"Are you ok?", Cherry asked with a concerned look.
Eden lifted his head to glance at the female omega, then forced a smile on his lips. She knew he was faking it, but didn't say anything because Eden was trying hard to not let show how all the gossip affected him. Most of the time, the young Omega could act up pretty well, but after what happened yesterday, it was difficult to remain unmoved. Especially since he was worried about the future of the pack that depended on his mating.
Cherry raised her hand to the engagement mark she received from Dante over two years ago, and her gaze drifted to her mate.
As an omega, she had more reason than necessary to worry about Eden. Usually, omegas are engaged or mated when they hit their sixteenth birthday. Eden, Dante, and she have been friends since childhood.
Even though her fiance was a dominant, he never cared about hierarchy. Dante's friendship with Eden was a heartful copycat of his beta father's friendship with Alpha Silver. Like their fathers have been friends for decades, the two of them would eventually be stuck together because, in their duo, Eden was the brain, and Dante was the claws.
When Dante showed interest in Cherry and started courting her, she immediately agreed. Their engagement had followed the shortest courting phase in the werewolves' history. Needless to say, her parents were thrilled to see her courted by Bloodhood's future beta. Since that happy day, Cherry had felt her other friend grow more and more anxious. And for good reason.
By the time they turned sixteen, many omegas announced their engagement or mating. Eden attended each announcement, trying to smile to congratulate his packmates. When they turned seventeen and the male omega continued to celebrate after his younger packmates' mating and engagements. Then, Eden's anxiety attacks began, along with severe loss of control over his pheromones. Rumors swelled when someone let slip that the teenager hadn't had his first heat or developed his sexual pheromones like all omegas by the time they hit sixteen.
More and more members were starting to speak, blaming the color of his fur and his personality in total opposition to the other omegas.
To cut off the gossip, Alpha Silver started looking for Eden's mate. The pack leader has contacted several allied packs or packs willing to ally with Bloodhood. Unfortunately, no one has accepted Eden as a partner.
The sound of the bus snapped the female omega out of her thoughts. She glanced again at her friend who was biting his lower lip, head lowered to the ground, and his hood pulled down so nobody could see his gaze. She sniffed the air and sighed, relieved that at least, she didn't smell any pheromones of distress. When the vehicle doors opened to let them in, she stepped back to let Eden enter first. Cherry felt Dante's hand on her hip, touching her lightly as she stepped up.
Even without her releasing pheromones, the Beta Dominant had sensed her stress and was letting her know. This simple gesture reminded her why she wished that Eden more than anyone would find his mate. Nothing could beat the feeling of comfort, happiness, and well-being that came from being with your mate. Eden deserved to know this feeling.
Eden Bloodhood, a male omega, was the only son of Silver Bloodhood the Alpha whose name was feared and respected. That name and its heritage were a symbol of power. Alphas would normally have to fight for the chance to become his mate. Unfortunately, Eden wasn't like the other omegas.
When he was born, the healer who had helped Snow Bloodhood give birth, placed on the new mother's belly a small furball of a color that had never been seen before among omegas. Of course, in the eyes of both parents, their newborn was the most adorable. Every one of his gestures and quirks like when he wrapped his tail around his leg, everything was perfect. But Eden was an omega with golden fur and it quickly became a problem.
For a dominant, having a golden coat evoked nobility. Golden coat dominants are predestined to greatness. No omega has ever sported a fur with a color that shows a higher status than a dominant.
Eden's fur made him a chosen one, while his pheromones and biology made him a sub.
Because of this paradox, most of the members, Subs, and Doms, didn't know how to behave around him.
As a kid, omegas didn't understand why a wolf with a dom's fur had to stick with omegas, which was against the rules. Because of this, Alpha Silver never said a word when his beta's son grow fond of his little omega and started following him around to protect him. But that friendship had an aftermath Alpha Silver hadn't anticipated. Dante wasn't the average dominant. Thus, Eden had found a playmate who stimulated his eagerness to adventure and combat.
