The Aftermath

Ella

It grew quieter as the sound of their footsteps faded into the distance. They were gone.

They had rejected me, and they didn’t care about how that affected me. That was the height of their cruelty, but in a way, I understood them.

As I stumbled through the woods, my vision blurred with tears that I refused to shed. I tried to see things from their perspective as the conversation replayed in my mind.

While I had put on a brave face earlier, now, alone, I could admit that it broke me to come to terms with reality.

Each step felt heavy. I had longed for silence, but this was deafening. My head throbbed, and my limbs felt weak from exhaustion and something else— something I would be thinking about for a long time.

I stopped walking and looked back, hoping for a moment that they had changed their minds and returned. Then I broke into a short laugh. Hope was such a silly concept, especially when this was my reality.

Nothing could change it now. I was always going to be the omega that nobody wanted.

“At least there’s something consistent in my life,” I said sarcastically, continuing to walk.

I looked around and sighed. The world felt quiet, and it seemed like the earth itself was mourning with me. Finally breaking free of the trees, I stepped into a clearing where the moon hung low in the sky, casting a silver glow over everything.

It was beautiful, yet all I could feel was the void inside me where the bond had once thrummed with life.

The cold night air nipped at my skin, but I paid it no mind. I sank onto the wet grass, gazing up at the stars. In that instant, I felt like a mere girl. A shattered girl, stripped of her identity and purpose.

The pain of their rejection was still fresh, a raw wound that throbbed with every heartbeat. I couldn’t bring myself to go back to the pack. This would be fuel for them to pick on me for weeks.

Everyone would want to take a jab at the former mate of the Blackthorn twins. My mouth suddenly felt bitter as I pondered everything. I could already feel the whispers and rumors spreading throughout the pack like wildfire.

“What a scandal,” I muttered, shaking my head. I stopped walking and sat down for a moment.

There was no use running anymore. It was over now. I’d be a cautionary tale, a reminder of what happens when an omega dares to dream too big. But that was the most unfair part of this entire fiasco.

I hadn’t dreamed too big. Heck, I hadn’t dreamed at all. The twins dedicated their lives to making me feel insignificant. Why would I want to be their mate? But no one would be ready to listen to my side of the story. Their version would always be better.

My thoughts spiraled into a dark abyss, but a flicker of defiance sparked deep inside me. I refused to let them win. I had spent too long hiding, too long accepting their bullying. If I could survive that, I could survive this.

As I sat there, I felt a presence—a familiar energy creeping into the clearing. I turned my head slowly, half-expecting to see the twins returning to gloat. Instead, it was a figure I hadn’t expected to see.

Lyla, my best friend and the only person who had ever stood up for me, stepped into the moonlight. Her auburn hair caught the glow, making her look almost ethereal.

She rushed toward me, her expression filled with concern. She studied my face for a bit and hesitated when I took a defensive stance.

“Ella? Are you alright? I’ve been looking everywhere for you!” she said, walking toward me with cautious steps.

I relaxed and sank back onto the grass. She knelt beside me, her brow furrowed with worry. “What happened? I saw them leave, and you were… you were just gone.”

“They rejected me,” I whispered, the words bitter on my tongue. “Both of them.”

“What do you mean they rejected you?” she asked, confused. I turned to meet her gaze.

“In the hallway… I felt it. We all felt it. I had never experienced anything like it, and, quite frankly, I didn’t want to. But hearing them say it out loud…” My voice trailed off.

Lyla’s eyes widened in shock. “What? No! You’re not… They can’t—” She stammered, shaking her head angrily. “You’re their mate! They don’t get to just throw that away!”

“They did,” I said with a hollow laugh. “It doesn’t matter. I’m just an omega. I was never enough for them.”

“No, don’t say that!” Lyla grabbed my shoulders, her grip firm. “You’re more than enough. You’re strong, smart, and brave. They’re the ones who don’t deserve you.”

I nodded, but their words echoed in my mind, and I couldn’t shake the feeling of inadequacy. “It doesn’t change what they think of me, Lyla. I’m still the girl they bullied, the one they looked down on. I can’t just forget that.”

She sighed, her expression softening. “I know it hurts, but you can’t let them define you. You have to rise above this, Ella. You’re not just an omega. You’re so much more. I know that.”

Her words ignited a flicker of hope within me, and I clung to it desperately. “What should I do next?”

Lyla leaned back on her heels, her eyes thoughtful. “You should focus on yourself. Train and grow stronger. Show them that you’re not going to be a victim anymore. You deserve to find happiness, even if it’s not with them.”

The idea of training was unfamiliar to me. I had always avoided the physical challenges the pack offered, preferring to stay in the shadows. But maybe she was right. Maybe it was time for a change.

“Okay,” I muttered, my voice steady now. “I’ll train. I’ll show them I’m not the weak omega they think I am.”

Lyla smiled, a spark of pride lighting her eyes. “That’s the spirit! I’ll help you. We’ll work on your combat skills, your speed, everything. You’ll be unstoppable.”

I stood up, brushing the grass off my clothes. I wasn’t going to let their rejection define me. I was going to become stronger, faster, and more formidable than ever before.

As I walked back to the packhouse with Lyla beside me, a familiar ache settled in my chest. The bond may have been broken, but I couldn’t easily forget them.

The twins were a part of me now, and despite my efforts to push that connection away, it remained.

“Let’s get started,” I said, shaking off the lingering doubts. “Tomorrow, we train.”

Lyla’s smile filled me with hope after the rejection.