Hazel's Awakening: The Lycan's heartbeat

~Hazel~

The moon goddess is a player.

There is no other reason why she would put two people from different classes together and make them mates. I am so convinced that she enjoys the show that goes down here.

She must love to have a lot of fun hurting werewolves' feelings.

It was the coming of age month when all the werewolves who hadn't gotten their mates went to this huge party with the sole aim of finding their mates. My best friend, who is an omega by the way, found out that her mate was a beta from another pack, but he rejected her coldly, with the excuse of not being up to standard.

Not him talking about standards with his duck face.

This is the reason I've prayed fervently for the past three weeks that my mate would be an omega, just like me, and he would love me forever. That was the only way that I could leave this hellhole that had been created for me by my step-parents.

I was still musing when I felt a kick to my shin. I cried out in pain, stumbling over the bucket of water that I'd been scrubbing the floor with.

"Watch it, skank! My foot insurance is worth more than your stupid life!"

I recoiled on the floor, my knees bleeding from the abrasion with the hard floor.

"Now, I've got the scent of a filthy omega on me. What will you do to atone for this, huh?"

I raised my head to see Freya, a beta-she wolf who has made it her mission to make my life a living hell in the Pack. For some reason best known to her, she saw me as a sort of competition.

Looking at me, I didn't see how I could compete with such a girl. Her red curly hair made her look like a character out of a Disney movie. She was tall and slender and had the sweetest voice. I, however, was her stark opposite. I was short and fleshy, my hair was short and tangled most of the time due to lack of care, and my voice wasn't lady-like either.

"I'm sorry, Freya." I apologized. "But you kicked me. Shouldn't you be apologizing for that?"

Oh, I also forgot to say that I have a loud mouth which always puts me in trouble somehow.

"Did you just talk back to me?" Freya gasped. "How dare a filthy omega talk back to a beta?"

I sighed in frustration. It was enough that I was here worrying myself about who my mate was going to be, and how he would react if he saw me tonight. I didn't have the energy to fight with Freya.

"Wasn't your mother an Omega before your father mated with her? You also have the blood of an omega running through your veins. So don't try to blow your trumpet"

Damm it.

This mouth of mine again.

The look on Freya's face told me that I'd bitten more than I could chew. Her face which was always angelic suddenly turned cold and menacing.

"You...You skank! How dare you"

Her hands were raised to hit me when a voice interrupted. It was as deep as the deepest canyon, filled with aura and authority. I didn't need to look before I knew that it was Alpha Ryder, the alpha of our Pack.

"What's the commotion all about?"

Immediately Freya heard Alpha Ryder's voice, tears started to roll down her eyes in chunks. She ran to Alpha Ryder and grabbed his arm, all the while shaking like a leaf in winter.

"Ryder, she pushed me. She pushed me and tried to attack me"

I was speechless. Totally stunned. I couldn't believe that this was the girl whose mouth had been running like a tap that had been let loose.

Just wow.

Her acting was so good that I found myself almost believing her. Maybe she should have considered a degree in acting and theatrics. It was a more suitable job for her than rolling around with the alpha in this pack.

"Is this true, Hazel?"

I slowly looked up into those brown eyes that had always seemed to trap my soul whenever I stared into them. That face that always had me in a chokehold. I swallowed, trying to ease my stupid beating heart.

"A-Alpha..." I finally croaked out.

"Have you suddenly gone dumb, Hazel? Did you attack Freya or not!"

Even though his tone was sharp and cold, I couldn't stop myself from melting inside. This was the first time that he had called me by my name. And oh, it sounded so good coming from him. It sounded like honey slipping through the pores of a honey spoon. So smooth.

I wondered if he decided that he would be calling my name after that kiss that we shared in the dark basement two weeks ago. I wondered if he remembered it the way that I had. I wondered if he had cherished it the way that I had.

But with the way his gaze slid to my lips, I could tell that he remembered. And maybe...just maybe...he wanted to do it again.

"Ryder, you need to punish her. She attacked me!"

Her shrill voice brought me back to the present. I could stand anything else but not being framed for what I did not do.

"That's a lie. She kicked me. Look, this is where I fell on" I said, raising my skirt to show the alpha my knee.

"What? You stealthy bitch. Is this you trying to seduce the alpha?"

"Enough!" Alpha Ryder growled. "Go on now!!"

Freya's perfect face folded into a frown as she walked away.

"Wait in my room" Alpha Ryder shouted at her .

It was no news that they've been sleeping with each other for a long time.