While others of his rank and age were busy learning quiet tasks related to the organization of the cave, Eden spent most of his time wrestling with Dante. And this habit wasn't unnoticed because the male omega had enough skills to face the young beta. What he lacked in strength, he made up for with speed and quick wit.
Because of this, no dominant, whether low, middle, or high rank, has ever dared to approach Eden to court him, even though he had grown up to become an Adonis capable of breaking hearts with just one look. The Doms had no problems with his general demeanor, as Eden remained respectful of the rules and his rank despite his fur and his connection with Alpha Silver. However, the gap between his fur and his rank prevented them from considering the young omega male as a potential mate.
As for the omegas, they just couldn't think of themselves as one of their own, a sub that behaved so differently from them.
At least that was the case with all omegas except Cherry Coppice. The female omega of the same age as Eden and Dante became friends with Eden precisely because of his difference.
The day she had caught the young Omega fiercely training with Dante in a secret spot, her eyes had shone with new emotions.
From then on, as soon as she had the chance, Cherry started to spy on them. When they finally spotted her from the cheering little yelps that she couldn't help, she begged them until they allowed her to join their mini-pack.
In Cherry and Dante's eyes, Eden was an extraordinary omega. He embodied deep respect for traditions and rules despite the suffering they caused him and a breath of modernity due to his personality. However, on days like this, she realized how difficult it was for Eden.
The bus slowed down and then stopped along the sidewalk alongside Black Moon High School, where the three werewolves were attending for their senior year. The facility housed high school-age werewolves from Bloodhood, Crescent Moon, Green Lake, and White Stone territories. There was a little over a semester left before their graduation and the course of the three of them was more or less already mapped out.
They would join Red Creek University in the namesake pack territory, the only campus for werewolves to accept Subs and Doms. Thus, the three of them would not be separated. Cherry latched onto Eden's arm and her mate put an arm around her neck.
They made their way to the locker in the main hall. Today, Eden and Dante only shared one class after lunch. The beta placed a quick kiss on his fiancée's temple and nodded to his friend before walking away.
"He's going to be okay? Yesterday he got caught by Old Woodstock. He had extra assignments. I was supposed to help him but…"
"Don't worry, he'll be fine. Dante is far from being stupid and if you want my opinion you brood over him a little too much, "Cherry said, rolling her eyes.
"He's your mate, you should be worried he isn't getting enough sleep."
"Exactly! He's my mate, not a kid. All werewolves are in the same boat. The teachers know very well that Doms have obligations outside of school work. They wouldn't ask us for anything we couldn't handle."
"Yes, but…"
"No buts," Cherry cut off with an annoyed pout. "Dante is a beta, Eden. He's strong, and smart, and if he's serious enough, there's no reason for him to fail school. Next year will be even busier for him because he will have to take special lessons."
The female Omega let out a sigh as they finally arrived in front of their classroom for the first period.
"Everything is gonna be alright. OK?" Her face lit up with a mischievous glow when she added. "He even has time to satisfy my whimsical self, so there is nothing to worry about."
She winked at him before hopping around in the classroom, happily.
The morning went by peacefully. The two omegas went on to class at a pace strong enough for Eden not to think too much about his rejection. Although each of his class entries was followed by murmurs and glances, the discussions died out before they had even had a chance to spread to the whole class.
However, one thing was sure, there wasn't a single student in the whole school who was unaware that Eden had once again failed a mating offer. Each time they moved to another room, the two friends could feel insistent glances coupled with whispers.
The lunch break confirmed that their classmates had found their topic of gossip for the next few days.
Determined to ignore the eyes fixed on him, Eden placed his meal tray loaded with varied foods on a table in the cafeteria. Even though he couldn't fight his carnivorous nature, as an omega, he obviously like fruits and sweets.
Dante glared at his friend's meal and put down his tray where several kinds of meat were stacked on a plate next to a tiny portion of cherry tomatoes and broccoli, forcibly placed by Cherry.
The two omegas rolled their eyes as the beta grunted with pleasure after taking his first bite of still-rare deer meat.
"You don't know anything about the real pleasures of life," retorted the dom.
They were arguing and bickering when a voice interrupted them.
