ALPHA'S BURNING BETRAYAL

Kieran's Point Of View

When I first heard from my gossip friend, Mirian, that Alpha Colten wanted everyone in the pack to gather in a white fur square to witness the Moon Goddess' revelation of his mate under the glare of the full moon, I couldn't believe her words.

Alpha Colten lost his luna only a year ago, and judging by how close the couple had been in the past years before the luna's demise, and the story of their strong love for each other from childhood till they marked each other, I couldn't imagine he could sprout from his grief and decide he was getting himself a new mate.

Come on, that gossip was the worst I've heard so far. I've heard too much gossip from Mirian, but trust me, I believed every one of them because, unlike me, the lowest of the low-lives who serve in the palace, Mirian, backed by her uncle's influence, was the alpha's cup bearer.

She knew everything happening in the throne room, in the upper chambers, in the Elders' court, but I still did not believe this one gossip until now.

How invitations flew so fast was something I thought I should be wary of. Maybe, every notable person in our pack and other packs beyond ours believed that Alpha Colten should not perish in his grief. They seemed to have all advised him to do the needful and move on. Hence, their massive turn-up.

I could recognize a few of the foreign bigwigs who were present. There was the tall one known as the Frost. His real name according to Mirian, was Alpha Alfred of White Lake pack.

And the other one with a scar on the face was Alpha Rogan of Oakwood Pack.

I could pick him out easily because he was the youngest of the alphas. And Mirian was usually particular about him. She always spoke of how chaotic his rise to the throne of Alpha was because his uncle wanted to lay claim to the throne room of Oakwood pack after his father's demise.

Trust me, Mirian is a good storyteller. I bet if you heard from her lips how the chaos started and dropped from climax to denouement, you'd sure be marveled.

That's the reason why she was particular about him. As for the rest, I know nothing about them because either I've not seen them before, or Mirian never said anything about them.

Anyways, Mirian was not anywhere in sight as we filed into White Fur Square. It was the biggest gathering space in our territory and had served many public functions like the crowning of a new alpha, marking of mates, and declaration of war.

But the square has one problem and one wicked law. The entrance is slim and we all must file in through it by our ranks. I'm an omega, so, I was among the last set to file in when the bell to file rang.

In the square, everyone was meant to take seats, but trust me, there was none to take. Alpha Colten, on the other hand, was already waiting in the high place with the priest of the moon goddess, Rasputin, beside him.

William, his beta, stood below the high place, with ten gammas posted around the high place. The alphas of the packs beyond ours stepped forward and formed a web around the high place. They were about ten in number.

I looked around to find Mirian, but I couldn't find her. Had she been in the square, she would have walked up to me and whispered in my ears the names of the alphas and what they were known for, except the two I knew already.

But having seen she was nowhere to be found, I had to focus, but not until I felt something bite down on my belly and bring me down to my knees.

A sudden cry left my lips, and everyone's eyes drifted towards me as I covered my mouth with both hands and made to stand upright again but it bit down once more and to make it worse, I felt a strong scent surround me and fill my nostrils, like someone had singled me out so that I would perceive no other scent but his.

I clenched my teeth and held my belly with both hands to subside the pain. I couldn't stand upright anymore, and everyone stopped looking up to the high place and turned to me with strong disgust on their face.

I was disrupting the event, and I didn't notice that until the chants on the high place stopped.

Rasputin, the priest, seemed to have been disturbed by my quiet painful moans. He rang the bell from the high place and everyone's attention, including mine, returned to him.

"The Moon Goddess has done it!" he roared, his voice hoarse and void of mercy.

The square broke into a strong murmur and everyone parted from me. It was then I realized how long and vast the path to the high place was. I had somehow thought it was that close when we entered the square, but now, it seemed too long as everyone parted from me.

I managed to stand upright, with my hands on my lower abdomen, but the cramp came once again and I screamed. The scent grew stronger, and I felt my wolf rumble inside of me. It was either struggling to take over my body, or it was fighting something.

