CHAPTER 1

Noah~

“I reject you. I, Adrian Laurent, reject this you as my mate and request to the goddess that the mate bond be destroyed.” 

A crushing pain engulfed my chest and sweat poured down my back as everyone else stared at me with pure mockery in their eyes. I could hear their words,

“Flithy.”

“Cursed blood.”

“Male omega.”

I pressed my hands against my eye to stop the fucking tears that kept threatening to come up but deep down, I knew this was my fate and I deserved far worse because I was born this way and every single member of the Ashvale pack never let me forget it. 

FEW HOURS EARLIER 

I had barely gotten a chance to settle down when someone walked right in and I didn't have to turn when she sat behind me. 

“You heard, right?” Tyrene, my best and only friend in Ashvale pack said, her voice carrying that usual excitement she never bothered to hide and I didn’t look up immediately. I already knew that tone.

It meant trouble.

“Hmm?” I responded anyway, flipping the page in my hand even though I wasn’t really reading. She leaned closer, nudging my shoulder lightly.

“The Lycan King is coming to the neighbouring pack. They said it’s for a mate selection.”

That made me pause for a second and I continued staring at the book because it was far easier than engaging her in whatever this conversation was going to lead to. 

“Okay,” I said simply.

“Okay?” she repeated, clearly unimpressed. “That’s all you have to say?”

I shrugged slightly.

“What do you want me to say?”

Tyrene stared at me like I had just offended every single omega in the universe. She was going to start yapping in three, two, one… 

“Everyone is talking about it, Noah!!! Everyone. Packs are already preparing. People are going just to catch a glimpse of him.”

“And?” I asked, finally closing the book and turning to look at her. “What does that have to do with us?”

“With us?” she echoed, then grinned. “Everything.”

I already didn’t like where this was going.

“We’re going,” she added.

I blinked once and stared at her pointedly as if she was crazy and started laughing. 

“No.”

She frowned immediately.

“What do you mean no?”

“I mean no,” I repeated, still shaking my head slightly. “That kind of gathering isn’t for people like me.”

Her eyes narrowed slightly as she looked at me over, like she was trying to figure out if I was being serious.

“You’re joking.”

“I’m not.”

“There’ll be Alphas. Betas. Important people. Strong wolves,” I continued calmly. “If I go with you, it’ll just attract unnecessary attention.”

Tyrene scoffed, folding her arms as she leaned back slightly.

“Unnecessary attention?” she repeated. “Look at you and say that again.”

I frowned faintly.

“What is that supposed to mean?”

She gestured toward me like I was the most obvious thing in the world.

“You’re acting like you look terrifying or something,” she said. “You’re literally the opposite.”

I didn’t respond and she took that as her cue to not stop.

“You’re not even tall enough to intimidate anyone,” she added casually. “What are you, five-seven?”

I exhaled slowly.

“That’s not the point.”

“And your face doesn’t help your case either,” she continued, completely ignoring me now. “Soft black hair, those grey eyes… you look like you’d apologize for bumping into someone even if it was their fault.”

I stared at her, “Are you done?”

“No,” she said immediately. “You’ve got that whole ‘gentle and quiet’ thing going on too. No one is going to look at you and think you’re a problem.”

“That’s not reassuring.”

“It is to me,” she shrugged. “You’ll blend in just fine.”

I shook my head slightly, looking away.

“That’s exactly why I shouldn’t go.”

Tyrene rolled her eyes.

“You’re overthinking it.”

“I’m not.”

“You are,” she insisted. “It’s just a gathering, Noah.”

“It’s not just a gathering,” I corrected quietly. “It’s the Lycan King. That alone is going to make so many people who hate me in this pack, there.”

She didn’t respond immediately. Instead, she studied my face like she was trying to figure out what exactly I was thinking. Then she waved it off.

“Bad attention, good attention… who cares?” she said. “You act like your presence is some kind of curse.”

I didn’t answer that because it wasn’t entirely wrong. I was an eyesore and should have never been born but Tyrene was definitely going to argue with me again if I said the truth and last time, it was of no help. Tyrene nudged me again, softer this time.

“I want you there,” she said, her tone more straightforward now. “I’d love to have you with me.”

I glanced at her and there was no teasing in her expression this time. She switched to those huge puppy dog eyes that made it harder to refuse. I let out a small breath, looking away again.

“…Fine.”

Her eyes lit up instantly.

“Really?”

“Yes, really.”

Before I could say anything else, she grinned, leaning back slightly like she had just won something.

