REDEEMING HIS OMEGA LUNA

Raven jerked from sleep due to the loud sound of thumping on her door. She sat up immediately and looked around her, slowly coming to her senses. When she finally came through, she recalled that she was in the pack house and her dusty old room.

"You lazy brat! Get out of the room right now!" She heard a feminine, middle-aged voice boom from the other side of the door. It belonged to the chief cook of the Pack, who was in charge of cooking, and Raven was directly under her. Raven came to her senses and slipped out of bed before making her way to the door.

The moment she opened the door, she was not surprised to see Mrs. Linda's icy glare as she regarded her. She sneered at Raven, "What do you think you are doing still sleeping by this time? Do you think you are a VIP or something?" She gave a contemptuous hiss as she turned around and stepped away.

Raven watched her as she left, not in any way surprised by her rude attitude. It has always been like that in the pack. There were ranks, and the lowest in the pack did not have the privilege to be treated as anything important.

Not to mention, Raven was the lowest of them all. She was the daughter of the abominable traitors in the pack. Raven sighed as she recalled the past. She was just 13 years old when her parents were suddenly declared traitors and officially condemned.

Her life went from all roses to hell at that same moment, and she had no idea how it all came to be. All she knew was that one moment, she was a regular teenage werewolf attending the pack school, and then the next moment, she was the lowest member of the pack and the slave which everyone ridiculed.

But everything was going to end today - hopefully. She was turning 18 today and hopefully would meet her mate. She was anxious as hell and also anticipated what the encounter would be like.

She couldn't help it. She had been at the lowest point for so long that she had placed all her hopes on meeting her mate and hoped he was one of the important members of the pack.

One thing about the packs in the werewolf territory was that the moment one was exiled or left their pack, they would never be accepted in any other pack and would be treated as a rogue and hunted from time to time. She had once thought of escaping the pack and all the hardship, but she was also quite well aware of the suffering waiting outside.

So she had her fingers crossed, hoping for a mate that would be able to protect her from the suffering in the pack. As she thought of this, she had already reached the entrance of the kitchen.

Mrs. Linda was in there with a tall and slender figure, which Raven was quite familiar with standing across her. It was one of the betas and the future Luna of the pack, Nadia. She was Raven's most hated person in the pack. They both hated each other's guts. However, unlike Nadia, Raven was never able to express her hatred knowing Nadia was totally out of her league.

As Raven stepped in, the two women looked toward her, not even attempting to disguise their supposed contempt for her. Raven, however, managed to mask her expression and greeted both of them to avoid getting picked on for the most unreasonable reasons.

"Good morning, beta. Good morning, Chef Linda."

Nadia didn't bother to answer. However, Mrs. Linda snorted, "What's that good about the morning?"

Raven didn't answer and merely lowered her head, focusing on her tasks. She had transformed the night before and met her wolf, Sage, for the second time, so she had her fingers crossed in anticipation of meeting her mate. And she was not about to let just anything get in the way of her freedom.

The two ladies saw that she didn't pay them attention and soon dispersed.

---

Raven's POV

"Now, that's a whole lot of people," Theo said as he stood by one of the pillars of the main pack house, watching the crowd trooping toward the field where the coming-of-age ceremony would be held.

I also looked over and nodded in agreement as I folded my arms.

"Aren't you going over?" I asked, giving him a side glance. He was, after all, one of the social butterflies of the pack.

"I am. Later on." He gave me a scrutinizing look. "You're not coming, are you?"

I looked back at the train of people before answering, "I am. Today is my coming of age, too."

"I know." He clasped his palms and looked at me. "How was it?"

"Successful," I reiterated with a small smile. Of all the things going around the pack, transforming earlier that day was the best thing that could ever happen to me. Sage was a beautiful wolf; she was brownish with a few specks of black in her fur and on her forehead.

My only concern was that when I looked into the water and saw her reflection, she seemed a little smaller than normal wolves. But that shouldn't be a concern, should it?

"What's her name?"

A smile formed on my lips. "Sage."

"Hmm. That sounds like a nice name. So you're expecting to meet your mate?"

I fell silent at his sudden deviation of a topic, feeling a little sheepish. Sure, Theo and I were rather close, and unlike the other members of the pack, he at least treated me well.

But regardless, I couldn't possibly fill him in with details of my attempt to find a prominent man as a means to escape the torture of the pack.

But I nodded anyway. "Yes, I am. Aren't you?"

"I'm not sure." He sighed. For some reason, I could feel frustration reeling off him in bulk. It had been three years since Theo's coming of age, but he still hadn't found his mate, and I could tell he was very anxious.

"If I don't meet her tonight," he suddenly quipped after a long minute of silence. "I might have to leave the pack. My parents are trying to get me to marry Elder Luke's daughter, and they're rather insistent."

