[NOUR]
Born and raised as an omega in the werewolf kingdom of Acrod, Nour Abdallah was a hardworking man who knew what was expected of him and where he was supposed to be at all times.
He was diligent, something that the omegas like him had understood a little too well, thanks to the harsh conditions they were forced to live in.
For a kingdom so huge and with many people, the omegas of Acrod were considered persona non grata. They had to pretend to be invisible and lay low, lest the powerful ones cast their eyes on them with vile intentions.
Nour didn't want to be the centre of attention, he hated it. He always wanted to live a long quiet life. It didn't matter where he was, but to him, the only thing that mattered was peace.
"Are you even listening to me? The mating ball is in two nights. Please tell me you'll come this time," Anhora, another omega, asked Nour, clearly worried about his friend.
Nour never cared for mating balls.
He only went there to eat, and this time, he really didn't want to go. Anhora knew that too, because, unlike the other times that Nour had gone without any expectations, this time, Nour was scared he would actually find a mate.
He was twenty-one years old and that was the right age for any werewolf to get a mate.
The fact that he was an omega scared him and even more, he was worried that he would find a mate who belonged to the higher elites.
He hated the elites.
He despised them and all they had and yet he had managed to wear a pretty face for everyone to see.
"I'm not going, Anhora. I don't care what the king says about the unmated males. Besides, what if I get an omega mate? Everyone, including the omegas, hate me for some reason, except for you.
"Or what if I get an elite mate? What if I get those dumb powerful people out there and they start treating me like shit? You saw what happened to Ali when he found Kareena. I would hate to find a mate like Kareena.
"Who knows if my mate would make me suffer too? If you want to go to the ball, then you're free to go. As for me, myself and I, we're not going anywhere.
"I'd rather be consumed by the beast of the Midlands than sit there and wait for a mate who wouldn't want me," Nour ranted in one breath and Anhora sighed.
He knew his best friend and he knew the man couldn't hurt a fly, so him suggesting that he would trigger the beast of the midlands was just a dead fantasy. Nour was kindness personified and he was probably one of the reasons Anhora believed in humanity.
"There will be good food. Besides we will see the lycan crown prince, Unar. Who knows, he might probably be your mate!" Anhora added and Nour just let out a knowing sigh.
Prince Unar would never be into anyone like him. And their races were way too different. No one had seen a lycan be mated to a wolf for so many years so there was no point in even trying.
"I won't go, not even if the king himself shows up to try and make me," Noru said defiantly as he continued sweeping the Acrod training grounds for the king's warriors
It was custom that the omegas did most of the cleaning work while the others defended their home. Well, it was the only thing the omegas could do in the kingdom anyway, given they were considered weaklings in Acrod.
"Not even him?" Anhora asked and Nour didn't even bother lifting his head to see wherever was coming. He could however feel that the person coming was powerful, way too powerful and he had never felt that much strength even with the king himself.
The aura was something out of this world and if Nour didn't know any better, he could have sworn that the ocean scent headed their way, belonged to a high-ranking lycan.
Then again, there was no lycan in Acrod, so it was all just pointless for him to even think like that.
"Nope. I don't care who he is. Focus on the sweeping will you? We wouldn't want the elites coming at us with absurd punishments just because we didn't sweep this goddamn place.
"The warriors are dirty as fuck, makes me wonder what the hell they do on these training grounds to make them smell this shitty" Nour whined and Anhora let out a strained string of coughs.
It was almost like they had been caught, but Nour didn't care. So he continued working.
"Nour Abdallah," a voice called and Nour knew he was probably fucked beyond all the scales that were possible in Acrod. So he pretended not to hear the voice, because maybe if he pretended, maybe the man would not even look at him, right?
There was a chance that this man had heard all that he had said and now, he was probably in trouble, again. Oh to be him and an omega.
"Sire," Nour responded, a little too meekly than even he thought was possible. He could feel his throat itching and his breath was stuck in his lungs. He couldn't breathe and he was suddenly so sure that he was done for.
Maybe he would die today, or maybe, just maybe, the young omega wolf was just being an over-dramatic piece of ass.
"Look at me when I'm talking to you," the voice said and this time, Nour was certain that he was truly fucked. That was the voice of the junior warrior, Delbert Cornell.
Delbert Cornell never laughed or smiled at anyone. It was almost like he had a stick up his ass all the time. There were days when Nour prayed for Delbert's mate, because whoever that was, would have to have a load of patience to deal with the barbaric man.
Frankly, compared to Grant, the chief warrior of Acrod, Nour believed that Delbert was the son of the devil. At least Grant smiled at them once in a while, right?
"Yes, sire," Nour responded, as he lifted his head. He still wasn't going to look into the man's eyes, but he could hear the whispers around him. The omegas hated him for some reason and it was even a miracle that Anhora was his best friend.
'The worst he can do is kill me, right?' Nour said to himself, as he tried to convince himself to look up. Well, if he was going to die today, at least he would die knowing that he didn't have to go to the damn mating ball anymore, right?
"I said, look at me," Delbert said again. This time, he was too close to Nour.
The poor omega couldn't even remember when the warrior had managed to get this close to him. Hell, he could breathe the man's beautiful ocean scent in, even as Delbert gently forced Nour's head up.
"Yes, sire," Nour repeated, like that was the only setting he was programmed with.
Carefully, with the aid of Delbert's middle finger, Nour lifted his head, so he was staring into the eyes of the junior warrior. At first, the young omega wanted to make a run for it, but when he felt the warrior's hands snake around his waist, he knew he was done for.
"I guess I will die today then," Nour whispered when his green eyes finally met Delbert's baby blue eyes.