Chapter 3: Aftermath

Ella’s POV

The intangible bond breaks with a force that makes my knees give out, pain crashing through my chest so violently that I cannot stay upright. Nyra recoils inside me, her presence shaking as the connection is ripped away.

I collapse to the ground, unable to breathe, unable to think, and the last thing I see is him standing there, watching me coldly as I collapse.

Days pass, but I don’t remember most of them. I move through my duties, keep my head down, and avoid looking at him whenever he is near. Whatever we had feels like something that belonged to a different life.

Until one night, when something feels off.

I sit on the edge of my bed, staring at the small object in my hands. I tremble as my grip tightens the longer I look at it. It’s a pregnancy test.

And the display displays two lines.

I’m carrying Alden’s child.

A few weeks after the rejection, I try to live like a ghost. Which is impossible since the whole pack had witnessed how Alden ruthlessly rejected me. Naturally, I became the subject of every gossiping corner of Bloodmoon pack.

“What makes her think she even has a chance with Alden in the first place? He’s about to become our Alpha.”

“Right. Did she really think an Omega like her had a shot at him?”

I lower my head as I pass by a group of Gammas. But even as I try to keep a low profile, I can’t escape their ridiculing gazes and mocking smirks.

I trip when one of them intentionally extends her leg as I walk past.

“Oops…” one of them snickers. “Sorry ‘bout that. I guess you just have to start over.”

The basket of laundry spills across the floor as I lose my balance and fall to the ground.

‘They can’t treat us like this!’ Nyra stirs deep within me.

I can feel her anger mingling with mine but I take a deep breath and remain calm.

I’m already a walking gossip in the pack. I don’t want to cause another problem to myself by fighting with Gammas. The Bloodman pack is not very forgiving to those who step over their ranks.

Ignoring Nyra’s apparent rage, I quietly pick the fallen laundry one by one before returning to the Gray house to start the laundry all over.

**

The Gray House is the place where Omegas like me live. It’s located close to the pack house where the Blackwood family reside. This is intentional because Omegas are often called to serve the Alpha and his family, along with other higher-ranking werewolves in the pack. The Gray House is basically a big house with old and poorly-maintained interior and exterior.

It’s one of the shabbiest structures within the Bloodmoon pack compound. It’s good for nothing but sleeping and even then, the old mattresses are not very comfortable to lie in.

But I try my best to get used to it. After all, I’m an Omega now. This is my life now.

It’s already late at night but I’m still busy ironing the laundry that I finished late earlier. Meanwhile, the other Omegas are already in the shabby dining room and eating dinner.

Looks like I won’t be having dinner tonight again.

It’s a strict rule among Omegas that we are not allowed to eat dinner unless we finish our assigned task for the day.

My stomach growls as I wrap up the last piece of laundry.

‘Hungry…’ Nyra whimpers.

Yeah, I’m hungry too.

So after putting the ironed clothes aside, I quietly head to the kitchen to check if there are any leftovers left. To my dismay, the cupboards are practically empty.

My stomach growls again. I let out a shaky breath while stroking my belly.

I’m sorry, my child. I can’t even properly feed myself. How am I supposed to raise my baby?

Ever since I found out that I am pregnant with Alden’s child, I have been wrestling with the possibility of telling him about it. Why not? He’s the father of the baby I’m carrying and he has the right to know… right?

But how am I supposed to tell him about my pregnancy when I rarely see him since the day he rejected me? It’s almost as if he’s intentionally avoiding me now.

That night, I sleep with an empty stomach and a heavy heart.

**

The next day, I overslept so I didn’t get to eat breakfast. The hunger is getting to me as I am accomplishing my morning tasks which is cleaning the pig pen. It’s one of the worst tasks that even the other Omegas avoid.

But somehow I was tasked to do it.

The stench is so bad, and I am so hungry I feel so weak and exhausted I think I might faint.