She paused in her tracks and blew him a kiss. I rolled my eyes, not understanding the jealousy that I was starting to feel. Whatever they did was none of my business anyway.

The alpha faced me when she left.

"I really did nothing wrong to her. I was just cleaning when she kicked me and I fell over and bruised my knee-"

Before I could finish my rant, I found myself being pinned against the wall by Alpha Ryder. My heart somersaulted and started to beat a hundred times in one second.

His left hand pinned my hands over my head, while his right hand grabbed my chin. He tilted my head up, making me look into those eyes that made me question my choices.

"What was that all about, huh?" he rasped.

I gulped, his scent destroying my senses. "W-what was what?"

"You, raising your skirt in the pretense of showing me your knee. Was that you really trying to seduce me?"

"No! I-it was... I didn't..."

I wasn't prepared for it.

I wasn't prepared for the way his lips claimed mine in the most passionate way possible. I wasn't prepared for the way he slid his hand down my waist, cupping my ass and grinding me against his rock-hard erection.

I swallowed hard, trying to regain my composure, but the intensity of his presence made it impossible. His thumb brushed against my jaw, a gesture both commanding and tender, sending a shiver down my spine.

"You'll speak when you're spoken to, Hazel," he growled, his voice laced with authority and something darker-something that made my insides twist with anticipation.

"I-I'm not trying to seduce you, Alpha," I stammered, but the words felt feeble, as if they belonged to someone else. His gaze burned into mine, and the air between us grew thick with unspoken tension.

"Is that so?" he murmured, his lips dangerously close to my ear now. "Then why do you tremble every time I touch you? Why does your heart race when I'm near?"

I bit my lip, unsure of how to respond. Was it fear, or was it something else entirely? The way his hand remained firmly on my waist, his fingers pressing just enough to make me ache for more, told me that he already knew the answer.

His lips descended again, capturing mine with a hunger that stole my breath. This kiss wasn't like the one in the basement-it was bolder, more possessive. His tongue swept across my bottom lip, demanding entry, and I yielded without a fight. His hand tightened on my wrists, holding them firmly above my head, while the other roamed freely, tracing the curve of my body as if he owned every inch of it.

When he pulled back, his eyes were darker than before, filled with an emotion I couldn't place. After he released me, my head was reeling, and my face was heated. I was confused, but pleased.

That was Alpha Ryder. He kept confusing me and I couldn't tell if he wanted me or not. A few times, he would kiss me so passionately that I'd begin to daydream that he was my fated mate, and the next minute, he approached me like a parasite who was determined on drawing off his energy from me

"W-what was...what was that?" I breathed when I finally found my voice.

"Have you been touched by any man?" he rasped, his breath tickling my senses.

"N-no. I'm still a virgin"

"Good. Keep it that way. No other man is permitted to touch you, and that is an order from your alpha. Is that understood?"

I nodded shakily, my knees almost giving way.

That was what he did to me. Always making me weak in the knees. But I still couldn't understand why he didn't want me to be with other men. He wasn't my mate, and everyone already knew that he had some sort of relationship with Freya. So what was this possessive nature?

~Hazel~

I tried not to think about what happened at the alpha's pack house when I got home that evening. But no matter how much I tried, I couldn't get it off my mind.

Was it because I was supposed to find my mate tonight and I feel like I might have cheated on him with the alpha?

I glanced at the array of old dresses that I'd combed out of my tiny wardrobe. Tonight was the mating and coming-of-age party, and I needed to look good enough for my future mate.

After doing enny mini moe, I picked a green dress that matched the color of my eyes. It was an old one that I'd gotten through charity, but it was better than nothing at all.

I put it on and looked in the mirror. Even the dress couldn't take out the stamp of omega in my body. I still looked every bit of it.

"No other man is permitted to touch you"

His command kept haunting me.

I mean, I didn't care that minutes after he had shoved his tongue down my throat, made me feel his erection, and left me all confused with his command, I heard Freya gasping in pleasure when I passed by his room.

I didn't mind at all.

He wasn't my mate, after all, and I could only dream of being fated to someone like that.

I applied a pink lipgloss and smacked my lips together, then appraised my overall appearance. I would give myself a 5. My short hair had been brushed to perfection, and my big eyes...well, they were there.

I'm ready to finally meet that man who will love me for the rest of my life unconditionally.

I left my room and saw my stepfather drinking in the living room. He must have had a lot more liquor than usual because his eyes had sunk in and his words were slurry.

"Are you finally going to whore yourself away?" he asked.