“Good,” she said. “Who knows—”

I already didn’t like that tone again. She tilted her head, her grin widening just a little.

“You might even have a chance.”

I raised a brow.

“A chance at what?”

She shrugged, completely unbothered as she said, “At being noticed. You are an omega too.”

“Yeah,” I muttered. “Right.”

“You’re coming with me,” Tyrene said, grabbing my wrist before I could even react, her grip firm as she started pulling me along. This was why I should have said no and now, I am regretting it.

I frowned immediately, trying to pull back. “Tyrene—”

“Nope,” she cut in quickly without even looking at me. “You agreed, and that means you don’t get to back out now.”

“I’m not backing out,” I said, keeping my voice as steady as I could while resisting her pull, my feet dragging slightly against the ground. “I just don’t see why I need to go through… whatever this is.”

She glanced back at me then, already smirking like she had been waiting for that response. “I’m giving you a full makeover.”

That was enough to make me stop walking completely as there mere horror I was about to be subjected to flashed in my head like a nightmare.

“No.”

She didn’t even pause, just tugged harder like she could physically drag me into agreeing. “Yes.”

“No.”

“Yes.”

I planted my feet properly this time, forcing her to stop as I pulled my hand free with a small sigh. “I’m not doing anything extra,” I said, my tone firmer now as I faced her. “I said I’d go with you. That’s it.”

Tyrene turned fully, her hands settling on her hips as she looked at me like I had just said the most ridiculous thing she had ever heard. “You’re not showing up like this,” she said, gesturing vaguely at me like I was the problem. “At least let me make you look presentable.”

“I am presentable.”

“You look like you’re going to apologize for existing.”

I stared at her for a second, letting that sink in before I exhaled slowly. “First off, that was hurtful as fuck, second, I’m not doing this.”

She opened her mouth, clearly ready to argue again, but the words never came.

A voice came from behind us.

“Well, well… look who it is.”

My shoulders tensed instantly and I didn’t need to turn to see who was there as I already knew. Tyrene did too, and the shift in her expression was immediate, the irritation gone just as quickly as it had come. It was the group of betas in the pack.

“Just ignore them,” she muttered under her breath, but it was already too late.

“Running errands now?” one of them said, his gaze dragging over me with open amusement. “I didn't think omegas were trusted with anything important. The disgusting things probably leak from their holes and can't be taken seriously.”

Tyrene stepped slightly in front of me without hesitation. “Leave him alone.”

That only made them laugh.

“Or what?” another one asked, tilting his head as he looked at her. “You’ll protect him? The fragile thing who can't defend himself like a man?”

One of them stepped forward and shoved her to the side, “Stay out of it,” he said.

My jaw tightened slightly, but I didn’t react because there was no point. They were going to just hit her if I did. 

“Look at him,” someone else added, a scoff slipping into his voice. “He’s not even going to say anything.”

Before I could move, a hand grabbed my collar, yanking me forward so suddenly I didn’t have time to brace myself.

“What’s wrong?” the same voice continued, quieter now, closer, his grip tightening slightly. “Cat got your tongue?”

I met his gaze for a brief second and looked away. If he got tired, he'd leave but that was enough to irritate him.

The first hit came without warning, a sharp strike across my cheek that snapped my head to the side. The sound rang loud in my head as the sting spread across my face. 

“What?” he mocked. “Nothing to say?”

Another hit followed, then another, each one landing without pause, the sound of it blending with the low laughter around us like it was all part of some joke I wasn’t in on.

Tyrene stepped forward again. “Stop it!” she snapped. “Leave him alone!”

Someone shoved her back harder this time.

“Go,” one of them said, his tone turning cold. “Unless you want to join him.”

She stopped and I could see her confused expression. I didn't need my best friend getting hurt. I spit out the blood in my mouth and smiled as brightly as I could. 

“Tyrene, please” I said quietly and her eyes shone with tears before she turned and ran away.

The next blow came from the side, catching me off balance completely as my footing gave way beneath me. I stumbled, trying to steady myself, but it didn’t matter. I hit the ground without trying to stop it, the impact sending a dull shock through my body as dust rose slightly around me. The first kick landed against my side, forcing the air out of my lungs in a sharp, silent gasp.

They didn’t stop.

They kept on hitting and laughing till the voices above

me blurred together, laughter mixing with mockery until it all became a background noise. My eyes stayed open and unfocused, fixed on nothing in particular as the edges of everything around me began to dim.

It hurt so much.