The Omega’s Awakening

2.

***

The anguish in my soul was unlike anything I had ever felt before. The torture was so great that I thought I would suffocate from it. I was in pain, and all I could think of was how to end my life. The pain of rejection was like a knife to the chest, and no matter what I did, no matter how hard I tried to ignore it, I simply couldn't move away from the anguish of being rejected.

Frail as my wolf was, I couldn't even feel my connection to her. It was as if she had taken a backseat in my head, refusing to say anything and choosing to abandon me in a time when I needed her the most.

"Freya, please talk to me," I begged as I stumbled across the hallway, dried blood all over my face and soaking the entire front of my shirt. "Please, just say something."

But she wouldn't reply. The pain of rejection was too much to bear, and I could tell that it was affecting her so much. There was no greater pain than for a wolf to be rejected by her mate. The bond was something sacred, something to be treasured. And for this to be destroyed by Alpha Cedric's rejection, it was a type of pain I knew I would never recover from.

I couldn't remember ever feeling this kind of pain before. The last time I felt anything close to this was when my mother was killed by a bunch of rogues along the southern pass. I cried for weeks after she died, and I could still remember the way her corpse looked, mangled by her killers and thrown into a ditch.

She had been an omega like me, practically exiled since the day she was born. But we lived together in a cabin on the outskirts of the territory, and life was good for a while. But then the rogues attacked, and they took her away on a cold summer night. She was found the next morning in the ditch, and I felt like my whole life was shattered. We had been close, and now I had no one else to talk to or laugh with or even be around. My life was over, and I couldn't imagine living without her. I thought I would never recover from the pain which wrapped itself around me that day.

And yet here I was, having recovered from one only to find myself in another pool of despair.

"I can't believe she thought Alpha Cedric would claim her as his mate," someone whispered as a group of girls walked past and stared at me in disgust, pulling me out of my reverie.

"Why would he ever settle for a lowly omega like her?" another replied. "Just look at her. She was marked from birth, a stain on our pack."

They laughed as they walked away, and their words only served to increase my turmoil. I had no place here. I didn't belong in this pack, where everyone despised me and wished I was dead.

I fled from the house, not even thinking about where I was heading. I ran as fast as my feet could carry me, my heart beating wildly in my chest. I didn't stop to think or even look over my shoulder. I just kept on running, the wind whipping my tears away as I sped towards the trees. A few wolves who were on patrol stared at me confusedly, but I ignored them as I kept on running. I just needed to get away, to find somewhere where I wouldn't feel like the entire world was closing in on me.

The trees zipped past as I ran, a few branches swatting at my face as I blindly tore through the forest. I wanted to scream, to riot and rage and destroy everything in my path. I wanted to throw myself from the highest cliff in the territory and just end this pain.

But then, just as I was running, something tripped my legs and I crashed to the ground, dirt and dust covering me instantly as I tumbled over and slammed into the side of a tree. I cried out in agony, the entire forest spinning around me as I struggled to breathe.

What the hell was that?

"Well, look what we have here," a cold voice whispered above me. "Is the little wolf trying to run somewhere?"

"I-I..."

"Answer me, sweet girl," he growled. "Where exactly were you running off to?"

"N-nowhere," I lied. "I j-j-just wanted to run for a b-bit."

Just then, as if materializing from the shadows themselves, a large wolf emerged. Its fur was a dark, untamed canvas, glistening under the moonlight. A growl rumbled deep within its throat, vibrating through the air like an ominous warning.

Fear gripped me, paralyzing my limbs as I watched the terrifying wolf. My heart pounded in my chest, a rapid rhythm echoing in my ears. But as I examined the intruder further, I noticed more figures emerging from the shadows, flanking the lead wolf.

Rogues.

They circled around me, their eyes filled with malicious intent. Taunting laughter pierced the air, mocking my presence, my vulnerability. The words cut through me like knives, each insult a painful reminder of my rejected status.

"She's a pretty one, if you can get over the dirt on her," one of the rogues sneered, his voice dripping with contempt. "I suppose the mating ceremony is over. Which means we're late."

"Doesn't matter," their leader said. "We can snag off a few stragglers while we're at it. These Lupines are all talk and no action."

Laughter echoed around me, a chorus of disdain that fueled sent shivers down my spine. I never had the nerve or the strength to stand up for myself, and these wolves looked like they were going to kill me. What exactly were rogues doing so far north? As far as I could tell, they had always kept to the southern boundary of our territory. So why were they here?

"Why are you covered in blood, love?" one of the wolves whispered, closing in on me. "A little lover's quarrel with your mate?"

"What does it matter?" the leader growled. "Are you killing her or are you fvcking her?"

"Maybe a little bit of both," he sneered.

But just as the rogues closed in, their teeth bared in menacing snarls, a powerful presence shattered the oppressive atmosphere. Alpha Cedric's wolf burst onto the scene, his presence commanding and fierce. The rogues faltered, a momentary hesitation betraying their surprise.