"I heard about it, but I still wanted to check it with my own eyes. I wonder how come you're not hiding in some hole after such humiliation, Bloodhood."
The smile that Eden had finally managed to display, immediately dissipated. He turned to a teenager who was about a head shorter. His feminine features were distorted with a grimace of disgust.
"Lucas Hook," Eden said without hiding his bad mood.
Around them, the students lowered their tone to pry on their interaction.
"I heard that White Stone's future alpha, an insignificant pack, didn't want you. And now you're here, having lunch as if nothing happened. I don't know if I should be sorry or applaud your total lack of shame. You're such a disgrace for your pack and all the Omegas. Well, are you a real omega? "He added with a smirk.
"You are free to jap and think whatever you want Lucas, but I'll appreciate you doing it away from me. Your pheromones that reek of jealousy keep assaulting my nose. "
The shorter Omega's expression changed to pure anger and his voice climbed several octaves.
"Why I would be jealous of a failed omega like you, Bloodhood? Your name only can count as an insult! "
"Yeah, yeah," Eden replied in a jaded tone, waving his hand at the intruder like swatting a pest.
A few students chuckled and Lucas Hook's cheeks reddened. The male omega could not stand Eden for a simple reason. His fiancé, Evan Whiteforest, an alpha of his pack, Crescent Moon, was the only one who seriously considered accepting Bloodhood's mating offer with Eden. Of course, the young werewolf had in mind only the political advantages that his family kept reminding him of. Indeed, Bloodhood and Crescent Moon had a common border, and his parents saw this proposed alliance as an opportunity to extend Crescent Moon's influence over the most powerful pack in the region.
However, when Alpha Silver learned that his son's happiness would end up sacrificed for political stakes, he quickly withdrew his mating proposal, leaving Crescent Moon bitter. The dominant was again free to unite with whomever he wanted, but being chosen only because Eden's pack had withdrawn their proposal left Lucas feeling like a second choice.
When he heard the snickers directed at him despite him being here to stir the knife in Eden's wound, Lucas was furious. With a quiet nod, he motioned to the teenage girl standing next to him.
Mandy Moon grabbed the carton of milk from her tray. She was about to empty it onto Eden's head when Dante's hand stopped her movement. The fingers on the wrist of Red Creek's future Beta were a threat she couldn't ignore. She gritted her teeth and glared at Dante. When she saw that the teenager remained unfazed, she jerked her hand away.
Unfortunately, she had retracted her hand too forcefully. Especially since Dante had already released all pressure on his wrist after a quick eye contact with Eden. Her arm pulled back at a speed she hadn't anticipated. The carton of milk she was holding slipped out and spilled its contents all over Lucas Hook's face and clothes. The male omega was covered in milk and the entire cafeteria burst into laughter.
Lucas's face turned crimson red. Mandy tried to grab Eden's arm when he stood up.
Dante didn't even have time to react. Eden had already grabbed the female beta's arm. With a single grip, he locked her arm so that if she moved even an inch, she risked breaking her shoulder. When he saw his omega humiliated and his beta held in check by Eden, Lucas's fiancé, Evan, stepped in. But he miscalculated his luck.
Dante Rivers was a laid-back werewolf. His personality was pretty easygoing. However, even though he was only a beta, no dominants who had already developed their alpha pheromones wanted to compete with him. His beta pheromones could dominate most future alphas', which gave an idea of his strength. When he saw an alpha trying to hurt his omega friend, Dante let out his pheromones. Immediately, the omegas in the cafeteria started emitting distress' pheromones. Some betas began to shiver under the threat and Eden spotted several future alphas which had frozen up on the spot.
"Babe, please, let's go back."
Cherry walked over to Dante and put a hand on his back, then stroked him gently to soothe his anger. Eden knew he had to defuse the situation as soon as possible. He released his hold on Mandy and stepped back to his omega friend. As soon Eden was safe again, Dante blocked his pheromones, and the tension immediately dissipated. A voice across the room roared.
"Rivers, Whiteforest, Moon, Hook, Bloodhood! Principal's office! Right now! "