I knew all about that and what had gone down. His parents had given him a three-year ultimatum to find his mate. Otherwise, he would have to marry Sierra, one of the daughters of the elders in the pack.

"You will. Hopefully." I smiled, giving him a pat on the shoulder for reassurance. But I knew I was also trying to reassure myself.

He also smiled back and breathed out. "Let's join them. Who knows, we might hit the jackpot?"

And then, both of us walked into the crowd of people now gathering around the lit bonfire and gyrating. Everyone seemed full of joy as always, but as I stared at them, I felt that familiar sense of alienation.

I would never fit in here.

---

After the party, I returned to the pack house, half tired and half dejected. I hadn't even caught a whiff of my mate. I had heard from Theo countless times that when wolves find their mate, they would be able to make out their scents even from far away and be attracted to them. But in my case, there was nothing of such.

Speaking of Theo, he had surprisingly found his mate. It was Layla, the daughter of the pack doctor,

who was also eighteen today. It was unexpected not too far out of reach as I had always noticed the vibe between those two. We just hadn't expected it to take three years for them to find themselves. He had gone off after that with his new mate, unable to contain his excitement.

I was happy for him but also jealous. It would be a lie if I said I hadn't hoped Theo would be my mate. He was a fighter wolf and was also the son of one of the elders. And he was also my friend. In all ways, he was better than someone who would possibly not treat me well even if I was their mate.

As I walked toward the house, I felt a sudden whiff hit my nostrils, and I couldn't help breathing in the scent. It was a sharp and harsh woody scent, which I wasn't familiar with even though I had been in the pack for so long. But that was hardly my cup of tea as I ignored it and geared forward.

"Lucas, we need to talk," I suddenly heard someone say as I stepped onto the porch.

The voice was familiar, and I could immediately tell who it belonged to. It was Nadia, and by the looks of it, the person she was talking with was the Alpha, Lucas.

I found myself pausing in my steps. Those two were the combo anyone would never wish for. Nadia was outright hateful and would do anything to make my life miserable. The alpha was usually indifferent even though he was well aware of all the bullying in the pack. I feared and disliked him even more than every other person in the pack.

I didn't have time to prepare myself, however, as the door suddenly opened and I came face to face with the two of them, standing next to each other.

My gaze immediately went to the alpha, and I didn't need anyone to tell me what just happened. That my supposed mate was the alpha of my pack. The sudden woody scent that hit my nose forcing me to be unable to breathe and the weird attraction I had never felt toward him, which suddenly sprouted, were the best proofs of it.

I could see his gaze shift, and his expression morphed into one of utter surprise and shock before slowly recoiling again, and he now had a look of disgust and contempt on his face.

I knew what was coming even before he said a word. Why was the goddess so cruel to me? Sure, I had asked and pleaded on numerous occasions for a mate with a high position in the pack, but this wasn't what I wished for.

Not the alpha who abhorred me for being an omega.

Nadia, who was standing beside him, also seemed to notice the weird atmosphere between us as she sent a glare my way.

She reached out to grab him by the arm and asked, "What's wrong? Why did you suddenly stop talking?"

He also seemed to realize that he had gone quiet. My heart was beginning to beat erratically as he looked over at me. I also didn't know what to do at that point, but I knew all my previous wishes were going downhill. It was clear from the look he was giving me.

Nadia looked at me again, and this time, her expression was filled with horror as though she had just realized what was going on. She clasped a palm over her lips.

"It can't be... No, how can it be..."

The alpha stepped forward, and I felt my heart jolt. I was having a myriad of emotions at that moment, my heart beating with expectancy, intrigue, and fear of being rejected by him. But for some reason, I couldn't take a single step back. I wouldn't be surprised if it was due to his alpha powers.

She suddenly grabbed him by the shirt though stopping him in his movements. "Lucas, what are you doing?"

He was silent.

Her voice was full of apprehension and fear. "You can't possibly want to accept her as your mate. She... She is not worthy of being the Luna. I am. Isn't that what we agreed on? You need power and I can give you that. How could you discard everything for someone like her?" She seemed ready to put her words into his mouth and reject me on his behalf if she could.

"What would the pack members think of you? You're the alpha. How can you end up with someone like her? You'll be the mockery of everyone. The elders won't hesitate to make your life miserable."

Alpha Lucas halted in his footsteps, and he looked at her before his gaze came back to me. He seemed to have just come back to his senses.

"You can't let yourself be swayed," she continued to say. "You have to reject her now before anyone knows it. You know well enough how dangerous this is for you. She's a traitor and an omega. You deserve better!"

My chest hitched and twinged at the same moment, and I couldn't even say a word. All I knew was that by the time he returned his attention to me and he began to speak, I couldn't bear to listen to him reject me.