“Stop dilly-dallying and get a move on! You, Ella, stop slouching!” Rosie barks at me.

She’s one of the older Omegas who has been serving the pack for two decades. It turns out even within the lowest of ranks, there is still an existing hierarchy and she happens to be at the top of it. Unfortunately, Rosie developed a blatant distaste of me after my incident with Alden at his late Alpha’s funeral.

“If you think you can act cute just because you were mated with Alpha Alden, then you’re sorely mistaken.” Every word she says is dripping with venom. “Remember, he rejected you!”

She doesn’t have to remind me of that. The remnant of the severed bond still lingers deep into my soul, a brokenness I feel every day.

“…and I applaud him! Why not? An Alpha such as himself… mated to an Omega?” Rosie looks me up and down in disdain. “One who can’t even properly shift! What would the other packs say about us? About him? It’s a relief that he’s smart enough to cut you off. So don’t get the wrong idea and think that you’ll be anything special just because the Moon Goddess mistakenly created a mate bond between the two of you. Know your place, Ella. You’re just an Omega. You will live as one and die as one.”

She gives me a sharp look before huffing and walking away, lashing out at the other younger Omegas who do not dare argue with her.

You will live as one and die as one.

She speaks as if she’s not an Omega herself!

I rub my belly and imagine the child I’m carrying. Will my baby become an Omega too?

Sadness fills my chest at the thought. I don’t want my child to suffer this cruel fate. It’s not fair.

I should go talk to Alden.

After I finish cleaning the pig pen, the smell clings to me no matter how much I try to ignore it. My stomach twists, and I have to grip the edge of the fence to steady myself. The hunger, the exhaustion, and the stench all hit at once, rising up my throat until I almost gag.

I press a hand against my mouth and force myself to breathe through it.

I can’t keep going like this.

My fingers curl protectively over my belly. The thought of my child pushes past everything else. I don’t have the luxury to stay quiet anymore.

I need to tell him.

Even if he turns me away again, even if he looks at me like I mean nothing, he still deserves to know. This is not just about me anymore.

So I leave the Gray House and make my way toward the packhouse.

Each step feels heavier than the last, but I keep moving. My body protests, my head feels light, but I don’t stop. I fix my eyes on the entrance like it is the only thing keeping me upright.

Marion and Delvin, two of the newly-appointed Deltas  step forward the moment I get close enough. They block my way.

“We didn’t call for any Omegas,” Marion drawls.

“I’m not here for work. I need to speak to Alpha Alden.”

They exchange a look before Delvin lets out a short scoff.

“Don’t make me laugh. Turn around,” he says. “You’re not allowed inside.”

“I just need a minute!” I insist. “Please. I really need to talk to him.”

“About what exactly? What business does an Omega have with the Alpha?” Marion snarks.

“It’s—It’s private! I have to speak to him and tell him myself!”

“Ha! Stop wasting my team and get out of here. His time is precious to waste it for someone like you,” Marion huffs.

“You heard him,” Delvin seconds. “Go back before you get yourself in trouble.”

I shake my head. “I’m not leaving.”

I try to step past them, but Delvin quickly places a hand against my shoulder and shoves me back harder than necessary.

“Don’t test your limits, Omega!”

My footing gives out beneath me. I stumble and hit the ground, the impact knocking the breath out of my chest. The world tilts, and the strength I have been forcing myself to hold together slips through my fingers all at once.

My vision blurs as I try to push myself up, but my arms fail me.

“Pathetic,” one of them mutters.

I can barely hear them now. The sound in my ears turns dull, like everything is being pulled away from me.

Footsteps approach from behind them, firm and familiar.

“What’s happening here?” Alden’s familiar rumbles behind the two Deltas.

“A-Alpha! We were just—”

“Move.”

The Deltas jump in fear as they let Alden pass. My vision blurs and the last thing I see is him reaching out to him before everything goes dark.

“Ella…”