My Mate is an Omega

3 - A worthless stray

Lancaster POV“There’s more of them coming from the sides!” The Beta’s voice echoed inside my head, but in the heat of the moment, I could barely hear him.

Wolves are ferocious creatures. Our animal side craves the thrill of a good fight, the taste of fresh blood. These wild beasts live inside of our human bodies, but they’re always trying to crawl out - to take control. In the rush of a battle, the adrenaline causes our vision to get blurry and we’re guided solely by instinct. Even the greatest warriors can’t see clearly when they’re on the battlefield. But rage isn’t our only impulse - we’re also very territorial. The most common reason we fight is to protect. Our family. Our home. Our pride. All assets a stray like me could never have.

Instead, I fought for a purpose. In my twenty years of life, I still hadn’t found one.

“This is the last wave of enemies! Keep your guard up!” This time, it was the Alpha reaching out to me. He was probably linking all of the warriors.

In a second of clarity, I was able to analyze my surroundings through my wolf’s vibrant yellowish-green eyes. There were bodies scattered all over the snowy fields, which had now turned red. Most of them had automatically shifted back into their human forms upon passing, due to a magical spell cast on all shifters to prevent the non-supernatural world from finding out about us. However, it was still possible to see some fatally wounded beasts lying around, taking their final breaths. My heart ached at the sight of a few familiar wolves, but most of the fallen ones were our enemies - bears.

I didn’t have a lot of time to process the situation though. Getting distracted in the middle of a fight most likely meant death, and I would never be taken down in such a pathetic way. My light brown wolf, Atlas, shifted into an offensive stance as soon as his eyes landed on our next target. Werebears were much bigger than wolves, and usually stronger, too. However, we had one thing they lacked. During winter, bears will hide in caves and hibernate to survive the cold, while wolves will keep each other warm and hunt together. Our strength came from the pack - the reason why we’re able to deal with much bigger threats.

As soon as Atlas jumped at the huge black creature, another warrior joined us. We kept the bear distracted, using our higher speed to bite its hind legs while dodging its powerful blows, making it lose balance. When it finally fell to the ground, the gray wolf who was helping us went straight for its jugular. The warrior held tightly onto the enemy’s neck, and we helped him keep it still until it finally stopped breathing. Killing a bear was hard, but with enough teamwork, we were successful.

Atlas stuck his tongue out, smiling proudly at his achievement. However, a loud whimper in the distance soon reminded us it wasn’t time to celebrate yet. When we turned in the direction of the sound, I quickly recognized the white wolf by his unique blueish-gray markings - it was King, the Beta’s son’s wolf. On the ground right by his side, there was an unmoving black wolf. The huge claw marks running all the way from his face down to his neck evinced he wouldn’t survive. Then, a powerful roar caught my attention and I finally noticed the dirty brown bear menacingly swatting his paws at King, who had an injured leg. He could hardly dodge, and the warrior he had been paired with couldn’t help him anymore.

Without a second thought, Atlas rushed to his friend’s aid. A loud howl echoed through our throat, causing the bear’s red eyes to lock on us. It didn’t seem too interested in us though, as it soon lifted its sharp claws to strike King with a fatal blow. Thankfully, we managed to stop him right on time by sinking our teeth into its paw. The enemy groaned in pain before growling ferociously at us. The next second, it forced us against the ground, its massive weight squeezing our lungs as its claws dug into our chest.

Attacking a bear so recklessly was a stupid move. I was aware of it from the start, but I didn’t care; I managed to save King, and if I died right now, I’d become a martyr. A heroic death was the most honorable way for a stray like me to go. The lack of oxygen slowly made my vision go black, but I was content. I wanted to become a respected warrior so I could have an opportunity like this. I was born without dignity; at least, I would die with it.

However, before Atlas lost consciousness, his lungs were allowed to expand freely again, and he immediately gasped for air. When we opened our eyes again, we noticed Diesel, the Beta’s wolf, ripping a chunk of flesh off the bear’s neck. With King’s help, they had been able to knock it to the ground. We felt pain as we tried to stand back up, the white spot on our chest covered in blood. As soon as we did, the Beta flashed us a look of disapproval before he lifted his head up, howling fiercely. The other warriors soon joined him. It was a song of victory - our enemies had all been defeated.

Just like that, a one-hour battle was over. One by one, the warriors started shifting back into their human form, quickly covering their bare skin with towels and robes that were brought in by a few Omegas. The saddest part was watching them carry the bodies of their deceased friends so they could be burned in a ceremony that would be held at night.

“It’s a win, at least,” my wolf reminded me, trying to stay positive.

“Yeah, but we lost some great warriors today. And somehow, we’re still alive,” I huffed.

