My Omega Queen

Mate!

POV: Emily

The Alpha Kyle started walking towards me, so I straightened my back and reluctantly bared my neck. It was always hard to do this somehow. I only met Alpha Kyle a few times and they were short encounters. He is an unmated Alpha, so I'm sure he's looking forward to this year's Mating Season.

"Hello, Emily, I hear you're helping out with training the warriors. I must thank you. I'm sure you're doing a good job, but could you go and help Alice with carrying the stocks for the party ahead? She might need the strength." I make out a bit of disdain on his face while he says this, but it was short-lived.

"Of course, Alpha, whatever you need", I leave, disappointed. I can't really fight his decision, even if he might be a kind Alpha compared to others, he's still an Alpha. So I head towards the canteen where the food for the party is being prepared. I find Alice and Grace, my two best friends, running around the kitchen and shouting at each other.

"We need more bread! More flour! More eggs!!" screams Alice.

"Let me rest a bit, Alice, I'm exhausted! I've been hauling bags and sacks since this morning..." says Grace, sitting on a chair and patting her forehead with a handkerchief.

I let out a short giggle when I see them like this and I announce without excitement: "Hey, girls, I'm here to help".

"EMILY! Just the person I'm looking for! Did you hear the previous orders? Please say yes!" says a very excited Alice. Grace only smiles and sighs in relief.

"Yeess... I did. I'm on my way". Then I go ahead to the pantry and bring whatever they need. I help around the kitchen for the rest of the day, after which the three of us head home together.

"Are you girls excited for the Season?" says a mated Alice, with not a care in the world.

"Of course, Rain says she's quite sure we'll find our mate this year. She's got a feeling in her gut. I can't wait!" Grace blushes. Rain is her wolf and they get along very well.

"Uhm... well, maybe for the experience... I didn't get my wolf yet and I don't want to get my hopes up."

Alice pats me on the back: "I'm sure it'll be fine! There's lots of time even if it's not this year!"

"Myea, easy to say for someone who already has a mate..." I poke her cheek so she gets the jokingly attitude. We all laugh. Arriving home, I take a shower and go to bed.

The following days, I help around the canteen and preparing the houses for the other Alpha's or high-ranking werewolves that will visit during the Season. The other ranks usually stay at the community center and rogues just sleep wherever.

Mating Season Day 1

As soon as I woke up, I could feel the presence of rogues and unknown wolves. That's when I realize I overslept, it's almost midday. "Dammit!" I skip the shower and put on some jeans and a T-shirt in a hurry. The moment I step out the door, I can see lots of unfamiliar cars parked in the community center's parking lot. This is a bit weird for me. I've been too little to attend the Mating Season before so I've never seen one. I quickly make my way towards Nathan: "Thank the Goddess for my keen sense of smell" I think to myself, "I would've never found him otherwise".

"Hello, Beta Nathan, I'm sorry for being late, what's my post?" We usually keep mind-linking for orders or urgent matters. Since he was close-by, I chose to go ask him directly.

Nathan notices the game of words I'm playing, but he's too busy to correct me now: "Emily, yes, I need you to go to the south-eastern border and either direct other packs' cars towards our village or intercept the rogues and use your judgement to see if they have friendly intentions or not. The pack warrior Gabriel is in charge of that area so he'll give you further instructions." Ugh... Gabriel... I can't really stand that guy, and he doesn't really stand me either. We tolerate each other, but he only sees me as a filthy Omega that should help clean the toilets. I'll probably get another task tomorrow, so I suck it up and nod. I can handle him for one day. I make my way towards the south-eastern checkpoint and get my pack's colored bandana. This shows that we are part of the host pack and so other werewolves have to listen to our directives. Then I mind-link Gabriel: "Hello, this is Emily. The Beta said I should come to this checkpoint. What's my job?"

