My Mate is an Omega

2 - The Alpha's assistant

Caitlyn POV

After talking to Cedar, I finally decided to head back to the house where I lived with my mom. Megan’s coat helped protect my back from the cold wind, but my legs were still freezing, reminding me I should get changed. Besides, I had promised my mother we could have lunch together to celebrate my birthday, and I was sure she would freak out if I was late. As I approached the small cottage, I was greeted by the delicious scent of my mother’s special - moose stew and bannock. It immediately made my day a little lighter.

Although lower ranking members’ houses were located in the furthest part of the territory, our borders were always protected by Sentinels, and the pack was quite peaceful. It was usual for us to leave our doors open, so I didn’t even bother knocking before walking inside. My mother, who was by the stove, momentarily took her eyes off the cooking pot to smile brightly at me. Before I could even say a word, she hopped in my direction, wrapping her arms around me in a tight hug.

“You’re a bit early, honey. Lunch will be ready in a second!” she told me excitedly, pulling out a chair for me next to the small wooden table. Not even with her daughter could she let go of her altruistic ways - a habit she got after years serving the pack as an Omega.

“It’s okay, mom. I can seat myself.” I laughed when she offered me an apologetic smile.

“How was it with the Gamma? Was he really your mate?”

Her cheerfulness was gone the second I looked down. I knew she would ask me this question sooner than later; after all, I rushed out this morning saying I thought Caleb was my mate. However, I was hoping to give Faye more time to recover. She was only now regaining her strength, and I was afraid the mention of our fated mate’s name would make her weak again.

“Don’t worry, Cait. We’ll get through this,” my she-wolf reassured me. “It’ll get easier. You’ll see.”

I sighed longly before my lips parted. “Yes, but… he rejected me. He said he couldn’t have an Omega as his mate.” I expected to feel pain, or hear Faye’s low whimpers. But all I felt was a pinch of relief. It seemed like she was right - the more we told this story, the easier it was to accept what happened. Somehow, I was slowly learning to move on.

“Oh, honey…” My mom pouted, walking back towards me to hold me at arm's length.

She raised her hand up to my face, gently brushing my cheek in an attempt to comfort me. It had always been just me and her growing up. My father was a warrior; he died when I was too young to even remember him. Since then, my mother worked twice as hard to make sure I would feel loved. She couldn’t afford to give me the coolest toys or the nicest clothes, but she showered me with all of her love. Honestly, it was more than I could ever ask for.

“You’re destined for better, Cait. I know it might not make a lot of sense right now, but you’ll realize it eventually.”

“I doubt it.” I shrugged. “The Goddess chose him to be with me. He was my destiny.”

“Oh, honey, the Goddess meant for you to be mated to him, but we don’t know her reasons. Maybe she did it to teach you a valuable lesson.” She rubbed my arm, her gaze focused on me.

I couldn’t help but frown at my mother’s words. Why would the Goddess intend for me to be rejected? It seemed like a cruel fate for anyone. Unless she wanted to punish me for something I had done, I couldn’t come up with a good enough explanation for the so-called destiny she envisioned for me. But to be fair, Caleb was the one who went against her wishes by breaking our bond. He did it before I even had the chance to prove myself.

“You don’t need to prove anything to anyone, Cait.” There was Faye inside my head again. “If he wanted to go against the Goddess’ decisions, let him deal with it. As far as I’m concerned, he’s in the past now. Like your mother said, greater things await us, and we shouldn’t waste our time on a little bump in the road.”

My she-wolf’s advice was comforting, but her determination also confused me. “I thought wolves were supposed to crave their mates. How have you gotten over it so fast?”

Before she could reply, the door burst open with a loud bang. In came a cheerful Megan as my counterpart retreated to the depths of my mind, leaving me without an answer. But when my best friend’s glowing eyes locked on me, I knew I would just have to wait.

“How’s my little warrior?” Using her werewolf speed, Meg was beside me in no time, almost suffocating me with her bear hug.

“You’re the warrior. I’m just an Omega.” I coughed.

“A crazy smart Omega!” she corrected me, messing up my hair before her gaze finally landed on my mother, who was already frowning in face of my friend’s poor manners. “Good afternoon, Claudette! What do we have for lunch today?”

The old woman’s eyes widened as a frightened gasp left her lips. “The stew!” She remembered, rushing back over to the stove. As soon as she did, Megan took her seat, kicking off her snow boots and tossing them to the side. I swear she couldn’t feel more at home unless she put her feet on the table - which she probably would have done, had she not been scolded for it a thousand times.

Megan had always been a little too loud, but that’s exactly why I loved her. Despite having been born in the same position as me, she was never afraid of speaking her mind. My mother used to say she would get into trouble for her behavior some time, but thankfully, our Alpha quite enjoyed her lively personality. Everyone did, in fact - she was always the life of the party, while I was the quiet nerdy she-wolf.