"No. Tonight is the coming-of-age party. I might finally meet my mate"

He laughed. "That would be good for you. Sell yourself out if you can, but don't come back to this house. I wish the late alpha hadn't abolished the selling of werewolves, you would have been the first on my list"

This wasn't the time to be pissed off by my stepfather. If I stood there and listened to him, he might descend on me and give me the beating of my life for making his life unfortunate.

Don't ask me how I did that. I'm confused as well. I'm confused about a lot of things in my life. I'm confused about the nightmare I have every night. A voice calling me to serve. And to serve what? I still couldn't tell till now. Anyway, I dismissed it as one of those dreams that I have when I go to bed on an empty stomach.

The party hall was filled when I got there. There were faces of expectant wolves who were excited about meeting their mates, and then plain horny ones who just wanted to smash.

"Hazel! Hey!"

I looked in the direction of the voice and saw Amy waving at me. She was my best friend in the whole world.

"Hii" I waved back and skipped to where she was. "You look good tonight," I said, admiring her dress.

It was a shiny sequence that hugged her curves and accentuated her beautiful body. Amy is beautiful, dainty, and precious. She almost didn't look like an omega. At one point, I'd been jealous of her thick, black hair that got to her back.

"You look good too. I'm sure your mate wouldn't be able to resist you in that dress"

She was lying, but I didn't need to tell her that. I knew that she just wanted to make sure that I was okay. I sat beside her, our eyes following the activities going on. We knew what we were waiting for-the full moon. It was almost five minutes until midnight when the moon became full.

That is when mates will start to recognize each other. That is when I'll turn eighteen and be able to sense my mate. As the time got closer, my palms became sweaty and my anxiousness reached its peak.

"Calm down, Hazel. You're shaking" Amy said, holding my hands and covering it with hers.

"I'm so nervous. What if I don't find a mate? What if I find him but he doesn't like the way I look, and he rejects me? There are so many things running through my head at this point, Amy. I'm kinda scared"

"There's no need to be scared. There's something you should know. The moon goddess pairs you up with the person who is supposed to play a big role in your destiny and you in their destiny as well. If they reject you, then it's their loss, not yours. You need to trust the judgment of the goddess"

That was the worst pep talk to give me. I've already lost faith in the Moon goddess after she paired Amy with a beta who didn't want her just because she's an omega. If that wasn't cruelty, then I don't know what is.

But I didn't tell her that, because I know that she's still piecing the broken pieces of her heart together. So I just smiled and nodded in agreement.

Finally, it was midnight, which was signaled by the sound of the large bell outside the city hall. It was time for me to meet my mate. I could see others who had already found theirs. There were some smiling and kissing each other, some were sad. And here I was, seated tight, wondering what the moon goddess had put in store for me.

Then it hit me.

A musky scent that was so intoxicating that I could barely think of anything else. My wolf, as weak as she was, whispered in my head that this was our mate.

"I think I feel him, Amy. My mate is here. I can smell him"

"Go find him then" she replied, a smile on her face. "I'll be right behind you to cheer you"

I stood, following the scent. It kept on getting even stronger as I weaved my way towards the crowd, and I knew that I was very close to meeting him. I said a silent prayer in my heart, as I pushed through the last barrier.

A silent gasp escaped my lips as I stared into those familiar brown eyes. His eyes narrowed as he stared at me. There was unbelief, surprise, and then pure disgust mixed up

"You?"

"Ryder" I exclaimed happily. "We're mates! Can you believe that?"

The moon goddess couldn't have been so gracious to me. Right now, it didn't matter that Ryder was an alpha and I was an Omega. He had kissed me countless times, and we'd made out too. That must mean that he had harbored some feelings for me.

"You're my fated mate? you?!"

The iciness in his tone wasn't what I'd prepared for. Even on the days that he had treated me coldly, he had never been this cold.

"Y-yes, I am. I thought you'd be happy to hear that." I stuttered, my nervousness getting the best of me.

"Happy? To be your mate? Is that some kind of joke?"

I blinked rapidly, not believing what I was hearing. "B-but we kissed. You..you kissed me. I thought-

"Are you trying to lie against your alpha?!" he growled, his eyes flaming.

His voice had risen and other werewolves were starting to gather around us. "Ryder, please bring your voice down. People are around"

"I don't care! How dare you insinuate that I'm lusting after your body? Are you trying to trap me into marking you and making you my mate?"

Something was wrong. I couldn't believe what Ryder was saying.

"So why did you tell me not to let any other man touch me then? Why did you kiss me the other day and warn me that you're the only one allowed to have me? Why did you do all of that if you weren't interested in me?"