"Oh, dear, it can't be." I heard someone say as I wriggled in pain and crouched on the floor.

I struggled to stand upright once more, but the cramps pinned me to the floor like I was being possessed by some demon, and the next thing I knew, everything blacked out all of a sudden.

The next I opened my eyes; I was lying before the high place. The cramp was gone. My wolf was calm. I scrambled to my feet and looked up to the high place. The priest was no longer there. Alpha Coltan was no longer there.

I looked down to the stem of the high place and saw them: Alpha Coltan, Rasputin, and William, standing in a long stretch with the ten alphas of the neighboring packs.

Everywhere was silent, though it was still full of nobles and low-lives like me. No one was saying anything. I tucked my hair behind my ears and bowed my head.

"I think there is a mistake here!" Alpha Colten thundered. "This wretch cannot be my mate!"

No one dared say a thing. Not even the alphas. I wonder who the heck was the wretch he was referring to. I am one of the wretches by the way, but wretched people like me can't smell such privilege of even getting rejected by Alpha Colten.

But what the heck brought me to the front line? The front line was meant for the nobles. Oh, was it because I was unconscious the other time?

I slowly stepped back, but my eyes met Alpha Colten's. He doesn't look like he wants to either move or stay. It seemed his rage had tripled at the sight of me. It seemed I disgusted him more than anything anyone or institution on planet earth has ever considered disgusting.

But seriously, what the heck brought me to the front line?

I stopped backing off, anyway. I stayed back. But fuck!

"I think the goddess made a mistake. Look at her!" Alpha Colten yelled again.

"Do not mock the goddess." The priest, Rasputin, stepped out of the file. "The goddess made no mistake."

Rasputin's eyes met mine. Why the heck is he looking at me in the face? Were they talking about me? Oh, good fucking lord, I might be the one Alpha Colten was yelling at.

I decided to back off at all costs, even if it would cost my head. For the moon's sake, the earth was supposed to open and swallow me at this moment. I backed off once more, but the rage in Alpha Colten's eyes grew.

"What is your name, wretched thing?"

I looked around. I was surrounded by nobbles. The wretched class, my class, was at the back. So, I knew without being told that the query was for me.

"Kieran," I answered in a soft tone. "My name is Kieran Medici."

He nodded gently and walked up to me, his strong scent filling up my lungs. My hands trembled, and my legs nearly gave up. I've never felt that way before any man. But before him, I couldn't tell if it was out of fear or out of something stronger that I felt the earth should open and swallow me whole.

"Kieran Medici," he said, bold and loud. "You are a disgusting low-life. You are not fit for me. You do not have what it takes in beauty and in knowledge, and nobility to be my mate. I hereby..."

He paused for a while. Then, his words echoed once more.

"I hereby reject you as my mate!"

His words puzzled me. Was I his mate in the first place? Was that why I felt my wolf rumbling inside? Was that why I couldn't even stand before him?

"Kieran Medici, what do you have to say?" The priest, Rasputin asked.

"Come on," Alpha Colten turned to him. "Does she have a choice?"

"I accept the alpha's judgment," I said almost immediately. Yes, I do have a choice here. I choose my safety and sanity over my demise.

"In that case," Alpha Rogan stepped out. "I propose to take the rejected mate as mine."

"You don't have to, Rogan," Alpha Colten sneered like an enraged beast about to devour its meal. "Not under my watch, Rogan, will you feed on my vomit."

Alpha Alfred stepped out.

Alpha Colten looked at him like he was an equal. Maybe, he's an equal indeed.

"Not you, Frost!" Alpha Colten growled with the snare of a tiger about to pounce.

Alpha Alfred smiled and took a deep breath.

"You just rejected her." Alfred spat.

"Not a thing to bother about, friend." Colten cracked a finger.

The rest of the alphas looked at each other and remained silent. They seemed not to match Colten's aura and thus, were not willing to mess with him, but Alfred was ready. He removed his gloves and dropped them to the floor.

