Chapter 2: Fated to the Omega I Hate

DRAKE’S POV

No. There was no fucking way.

My wolf slammed against my ribs again.

Mate.

I clenched my fists.

“Shut up.”

The word came out under my breath. The bond had hit me violently. When people talked about the mate unlocking, it always sounded romantic. Gentle. This was the clear opposite.

Across the auditorium, she was staring at me. Her scent suddenly filled my lungs in a rush, and every instinct inside me demanded that I go to her. Claim her. Protect her. Touch her.

I hated every second of it.

This couldn’t be real. There had to be some mistake somewhere.

No way in hell I was mates with that filthy charity beggar.

She was the same girl who had spent years making me look stupid in front of my father. The same girl who always came first in class. The same girl my father praised and had once told me I could learn from.

The memory burned hot and bitter in my chest.

“Why can’t you apply yourself like the Byrne girl?” he had sneered at me more times than I could count, diminishing every effort I made.

I had despised her since freshman year, when she beat me out for top of the class and looked at me with those defiant eyes that refused to cower.

I knew right then that I had to find something that would make her kneel. Something that hit far harder than being called an omega charity case.

So I went digging, and I found her mother. The infamous Red Ruby, who had worked the Velvet Siren for years and who I’d heard stories about sleeping around with men for extra cash.

It gave me the ultimate leverage.

But even as I used it to crush her spirit year after year, a darker, nagging thought had always lingered.

There had been whispered rumors in the pack for over a decade about my father fathering an illegitimate child during the early, turbulent years of my parents’ marriage.

A child born from a whore, around the same age as me. A child that could threaten my claim once I eventually ruled.

I knew my father wasn’t the most faithful man, and his sudden, uncharacteristic interest in Chloe had always felt deeply suspicious.

The mate bond made a blood connection unlikely, but it did not explain what my father wanted from her. 

Up on the stage, Chloe finally composed herself. She straightened, delivered her brief speech, and stepped down as the rest of the names were called in alphabetical order.

It felt like hours before the program ended. The auditorium erupted as students rushed out, thrilled to be done with school forever, spilling outside to find their families.

I shoved my hands into my pockets, not bothering to wait up for my busy father, and walked out alongside my group of guys.

“Yo,” Julian said, falling into step beside me. “Did you guys notice what happened to Chloe Byrne on stage?”

Marcus slapped Julian on the chest, grinning wide. “I was just about to mention that, bro. It def had to be a mate bond unlock. Like, it was so obvious.”

Leo, walking on my other side with his usual mocking smirk, burst out laughing. “God, imagine finding out you’re mates with Chloe Byrne. The omega beggar.”

Julian snickered. “Must be so fucking embarrassing. Whoever her mate is, he’s sweating bullets right now, fighting his hardest to keep it a secret. I know I would.”

The rest of the guys burst into raw laughter.

A violent spike of anger surged down my body. My fists squeezed so hard that my nails dug into my palms, but I forced myself to stay rigid.

They had no idea they were laughing about me. And there was no way in hell I was going to expose myself to them.

Fortunately, Julian quickly changed the subject. “So, how are we celebrating our graduation and coming of age tonight?”

Leo grinned, throwing an arm around Julian’s shoulders. “We’re hitting the club. Where else?” He turned his gaze toward me, raising a brow. “What do you think, Drake?”

“Yeah, sure,” I muttered, keeping my voice level. “I need to meet up with someone right now, but I’ll catch you guys there later tonight.”

They clapped me on the back and turned toward the parking lot. I exhaled a sharp breath and headed the opposite way. Right on cue, I saw exactly who I was looking for.

Prisca Reid.

Prisca was the daughter of a neighboring pack’s Alpha, a man who was extremely wealthy and known for his political influence across regions.

When she saw me, her face lit up. Her blonde hair and honey-gold eyes glowed under the afternoon sun. She rushed over and threw her arms around my neck. I instinctively pulled her close, loving how small and delicate she felt in my arms.

“Congrats, babe,” she murmured, a proud smile gracing her lips. “My salutatorian. I’m so happy we’re finally graduating.”

I gave her a thin, strained smile.

Prisca picked up on it instantly. Her smile faltered and she grabbed my hand, her thumb rubbing soothingly over my knuckles. “Everything okay?” she asked softly.

I caught sight of a secluded corner down the hall and ushered her toward it, away from prying eyes.

Once we were hidden in the shadows, I let out a heavy breath. “Prisca… I don’t want to hide things from you. My mate bond got unlocked.”

She froze. Her eyes went wide, and she gasped, stumbling back a half step. “What?”

“Don’t freak out,” I said quickly, catching her by the shoulders. “It’s okay. Listen to me. This doesn’t change what we have.”

She didn’t look reassured. Her chest rose and fell in shallow, panicked breaths. “Who is it, Drake? Who is she?”

I hated the words the moment they formed on my tongue. “Chloe Byrne.”

Prisca let out a sharp gasp, her hands flying to her mouth as she faltered back against the stone pillar.

“Relax,” I murmured, stepping closer. “Don’t let this stress you out. I’m handling it.”

Her breathing hitched and went shallow. I immediately thought of the chronic heart condition that had plagued her delicate frame since childhood. It always flared when she got startled or stressed.

“Breathe, Prisca,” I said, my voice dropping into a low, soothing cadence as I gripped her shoulders, keeping her upright. “Do you want to sit? Let me get you to a bench.”

She shook her head fiercely, then looked up at me, her gaze desperate.

“So what are you going to do?” she whispered. “You’re going to reject her, right?”

I stared back down at her. She wanted me to say the obvious, to tell her I would cast the omega aside.

And I would.

I had spent my whole life preparing to inherit Sterlink. Prisca had the rank, and the ability to be the future Luna. I would not throw that future away because the Moon Goddess had tied me to the one girl I could never trust.

“I’m going to reject her,” I said firmly.

Prisca blinked. “You will?”

“Of course.” My jaw tightened at the thought of it. “There’s no way I’m staying mated to Chloe Byrne. She’s an omega, Prisca. A poor omega at that. I don’t care what the Moon Goddess says. I’m not going to spend the rest of my life with someone like her.”

The panic slowly faded from Prisca’s face.

“Really?” she whispered.

“Really.” I pulled her into my arms, holding her tightly against me. “You have nothing to worry about. I’m not choosing her over you.”

Prisca wrapped her arms around my waist and buried her face against my chest. “I was so scared for a second. I thought you’d choose the mate bond over us.”

“Of course not babe,” I muttered. “I would never do that. No matter what, you’re always going to be the one. You’re my perfect Luna, and no one will ever change that.”

We stood there holding each other until a sudden shift in the air made the hair on the back of my neck stand up.

I lifted my eyes.

Standing at the edge of the hall, frozen in place, was Chloe. She had wandered over and stumbled onto us. Her wide, haunted eyes locked instantly with mine.

I didn’t look away.

An idea formed in my head. A way to taunt her. I reached up, cupped Prisca’s face, and pulled her in, kissing her deeply.

I kept my eyes open, staring straight past Prisca’s shoulder into Chloe’s widened, tear-filled eyes.

In that silence, I felt it. The exact moment her heart broke.