Sour Betrayal

Tonight was the night she would be free. Or so she thought.

Noelle  Chadwick clutched the soft fabric of her dress as she stepped into the brightly lit hallway that led to the grand hall, her heart pounding with anticipation.

For once, she wasn’t dressed in dull, oversized clothing like the other Omegas.

Tonight, she was beautiful.

And more importantly she would no longer be invisible.

The Nightshade Pack buzzed with excitement. Servants moved quickly, guards stood straighter, and every wolf carried an air of nervous joy.

The Lycans from Lycorealm had arrived.

And the whole of Nightshade wolves have been getting ready for the party hosted for their arrival.

Noelle wasn’t an exception, though she wasn’t supposed to attend like she was part of the celebration like others. As a weak Omega who wasn’t recognized with any value in the pack, she was expected to stay back and work with the other Omegas.

But then, no one knew that Noelle was already with the future Alpha- Kole of their pack.

They had secretly discovered they were mates, and tonight, he had promised to announce it and show her off after him and his father welcomed the Lycans.

She had heard a lot of myths about Lycans- how they were much more fiercer and superior to the wolves, and she couldn’t wait to see them in reality.

Noelle wasn’t only happy that the pack members would see her differently, she was excited that she would finally get to be with Kole the way she wanted.

An anxious, but happy smile rested on her lips as she navigated her way through the hall to find Kole. She stared down at the dress on her. The one Kole had gifted her on her nineteenth birthday, and her smile widened. She felt beautiful in it.

She had barely walked a distance when she suddenly heard a splash. She froze, realizing she carried the impact.

The chill seeped through the fabric instantly, clinging to her skin.

She blinked profusely before turning around to find her mother standing there with a heated gaze directed at her. In her hand was the bucket she had thrown the water from.

“So while I’ve been searching for you to join other Omegas to clean the grand hall’s floor ahead of the Lycans’ arrival, you’ve been busy playing dress up?” Natalie’s upper lip curved up as she ran Noelle’s outfit down with a very displeased glare.

And again, Noelle’s emotion was suddenly dragged back to a survival state. Her stomach plummeted, lips trembling as she tried to find the right words to say to her mother.

“Mum, I…”

“Shut up! You bastard weakling.” And there was the adjective Noelle hated the most again. ‘Bastard’

“What do you need me to do?” She asked, succumbing to her situation. Because if not, her mother wouldn’t stop. She would only embarrass her further if she tried to speak for herself.

“Idiot. You were trying to escape duties before. Now, you will go to Kira’s room and clean her floor until it’s very clean without a speck of dust on it. Take your time because after the event ends, I will be there to check.”

Her wolf stirred weakly at the back of her mind but she managed to suppress its growing fury. Not like she could transform to her wolf form even if she wanted to. Her anticipation for the night’s outcome made the humiliation from her mother worth it.

Kira was Noelle’s stepsister- daughter to the man her mother married to after her father’s death. Yet, she was the special one. And Noelle? Just a nobody.

She didn’t need to ask why Kira couldn’t clean her own room by herself. Her mother would give harsh excuses about her probably busy preparing to meet the Lycan royals, or other empty excuses that didn’t justify her coldness towards Noelle.

Natalie only wanted to look good in her husband’s eyes. That was all that mattered to her.

“Okay.”

Noelle didn’t waste time. Minutes later, she found herself changing her dress to casual wear, and cleaning Kira’s ‘Very dirty’ and scattered room. She even picked up her panties from the floor and dropped it inside her laundry basket. She still wanted to meet up with the early part of the event, so she was fast, but careful to keep everything clean.

Her mum never made empty threats.

An hour later, she was tired but almost done. She could already hear the celebration going on from here, but she was more bothered about the probability of Kole looking for her already. She didn’t have a phone he could reach her through. So she just had to get through this and go find him in the hall.

