Mate In The Shadows

The cool breeze of the morning settled, gently rustling the trees, and sweeping Selene’s chestnut brown hair off her shoulders, letting it fall onto her back. She was lost in thought, wishing things were different. She adjusted the tray of breakfast bowls in her hands, barely noticing her aunt passing by as she went into the cabin. I wish being an omega didn't make me invisible. "Selene!" Emory, her aunt called out. Selene snapped back to reality. "Coming," she said, as she carried the tray into the cabin where she placed it in front of the small wooden table for her aunt and her husband with whom she lived. "Took you long enough." "I'm sorry." "I wonder when you will eventually find a husband of your own and leave me in peace." Selene kindly dismissed herself and went into the corner of her little space in the cabin. She started to think again, she wondered how different things would had been if she had been with her own parents. Things would have been different, right? At least she would be loved. Her parents… she hadn't heard from them since she was a little girl. No letters. No hint of where they might be. Her world had turned upside down so drastically. She felt out of place.

   She moved across the room and lay down on her thin mattress, staring at the wooden ceiling. She daydreamed about the love she wished she had. If she couldn’t command respect, attention, or authority, at least let her have someone who loved her, chose her, and wanted her. Someone who wouldn’t leave her alone in the shadows. Maybe she had hope. Maybe she would meet someone at the mating ceremony. Who was she kidding? She was an omega. She could only dream. The Alpha would step forward, as would the betas, and the omegas would hope for the impossible. She imagined golden eyes looking at her not with judgment, but with awe, acceptance, and desire. Oh, Selene… how far you let your imagination run. Just an omega. Invisible. Forgotten. But tomorrow… tomorrow I have to face it all again. She yawned and settled back on her thin mattress, letting sleep pull her under.

   Selene woke up to the sounds of the pack, everyone busy, chattering, and moving about. It must be in preparation for the ceremony. She sat upright on her mattress, fully conscious before getting up to tidy her room and the rest of the cabin. Her aunt and her husband had already left. Everyone seemed eager for the ceremony. She swept the cabin floor, her broom scraping softly against the worn wood as Betas carried supplies past her, laughing and talking. She washed quickly, brushing the sleep from her hair, then she stepped outside to meet the others. The cool morning air brushed against her skin as she followed the faint trail of sounds, moving toward the others working nearby.

Her shoulders ached from bending and lifting, but she reminded herself she was an omega, who expected to serve without complaints. She had no right. Every task, from fetching firewood to setting out bowls, felt like practice for the days ahead. 

   As an omega, she should have felt safe here, among her own pack, but safety was a luxury she’d never known.

“Move faster, Selene!” barked one of the betas, a slender girl with sharp eyes and sharper teeth. “Or are you going to dawdle all day?”Selene’s wolf growled low in her chest, annoyed and tense. She didn’t like being ordered around, but she had learned long ago that resistance brought trouble. The beta leaned closer, a wicked grin on her face. “Don’t strain yourself too much, little omega. We wouldn’t want you to break a nail while serving us.” A few of the other betas snickered from the sides, their eyes darting between Selene and the beta like they were watching a show. Why did they always have to make it so humiliating? Selene clenched her jaw, her hands gripping the broom tighter. Her heart ached, a bitter mix of shame and longing stirring in her chest. One day… one day things will be different. I’ll be more than just an omega everyone steps on. She carried a small bucket of water to the garden, careful not to spill a drop, and caught glimpses of the alphas inspecting the preparations. Their presence made her pulse quicken, a mix of awe and longing twisting in her chest. Even as she bent to water the plants, her wolf flickered under her skin, restless and impatient. She started to imagine herself being recognized as someone worthy of one of them. She shook her head and straightened, determined to finish her tasks without faltering. Each step, each careful movement, felt like practice for a day when she might finally be more than an omega.

 The wind rustled through the trees again, carrying with it the distant sound of a horn calling pack members for the day's final preparation. Selene’s stomach fluttered, tomorrow the mating ceremony would begin, and everything might change. She swallowed hard, trying to calm the nerves curling in her chest, letting the rhythm of her chores soothe her. With one last glance around the clearing, she muttered softly to herself, Tomorrow… tomorrow I have to be ready.

   Selene carefully finished gathering the remaining bowls and supplies, setting them neatly where they belonged. She returned home. The evening air cool against her skin, flowing through her hair as she made her way back to the cabin. She brushed a stray leaf from the cabin floor and checked the small fire in the hearth, making sure it would keep warm until her aunt and uncle returned. With everything in order, she stepped outside, looking up at the golden sky blessed by the sunset. It was beautiful.

Her aunt and her husband returned, speaking quietly as they prepared for dinner. Selene moved to help, arranging plates and serving bowls with practiced hands. She poured water, ladled food, and even sneaked a small taste for herself, her excitement making her cheeks warm. For a moment, she let herself smile, enjoying the simple comfort of a meal prepared and shared, however ordinary it might seem.

   After the last dish was put away and the cabin quieted, Selene cleaned her hands and settled onto her mattress. The soft glow of the hearth reflected on the walls, and she sighed, letting her body sink into the warmth. Tomorrow it could all turn around for me, she thought, closing her eyes as sleep slowly claimed her, carrying her off into dreams where perhaps, just perhaps, being an omega didn’t mean being invisible.