However, I’d be lying if I said I didn’t let her influence me sometimes.

“How are we celebrating today?” she asked with a mischievous smile.

“Well, it seems someone told the Alpha that I enjoy a good tequila.” My tone was accusing as I frowned at her, making her laugh. “So this was his gift to me.” I pulled out the golden key, showing it to her.

“A key?” She arched one of her eyebrows. I rolled my eyes; she had muscles, but she definitely wasn’t one of the brightest.

“It’s the key to his personal bar.” I noticed her excitement building up just from the way her eyes widened, and I had to cover her mouth to prevent her from screaming. “He said I can take anything I want from there.”

“Oh, we’re having a party tonight!” Megan affirmed cheerfully. Before I could protest, she added, “Just the two of us - no boys allowed.”

“Fine. But I have to be in bed early. Tomorrow’s my first day as Cedar’s assistant and I don’t wanna look like a hot mess.”

“I got you, babe.” She winked at me at the exact time my mother announced lunch was ready.

***

On the morning after my birthday, I got up a bit earlier than usual to prepare for my first day of work. At sixteen, I started helping my mom and the other cooks in the kitchen, but today I would actually be working at a prestigious position and I wanted to make a good impression. Since I didn’t have a lot of clothes to choose from, my mom kindly got me a nice, formal beige overcoat as a birthday gift to help me look more professional. I wore it over a black high neck knitted sweater and my best pair of dark jeans. After adding some natural make-up, I was off to work.

As soon as I stepped outside, I froze. Not because of the cold morning wind, but because I realized how hard it would be to avoid my mate today. The pack territory was large enough for the two of us to mind our own business without crashing into each other. However, I was heading towards the pack house, where all ranked members lived - including him. As beautiful as my new overcoat was, it didn’t have a hoodie to cover my face. Instead, I glued my chin to my chest, shrinking as much as I could before I started walking at a fast pace.

I was surprised by how easily I had forgotten about Caleb throughout the night, but I blamed it on the alcohol. Megan helped me loosen up after she pretty much forced me to take a bottle of Patrón from Cedar’s bar. She tried really hard to get me wasted as well; she was the kind of girl whose need to get others drunk rose the drunker she got. Fortunately, I was able to hold onto my control and only have enough to get a little tipsy - which was pretty hard, considering how much of a tequila fan I was.

“It was soooooo good!” my she-wolf chanted inside my head. Last night, I found out I had an alcoholic for a counterpart. “We should drink some more after work!”

“I’m sorry to disappoint you, Faye, but Meg took the bottle with what was left of tequila. And I know her well enough to be sure she finished it on her way home.”

“Dang it! It was our birthday gift, for Goddess’ sake! What kind of a friend does that?” She frowned, making me laugh. It is known that wolf spirits complete our human side, but I was still in awe at how much we balanced each other. I couldn’t believe I have lived so long without her.

I came to an abrupt stop when I crashed against something hard - or better yet, someone. Looking down and distracted with my internal conversation, I forgot to pay attention to the path in front of me. When I slowly lifted my head to find out who I had bumped into, my heart stopped. The muscular man had tanned skin covered in tattoos. His black hair was styled in a buzzcut, and his light brown eyes were so intense they pierced through me. It was none other than the pack’s Beta, Lyall Russel.

“Beta Lyall!” I jumped back, frightened. “I’m so sorry! I was distracted, it won’t happen again!”

He laughed, patting me on the shoulder. “Don’t worry about it, Cait. But why are you acting so weird?”

“Weird? Me? I…” I stuttered, looking around. Should I explain I was hiding from my mate?

Lyall crossed his arms, frowning. “If the Gamma dared to harass you again, I swear I’ll punch him in the face!” He growled, cracking his knuckles. Damn, even with his usual sweet personality, he looked scary as hell now. “He was stupid enough to reject you, but if he tries something else…”

“No! It’s… it’s fine.” I sighed, a pinch of sadness rushing through me again. I closed my eyes, regaining my composure before forcing an apologetic smile. “I’m just nervous. It’s my first day as Cedar’s assistant, and I don’t wanna mess it up.”

“You’ll do great. You’re perfect for the position,” he reassured me as his semblance became lighter again. “But your workday only starts after breakfast. Come on, let’s grab a bite!” He insisted, pushing me towards the cafeteria.

At that moment, I noticed a cheerful Megan running clumsily in my direction. I instinctively lifted my hands up to protect my face, expecting her to jump over me. To my surprise, she stopped when she was inches away from me.

“You’re lucky you’re wearing fancy clothes. I’m not crazy enough to ruin them.” She furrowed her brows.

“She’s definitely crazier than that,” Faye scoffed.

“There you are. I was wondering where you had run off to,” Lyall stated, playfully resting his heavy arms around both of our necks. “It’s weird seeing one of you without the other. You’re like each other’s shadows.”