"You mocked the goddess for blessing your ass with that beauty, and now, you stand in my way to possess her." Alfred sneered.

Rogan stepped in between Colten and Alfred. Both of them seemed greater than he was, but he was brave. That's what I was starting to love about him. his bravely. He just made me look like a thing.

"Don't tell me you will fight over a..."

"Shut up and stay out of this, young alpha." Colten's tone was not friendly.

Alfred gazed at his gloves on the floor. I can't imagine he dropped those pieces of luxury on the floor because he wanted to challenge Alpha Colten.

But what I can't tell was if he dropped it because he wanted to defend the moon goddess or he wanted to defend me.

"Enough of this," Rasputin chirped in. "The meeting is over. She is Colten's to deal with. So, let's call it a day."

The three alphas didn't flinch until Alfred picked up his gloves and wore them. Rogan nodded gently and returned to the file, while Colten and Alfred battled with glare for a while before they made it back to the file.

"The alpha rejects his option. We meet here next full moon, or the alpha will have to select a bride of his likeness!" Rasputin hollered.

To be continued!

Kieran's Point Of View

"I heard you passed out in white fur square."

Mirian was the first to approach me as I filed out of the narrow entrance of the white fur square. I had stayed back to let everyone leave with the smug on their face before I came out, weak and ashamed.

I had no idea who to blame the mess on. I didn't know if I should blame it on what Rasputin said about the Moon Goddess picking a wretch like me as Alpha Colten's mate. Or if I should blame it on the fact that I ate nothing before checking into the white fur square with others.

Both reasons were ridiculous, but I thought I should see a doctor to be able to determine why it happened. If the doctor places it on hunger, then I will blame Madam Nadia for the misfortune.

She was the one who shunned me for wanting food while others were setting out to witness what could have been the pack's greatest event. Plus, she made mention of noble ladies wishing the goddess would pick them as mates to the alpha of our dear Blue Rain pack.

"I didn't see you there, where were you?" I asked in response, ignoring the prying eyes staring at both of us and the mocking smugness on the unhappy faces around.

I ruined their day, I know, but I never planned for such. It was a total coincidence.

"Leave my absence aside," she ran a finger on my cheek and placed her dorsum on my neck to feel my temperature. "You don't look sick."

"I am not," I shrugged her dorsum off my neck.

"Why then did you faint in the big hall, huh?" she asked like she was enraged with something she might have heard from one of the pale faces around.

I hate to be judged based on what people say to a friend, but I trust she won't act stupid for long. She would come back to her senses soon. I was certain.

She leaned in on me and whispered. "Did you eat before going there?"

I hugged her and whispered back. "No, Madam Nadia didn't let me."

She nearly busted into laughter, but somehow, she managed to hold it, though I felt a piece of it. she broke the hug and crossed her hand around my shoulders.

"They said the alpha rejected you because you're wretched and the other alphas nearly fought over you." She didn't mind raising her voice this time, because she probably wanted to annoy a few persons standing around. "Such wonderful sight of it I missed today."

I knew she would be proud of me, especially if they told him Alpha Alfred removed his grove to challenge Alpha Colten and Alpha Rogan was the first to say he wanted me.

The whole thing was beginning to become quite magnificent with her at my side, speaking in loud voice and joy to annoy those who brought the news to her in an odd light.

"But Alpha Colten made a mistake." She shouted. "You are the best in the whole wide world. None in this pack; I said none in this pack, and other packs are better than you are!"

"Indeed." a cold voice interrupted.

We paused and looked forward.

It was Madam Nadia. She was sitting in her coach, looking down at us with a huge smirk on her face. She's not that bad though, but she's usually too serious, and she had many times warned us to keep off from each other because we did nothing but gossip and imagined a life better than what we have now whenever we have free time.

"Good morning," I said hurriedly, "Madam Nadia."

She nodded gently as Mirian took her hand off my shoulder. Believe me, Mirian never gave a fuck about Madam Nadia, because her uncle's influence always shielded her, plus her supervisor was Madam Nadia's strong rival who would never buy an idea of punishing her on behalf of Madam Nadia.

