Chapter six

The next day, Alpha Dominic and the Luna called Alpha Damon, Damian and Kyle and me to have a conversation with us.

"After much deliberation, I have decided that Alpha Kyle cannot claim Lyra because she already has being mated to Damon and Damian." Alpha Dominic said.

"Unbelievable! They already rejected her because she is a weak Omega, why can't I take her since I already accepted her! This is partiality!" Kyle thundered.

"We met her before you and even if we rejected her, she is still our pack member and we decide if she goes with you or not." Alpha Damon said.

"Enough, since neither of you want to let her go, why don't we ask her to choose." The Luna said.

"Fine!" They all agreed and all eyes turned to me.

I wished the ground could open and swallow me, I was not used to such scrutiny.

"Lyra, tell us, who do you choose as your mate among the three of them?" Alpha Dominic asked.

I was confused as I did not know what to choose. Damien and Damon had already rejected me so they were out of the question, and as for Kyle, though he seemed nice, I didn't know him well enough to trust him and after what the twin Alphas had done to me, I was yet to heal.

"Are we going to use the whole day to wait for you? Speak now!" Alpha Dominic thundered.

"I..I... I... don't want any of them." I said in shaky voice.

I could see the look of disbelief on the faces of the twin Alphas and the look of hurt on Kyle's face.

I knew he was hurt but I was on no shape to be anyone's mate.

"Alright, Lyra has decided, so Alpha Kyle, you are not going with her and as to if she would be with my sons, that decision is mine to make." Alpha Dominic said.

Kyle flared up in anger.

"You have all made a big mistake, I will be back for my mate." He said and walked away.

"Well, good riddance!" The twin Alphas said.

"Enough you two," Alpha Dominic said, his voice laced with frustration. "You must acknowledge Lyra as your mate. This indecision ends now."

The twins' faces twisted in disgust. Damon was the first to speak, his voice cold and sharp. "I will not accept an Omega as my mate."

My heart clenched painfully in my chest. Every word was like a punch, each syllable dragging me deeper into the darkness that had been clouding my mind since the moment they first denied me.

"You don’t have a choice," Dominic snapped. His eyes were hard as he glared at his sons, daring them to challenge him. "Rejecting a mate is not only a disgrace but a risk to the strength of our pack. You know the consequences."

I stood silently in the corner, feeling more invisible than ever. I was a topic of discussion, yet no one was addressing me directly, as if my presence didn’t matter.

They were talking about me, about my fate, but I had no voice in the matter.

Damon clenched his fists, the muscles in his jaw twitching. "She’s weak," he muttered, his voice laced with contempt. "An Omega will never be enough to stand by our side."

Damian nodded in agreement, his face set in a scowl. "She would bring us down. I won’t do it."

Dominic’s gaze darkened, and the tension in the room spiked.

"You will acknowledge her, even if only in name. You don’t have to love her. You don’t even have to like her. But you will claim her as your mate to protect the pack’s reputation. Do you understand?"

My breath caught in my throat. The realization of what was happening settled over me like a heavy fog.

I wasn’t just unwanted—I was a burden, something to be tolerated for the sake of appearances. Only in name.

The twins exchanged a look, their expressions mirroring their frustration. But neither of them spoke.

The silence stretched on, thick with resentment and unspoken words.

"Fine," Damian said at last, his voice tight with anger. "We’ll announce it."

The announcement came later that day. It was brief, cold, and humiliating.

Damon and Damian stood in front of the pack, their faces hard and emotionless as they declared me their mate.

There was no joy in their voices, no affection, not even a hint of respect.

"Lyra is our mate," Damon said, his voice echoing through the packhouse. "But she will never be a true partner to us."

I felt the eyes of the pack on me, burning with curiosity and judgment. My heart shattered into pieces as the words hung in the air, and I could barely breathe under the weight of their cold indifference.

My fingers twisted together, trembling as I fought to hold back the tears that threatened to spill over.

Humiliation washed over me in waves, crashing down on me until I felt like I was drowning in it.

Every whisper, every glance from the pack members made it worse.

They were talking about me, pitying me, and there was nothing I could do to stop it.

I stood there, trying to make myself as small as possible, wishing I could disappear. But I couldn’t.

I had to endure it, had to stand there and accept the shame, even though it tore me apart.

That night, I was summoned to Alpha Dominic’s office.

My stomach churned with anxiety as I made my way to the room, my heart heavy with the weight of everything that had happened.

I didn’t want to face him, didn’t want to hear what he had to say, but I had no choice.

When I entered the room, Dominic was sitting behind his large desk, his eyes cold and calculating.

He didn’t offer me a seat, didn’t even greet me. He simply stared at me, as if I were something he had to deal with rather than a person with feelings.

"You need to understand something, Lyra," he said, his voice devoid of warmth. "As the mate of Alphas, you have a responsibility to this pack. You need to become stronger. An Alpha’s mate must be able to defend the pack, not just stand by and watch."

His words sent a chill down my spine. There was no concern in his voice, no genuine care for my well-being.

This wasn’t about me. This was about him—about his need for power and control.

"I… I don’t understand," I whispered, my voice barely audible.

"You will begin training tomorrow," he said, ignoring my confusion. "It will be hard, but you don’t have a choice. You are an Alpha’s mate now, whether you like it or not."