Chapter 3: Banished Omega

~Ioana~

'I want them to pay!'

That's all that echoed in my mind over and over again. All my life I've suffered, oppressed for something I've never had control of.

Without thinking, a change took place—claws grew out, replacing my chipped nails.

A guttural growl tore from my lips, low and powerful. Kicking off the ground, I charged, launching towards them.

I could see it—my sister's eyes widened in astonishment and horror. Ramon's smirk fell off his face, becoming solemn.

An ungodly trill went down my spine. That look—I loved it. I wanted more. Maybe I had run mad—but at this point, I didn't care.

I channeled everything into that attack.

But when I was a hair’s breadth away from them, my claws nicking Ramon's face, drawing a line of blood, our eyes clashed—crazy hazel on brown.

Hands gripped onto me, latching onto my limbs, dragging me down from mid-air, sending me crashing on the ground with a thud, raising dust up.

Pain shot up my limbs. Hands and feet rained down on me with kicks and punches. Muscle memory kicked in. Hugging my head with my arms, protecting it, I curled into a fetal position. Beams of rays sneaking in from the gap between their bodies, I glanced at the moon.

It sat in the sky, so indifferent to what was happening. Knowing no one would help me. I gritted my teeth, stifling all the grunts of pain. Grains of sand digging into my skin, scraping it.

They would leave when I gave no response. That's what always happened.

And I was right, except—

"Alright, guys, it's enough. If you kill her, I don't know how I'll explain it to my father." A familiar voice—Ramon—ordered, laughter following.

Footsteps thudded, a shadow stretching over me. Ramon clicked his tongue in repulsion and loathing.

"Disgusting," he murmured. "If you had done as I had asked—running away obediently—things would never have gotten to this point."

From a tiny gap between my arms, I peeked. A few feet away, I caught Gabrielle’s sickening joy that flashed through her bright blue eyes before it disappeared as swiftly as it came.

"She's down, guys!" Pressing his hand against his knees, he heaved himself up.

Wrapping an arm around the waist of Gabrielle, who squeaked in shock, giggling amidst the boos of the crowd,

"Let's leave… There's nothing to see here anyway," Ramon called out. Taking the lead, he walked around, past me.

I stifled a grunt. A scarlet red shoe flashed, followed by a kick to my back, knocking the wind out of me.

"Did I hit you?" Gabrielle’s mock concern grated on me. My teeth sunk, biting down on my lower lip. My back throbbed and pulsed in pain.

Their harsh cackles grew distant. The once bustling square was now desolate. The full moon appreciation was over. The sand dug into my skin. Picking myself up from the ground, I winced, clutching at my side.

They really went all out on me. Wheezing, I staggered to my feet. Each step was like a nail lodged into my joints, pain radiating with each step. I gritted my teeth, almost grinding them to dust.

The air itself sliced my lungs with each breath. Darkness crept into the corners of my vision. I dropped my head, shielding myself from the stares of passersby, trudging forward.

If I collapsed here, would anyone notice? A dangerous thought lingered at the back of my mind. I shook it off.

By pure will only, I walked step by step to the house. But when I stepped on the cobblestoned path lined with vibrant flowers, I noticed something wrong.

The door was wide open. The porch light on, casting golden warm light on the figures present—my parents and an elderly man with white-trimmed beards. Flattering smiles stretched their lips wide, laughing, chattering.

My shoulders slumped in relief. Maybe they haven't noticed it yet? Habitually making a move towards the back of the house—a small door, a special doorway only I, the family's disgrace, used.

But the moment I entered their view, the laughter died down completely. The conversation halted. All eyes snapped towards me.

I flinched.

My head lowering,

"Father… Mother," I choked out a greeting, a sharp pain causing me to wince. Noticing the strained smile that looked more fake with each passing second.

"You're… back?" Mother awkwardly asked, though it sounded more like a question. Her words oddly stiff. Her words were followed by a silence.

The tension rose as my eyes dropped downwards to something familiar on the floor that chilled me to the core—a washed, tattered bag lay cast aside on the ground.

Mother followed my gaze.

"We've packed your things," she explained. It was obviously something so simple, but for some reason I couldn't understand.

'Why?…' My thought broke off.

But they didn’t give me the have chance to.

My father's sharp, authoritative voice barked,

"Pick up your bag—you should leave."

Leave? How? To where? Why am I leaving? My mind crashed. Thoughts flitted through my mind. Beg them, one voice pleaded. Usually, everything would be resolved once I pleaded, but my knees were heavy as lead.

"Ioana Blackmoon"—for the third time today, I heard my full name. My reddened eyes zeroed in on him. Each time my name was called, something bad happened. I didn’t want to hear what he’d say. I wanted to close my ears and sing out loud—let’s pretend it never happened, or better yet, I'm still in the punishment room and I'll wake up to its gloomy dark confines.

But—

The elderly man cleared his throat and continued,

"For your disobedience, for your weakness and maliciousness, with the power invested in me, Elder Markin, by the order of the Alpha…"

A sense of dread overwhelmed me. Something bad was about to happen. I knew it as sure as my name. What are they going to so this time? Send me off to clean the pack kitchen for a three months or the public toilets that stunk from a mile away, walls and most times, the ground littered with brown excrement from excited wolves marking territories I had to scrub and scrap off.

My mind wandered off.

But what came down was worse… so much worse.

Something that I've never imagined.

"You are hereby exiled. Banished from the pack. You are no longer part of us. You will no longer be remembered or spoken of."

Lightening struck me stiff, 'you must be kidding right? Did I hear banished?' it didn't register, 'How can I be banished? This is where I've known my whole life? I grew up here, if I leave…'

Then with a jolt, it dawned on me. 'I was getting banished'

"What?" I yelled, staggering backward. The earth tilted dangerously to the side. My vision went dark completely.

Forgotten. Abandoned. Banished. Forever—it seemed to echo through my head, a shrill mocking laughter. The words on repeat like a broken record, and it sank deeper each time.

"There must have been a misunderstanding, Elder Markin," with a quivering voice I pleaded. "I've been obedient to the Alpha's words…" I walked forward. My knees buckled, collapsing on the floor. But he shrank backward, his expression contorting to one of disgust.

"Vermin," he spat.

My heart sank. No, no, no, please don't. If you cast me out, where would I go?

"Father! Please help me!" On my knees, I crawled forward. My hands reaching to the ends of his trousers. He kicked my hand away, his eyes cold as ice. No feeling in his eyes. From gritted teeth he spat,

"Don't disgrace us more than you already have!"

But I didn’t give up.

"Mother…" She was my last hope. The only person who truly cared for me. Shielding me from Father's wrath, sneaking in food on nights I was made to starve as punishment.

The forest was a man-eating beast. Not everyone that entered came out alive or whole.

But that same loving mother averted her gaze to the ground.

It was more interesting than my plight.

That’s when I knew—

I was a banished Omega without a wolf.