"Kieran, join me here."

I joined her in the coach, and she nodded at her coachman, who was standing by the door of the coach, staring into my face like he was startled from the onset to hear the mess I caused in the white fur square.

He snapped the door of the coach shut and made it to his place. He mounted and pulled the horse reins, and the horses took off, drawing the coach. The ride was a slow and peaceful one because Madam Nadia chose silence over nagging and shunning.

We rode out of town and down to the long quiet road leading to the countryside. The ride continued till we got to the bridge that linked the other half of our territory to the big town.

I heard the coachman's boots grace the ground, and crushed gravel and grass as he made to the door of the coach. He pulled it open and I stepped out, along with Madam Nadia.

She led the way in silence, while I followed her, to the other end of the river where we usually did the laundry when clothes are piled and brought down to the lower chamber of the pack house every morning.

She stopped and faced the river. I did the same, and she never said a thing till the bird on a tree nearby took off.

She bent slowly, picked a stone, pouted, and tossed it into the river. The calm river swallowed the stone like it was nothing. Even the fish were not bothered. They were pack-protected treasure, so they knew no one would come fishing unless with permission from the alpha.

"You ruined the greatest moment of our pack last night." she turned to face me. "Even if you weren't feeling alright, you should have done something to not bother the occasion. You should have left the arena. Why are you so stupid?"

I couldn't utter a word. I had no idea what to say.

"I blame myself at the end of the day. I should have let you have some food." She added. "But you know what, you can't keep causing chaos. I already arranged a place for you. You will join a friend of mine in the convent of the moon goddess."

My eyes narrowed at the mention of the convent. For heaven's sake, I have no plan to end up as a nun or a priestess. That position is left for those who could not find their mate at twenty-five.

I am nineteen for crying out loud. And I have the dream of finding my mate someday, getting marked, married, and mated. Not a damn lonely life in the convent with unhappy nuns sending me to the convent's grape yard to pluck grapes and make wine.

"I..."

"You have no say," she spat. "You have no say, Kieran. You just prolonged the alpha's grief. Do you know how long it will take till we see another full moon in the sky, you..."

She raised her hand but stopped mid-air, then, she gently lowered it to her side.

"Everyone is making a mockery of me. They said I allowed you to ruin the pack's greatest moment. That's enough to put me off my place even at the lower chamber." she breathed with slight difficulty. "I feel like stabbing your ass and watching you bleed out for real!"

I remained silent. I had felt heavenly when Mirian praised me just to make some people feel bad. But now, I feel horrible with Madam Nadia swearing at my face.

"From now onwards, you will do your very best to stay away from any public gathering. Away from anyone who will point fingers at you. Away from visitors of the palace. And away from the alpha."

That was the last straw. But I had no choice. I nodded gently. I had to. At least, he didn't ask me to stay away from my friend, Mirian.

"And, I don't want to see you strolling with that good for nothing!"

What? She just said it. that's worse than the sanctions she just placed on me. I would rather opt for the convent than accept the last sanction. I love Mirian. I can't do without her.

I didn't nod this time.

To be continued!

Colten's Point Of View

"Another glass, please!"

I was sure, William knew it was not a plea. It was an order. A command. From his Alpha. And he did it like he knew what it was and why he had to do it.

I had finished the first two bottles with him in silence, but now, I had just finished the third bottle alone and was demanding the fourth.

He popped off the wine's cork and poured the content into my glass, filling it up in a huff and sitting back on his seat to watch me drink my ass to stupor.

For crying out loud, why did the mood goddess set me aside to punish me? When did I become such a laughing stock that even a wretched low-life was picked as my mate, not by anyone around, but by the moon goddess?

I pulled the glass to my lips and poured everything down my throat. Some of them spilled on my chest and stained my white linen shirt. But that was the least I cared for.

I dropped the glass on the table and William filled it once more. I grabbed it and pulled it to my lips, guzzled everything, and slammed the glass on the floor.

