Chapter 2

Ever's POV

Only two words. But they pierced me like stone daggers. The crowd went into a frenzy as gasps and murmurs flew around.

“It can't be.” I whispered almost silently, my gaze falling back to Hagan.

“She's his mate?” One of the highborns exclaimed. “So the rumors were true.”

I searched Hagan's eyes for some sort of objection to whatever this was. But his eyes didn't seem to deny what Beta Roy had just said.

She took his hand, smiling, and as they turned, his gaze fell back to me, cold and distant in a way I couldn't explain.

I didn't see what happened next as Kia forcefully pulled me out of the crowd.

“I told you we shouldn't have come.” She said, her voice drenched in panic.

The matrons were gaining quickly on us and she was in deep panic. I could barely feel my legs as my mind still dabbled in the words Beta Roy called out so casually, “His Luna.” My face whitened.

Was this some sort of sick prank? It couldn't be real. Could it? I tried to make sense of it.

Three years we'd been mates. He'd promised…

“Ah, you fucking Omegas! Who fucking let you in here?” One of the warriors we bumped into screeched as he pushed Kia to the floor. I snapped back to reality and tried to help her up, but someone else shoved me to the ground too.

The matrons had heard the commotion and rushed to where we were. Kia's eyes shut tightly as they eventually closed in and spotted us, shooting us displeased looks.

…………………..

“This is the third time…this year we've caught you both out of your stations...without permission.” The Senior Matron said, her voice full of frustration. She scribbled our names down again in the black list.

If I were given a shekel for every time my name had entered that list, I'd be richer than many merchants in the pack.

“It seems cutting your rations doesn't work anymore.” She said. “And I don't think cleaning the ranch. Or the Pack house, is enough punishment for two meatheads who never obey instructions.” She lashed out.

“So…” she continued her scribbling. “For the whole of this week, before and during lights out, you both will tend the horses…and keep their stables clean.” She wrote down.

Kia and I glanced at each other, relieved.

“And…” She continued as we both jerked back in panic. “I’ll be cutting your rations shorter. One ration a day, and that will only be mid-day when you're done with cleaning the pack house.” She penned again. I almost laughed aloud. Being given dry bread and sloppy soup only once a day sounded more like relief to me, I don't get how that should be a punishment. Kia's face said otherwise.

“Luna is also going to be needing extra assistance getting to know the Pack” she added. “And she must be comfortable. At all costs. You both will be part of those making sure her chambers are as comfortable as possible.” I swallowed hard. “And if you cause any more troubles…” The matrons who had caught us both glared at us.

“You'll be facing the elders directly” Senior Matron established. “And then you'll know how privileged you are to still be in this ranch.” She said, making sure her words sank in. “Unless of course, you find the Harem or being ousted from this pack a better option” Kia and I gulped.

She eventually dismissed us and the matrons led us out. We, amongst other omegas, were later carefully instructed on how to tend to the “Luna” and make sure everything was at her beck and call.

First, Hagan brings back this mysterious woman, after being away for a whole month, then called her his Luna before everyone in the Pack, and now…I was being made to serve her.

My fists clenched tightly and instinctively as I recalled the cold and detached gaze he gave me. No hint, no objection. Just…cold. Did three years of us really mean nothing to him? My gaze weakened.

I snapped out of my thoughts as we finally arrived at her chambers. Speak of the devil, and she appears.

There she was again, wearing that same flawless smile she had on earlier, which for some strange reason, made me cringe on her behalf. Like she was doing too much to be accepted.

“These are your servants, Luna,” the Matron spoke first, introducing us. “Just let them know whenever you need anything.” She told her. “And if any of them…” Her gaze shifted to Kia and me. “cause you any trouble, just let us know.”

“That's fine, thank you. I'll take it from here.” She responded. Even her voice was strangely elegant. Something tightened painfully in my chest as the memory of Hagan reaching his hand out to her resurfaced again. He had a lot of serious answering to do when we eventually met. Because I was sitting here plagued and confused while he was probably off in his chambers getting cold baths and congratulatory remarks.

“So…” She said when the Matron finally left. “I'm Rhaeya.” She smiled. “And you all look terrified.” She let out a soft laugh, and I found her sweetness as fake as fake could be. It wasn't newfound knowledge that many highborns were extremely disgusted by our mere existence. She wasn't any different. And she would reveal it soon too. It was just a matter of time.

