Am I worthless?

The world narrowed down to a single, breathless point the moment our eyes met. He was my mate. 

The Alpha’s son, the most powerful, revered wolf in the entire pack was my fated mate. 

For a fleeting second, the chaos of the party disappeared. The music faded, the crowd disappeared, and there was only the heavy, magnetic pull stretching between us.

​But the spell shattered as quickly as it had formed.

​“Eren, you’re here,” a man interrupted, stepping forward with a respectful bow that barely concealed his eager excitement.

​Eren didn’t answer. His emerald-green eyes remained locked onto mine, dark and unreadable, as if he were still trying to calculate exactly what I was to him.

​The man turned his head, his gaze sweeping over me before his mouth curled into a look of pure disdain. “Could you please excuse us, omega?”

​My chest tightened, as though air was being sucked out of me at the word ‘Omega’. 

 I looked desperately at Eren, wanting him to say something, anything. But he remained entirely silent. Then, slowly he broke eye contact, turned on his heel, and walked away with the man.

​I was left standing there, completely invisible.

​Seeking refuge from the humiliation, I retreated to the dark corner away from the main floor. 

From my dark corner, I had a perfect view of everything. The guests laughed and danced, revolving around the Alpha's son like planets around a sun.

 He commanded the room without even trying. A flock of girls surrounded him, laughing excessively at his words, brushing their hands against his arm, and shamelessly competing for a single shred of his attention.

​A bitter, painful jealousy twisted in my gut.

 He was my mate. By all rights of the moon, I should have been the one standing at his side, commanding the envy of every wolf in the room.

 A sudden surge of bravery told me to march over there and pull them away from him. I had the right. Didn’t I?

​Yet, my feet remained rooted to the floor. To do that would only make me look more pathetic than they already thought I was. 

If Eren wasn't willing to acknowledge the bond simply because of my rank, then maybe he didn't deserve me. 

The thought cut deep, bringing a familiar lump to my throat. I wrapped my arms tightly around myself, trying to hold together the pieces of my fractured dignity. I deserve to be loved too. I'm not worthless.

​ Eren suddenly lifted his head. His gaze cut through the crowded room and found mine instantly.

 Neither of us looked away. The distance between us seemed to vanish under the weight of his stare, and a fragile, foolish spark of hope bloomed in my chest. 

Maybe he wasn’t ignoring the bond. Maybe he was just waiting.

​He was breathtakingly handsome—dark hair framing a sharply sculpted face, a strong jawline radiating effortless authority. 

Those mesmerizing green eyes looked capable of peeling back my very soul. He was the man every unmated woman in the pack dreamed of.

​And then Prena sauntered over.

​She slipped a flirtatious hand over his chest, tilting her head up with a smile that demanded his full attention. 

Yet, Eren’s eyes stayed glued to mine. My heart hammered against my ribs, the spark of hope flaring brighter. Prena’s smile faded when she realized she didn't have his focus. Determined, she reached up, caught his jaw, and pressed her lips against his.

​This time, Eren looked at her. Our connection snapped.

​My heart  shattered. He didn't push her away. 

Instead, he wrapped his arms around her and kissed her back. Cheers and drunken laughter erupted from the crowd around them as they melted into each other. 

The tiny spark of hope inside me was instantly extinguished, replaced by a hot, uncontrollable anger.

​I turned toward the entrance. I didn't know where I was going, only that I couldn't bear to watch another second of his betrayal. But before I could take a single step, a broad figure stepped into my path, blocking the exit.

​I looked up into the smug, mocking face of Alvin, my foster brother.

​"Hey, dirty omega," Alvin sneered, folding his arms across his chest. "Didn't Abigail explain the rules? This party is for the elite. No trash allowed."

​The wolves flanking him burst into cruel laughter. Heat flooded my cheeks as I clenched my trembling fists, silently taking a step back.

​"Oh, don't send such a pretty face away," a smooth, drawling voice chimed in. "Every party needs a little entertainment."

​The speaker's eyes roamed over my body, making my skin crawl with an immediate, sickening recognition. It was Dior, the Gamma's son. 

He and Alvin had spent years making my life a living hell. Back in high school, Dior never missed a chance to corner me in empty hallways, invading my personal space with a terrifying entitlement.

 I had never told a soul. Who would believe a lowly omega over the Gamma's son? They would have just called me a liar desperate for attention. 

Alvin knew exactly what his friend did to me, and he had never once raised a finger to stop it. Even if my foster father, Beta Wilson, believed me, the price at home would be too high; Abigail, Ebisha, and Alvin would make sure I paid for it. 

​"Granny Lucy," Dior smirked, stepping closer until he was entirely too near. "You've gotten prettier." He reached out, his fingers callously toying with a strand of my silver hair.

​I stood frozen, feeling small and utterly helpless. My eyes desperately searched the crowded room for anyone—an ally, a savior, a sympathetic face. No one came. 

My gaze drifted one last time toward Eren. He was still across the room, completely engulfed by the crowd, having never looked back my way.

​"Let's make her dance," another wolf laughed, raising his beer bottle. "Might finally make this party interesting."

​"I like that idea," Dior grinned, turning to Alvin. "Mind if we borrow your little omega?"

​Alvin didn't even spare me a glance. "Do whatever you want with her," he said with a dismissive wave of his hand. "She's worthless to me." A girl giggled and pulled him back onto a nearby couch, settling comfortably onto his lap.

​My stomach twisted into a sickening knot.

​"Come on, Granny Lucy," Dior taunted, taking another predatory step forward. "Don't be shy."

​I remained entirely still, my feet refusing to obey me. Dior’s smile vanished, his voice hardening into a dangerous edge. "Didn't you hear me?" When I still didn't move, he glanced back at Alvin, his tone laced with irritation. "She's being difficult."

​With a heavy, annoyed sigh, Alvin shoved the girl off his lap, stood up, and marched back over. 

He stopped directly in front of me, and before I could even blink, his open palm struck my cheek. 

My head snapped to the side, the sharp, stinging heat radiating across my skin.

A few nearby wolves looked genuinely shocked, but most barely batted an eye.

 To the pack, an omega being violently "disciplined" wasn't a tragedy, it wasn't even worth interrupting their drinks for.

 Through a blur of tears, my eyes found another omega who was quietly pouring drinks in the corner. She looked at me with a pity, but just as quickly, she lowered her gaze and turned away. 

She couldn't help me. No one could.

​Alvin grabbed my chin in a bruising grip, forcing my face up to meet his cold eyes. "Do as Dior says," he threatened quietly, "or I'll tell my mother you disobeyed us."

​A violent shiver ran down my spine. I knew exactly what kind of torment awaited me at home if Ebisha thought I had stepped out of line

. Swallowing the sob rising in my throat, I roughly wiped the tears from my eyes.

​Dior’s smug grin slowly returned as he watched my submission. "So..." he purred, "Will you dance?"

​I closed my eyes for a single, burying the last remnants of my pride. 

​"...Yes," I whispered, the word barely escaping my lips.

​"Good," Dior chuckled, his smile widening with triumph. "That's more like it."