It shattered the same way my heart shattered when I heard a scream from the last line of the gathering in a white fur square. At first, I thought it was maybe, a fine noble who came late to the event but happened to be chosen for me by the moon goddess, but to my greatest shock, when the crowd paved off, it turned out to be an omega in rags.

Even her scent proved the whole thing. It was strong and disgusting. My late Luna's scent was never that poor. I couldn't even protest at first because it felt like a dream. It wasn't until Rasputin confirmed it that I knew I had been messed up.

I looked William in the face. He wasn't happy with what happened, and he wasn't glad either with what I was doing to myself at the moment, but he wasn't ready to restrain me and get punished for being nice.

"Why me?" I asked with rage. "I lost my beloved Luna just last year, and the goddess pounced once more on me with another surprise. That disgusting thing looked uglier and more hopeless than the death that kissed my beloved Luna."

William said nothing. He was waiting for me to ask him to pass him the bottle. He was ready to do that at my request. But that was not the thing I needed at the moment. I wanted nothing now but to talk with him. I wanted to pour out my rage on Alfred and Rogan for summoning the balls to challenge me.

Alfred, the frost, I remember housing that son of a scoundrel when his father's lieutenant nearly bit off his head in what could have been a bloody Coup D'état.

I saved his ass. Housed him when the armies of his father's lieutenant were seeking his life. Fed him and his warriors and offered prayers to the moon goddess to grant him victory in his crash with his father's lieutenant who wanted him dead under what he claimed was his father's last request.

He smote his father's lieutenant at last and became alpha of the White Lake pack, and what he did today was how he paid me back. Removing his gloves to fight me over a wretched thing I rejected!

What about Rogan?

I marched with him against his uncle. I trampled upon the skulls of his uncle's allies, and I stood by him the day he was sworn in as the alpha of the Oakwood pack.

And what he did last night was how he paid me back.

I clenched my fist and punched the table, breaking it in two. William backed off a little and headed for the window side. That was a little too safe for me. He understood my rage more than anyone on earth would do. He was wary of it.

I rose from my seat and made for the bed. he watched me do that. I felt his eyes on me. He didn't take it off till I dropped myself on the bed and took a deep breath.

"So," he started like he knew it was the right time to speak to me. "What now do you wish to do? You rejected your supposed mate, and you don't want others to take her. What do you wish to do with her?"

I couldn't provide an answer to his query. I should have allowed Rogan and Alfred to bargain over her and maybe, one of them would have her at the end of the day.

But a part of me felt I shouldn't let them have her, though I despised the fact that she was nothing but a common omega. A low-life piece of shit.

Even her skin was not well-washed, and her hair had a bad color. Her clothes were those of the omegas in the lowest chamber of the palace. Those who wash and clean. The ones who clean even the sewage.

I couldn't bear the shame. How could I have told my nobles and friends that my Luna used to be a sewage cleaner? How could I have told them that she did the cleaning and washing of dirty fabrics? How could I have told them that even though she was that wretched, I felt my piece leave my chest the moment Rogan asked to have her?

No! I can't let that happen. I'd rather keep her in the lower chamber than let them have her.

"Alfred nearly fought you last night, but I know it wasn't because of her that he nearly took that risk. He did it because you mocked the moon goddess. And trust me, you have to appease the goddess today or you will bring trouble upon us." he found the wine cork uand sed it to seal the bottle.

"And as for Rogan, I think he likes the omega you rejected. And you, Alpha Colten, I dare you to look me in the eyes and tell me you don't like that omega."

I sat up and watched him return the bottle to the cellar.

"I understand, your blind decision was taken out of shame. You hate to have her as your mate, but the bond grew stronger as you did your best to reject her."

His words enraged me. William; that fella is straight to the bones. One thing he hated doing was mincing words. That's the only big bad thing about him.

"I think I should have a moment of rest. And, you are suspended from your duty as my beta. Keep off from me for at least, a week." I ordered.

I looked at the mess I made on the floor and swallowed. "Okay."

To be continued!