Page 118 of Omega for the Pack

“Mom?” I said, wrapping my arms around her in a hug. “I’m sorry.”

She didn’t say anything as she quietly sobbed into my shoulder. Burning tears pricked my eyes. She had most likely seen everything that transpired in the throne room.

If my fathers could act like this and discard my mother to the side, how could I trust anyone?

I vowed never to fall for any alpha, no matter how nice he was. Because if one day, I couldn’t have babies as my mother did after her miscarriage, it would be easy for an alpha to leave.

And that wasn’t going to happen to me. Not if I could help it.

One

LYRA

“We, the Bloodhound Pack, wish to ask Lyra’s fathers for her hand in marriage,” said the leader of a pack of alphas in the throne room.

I almost laughed out loud.

The pack of three looked desperate and miserable, standing there waiting for an answer.

“Well, Lyra?” asked one of my fathers. Armon turned to me as he sat on the throne. He had the king’s crown on his head, made of gold and wrapped in silver. “Would you like to give these respectable alphas a chance?”

I squeezed both sides of my chair in frustration.

“Of course not,” I said, gritting my teeth.

“Why not?” asked Vanessa snidely. She sat at the end of the line in the throne room. My mom wasn’t here and constantly avoided the new omega if she could help it. I had never seen them in a conversation without one of my fathers involved.

“Because a home-wrecker like yourself can mess up my marriage,” I said.

She gasped. Armon clapped twice to divert everyone’s attention from the drama brewing between Vanessa and I.

“I apologize, Bloodhound Pack. You may take your leave,” said Armon, rubbing his temple in frustration. “My daughter doesn’t seem interested at this time and has much growing up to do.”

Growing up? I was nineteen, for fuck’s sake. And what the hell was he frustrated about? I was the one who had to get marry complete strangers to fulfill my destiny of growing the Royal Pack. Mom had locked herself up in her room for days and refused to come out. It had been two months since my fathers took on this new omega, and Vanessa was already fucking pregnant, gloating as she rubbed her small tummy for show.

She was just a home-wrecker. Pure and simple.

I watched as the Bloodhound Pack left the throne room, the leader with his hat in hand. I couldn’t care less.

“Well, it’s time for me to go,” I said. “My friends are waiting at the café.”

“You may go,” said Armon, shaking his head in disapproval at how I acted.

I ignored him as I stepped off the platform, nearly tripping as I held onto the long, red-clothed table in front. As I walked, my dress swished behind me on the gold and red carpet. I met my bodyguard, Luke, at the door. His light-brown hair ruffled in the wind, and his stark green eyes focused on me.

“To the café?” he asked.

“Yes, I need to get out of here,” I said, getting into the black limo in the front. Luke sat next to me as the driver started the car.

“May I ask what happened?”

“My fathers are trying to get me married off again,” I said. “I’m not just some omega to get married and settle down. It’s nothappening. I want to do amazing things for Howl’s Edge and be the lady for the people.”

“If you keep ignoring every pack that comes for your hand, you might get old and lonely,” said Luke. “At least give them a chance. You can still be great while settled down.”

“Why don’t you talk about yourself?” I shot back. “You’re almost forty years old and haven’t settled down yet.”

“Settle down. I didn't mean anything by it,” said Luke, taking my hand in his. When his large, warm hand enveloped mine, a flicker of electricity shot through me, and I quickly pulled my hand away.

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