With lightning speed and unmatched strength, he lunged at the lead rogue, his jaws snapping with a ferocity that sent chills down my spine. The clash of fangs and the thunderous growls reverberated through the clearing, an epic battle between forces of light and darkness.

With each swipe of his claws, each defiant snarl, Alpha Cedric forced them back. The rogues, now clearly outmatched, slinked away into the shadows, their pride wounded but their threat silenced.

The silence returned, except for the pounding in my heart. Alpha Cedric shifted back into his wolf form and turned to face me slowly, his eyes a cold and deadly glare. He looked absolutely terrifying, and I shrunk beneath his menacing gaze as he made his way towards me.

"You've got some nerves to think you can run away without me finding out," he said. "You really think you're going to get a chance to escape and I won't hunt you down?"

"I-I wasn't trying to run away," I lied.

"Then what are you doing so far out here?"

"N-nothing," I said, keeping my head bowed.

A powerful slap suddenly blinded me, and he grabbed me by the neck and slammed me against the tree. "You think you're so clever, don't you? You think that you can get away with this because I rejected you? Hell no! You may be the worst wolf to have ever existed, but you're still a part of this pack. And I'll be damned if I let you leave."

Another punch came straight to my face, and before I knew what was going on, I suddenly blacked out as the pain consumed me completely. The next time I woke up, I found myself locked within the cold confines of what appeared to be the dungeon of the pack house. I shivered both from the dampness in the air and the uncertainty that gripped my heart.

Alpha Cedric must have brought me back here to punish me. Just as his name crossed my mind, I looked up and found him glaring down at me with nothing but hatred in his eyes.

"Rise and shine," he muttered mirthlessly. "Had a good night's rest?"

The sound of approaching footsteps reverberated through the corridor, alerting me to the arrival of another visitor. The heavy door swung open, revealing Petyr, Alpha Cedric's beta.

Petyr's gaze met mine briefly, a flicker of sympathy evident before he turned his attention to Alpha Cedric, who stood tall and commanding behind him. The weight of his presence filled the room, suffocating the flickering embers of hope that lingered within me.

"Alpha Cedric," he began, his voice respectful yet laced with concern. "We have received reports of the rogue sightings just past the southern border. Their numbers and activities seem to be increasing."

Alpha Cedric's eyes narrowed, his face etched with a mixture of determination and frustration. "How dare they encroach upon our lands? I will not tolerate such audacity."

Petyr nodded in agreement, his tone steady. "Indeed, Alpha Cedric. It appears that they have grown bolder, perhaps even emboldened by external influences. We must devise a plan to confront and eliminate this threat swiftly."

A frown marred Alpha Cedric's brow as he surveyed the room, his gaze momentarily settling on my confined figure. "Could it have something to do with her?"

Petyr hesitated, his voice lowering as he spoke. "No, Alpha Cedric. I don't believe there have been no indications of her involvement in the rogue activities, nor any shred of evidence."

"But she's a cursed wolf," he replied. "And she's bound to doom us all, one way or another. Just look at that filthy mark on her"

I stared down at the mark on my right arm, the way it seemed to shimmer as it curled along the length of my arm. It looked like a glowing tattoo, moving all the way from my shoulder down to my wrist. It was the mark of a cursed woman, the sign of my stained blood which no one wanted to be associated with. Even if I was born to be an high-ranking member of the pack, this mark would have instantly demoted me to my current rank.

I glanced down at the dark mark again, the jagged lines etched into my skin like a haunting melody. From the very moment I got the dark mark, I knew my life within the pack would never be the same. The intricate patterns seemed to coil around my skin like a venomous serpent, a mark of something unknown, something feared. It was as if the very essence of darkness had etched itself onto my flesh, branding me with an indelible curse.

In the eyes of my packmates, the mark was a harbinger of doom, a sign of ill fate. Superstition and whispers spread like wildfire, weaving a shadow of fear and uncertainty around me. They believed I was tainted, a magnet for misfortune that could bring ruin upon us all.

In their eyes, my mark carried the weight of darkness, an invitation for disaster and misfortune to befall the pack. Their fear was palpable, like a thick fog that permeated every aspect of my existence. And try as I might, I couldn't shake the feeling that I was to blame, that I had somehow brought this curse upon myself.

"Send word to the Shadowclaws," Alpha Cedric suddenly said. "I should speak with Alpha Blackwood on this, perhaps later today."

Petyr paled at the mention of Alpha Blackwood, but he dared not argue with his Alpha. He bowed and left the dungeon silently, not even glancing in my direction again.

"We'll see if you have something to do with these rogue sightings," Alpha Cedric said. "In the meantime, you can stay in here and rot for all I care."

And with that, he turned around and walked away, leaving me trembling in pain and humiliation.

***