But I could hear it resound in my ears clearly as he said, "I, Lucas Greyhound, hereby reject you, Raven Daniels as my mate."

The bar was rowdy and filled with people. Different shades of lights dazzled the entire area. The music was blaring, and the ground shook every time the DJ tuned his equipment.

Raven looked at the barman, who was busy attending to other people seated at the counter, as she raised her glass. "One more bottle, please."

He looked at her before his gaze flickered to the now-empty bottle of tequila. She could easily tell he was worried, seeing her finish a whole bottle herself and still ask for more. But she couldn't be bothered to care about keeping faces at that moment. He also seemed to consider that he was making a profit, and instead of convincing her otherwise, he brought out another bottle for her.

She took yet another glass of tequila, feeling the burning sensation down her throat, and her eyes welled up with tears. She couldn't even be sure if it was due to the strong taste of the drink or if she was just too sad and needed to cry.

"Aish..." She whispered, her body swaying on the chair due to the several shots she had taken.

The series of events that had unfolded in the past week had been enough to make her want to cry into a bucket.

First, she had found out who her mate was and then got rejected by him. And then, she had no idea how the rest of the pack members found out, but the bullying and harassment she had to face in the days that followed were incomprehensible.

And then, to top it all off, her so-called mate had found her the night before after ignoring her and treating her as if she were invisible the past few days, only to try to sleep with her. When he was rejected, he had offered to make her his sex slave in exchange for protecting her.

It was the final straw for her. Nothing hurt more than her rightful mate wanting to take advantage of her and make her his mistress.

"Fuck..."

She was disgusted, heartbroken, and frustrated by everything that had driven her out of the pack house and into the streets dominated by humans to get some fresh air. She didn't know how she had ended up in the bar, but the drinks seemed to be doing well as a distraction from her issues.

While she was quietly brooding, three men suddenly appeared beside her and took their seats around, enclosing her in the middle. At first, Raven was too far gone to notice their motives.

But when one of them suddenly said to the barman, "Get this beautiful lady another drink. Her bills are on me."

She looked up at the man before moving her gaze around and noticing that the three of them were strange. She lifted a hand, slurring as she rejected, "No, thank... you. I'm... good."

The men laughed and didn't force her. Instead, the one on her right tried to strike up a conversation.

"Pretty lady, why were you here drinking alone?"

"Are you heartbroken? Did your boyfriend jilt you?" Another asked, and they laughed.

Raven could sense that something was wrong, and she didn't say anything in response. Instead, she looked toward the barman, feeling her head swaying with every moment. She was getting uneasy.

"How much is my bill?" She asked.

"Two hundred bucks," he replied, and she dug her hand into her pocket for her card. She had saved some money up in the past two years, so she wasn't completely broke and had something to fall back on.

"I'll pay for it," the man insisted, but Raven still brought out her card, and the barman took it.

She stepped down from the chair she sat on, staggering immediately as she was not yet balanced, and nearly fell off the platform. But she managed to stand up straight, narrowly avoiding the outstretched hands of the men who were now trying to grope her as their eyes scanned her figure.

They had noticed Raven from the moment she entered. She was quite beautiful, that was for sure. It was something even Lucas had noticed in her despite his presumed disgust and hate. And it was the reason Nadia hated her guts despite always looking down on her.

She was fairly tall and had a slender figure with ample breasts, and a perky bottom that seemed to jiggle every time she moved.

The men were immediately enticed, and they set their gaze on her. She was a good catch, especially since it was clear she was a novice in the bar and wasn't quite aware of the dynamics.

Even though she resisted them, they weren't deterred, as they were convinced they could handle a club geek like her.

Raven stumbled toward the exit, ignoring the calls from the barman to get back her card. She stumbled, half-drunk and half-conscious, toward the parking lot that led to the open roads, intending to get a cab.

But before she could do anything, she was grabbed by the men who had quickly followed her out and were now trying to corner her in a deserted parking lot.

"Let... go!"

Raven immediately tried to resist as she shook off their strong grips, but she couldn't go far for long, as she was thoroughly drunk and stumbled on her steps again.

Werewolves usually didn't get drunk easily, as they had better immunity compared to humans, but Raven was an omega, and she had come to the bar with the sole reason to drink away her sorrows. She was far gone and couldn't even summon her wolf, not to mention fighting off three strong men.

"Little sister, don't struggle so much. We're not going to hurt you."

Another one quickly quipped, "See, you're so beautiful. Why would we want to do anything bad to you?"

"You're so drunk. Let's help you. A pretty girl like you shouldn't walk around the streets alone at night."

"No. No need," Raven stuttered as she tried to break away from their grip. But she couldn't even fight them off no matter what.

"Help me!" She wanted to shout as she caught sight of a figure coming out of the bar, but the men quickly covered her mouth tightly.

