CHAPTER 2 You're an Omega

Lily stared in horror at her father. She couldn't make sense of what he was saying. Why would Matthew reject her? When they talked on the phone all day, he never mentioned it.

"You're joking," Lily said. "You have to be joking."

Her father scowled at her because he disliked repeating himself. He paused for a moment to collect himself before saying, "This is no joke. You will be marrying Garrett Hunter."

When Lily heard her father say those words, her heart sank. "I am his fated mate. We're meant to be together. Why would he want to reject me? There must be a mistake!"

"Lily, you're an omega. No respectable Alpha would want you as their Luna. We're saving you the agony of having to deal with your mate having a mistress," her mother explained, "and it's not like you won't have a mate."

"It's what you deserve, Lily. Garrett is perfect for you," Brandy said smugly.

Garrett? Garrett Hunter?? The disfigured, rejected brother of Matthew? This had to be some sort of joke. They couldn't possibly be serious. But her parents were not laughing.

Lily slid her seat back and stood up. She ran back to her room, slamming the door behind her. Brandy stood up to bring her back downstairs, but her mother stopped her.

"Leave her alone. There is nowhere she can go. This is something she must accept," her mother stated.

"Pick up the phone, Matthew. Come on!" Lily murmured as she dialed his number for the tenth time. It just rang again and again until it went to voicemail. Lily didn't bother leaving another voicemail because she had already left five.

Lily sighed in frustration and tossed her phone to the floor before pacing the room. Why would her parents subject her to such cruelty? Wasn't it enough that they treated her like trash because she was an omega? But now they were going to take this away from her as well?!

Lily nearly crashed into the wall to get to her phone when it buzzed on the bed. Her heart sank again when she realized it was Tiffany, not Matthew, calling. Lily answered the phone.

"Hey girlie! It has been hours. What was the dinner about? Are you…" Tiffany started.

Lily interjected and said, "Can I come over? I can't stay here. Please say yes."

Hearing her tone, Tiffany became serious and asked, "What's wrong? Your sister is bothering you again?"

"No. It's much worse. Please tell me I can come over," Lily pleaded.

"Yes, you can come. I am not leaving for my parents' until tomorrow. Where are you? I can come to get you," Tiffany offered.

"No. I will come to you," Lily said, "Thank you." She quickly hung up the phone. Lily went to her closet and grabbed an overnight bag. She yanked her dress off and changed into a t-shirt and workout pants.

Lily then began packing items she didn't want to lose and enough clothes to get her through the holidays. She had no intention of coming back here.

The door to her bedroom swung open, causing Lily to jump. She turned to see Mira, one of the omegas working in the kitchen. Mira placed her finger on her lips before she slowly closed the door behind her.

"They told you," Mira said. It was more of a statement than a question. It made Lily sick to her stomach. Everyone had been smiling in her face. Did everyone but her know? It was humiliating that this was kept from her. "I was commanded not to tell you. I really wanted to."

"It's fine, Mira. I know you wouldn't betray me," Lily responded. It would be physically impossible for Mira to go against a command. Perhaps if she were a Gamma or even a Beta, but as an Omega, the pain of it would have killed her wolf, which would've killed her.

"I won't let them force me," Lily declared. "I can't let them take one of the only things that have made me happy."

Mira and Lily grew very close growing up. As they were both omegas and Lily was excluded from high-ranking wolf activities, she spent most of her time with Mira. Mira's father, the pack doctor, was the reason she wanted to become a doctor in the first place.

"Then, let me help you," Mira said, "I can get you out of here. They planned to leave you alone for the rest of the weekend."

"You can't. If they find out…"

"They'll assume I helped you even if I didn't. I'll be beaten no matter what, but I won't die," Mira countered, interrupting her. "Dad is already outside with a car to take you wherever you want to go."

Lily hugged Mira tightly. Mira smiled slightly, wanting to go with her, but she was bound to the pack grounds. Leaving or even going rogue would harm her father's position in the pack. She couldn't risk it.

"Thank you, Mira," Lily said.

Tiffany opened her front door to see Lily standing like a beat dog in her doorway. Lily waved to the car that drove away. Tiffany pulled her into her home and quickly closed the door. Lily immediately began sobbing uncontrollably.

"Lily, what's going on? What happened?" Tiffany asked, leading her to the sofa. She had already prepared Lily's favorite meal as well as hot cocoa.

"They are trying to force me into a rejection ceremony," Lily managed to say.

"What? Why? They can't do that. It'd be spitting in the Goddess' face. You could end up cursed or worse," Tiffany exclaimed.

"They don't care. They don't think I'd be a fit for him because I'm an omega," Lily stated.

"That's not up to them. That's up to the Goddess, and the Goddess wants you and Matthew to be together," Tiffany stated.

"They don't see it that way. They…" Lily stopped in mid sentence as a horrible pain gripped her chest. She gasped as she clutched her chest and tried to slow her breathing.

"Lily? Is it one of your panic attacks?" Tiffany asked.

Lily could only nod, unable to speak as she concentrated on breathing as the pain radiated through her. She suffered from panic attacks for a long time. Lily assumed it was because of stress. It would eventually fade, thanks to Dina's assistance.

Lily gasped in relief as the pain began to fade, and she said, "I'm okay now."

"You need to speak with Matthew. You two can elope, and they won't be able to do anything about it,"

"Elope?"