Near the edge of the bed lay a used condom. Irritation filled her immediately. Kira was so careless that she couldn’t even throw away the condom that had been used on her by whoever she had sneaked in with.

She was going to ignore it when she spotted a chain she knew too well hanging around Kira’s bathroom doorknob. Kole’s.

What was her mate’s necklace doing in Kira’s room? Fear wracked her body, but she allowed herself to breathe it out. Kole and Kira used to be good friends.

He could have given it out to her.

Her instincts flared. No way. She dismissed the negative thoughts with her belief. Kole loved her. He was hers. Her fingers shook as she finally left her room to dispose of the refuse.

She was no longer in her right mind by the time she heard giggling voices in the hallway. She peeped, while hiding behind a strong pillar, and to her deepest horror, it was Kole and Kira.

And they were kissing.

Noelle’s knees wobbled. Her wolf stirred weakly again, this time around, out of both pain and hunger.

“Imagine my excitement when my father told me that the Lycans would be here to witness my mating ceremony with you tomorrow.”

Kira said happily, her colored red lips stretching into a fulfilled grin against his.

“Our ceremony would be the best that has ever happened in Nightshade.” Kole leaned forward to kiss her again. Deeply. Noelle could barely breathe as she watched.

Kira pulled back and frowned. “So what are you going to do with Noelle? You’ve already taken her virginity as planned. I don’t want you around her again. You have to let her know she was just a plaything to you.”

Noelle’s throat closed up. Tears threatened her eyes. Kole and her never had sex. She didn’t allow him to no matter how much he tried- though, she intended to…tomorrow.  She never knew…

“So…Kira sent my own mate to deceive me. Kole never loved me.” Saying it to herself even made it feel more real.

Kole cackled silently. “She is a clown, thinking a high profile individual like me would want her. She’s useless to me.”

Kira smirked, and Noelle suddenly had the urge to do something reckless. Something that could sooth the pain she was feeling, but she felt too weak to.

Acting on impulse would only do more harm.

She listened one more time.

“I never had feelings for that pale girl. I will always choose you over anyone, my Luna.”

They joined lips again.

Noelle didn’t wait to hear more. She ran. The stream…it always calmed her. She ran through the dark night till she made it to the stream. Then she let the tears fall. She didn’t try to hold back. She hunched and cried hard.

Future Alpha Kole was her only hope. She thought… “Oh goddess…” she choked out. “Help me.”

“Nothing is worth crying this much about.” A baritone voice suddenly sounded behind her and she flinched hard.

She wiped her tears roughly and turned around. He wasn’t that visible in the darkness of the night, but his features were vivid, his presence much more solid. And his all-black cloak seemed to intimidate the night itself.

Noelle felt a spark that sent cold shivers down her body. Lightning flashed across the sky- And for a brief second, his face was illuminated.

Noelle’s breath caught.

It was only a second, but it was enough to catch his face.

She thought he looked dangerously attractive. But she couldn’t care any less at the moment.

“Who are you? And why are you here interrupting my moment?” She demanded, her tone unfriendly.

The stranger pulled his two hands backward and crossed them behind his back. He walked slowly past her, along the stream, like he was the god of nature itself. His presence was loud in a way that screamed special importance.

Who was he?

“Boring party. Needed fresh air.” He said casually, but his voice held royalty weight.

Was he part of the Lycan guests? The need to cower suddenly prick at her skin.

“I’m going back in.” Noelle said and started to walk fast past him, but his voice stopped her cold in between her tracks.

“Drowning in self-pity is pathetic. You either let go of what you are going through, or attack it. The world only favors the one who puts herself first.”

For a whole minute, Noelle didn’t move. Her breath slowed as his words sank. He didn’t say anything after. But she wished he could say more. The voice- his words, were doing something to her pain. It felt like subtle healing. She didn’t want it to stop.

But when she turned back around to reply to him, he was no longer there. She felt cold.

And then- she couldn’t help but wonder- Was he a god sent by the moon goddess to console her?