I groan in my sleep, opening my eyes to see the bright blue sky ahead of me, the smell of earth, grass and the forest filling my nose. I wrinkled my nose at the rush of scent that made my eyes water and blinked twice trying to remember where I was and how I got there.
Then it dawn on me, I had slept here last night after leaving home and spending the whole day walking north to my new pack. I sat up and looked around the forest in which I had slept peacefully, wondering what had made me forget that I wasn't at home or on my bed anymore.
I stood up and dusted the dirt off my back side silently, I could almost hear all movement in the forest, that of scurrying animals, the rustles of the leaves from a thousand mile, the sound of birds as their song rang from somewhere too far for me to point out, reminding me of the ritual night. I frowned, as I wondered the usefulness of these new abilities, when all I ever wanted was to be a wolf like everyone else.
Perhaps I would have been a grey wolf or a red one, matching the color of my now dirty red hair. But I guess we would never know now, I thought as I picked the dirt out of my hair before picking up my back pack, which contained all I owned, threw it unto my back and began walking along the path leading to the Kirjan border and my soon to be new pack.
I didn't know per say where the Kirjan pack was but since father sold me off to some Gamma in that pack to save face from the shame I had brought to the family by not shifting on my eighteenth birthday and for also causing it to rain ruining the happy celebration, I had to find out which way led there but the only thing I had been able to remember was the direction.
Up north.
Father was not alone in his rejection of his youngest daughter, the entire clan didn't want me there anymore than he did, even the Alpha of our pack had ordered him to do something about me, as the people were becoming restless and I had now been considered a curse.
"A bad omen". They said. As if, a little child like me could really cause it to rain.
I knew father already had plans to not keep me there, from the moment I open my mouth to tell them I had never heard my wolf. His obligations to his Alpha, as the Gamma of our clan was all an excuse. I had descended in rank, even though born to such a noble family, and had received weird looks since that day, that I even had to hasten my departure.
I decided to leave without saying goodbye to either of my parents. They wouldn't miss I know, they were never one to really care about me. I don't know why, but I never felt loved there. Not with them nor my siblings and that was all I ever wanted, I had looked forward to that night, hoping that shifting would change everything. They would accept me, love me and most importantly, I would have a wolf, I would have company.
But she never came, never once have I even heard her voice, I should have known then, I still can't help but wonder, what it would have felt like to actually hear her voice, I guess I would never know now.
If one didn't shift at the age of eighteen could one ever shift again? That I didn't know but one thing I know for sure and that the others probably didn't know was I was not human as they speculated, as I had been given wolf instincts instead.
I mean, it had to have been instead since my wolf never came but the alertness, sharpened eyesight and enhanced hearing all began that night. Maybe I mutated? Was that even possible? Both my parents were pure breeds.
I stop immediately on my tracks as I heard the light crushing of twigs,
"Border patrols". I said to myself as their scent filled my nose and I noticed I had crossed their pack's border
oh yes, my sense of smell had also gone from zero to a hundred. This was exactly the same abilities my folks had but only when they were in their wolf form.
Was this my wolf form then?
The stick put in my neck didn't take me by surprise, I heard them coming even before they got there and they obviously noticed.
" Why did you trespass our land child?"
" I am a new maid for the Gamma of Kirjan's wife Lady Freya. I only wish to pass your land on my way there."
"This is Kirjan kid." I heard a heavily built man walk towards me, wearing nothing but a pair of boxers. He had actually turned back to his human form to meet me.
I am Gamma Dilan of Kirjan. Where are you from?"
He asked as he stopped in front of me.
"My name is Silveen from Estradol, I was sent here as a maid for lady Freya. The Alpha sent me"
I said handing him the letter I had pulled out of my back pack, he gently collected it and read its content before handing it over to one of the men who had now gathered around me.
The two werewolves clans have always been friends, maybe due to the fact that they were neighbors and small in size, I never knew why, and I don't care anymore, I am here as a slave after all, or is that not what an Omega was?
The daughter of the Estradol Gamma sent here as an omega, was the surest possible means of averting a curse, but no one was going to know that.
"Let's go". Gamma Dilan said to me while nodding to his men, who probably went back to their post and I followed him silently as we began the long walk to the village with two other men.
"How did you know to come here when you didn't know the way?" he asked.
"I always heard that the Kirjan village was north of ours. Didn't know how far north though". I replied
"you must have a good sense of direction then". I looked up at him slightly taken aback by his kind statement, it was the first time someone gave me a complement. He smiled faintly back at me and focused back on the road. I stared back at the floor, focusing on it not sure how i was to respond.
......
I heard the noise from the village long before we even got there, and I knew for sure that though their pack may be friends with mine, we were different in so many ways. This people had a completely different smell and atmosphere, almost as if I was home, it is my new home after all so I could relax and have a clean start.
"We are home." Gamma Dilan said as if reading my mind, as we stepped out of the forest into the clearing, I took the opportunity to take it all in, the village in front of me, the running children, and the people going about their activities. The big house not far from us which I guessed was the home of the Alpha.
What was their Alpha like I wondered? I had heard that the Alpha, Eric was practically a boy, two years my senior, he had taken over when he became eighteen. His father had died in a battle with the Austan wolf pack, which was then the strongest wolf pack in the realm. He however, didn't die alone, he took the feared Alpha of the Austan pack with him, fighting him to the death. All this happened when Alpha Eric was just two years old. So I knew for sure, he was nothing like the Alpha of my former clan.
"Is there a problem". I heard one the men whose name I don't know ask.
I looked at him confused, then I realized, that I had been standing there a while staring. Shaking my head, I ran to catch up with them and we continued walking.
As we walked past the large house, I gasped as an intoxicating scent filled my nose. I turned towards the house, stopping short on my tracks transfixed. The men also stopped looking at me rather confused.
"Is there a problem?" Gamma Dilan asked me this time, but I just looked at him my eyes glazed over and unsure.
It was different, certainly different from the scent I heard from the whole village. it was it, wasn't it. The scent everyone wanted to perceive all their life, the scent of their better half, the scent of my mate.
But why was it coming from here? Why was it coming from the Alpha's house? Certainly it could not be...
I shook away the thought and turned to the Gamma who was about to ask me the same question again, this time with an irritated look.
I cut him off.
"Whose house is this?"
His men shared a surprised look and stared at the Gamma who only frowned at the question.
"Why? You've been here before?"
"No... I just..."
I gave the house one last look getting off my high horse and back to my senses as I remembered my position in this clan. Even if, which is certainly impossible, that I was the Alpha's mate. It doesn't change the fact that I was now an omega and it would be the birth of a drama I had no desire for.
I followed the men silently to the house that would now be my new home.