"Emily? The Omega?? What is the Beta thinking?! Why would he send yo... Argh, never mind that now. You know what? Go to point 7-E and help with intercepting the unfriendly rogues." I could feel the disgust in his voice, then he cuts off the link. Awesome, where could this point be... I go back to the checkpoint and ask. The girl there, another Omega, looks very surprised at me and gives me some vague directions. This point is really far and isolated, but apparently another two werewolves should be there. I make my way there but weirdly I cannot find my other two pack members... I can only smell a faint trace of BLOOD?! Oh my, I hurry towards the smell, not thinking twice. I try to mind-link other members but the closest one seems to be 5 minutes away, that's too long. In the distance I can see the bloodied and torn body of a pack member. I did not know him directly, but I can still feel the grief caused by the death of a pack member. It's in our genes to mourn a fallen werewolf. "I must be getting closer", I think while sniffing the air. I can smell the blood of the other pack werewolf and 3... no, 4 other werewolves. Rogues. Clearly unfriendly. My body tells me only death is suitable for rogues that dare outnumber other werewolves and my canines elongate and claws extend. Wrath overtakes me and I growl loudly as a warning before taking off towards them. They are standing above my pack fellow and one of them is about to deliver a fatal blow, when I tackle him to the ground. I growl in his face and swiftly insert my canines into his neck, throwing him into a nearby tree trunk. The other three are obviously taken aback by the sudden attack, but they recover when they feel my rank.

"Oooh, an unmated female... are you here to mate, b***h?" One of them spits in front of me.

I don't even bother talking back to scum like this. I get slowly closer to my pack member and notice he is still breathing. I sigh in relief. Then I turn my attention again to the others. They started to shift into their wolves. "Damn, three male wolves versus one unshifted female, this is going to be tough and I have no time to mind-link anyone" I take my stance and prepare for their attack. They circle around me and two of them jump at me at the same time. I duck, making them hit each other but the third one saw this coming and bites my leg, pulling them and throwing me into a tree. He lounges at me again trying to take advantage of my position, but I roll around and he misses. I quickly recover and get on his back, biting into his neck and tearing his carotid artery. He yelps in pain. I use my claws to blind him and he falls to the ground. I fall with him, but I roll until I'm on my feet. One of the other rogues bites me in the side. I screech in pain and my vision goes blurry. I get thrown at one side and I only stop due to the friction with the ground. Is this the end of me? The rogues are getting closer, slowly, carefully, but I cannot seem to muster the strength to get up as I cannot move my legs. All I can do is lean against a trunk and look straight at them. I can suddenly feel the raindrops on my face and I am taken aback by a feeling of nostalgia. Feeling helpless and about to die in a forest... isn't it ironic?

"We're not going to die", I hear a voice in my head.

Suddenly, as if my body isn't my own, I let out a loud growl, which was fierce and had never left my mouth before: "LEAVE!" and the wolves in front of me that were displaying their teeth at me before now yelp in submission and run away. But it seems this is all I can do at the moment as my eyes feel very heavy and I pass out, hearing some rustling noises around me.

I wake up in the infirmary. I still feel a bit dizzy. I have an IV connected to my hand and I pull it out. The nurse hears the swishing and comes to me:

"Emily, my dear, please stay on the bed. You are still very hurt."

I look at her confused and then look down at my body. I have a bandage over my abdomen but when I pull it off, there's nothing under it, no wound. The nurse, Cathy, has a very surprised look on her face and starts patting me: "B-but, this is unbelievable, you were very hurt... did you get your wolf?!"

I try listening a bit but I hear no wolf voice in my head so I just nod negatively.

"Wait, stay here, I'm going to call the Beta. He's been very worried ever since they found you in the woods" says Cathy.

"O... ok" I mumble.

10 minutes later, Nathan bursts inside the room wearing a distraught, sweaty face and hugs me, taking me by surprise. He had never done anything like this before.

"I'm fine, Nathan. How are the other... I mean, is the other one?" suddenly remembering the forest adventure and grief overtaking my voice.

He looks me up and down in disbelief. "He's in an induced coma, but we hope he'll survive." I nod, saying: "I'm sorry, I didn't get there in time..." Nathan pats me on the head. "Don't worry Emily, I know you did your best."

I let out a few tears when, suddenly, my body relaxes and I feel the most amazing smell I've ever come to know.

"MATE" I hear again, in a clear voice.