Chapter 6 Lena's Pov

For a moment, we just stared at each other.

For some weird reason, I felt an undeniable connection to him.

My tongue was numb, and my voice was almost impossible to speak.

"What should I say to him?"

"Why exactly has he defended me?"

The tension that hung between us was so thick that it could be easily cut through with a knife."

Kyler stood a few feet away, his arms crossed, his expression cold as it always has.

I forced myself to swallow, my voice barely above a whisper. "Why?"

His brow lifted slightly. "Why what?"

"Why did you stop her?" I asked, my fingers tightening at my sides.

"You had always hated me, so why did you defend me?"

He just looked at me. Then, to my utter frustration, he let out a mocking chuckle.

It was the kind of laugh that sent heat rushing to my face, like I had just asked the most ridiculous question in the world.

"You are not important, so don't flatter yourself," he said, shaking his head.

"I am not flattering anyone here. Why did you choose to defend me over Alison?"

"Stop being delusional; I wasn't protecting you." He said as he leaned against the doorframe.

My nails dug into my palm. "Oh really?" I shot back. "Then what was that?"

His smirk deepened, infuriating me further. "Alison was making a fool of herself. I simply saved her from embarrassing herself any further."

A sharp laugh left my lips. "You expect me to believe that?"

Kyler crossed his arms over his chest, tilting his head slightly. "You believe what you want to believe, Lena."

His voice dropped lower. "But if you think I'll tolerate you causing unnecessary fights in my pack, then you're mistaken."

I didn't just know how to react; I felt flattered and angry at the same time, my mind a whirlwind of emotions.

I let out a long breath. I never knew I was holding all these while, and for a moment, I was so convinced Alpha Kyler wanted me not only for bearing him pups but for some other reason I am yet to decipher.

But yet, he was so good at hiding his emotions under a cold demeanor.

Letting out a loud sigh, I shoved the thoughts out of my mind.

Alison was right; Kyler would never choose me. I was not even close to the kind of woman he wanted.

Who would settle with a divorced Luna like me, one with a damaged reputation at that?

I tried distracting myself from the endless thoughts ravaging my mind.

Whether he wanted me or not, that would be his concern; I had never even wanted to come into this pack at the onset.

Letting out a quick sigh, I turned and walked away, heading back to my room to have a good sleep.

Alison had left already, and I was sure I could get a long test without being distracted by their sinful moans.

The scent of fresh bread and roasted meat drifted from the kitchens, mingling with the chatter of omegas busy with their chores. The pack was busy; omegas were busy with their daily chores, some carrying baskets of fresh linen, others scrubbing the stone floors. Their voices blended into a hum of conversations, snippets of gossip and complaints filling the air.

I decided to go take a tour around. I needed to see what life outside the Silverfang Pack looked like.

All my life in the Bloodthorn pack had been nothing but endless work.

From the moment I could walk, I was forced to scrub floors until my fingers bled. I had cooked meals I was never allowed to eat. I had washed dishes while my stomach growled in protest. No one had ever asked me if I was tired or hungry, and no one had bothered to care.

I was forced to accept this, as that was my place as an omega.

But watching the omegas of the Silverfang Pack move about freely, laughing, chatting, and eating whenever they wanted, gave me a different orientation.

It made me realize that omegas weren't forbidden to be happy and I had been lied to my whole life.

I walked further into the omega quarters, my face smiling to anyone who cared to reciprocate. Some of them smiled back at me, bowing slightly as I passed.

Others barely spared me a glance, continuing their work like my presence meant nothing. And maybe it didn't. Maybe I was still a nobody but just in a different pack.

"How are things here?"

"Are you treated well?"

"Do you have enough food?" I asked the omegas who cared to listen to me.

I stopped beside an older woman kneading dough at a wooden table.

"Do you need help with anything?" I asked, my voice laced with concern.

Her eyes widened in surprise for a moment before she quickly shook her head.

"No, Luna. But, thank you for asking."

Luna.

The title felt foreign, almost laughable. Kyler had never called me that, not once. But few of the pack members had already recognized me as their Luna.

I pinched myself hard to stop being delusional as Alison's words rang in my ears for the umpteenth time.

I was about to take my leave when a hoarse voice cut in through the laughter and chatter.

"You worthless thing! You can't even do a simple task right?" the voice rang out.

I froze. My wolf stirred restlessly as my gaze darted toward the source of the commotion.

A young boy, no older than sixteen, stood with his head bowed. His hands trembled as he held a basket of dirty rags; his knuckles were already white from gripping them so tightly.

His clothes were tattered, his ribs visible beneath his thin body. He had hollow cheeks, which were visible as a result of endless starvation.

And standing in front of him was a gamma, one of the higher-ranked wolves in the pack. His face twisted in disgust as he sneered at the boy.

"Such a useless thing," the gamma spat, shoving the boy backward.

"All you do is eat and laze around when you can't even get a simple task right?"

"Gossiping during work hours."

The gamma who was dressed in a pristine uniform, yelled as he unleashed a painful whip through the young boy's body.

My eyes burned red with anger.

The boy stumbled backward, his gaze fixated on the ground as though looking back at his master would lead to more punishment.

"I-I'm sorry," the omega stammered.

"I-"

The gamma struck the baskets from his hands, causing them to chatter on the floor, its noise attracting other omegas. They suddenly went silent, heads down, pretending not to notice.

My blood boiled.

"Enough," I said, my voice sharp with anger.

The gamma turned, his eyes narrowing when he saw me. "And who the hell are you to interfere?"

I stepped forward, placing myself between him and the omega. "What gives you the right to treat him like this?"

The gamma scoffed. "He's an omega. They mess up; they get punished. That's how it works."

I clenched my fists. "That's how cowards work."

His nostrils flared. "You think you have authority here? You're just a-"

"She is my Luna."

Kyler's voice sliced through the tension like a blade.

The gamma stiffened as the room turned deathly quiet.

Kyler stepped into the space, his presence commanding.

"If I ever catch you laying a hand on an omega again," Kyler said, his voice deceptively calm,

"you won't like what happens next."

The gamma swallowed hard. "Alpha, I-"

"I won't tolerate disrespect in my pack, not even any form of disrespect towards her," Kyler warned.

The gamma swallowed hard, his arrogance faltering. "I was just-"

"You were just about to cross a line," Kyler cut him off. "Get out of my sight."

The gamma hesitated for a split second before lowering his head and walking away.

I let out a slow breath, my heart racing.

Alpha Kyler turned to me, his expression stern as though I had disappointed him again.

"You seem to be troublesome."

I swallowed hard.

"I...was defending him..." I sputtered, pointing to the omega who was shivering beside me.

"You are making a habit of getting into fights, and I won't tolerate that..." he warned.

I struggled to hold his gaze.

"And you're making a habit of saving me." I defended myself.

I turned back to the omega, reaching down to pick up his tray. "Are you alright?"

Gently, I reached down and helped him up.

His hands were shaking as he clutched tightly to a crumpled sheet.

I frowned, gently taking it from him. The ink was slightly smudged, but the bold words at the top were clear.

"Former Luna of Bloodthorn Pack Caught Cheating on Her Alpha." Read the headline.

"What?" I gasped in shock.