The other Omegas, excluding Kia and myself, however, seemed to have fallen for her charade.

“We're at your service, Luna.” We all kneeled and said in unison as I forced the word “Luna” down my throat.

“You don't have to kneel when we're alone. I particularly find that exhausting.” She ushered us up.

“But you're…” Mila, one of the Omegas, spoke as we were all dumbfounded, myself included.

“Luna, I know. But there are better things we could do with the time you'd spend kneeling at my feet.” She chuckled. I could swear I heard an almost maniacal laugh break out. Like she had something suspicious planned out. She'd make us believe she was sweet, only to torture us later when we got very comfortable. Bowing in servitude was something most highborns never took for granted. So I found her dismissing it quite unnatural…and weird.

We quietly helped her prepare a bath as she requested and helped her take her garment off when she was ready to get in. She was as beautiful as you could possibly imagine. Her blonde hair slid down her hourglass frame as her body slid into the water.

We spread ourselves out. Different people focused on different parts of her body. I was the one massaging her hair while Kia was one of the Omegas tending to her feet.

I couldn't help but briefly glance over her body. I wondered if she and Hagan had ever had anything intimate to do with each other. The thought alone quietly broke me, and I really hoped I was wrong.

“So…” She began again when the silence became exhausting. “As you know, I'm not really from your Pack.” Oh, trust me, I know, I voiced in my head. “My father's an Alpha of Moonstorm, east of Rozaria.” She said, like we were supposed to applaud her for being an Alpha's daughter.

If there was anything Omegas hated more than Matrons, it was Highborns, females to be exact. This one might seem genuinely different for now, but I surely wasn't the only one who believed she had something up her sleeves.

“Why don’t you tell me more about your pack…” She insisted. “...And your Alpha?” My fingers tightened instinctively. I instantly forced them both to relax, but it was too late as my thumbs mistakenly pressed down too hard on her forehead. She winced in pain and turned to stare at me.

Kia gestured to me to apologize immediately.

“I'm...I'm sorry…Luna.” I forced out, dropping to my knees. “I really didn't mean to….”

The other Omegas glared at me furiously, and I lowered my gaze.

“Here's a painkiller, Luna. Let me dab that for you.” Mila offered.

“No, it's fine.” She let out a nervous laugh. “It's just a bump, nothing too serious.” She said as she turned to me. “What's your name?”

I lifted my gaze to hers, trying to read the mischief hiding behind those emerald green orbs.

“Ever, Luna.” I answered.

“Ever, well, I think you may need to go slower.” She said. “I have a pretty steep forehead.” She giggled, and they broke into laughter, easing the awkward tension.

“Now where were we, your Pack…” She laid back down like nothing happened. My eyes widened slightly. She was really going to let it slide?

Well, maybe she wasn't as bad as I thought, I told myself. But that didn't change the fact that Hagan had everyone believing she was his mate.

And that was something I couldn’t just brush off and act like it didn't happen. Especially when I knew who his true mate was.

The other Omegas quickly got super comfortable as they began telling her most of what they knew about the Pack, the Alpha, and how things weren't as different in Greymark as they were in other Packs in Rozaria.

“I'm glad we get to have someone like you as Luna.” Mila said, and I just cringed. It hadn't even been a day and she was already trying to gain favours. “The Alpha lucked out on a mate like you.” She added, all smiles.

Rhaeya smiled heartily at the compliment.

“And you, do you all have mates too?”

She asked, genuinely curious.

We lowered our gazes, not knowing how to answer.

It seemed she barely knew much of how Omegas were treated in Rozaria.

“Omegas like us aren't usually accepted by our mates. Even when we have any,” I found myself answering her before I could stop myself. “We're seen as shameful…” I continued, gaze refusing to meet hers. “Unworthy, dirt, both to the pack members and to our mates.” I found the courage to finish. My mind went back to the night when Hagan and I found out we were mates.

I may have agreed to keep it secret, but that didn't mean it didn't hurt that all the while we'd been together, he tried his possible best to hide the fact that we even knew each other.

And for three years I played along.

A knock interrupted our talk.

“Rhaeya?” Hagan's thick voice tore through and I stiffened. “We need to talk.” He said, his tone more serious than ever.

And as fate would have it, Rhaeya gestured to me to let him in.