My voice cracked as I lashed out at him. I was shaking all over, more from the betrayal than the shame. Freya crept up behind him and held his arm.

"You don't give up, do you? You're still insistent on seducing the alpha? You're one ambitious omega"

My eyes started to water, and I felt the beginning of a waterfall.

It hurt.

It hurt so bad.

If He had rejected me outrightly without causing this scene, then maybe I wouldn't have been this hurt. But he went ahead to make sure that every other werewolf around was a witness to the humiliation that he dished out to me.

"I don't know what silly game the moon goddess is playing on me, but you certainly cannot be my mate. Have you looked at yourself in the mirror? You're totally undesirable. And not only that, our social status doesn't match. Bold of you to assume that I would welcome you with open arms"

"You," he continued, shredding my last sense of self-esteem, "...Are the last thing that I'd ever put my lips on so you better correct that daydream that you had of me kissing you."

"Are you done?" I sobbed. "Are you done humiliating me? Why don't you just go ahead and reject me then since I'm no good for you"

Our eyes met and for a moment, I thought I saw something shift in his eyes. Something like an apology-a regret. But it was gone in an instant. He pulled Freya to him, and with his eyes still on me, he sank his teeth into her neck, marking her.

"She is the only mate that I recognize, and my future Luna." He said, planting a kiss on Freya's lips.

It was too much for me to bear. The pain, the agony-they were just too much. I felt like I couldn't breathe, and the more I stayed there, the more I suffocated. I bolted out of the hall, my eyes brimmed with tears as I ran to an unknown destination.

~Hazel~

I ran until I couldn't feel my legs anymore. That should have been enough to take away the agony that I felt, but it wasn't. My chest felt constricted, and now, the pain was more blinding.

I couldn't tell if this was more painful because my fated mate didn't totally reject me before marking another girl as his luna, or if it was just because my fated mate might be under the sheets with someone else.

Ryder.

How much I hate him. I hate him for making me this pathetic. I hated him for humiliating me in this manner, and I hate him even more for leading me on and then dumping me in the gutter after he was done...

"Why did you have to touch me in those breathtaking ways? Why did you have to take my breath away in the nicest way possible if you had no intentions of bringing me back to life?" I cried to no one in particular.

I took a deep, shaky breath and straightened my spine. If the moon goddess thought that her game to destroy me was going to work, then she had something else coming for her. I'll show her that I'm also a master gamer.

No other man is allowed to touch me indeed. We'll see about that.

Picking up myself, I cleaned my tears and found my way to the nearest bar. Once I was there, I ordered shots of whisky. I didn't have any money on me, and I had no idea how I was going to pay, but all I knew was that I needed to drink to go through with the pain that I had.

Seven shots down and I could barely recognize my environment. Everywhere was starting to spin, and the bartender was already about to drag me away for being a nuisance.

That was when he came.

He was huge, tall, and had deep blue eyes that stared into the soul-eyes that felt like they were going to snatch my soul away. He sat beside me and signaled to the bartender to let me be.

"Aren't you too pretty to be having a bad day?"

I giggled, the alcohol taking its course in my body. "Did you just call me pretty? Does that mean that you deem me desirable?" I slurred.

"How much have you had to drink?" he said, taking the last shot of alcohol that I ordered.

"Not enough to blur out the memories of what happened to me tonight. And nearly enough to give me the boldness to do this"

I grabbed the handsome stranger and connected my lips to his. When I pulled away, he had a bemused look on his face.

"What was that about? Do you know the consequences of what you just did?"

I grabbed him once again and traced a hand down his shirt. Even with the shirt on, I could tell that he was rock-hard underneath. I could feel the ridges of his abs. "I don't care about the consequences. I just want to be desired. I just want to be seen. You see me, and you desire me, don't you?" I drawled, biting down gently on my lower lip.

He took a sharp breath. "You're the most beautiful girl that I've ever set my eyes on"

"Then prove it. Make love to me"

"Do you know what you're asking of me?" he whispered, his hands crawling to my back and pushing me to him.

I wrapped my hands around him and brushed his lips with mine. "Very sure. I want you to make love to me. I want you to get this virginity off me"

To prove my point, I kissed him again, this time even deeper. He was the perfect person for the job, and I didn't think I'd have the courage to approach some other man for this.

"Fine" he growled and grabbed my hand. "Follow me"

As we stumbled into the hotel room, my heart raced-not from the alcohol, but from the anticipation of what was about to happen. He closed the door behind us, his tall frame towering over me. His eyes, now darker and more intense, locked onto mine as he approached.

"You're sure about this?" he asked one last time, his voice low and rumbling like thunder.