“Don’t you think it might mean something?” Most times, Atlas agreed with me. But there were moments when he hoped we could be destined for something… greater.

“I doubt it.” I sighed. “Anyway, can you give me back control?”

Without saying another word, he nodded before retreating to the back of my head. Slowly, I could feel my human side taking over as our bones began to change, break, rearrange. Shifting was a painful process, especially for lower ranking wolves, and the fact we were injured didn’t help one bit. Still, I felt almost as if I had grown familiar with the pain - it didn’t bother me as much anymore. As I adjusted to standing on two feet once again, my eyes landed on James, our Beta. The way he scowled at me told me I was in some serious trouble.

“You should value your life more, Stray. You almost died because of your recklessness!” He barked at me.

James Holt was a serious man. His dark brown hair had started to fade into gray, a consequence of his forty-nine well-lived years. His rough skin was covered in scars, trophies of his experiences. He was tall, and buffier than any other warrior. A scary sight to see, especially when his yellow eyes were glowing with fury. Yet, I didn’t shake as I stared right back at him. Born a stray, I don’t have a lot to lose; I didn’t fear anything, or anyone.

“I’m willing to die for my pack, Sir,” I replied firmly.

He growled, displeased with my response. “Dying is easy, boy! You leave the mess to be cleaned by the people who stay behind!” He frowned, but sighed soon after. “Living… now that’s actually hard.” A hint of melancholy caused his yellow eyes to lose their light before he turned away, looking at me behind his shoulder. “Go to the infirmary with the others, but don’t get too comfortable. I’m sure Dario will want to speak with you soon.”

A pinch of pain struck my heart, and I couldn’t tell if it was because of my bleeding wound or due to the meaning behind his words. James’ mate and wife, Lisa, committed suicide when their son, Luke, was only three years old. He never resented her, but one can never recover from such a loss. They say losing a mate is so painful it could cause the other one’s death. I think his son was the only thing that pushed him to keep going.

And speak of the Devil…

“What the hell was that, man?” Luke frowned at me as soon as his father left. “I didn’t need help! I could take care of that bear on my own!”

Wolves are also prideful creatures, especially the higher-ranking ones. Aside from that, my best friend had been working extremely hard to become the best warrior of the pack, taking his father’s place. Even if he had no chance to kill the enemy in the condition he was in, he would rather die trying than have someone save him. I couldn’t help a small smirk from lighting up my face at his annoyance.

“I know, but I didn’t want to take any chances. You have Beta blood; your life is worth much more than mine.” I shrugged, leading the way towards the pack hospital.

“Again with this nonsense?” He lifted his hands up in the air in a sign of defeat. “Goddess, fine! Thank you. Is that what you wanted to hear?” We exchanged looks for a brief moment, and I laughed. “You’re an ass, you know that, don’t you?” He still smiled, though.

Honestly, I still had no idea why someone so important like him wanted to be my friend. I guess we just clicked; from the moment we met, when we were still pups, we always got along well. Thankfully, Diamond Tempest’s ranked members were nicer than those of other packs. They raised me with respect, taking me in as an Omega, and allowed me to join warrior training as soon as I turned fourteen. That’s when I finally started to feel my life could actually mean something.

My determination led me to become one of the best warriors of the pack in only a year, despite being an Omega by blood. Luke, on the other hand… he wasn’t as successful. He had all of the love from his father, but in training, James saw us all the same way - we were his warriors, and the pack’s first line of defense. He was very strict with his son, but only because he wanted Luke to become the best fighter he could be. And in return, Luke wanted to make his father proud.

When we made it to the pack hospital, there were a lot of warriors there already. The doctors prioritized the wolves with more serious injuries, and since our condition was stable, we had to sit on one of the many benches to wait until someone could check on us. After a while, a nurse came to us to take care of our wounds. The herbs she covered us in helped accelerate our healing, but they burned my skin so bad I wished I would’ve just let my wounds heal naturally. Thankfully, talking to Luke helped distract me - but it didn’t last long.

“Lancester, meet me in my office. Now!” Alpha Dario’s voice echoed inside my head, making me frown. He cut our connection before I could even reply. Yeah, I was in big trouble.

“What’s up?” Luke asked, probably noticing my eyes clouding over.

“The Alpha wishes to see me.”

“Goddess! He’s gonna kill you!” He joked. “Oh no, wait… You’re his favorite child. You should be fine.”

“Yeah, yeah.” I rolled my eyes at him before I waved him off. “Talk to you later.”

When I got to the Alpha’s office, I noticed he had already left the door open for me. I walked in shyly, showing him my neck in submission. He was wearing his costummary stern semblance, but as usual, it softened up a little when his vivid blue eyes landed on me. He gestured for me to close the door as he ran his hand through his perfectly combed blonde hair. Dario was 52 years old, but you could barely notice - except for the wrinkles on his forehead.

