pay off her debts.” I looked away, my voice dropping to a whisper. “They took her from me.”

Keith was silent for a long moment, his gaze steady, almost too intense. “And you never saw her again?”

I shook my head, a painful lump forming in my throat. “No… no, I didn’t.”

“Did you even try to find her? Or you let her go just like that…”

His words sounded accusatory but I shook my head. Letting him know I had tried to find her lots of times, but I failed.

He simply nodded again, his expression difficult to read, but there was a hint of something in his eyes. “Well I have good news for you. We’ve found her.”

His words hung in the air, heavy and surreal, and for a moment, I wondered if I’d heard him correctly. I looked up, my heart pounding. “You… you found her? How? When? Where is she?”

“Easy with the questions, mate,” he replied with a chuckle as his eyes never left mine. “Yes I've found her and I am more than willing to take you to her, but there’s a condition.”

My heart skipped, and a cold shiver ran down my spine. “Condition?” I echoed, my voice barely above a whisper.

“I also want to see her, so I'll have to come with you.” His gaze met mine, holding it with a kind of authority that left no room for argument. I told him I didn't understand what he meant, then he explained that he wanted me to introduce him to her.

A knot formed in my stomach, confusion swirling within me. “But… why? Do you want to see her?”

He said nothing, merely raising an eyebrow in response. It was clear he had no intention of answering. Instead, he reached beside him and tossed something in my direction. Instinctively, I caught it. It was a small, neatly wrapped snack, one of those simple energy bars.

“Eat,” he ordered. “You’re still too weak, and if you faint again, I won’t be there to help you up. Especially since you have a habit of leaving food untouched."

I blinked, caught between frustration and a strange kind of gratitude. His words were blunt, unkind even, but I could tell there was something beneath the harshness. Maybe a concern he wasn’t willing to admit. Reluctantly, I opened the wrapper, taking a small bite as he watched, his expression unchanging.

“When and how did you find her?” I ventured again, hoping he’d offer me something, anything to explain.

But he merely shook his head. “You’ll understand when you see her.”

I sighed, feeling the familiar frustration bubble up, but I kept quiet, focusing on the food in my hands. This was the closest I’d found her in so long, and if it meant following his rules, I would. I’d do anything if it brought me closer to her.

The journey to my grandmother’s place felt like both a blur and an eternity. My mind raced with anticipation and dread, images of her face flashing before my eyes. I hadn’t seen her in so long, and now, knowing that she was within reach, a knot of fear twisted in my stomach.

I could barely look at Keith as we traveled, his face was set in that same unreadable, stoic expression, revealing nothing of his motives or intentions. Each time I stole a glance at him, his gaze was focused, as if he already knew what awaited us.

A chill ran through my body as we entered my hometown, which turned into a crow's home. Ever since the segregation, most people dumped this area, and it was finally given to the old ones who had little to no life left within them.

I had come here lots of times to find Grandma, but I never found her, so when we passed our family home, I figured I had been searching the wrong place all my life.

The car stopped in front of a building that seemed to be like a care home and hospital in one building.

“Follow me,” Keith said, and he opened the door, leading me through different empty corridors. He stopped just before the entrance and turned to me. “Go in,” he said, his tone flat, giving nothing away. But his eyes held an intensity I couldn’t decipher.

With shaky hands, I pushed the door open, and a faint, familiar scent of lavender, a scent I’d nearly forgotten hit my nostrils. The interior was dim, shadows draping over the modest furniture, and I spotted her lying on a chair in the far corner, frail and still. Her gray hair spread across the pillow, and her face, though pale and worn, was unmistakably my grandmother’s.

“Grandmother…” I whispered, my voice breaking as I stepped toward her. She didn’t stir immediately, and panic clawed at me as I reached her, my knees buckling beneath me. Tears blurred my vision as I took her cold, bony hand in mine, my heart aching at the sight of how much she had aged.

Her eyes fluttered open, weak but aware, and after a while, they focused on me with a softness that made the tears spill over. “Vivi?” she whispered, her voice so faint it was like a breeze passing through.

“Yes, it’s me,” I managed, my throat thick with emotion. “It’s me, Grandmother. I’m here. Gosh! I’ve… I’ve missed you so much.”

Her frail fingers squeezed my hand as a tear traced down her cheek. “My sweet girl,” she murmured, her eyes tracing my face as if memorizing every detail. “I knew… I knew you’d find me one day.”

I couldn’t hold back the sob that escaped my lips, and I leaned closer, resting my forehead against her hand. “I’m so sorry… I should have found you sooner. I should have tried harder.”

Her fingers brushed my hair softly, and she shook her head, her voice tender despite her weakness. “Don’t… don’t apologize, child. Life has a way of testing us… and you’re here now. That’s all that matters.”

We stayed like that for what felt like an eternity, me clutching her hand, drinking in the sight of her, the sound of her voice—things I thought I might never experience again. Then, her gaze shifted over my shoulder, not to Keith, who was behind me, but back at the window she was staring at earlier and that was when I noticed the whitish veil over her orbs.

“Grandma, what happened to your eyes?” I demanded, my heart breaking at the sight.

“Vivi dear, I see you brought a guest.” She groaned, then a slight tremor ran through her frail body as she whispered, almost as if in awe, “Dark Wolf… I’ve been waiting for you.”