Instead of answering, I closed the distance between us, pressing my lips against his with a hunger I didn't know I had. He guided me to the bed, his touch both tender and possessive as his hands roamed my body. His fingers found the hem of my dress and began to lift it slowly, his lips never leaving mine. When the fabric finally slipped over my head, he pulled back, his gaze raking over me with unbridled desire.

"You're stunning," he murmured, his hands trailing down my bare skin, sending shivers in their wake.

I reached for his shirt, eager to feel the warmth of his skin beneath my palms. He helped me remove it, revealing a body that looked like it had been sculpted by the gods. My breath hitched as I ran my hands over his chest, marveling at the hardness of his muscles.

He leaned in, his lips finding the sensitive spot on my neck, and I couldn't stop the soft moan that escaped me. His hands moved to the clasp of my bra, pausing for a moment as if waiting for my consent. I nodded, and he unhooked it, tossing it aside and capturing one of my nipples in his mouth. The sensation was electric, sending waves of pleasure coursing through me.

He took his time exploring every inch of my body, his touch igniting a fire within me that only he could quench. When his hands moved to the waistband of my panties, I hesitated for a fraction of a second.

"You're safe with me," he said, his voice gentle and reassuring.

I nodded again, letting him slide the last barrier away. He kissed me deeply, his hand slipping between my thighs, his fingers exploring me with a skill that made me gasp. My body responded to him instinctively, arching into his touch, craving more.

When he finally rid himself of his pants, my eyes widened at the sight of him. He was big-bigger than I'd expected. He seemed to notice my hesitation and cupped my face, pressing a soft kiss to my forehead.

"We'll go slow," he promised, and I believed him.

He guided me onto the bed, positioning himself carefully. His movements were deliberate and patient, allowing me to adjust as he eased into me. The initial pain was sharp, but he was there, whispering soothing words and kissing away my discomfort.

Soon, the pain gave way to a fullness that left me breathless, and as he began to move, a new kind of pleasure blossomed within me. His thrusts were slow and steady at first, building a rhythm that had me clinging to him, moaning inaudible words like a prayer.

"Look at me," he murmured, and when our eyes met, the intensity in his gaze sent me over the edge. My body trembled beneath him as wave after wave of ecstasy crashed over me.

He followed shortly after, his movements becoming erratic as he reached his release, burying his face in the crook of my neck.

As we lay tangled in the sheets, our breaths mingling in the quiet room, I realized I'd given a part of myself to him that I could never take back. And in that moment, I didn't regret.

After everything, he bathed me and allowed me to sleep in his arms. But when I woke up the next morning, he was gone. No contact, no name, and no memory of how he looked.

I got home that morning and went about my normal business, trying to avoid Ryder as much as I could. I pretended not to notice the side glances he gave me whenever we were in range, or how he tried to be in the same space with me.

Very bold of him to attempt after that stunt he pulled. I wondered if he felt the same pain I felt when he got intimate with Freya after finding out that we were mates. And I hoped that if he indeed felt it, it would be a hundred times more painful for him.

Over the next few weeks, I started feeling some sort of way. I noticed that I got tired too often, and I easily dozed off in unusual places. But I managed to hold myself together, not until the day I fainted while cleaning the alpha's room.

I'd opened my eyes to see myself in the interrogation room, filled with the members of the Packs. My step-parents, Freya, and the alpha were present as well. I heard murmuring and curse words of every kind, words filled with anger like they were ready to tear me in pieces.

"The slut is awake" I heard someone say.

"With the way she's been behaving, you'd think that she has never kissed anyone in her life. Who would have known that she was fucking every man that came her way?" another voice said.

"No wonder she tried to seduce the alpha. She wanted to pin the pregnancy on him"

I opened my eyes at the last word.

Pregnant? What pregnancy?

"You whore!" my stepmother stepped forward and gave me a loud slap that made me see stars. "How dare you try to rub dirt on the face of this family?"

I held my cheek, still not understanding what was going on. I turned to face the alpha, and the look on his face was deadly.

"Doctor" he called on the middle-aged man in white scrubs, "Repeat what you just said"

"The patient here is two weeks pregnant, alpha."

The murmurs rose again and shouts of whore and sluts filled the air.

Hold on.

I am pregnant?

I gasped, my hands going instinctively to my belly. No, no, no. This cannot be happening. How could I be pregnant for a stranger who I didn't even know his name or what he looked like?

"Omega" the alpha called me in the cold tone which he used to use with me. "Who got you pregnant? Who is the father of that bastard in your womb?"