“You wanted to see me, Alpha?” I asked him casually, already knowing what his possible reasons were.

“Yes.” His tone was firm, as always. He waved his hand towards the seat in front of me, but I refused to take it - he was standing, so I would be too. He sighed, shaking his head in disapproval. “Beta James told me about what you did today.”

“Snitch!” Atlas scoffed inside my head.

“Every warrior had orders to work on teams of two or three. Yet, you launched yourself at one of them alone.” He frowned, intertwining his fingers behind his back.

“Luke’s partner had been taken down, Sir. If I hadn’t-”

“Spare me your excuses, Lance. I know you have a dying wish,” he cut me off, turning towards the huge window. It had just started snowing, and soon the bloody battlefield would be covered in white again. “If we’re lucky, we’ll all ascend to the arms of the Goddess in a heroic way. But braveness is not to be confused with stupidity.” He turned his head abruptly in my direction. “What you did today was straight up stupid.” His semblance shifted into a sympathetic one as he approached me, placing one hand on my shoulder. “You have a long life ahead of you, son. You have yet to reach your full potential.”

“Yes, Alpha.” I lowered my head in respect. “Was that all?”

“No.” Dario finally sat down, and I followed his lead. “I have arranged a meeting with Alpha Cedar Adalwolf of Ninebark Pack, in Whistler. They are allies with a sleuth, and I have hopes they will be able to help us stop the werebear attacks. As you know, our enemies have grown in number, while we…”

“We’ve lost quite a few men. I know.” I sighed, arching an eyebrow at him soon after. “Why are you telling me this?”

“You never let me finish, do you? Always so impatient.” He chuckled. “I want you to come with me and Beta James. I believe the experience will teach you some valuable lessons.”

I c****d my head to the side, unable to comprehend his intentions, but nodded nonetheless. There was no point in arguing with him; he was the Alpha, afterall, and he would always have his way.

“Good. You’re free to go now, warrior.” Dario was pretty much the only one who didn’t call me Stray, and it always took me by surprise. “We’ll be leaving in three days. Until then, make sure to rest well. You’re one of our best warriors; you must be in good shape in the event of another attack.” He stood back up and headed towards the door. His hand was on the knob, but he stopped. “And if I hear about you risking your life unnecessarily again…”

“It won’t happen, Sir,” I reassured him. We both knew I was lying, but he didn’t seem willing to argue anymore.

When he finally opened the door for me, I was surprised to find a tall onyx-haired woman with a chanel haircut standing on the other side. She furrowed her brows at me, and the second her peculiar red eyes fell on me, I froze. Cordelia was Dario’s old friend, as well as the pack’s witch. A great ally, but she always sent shivers down my spine. Something about her aura told me she despised me, so I rushed out before we could have an interaction.

***

Dario POV

Whenever I looked at Lancaster, I couldn’t help but be proud of the amazing warrior he turned out to be. He had his flaws, of course, but I never expected the small pup wrapped in a white blanket in the middle of a snowy forest to become such a strong warrior. From the moment my eyes first met his, I knew he was destined for greatness, even though he couldn’t see it yet.

I always thought he was a gift the Goddess sent me. After my mate died in an attack, carrying our unborn child, I had gone through the darkest period of my life. I wasn’t living anymore… I was merely surviving. The weight of the world was crushing me; I wanted to leave this world, join my dear Felicia and our pup. But if I did so, they wouldn’t be the only ones I would let down. As an Alpha, my entire pack depended on me. If I was gone, who would look after them? I held my head high, but I was only a shell of the leader I had once been.

Then, one day when we were patrolling the borders of our territory, I found him. A weak pup, abandoned, alone. I needed to take him in. For weeks I searched for his parents, with no such luck. Caring for him helped me distract myself from the pain, and I eventually decided to make him part of this pack. He was a stray, and I was an Alpha; I knew I could never be his father. Still, I couldn’t help but raise him as my own. And he made me so proud.

“I told you to cut your ties to this boy, Dario. He’s not even your blood,” Cordelia spat, pulling me back to reality.

“There are no ties between us. He’s one of my best warriors, I just wanna make sure he stays alive to serve us,” I lied. A bad move - witches could live for centuries, which made her wise enough to tell when I wasn’t being honest.

“Please. It’s obvious from the way you look at him.” She frowned, lowering her tone. “I’m telling you. This boy will lead you to your demise.”

“What makes you think so?” I scoffed.

“I’ve seen it! When I touched him once, I had a vision…” she finally revealed, utter seriousness in her eyes. “You will die by his hand, Dario.”