My best friend and I exchanged looks, laughing soon after. The three of us chatted until we reached the cafeteria, but as soon as we went inside, I removed myself from the conversation - I didn’t want him to hear my voice. My hazel eyes shyly scoured through the place as I lowered my head, trying to hide behind the two warriors who accompanied me. I caught a glimpse of Caleb sitting at the ranked members table; he had one arm possessively wrapped around Lacey’s shoulder. They didn’t seem to notice me, but to be honest, I didn’t bother staring at them too long. My she-wolf growled in disgust, yet all I could feel was betrayal.

“Babe? You alright?” Megan pulled me back from my thoughts.

I gasped before looking at her. “Yeah. I was just wondering…” I quickly tried to change the subject, catching Lyall’s attention. “Won’t you be eating with the Alpha? You don’t have to stay with us, you know…” I whispered. I didn’t want to keep him from sitting with his friends, especially when I knew he was probably doing this because he pitied my situation.

“Nah. It’s good to change the routine a little every so often. And honestly, I’m not in the mood to chat with Gamma jerk-face today. ” He rolled his eyes. “Unless you don’t want me to hang out with you. I understand if you don’t think I’m cool enough…” He pouted.

“What? No! That’s not-” Thankfully, Meg had my back.

“You’re definitely not cool enough to hang with us,” she joked. I immediately widened my eyes at her. The way she carelessly messed with a high ranking member… I didn’t know if she was brave or stupid. “But we’ll let you stick around today. Maybe you can learn a thing or two, right, Cait?”

“Yeah. I mean, no!” I shook my head abruptly.

“Poor girl.” Lyall sighed, scowling at my best friend. “Stop giving her a hard time, or I’ll make you take ten extra laps tomorrow as punishment.”

“Ugh, fine!” She crossed her arms, but the playful smile never left her face.

Honestly, I wasn’t feeling hungry today. The whole situation still made me uncomfortable, and it didn’t help that I kept glancing over at the ranked members table to see Caleb. I would have dwelled into my depressing thoughts, had I not started paying attention to Lyall and Meg’s conversation. They were talking about training, and how much she had improved in the past few sessions. Megan tried to play it cool, but I knew how hard she worked to become a great warrior. She wanted to be respected for her strength.

Thankfully, Ninebark Pack allowed females - and Omegas - to join training to become warriors. Betas were usually the pack’s coaches, so Lyall was the one to recognize her potential when my best friend first applied. He is a strict trainer, especially with her, but only because he wants her to become the powerful fighter he knows she can be.

After we were done with breakfast, I rushed out of the cafeteria. By then, Caleb had already left, so there was no way we would cross paths. Still, I walked as fast as I could until I reached the Alpha’s office, taking a deep breath before knocking on his door; today was the big day. I was offered the chance to prove I’m more than a simple Omega, and I was determined to prove my worth.

“How’s my amazing assistant doing today?” Cedar showed me a fond smile as soon as he opened the door for me. “Please, take a seat.” He gestured towards the desk, and I quickly obliged.

“Thank you very much for the opportunity,” I said for the billionth time. “Whatever you need me to do, I won’t let you down, Alpha.”

“Cedar,” he corrected me, and I mentally scolded myself. “And you don’t need to thank me, Cait,” he told me sincerely before pulling out a few papers. “So, the first thing I need you to do is prepare the details for my next meeting. I want you to be present with me for that.”

“Of course. May I ask what’s the reason behind this meeting?” He immediately gave me the folder so I could take a quick look at it.

“Alpha Dario of Diamond Tempest Pack is coming over in two days. He has been having problems with werebear attacks,” Cedar informed me. “Since we are allies with one of the few existent sleuths, he is seeking our help.” I nodded, easily processing the information. Sleuths were the equivalent of wolf packs for bears.

“Okay. What do you want me to do?” I asked assertively.

He smiled brightly, making me blush. “I like your determination, Caitlyn. So, here’s what we have to do…”

***

The next two days went by in the blink of an eye. While working by the Alpha’s side, I tried my best to avoid my mate and his… companion. Honestly, I had become a master at it; we still hadn’t talked since the day he rejected me. Little by little, it was getting easier to accept the fact he didn’t want me. With a lot of support from my best friend, my mother, and especially my wolf, I was slowly realizing I didn’t need him to be happy. I was starting to believe I could actually live without him.

In the morning, I took care of the final details for the awaited meeting, which I was a little nervous about. Cedar kept reassuring me I was doing an amazing job and I was ready to meet another Alpha; he insisted I would be of great help for their discussion. So when I knocked on his door to warn him of our guest’s arrival, I held my head up high. But as we walked outside, I felt my braveness slowly crumble. An enticing scent hit my nostrils, and I was immediately confused.

Cedar noticed my abrupt stop and turned to me with concern. “Cait, is everything okay?”

But I couldn’t reply. I was too lost in thought. Then, I heard my she-wolf cheerfully chant, “Mate!”