Chapter 6 Duel With Mother

(Nikita's P.O.V.)

I sat in the backseat of the limousine, watching the view from the window. In front of me is Alpha Lucia, who's angry right now. She hasn't looked at me since Alpha Trojan's announcement on stage about his mate relationship status.

The other part of me wants to celebrate what he did because that's what I wanted. I didn't want him to announce our mate relationship straight away. I was treated with a lot of injustice as an omega, and everyone in the pack thought I didn't earn my respect through my strength.

Rather, it was due to the fact that my mother was an alpha.

If I am once again declared to be the destined mate of an alpha, imagine how I could abandon the chains that these identities have brought me.

My intention is to be seen by all as bringing an aura of my own and not relying on my mate to win the crown.

I'm pretty sure that's not what I want.

That's why I looked at him straight in the eyes earlier, unintentionally begging him to just not say anything about it yet.

But I still suffered to some extent because of the bond with my partner. To add to my pain, I had no way to talk to anyone about my conflict. If my mother knew the real situation, I think I would have been thrown out of the car immediately.

I wish I had found the right place in the community before I went to confess everything to everyone. But most importantly, I need to make sure my MATE really wants me. I've read many stories of omegas being rejected by their mates. People always get caught up in rank and ignore how good that person really is.

I want to change that.

"Dumbass! How can you be sure our mate can wait until that day? Maybe he will choose someone else to be his Luna because of your resistance!" my wolf Tala said at the right time.

"Maybe we can go and communicate with him. Tell him what we really think—that it's not that we don't want him, but that we want to earn his respect and then have the power to match him before we announce to the crowd that we are mates. I can see that our partner is a great gentleman, and I believe he can understand our thoughts." Tala saw my thorniness and continued to add.

"NO!" I shook my head firmly and said, "It's too risky; maybe his gentlemanly side is just the side he shows. Many men start to become unpleasant after they get married. We can't take any chances."

I didn't want to talk about this anymore; it only made me wonder if I had made a bad decision, and I voluntarily closed the link.

As soon as I calmed down, I felt the intense sight of Alpha Lucia, who must have been furious.

Alpha Lucia exited the car coldly as soon as we arrived back at the Ambersley pack.

"Follow me," she said in a cold voice. I didn't raise my voice against it because I knew the outcome and was ready to accept it.

As we entered her office, she vigorously slammed the door behind us.

"WHAT WERE YOU THINKING?!" she loudly questioned, pointing her fingers at me. I bowed my head. "You see now? Your rudeness was what made Trojan deny you in front of the people. Your bad behavior amounted to rejection!"

I stared at my shoes.

This wasn't the first time that I upset Mother, but this is the first time she raised her voice at me like this.

"Where do you think you can find another mate as powerful as Alpha Trojan, huh?! Who would want to be your mate now that Trojan has rejected you?!"

I could already taste blood because of how hard I'm biting my lips right now to just stop myself from answering back at her. I'd never seen her this angry before. It confuses me. Is she reacting like this because she's worried that she's disappointed in Alpha Leon and Alpha Octavia?

I clenched my fists, hurt once again by her belittling me. I lifted my head and looked straight at her without fear: "I told you long ago that I didn't want a mate, it was you who stubbornly tried to give me away like a whore to a power pack to maintain the stability of the pack."

"You think so? You think I'm only doing this for the good of the pack?" alpha Lucia said bitterly.

"Don't you?" I was stubbornly unwilling to believe there was another reason. "You always thought I was weak and wouldn't admit my strength."

When I finished, I could see that one vein on her forehead that looks like it was about to pop from so much anger. She looked at me viciously.

I'm no longer hurt about that. She's treated me unfairly ever since, and I hate to admit it, but I'm getting used to it.

Alpha Lucia clenched her fists.

"You think you're so strong? What are you so proud of? All those nonsense victories you've been getting on the training ground? Can't you see that they're just giving it to you because you have an alpha mother? Has it ever occurred to you that you're just an omega and that if I..." she paused. I saw something liquid across her cheeks, but she immediately wiped it away using the back of her hand.

I could feel sharp knives stabbing me repeatedly in the chest.

I was so stupid for thinking that she'd learn to appreciate and love me if I proved myself and trained hard. I did all of it for her. I wanted her to be proud of me.

but she already said it herself.

It's all nonsense.

"Let it go, Nikita..." Tala said inside my head.

No…

I'm not giving up.

I lifted my head and stared directly into Alpha Lucia's eyes.

"What if I could defeat you? Wouldn't that prove anything to you?"

*****

I felt the breeze blowing on my face as I stared into Alpha Lucia's eyes.

She accepted my invitation for a match, and we found ourselves on the same battlefield, where I defeated countless people from different ranks.

Omegas…

Betas…

Alphas…

all of them.

But this time my opponent is somewhat special.

Alpha Lucia, the leader of the Ambersley pack, is my opponent for tonight. My biological mother, who always comes first, always looks down on me. What makes her think I'd go easy on her? I have every reason to attack her.

Everyone has come to watch our match.

Beta Poppy, who's worriedly begging me with her eyes to make this stop, blew the whistle, which is the sign that the match has started.

I growled loudly and jumped to attack Alpha Lucia.

She moved away swiftly before I could land on her. I snarled at her.

"Don't play defense!" I blurted. She didn't answer and just walked in circles, growling at me. I used my Omega speed to attack her on the neck, but she dodged me and threw me to the side.

The audience gasped.

Humiliated, I shook off the pain and glared at her.

She was only playing defense, but I still couldn't attack her. Why is it so hard? It was so easy for me to knock on a male Alpha who was much bigger than her!

"Make this stop, Nikita. Just apologize to Alpha Lucia!" Beta Poppy urged her outside the ring. Shame succumbs me. It seems like nobody believes that I can win against her. Everyone thinks that I'm just a puppy fighting against a wolf.

I growled to attack her again, but it was a weak and stupid attack. She easily dodged it, just like the last time. I stepped in several times, and it all went to nothing. I can't focus. It was too late for me to realize that I'd been standing in the middle of the ring unguarded. Alpha Lucia took that as an opportunity to attack me.

I felt a fatal blow on my face, and I landed on the ground injured.

I tried to stand up, but I was already too weak to even move.

She threw me a glance as if she were telling me that she'd had enough and that I should have accepted from the start that I was no match for her.

Alpha Lucia transformed into her human form and crouched next to me.

*Preeeeeeep!*

The sound of her whistle silenced the whole place.

The duel is over.

Alpha Lucia gave me a stern stare. "Do you still think you're strong?" she scoffed. I bowed my head.

"Nikita!" Beta Poppy called, hurrying towards me. Mother threw the whistle at her, which she reflexively caught in her hands.

"Arrange for Nikita's departure. She will be sent to participate in the training program of the Blue Moon pack," she said in an authoritative voice. I scowled silently when she turned her head to look at me. "Since she doesn't want to be the Alpha's Luna, she's going to start as a junior soldier."

I bowed my head helplessly.

This time, I am in no position to refuse her.