"Shut up, you little bitch!" One of them growled as he reached out to slap her, but his hand was grabbed from behind and the next moment, he was thrown over someone's shoulder.

A few kicks here and there, and all three men were on the floor with broken ribs and jaws. They screamed in pain as they looked at the tall masculine figure that had suddenly appeared and was glaring at them angrily.

The man approached them once again, but before he could do anything, they quickly scrambled off the ground and limped away, howling as they went. The man watched them as they left, seemingly wanting to chase after them but deciding against it as he looked back toward her.

Raven had long fallen flat on the ground, losing her balance, and now had her eyes closed as she dozed off. The man stared at her quietly and sighed, both speechless and amused as he reached out to carry her in his arms and walked toward a black Ghost parked across the street.

When Raven woke up again, she was now in the passenger seat of a moving car strapped to the seat with the belt. The man beside her immediately looked toward her when he heard her stir.

"You're awake," he said as he returned his gaze forward and continued to drive.

Raven was currently confused as she looked at the man. He was unfamiliar, but she remembered him saving her a moment earlier.

She still wasn't fully conscious, and her head felt as though it was detached from her head and sinking into water. She also had a headache and a hard time wrapping her head around the situation.

"You..." She wanted to speak, but due to her parched throat, it hurt whenever she tried to speak.

"Don't talk," he warned as he looked at her. "I'll get you a room at a hotel. You should sleep there for tonight."

And without another word, he continued driving but not without taking another glance at the open cut of her dress where the top of her breasts could be seen even clearer now that she was so close to him. He had noticed it earlier when he carried her, but he managed to keep a straight head then.

He gave her a side glance as she stared into the blanks in a daze. Wasn't she aware of how beautiful she was? Thankfully, she wasn't dressed skimpily. Otherwise, he wouldn't be able to save her from the numerous men who would try to have a go at her.

Indeed, Raven knew how beautiful she was but chose to hide it instead. Ever since she was fifteen, when a boy had tried to harass her in the pack, she had always tried to minimize her presence in the pack. Moreover, she was always busy getting bullied. How could she have the time to get dressed and look good?

But she had become impulsive that night after the encounter with Alpha Lucas. He had probably felt angry when she rejected his advances that he made sure to embarrass her. He claimed she would never be able to get another man better than him, and it was her good luck that she turned out to be his mate.

Raven had felt embarrassed and ashamed but even more so, she wanted to prove him wrong so she escaped the pack, dressed beautifully for the first time but didn't have the guts to strut around the werewolf territory.

She suddenly turned to look at the man, regarding his features under the street lights illuminating his face every minute. She couldn't help but salivate.

He was very good-looking. He had a chiselled face that seemed to have been carefully sculpted out, a pair of metallic green eyes, and thin lips that were pursed as his eyes met hers. He was even more handsome than she initially thought. Raven found herself staring at him every single minute of the journey.

"We're here," the man suddenly spoke up again after being quiet for so long jolting Raven out of her drunken trance.

She hadn't come to her senses yet, and everything around her seemed wobbly. All she knew was that he had supported her to the counter and gotten a room before leading her to the suite.

When she came back to her senses again, he was tucking her into bed and was about to leave. Her eyes widened, and before she could get a grip on herself, she grabbed him tightly by the sleeve.

"What's wrong?" He asked as he looked at her.

Raven was quiet as she had a hard time processing why she stopped him from leaving. All she knew was that she felt attracted to him, and for some reason, she was having impulsive thoughts she would never harbour on a day she was sane.

"Don't go." She said to him.

His eyes narrowed as he retorted, "Why?"

Raven was now sure what she wanted. She had never let herself go before, and now she didn't want to return to the pack without fully enjoying it. She was having irrational ideas, and all she knew was that she wanted to go all the way.

"I want you to sleep with me." She found herself telling him.

He seemed shocked for a moment, but by now, Raven's resolve was already tightened. Since Alpha Lucas was so sure she would never get a better man, she was going to sleep with someone even better-looking than him and make him regret losing her.

"How does a werewolf get so drunk?" He muttered under his breath and shook his head as he moved to remove her hand from his sleeve, but she tightened them even harder and persuaded, "Don't go."

He was quiet, and Raven thought he was going to reject her, but to her surprise, he settled down on the edge of the bed and grabbed her by the wrist.

"Are you sure? You're still quite drunk, you know..."

Raven quickly shook her head negatively. "I'm not."

He laughed as he pointed to himself. "Who am I?"

She was silent as she looked at him in confusion, but she replied anyway, "You... You're the one that saved me earlier and... you brought me here."

"What's my name?" He asked, his eyes glowering slightly.

Raven was quite drunk, and she couldn't keep focus for some time, but she managed to say sheepishly, "You didn't tell me."

He went completely quiet after that, but when he finally spoke, he said, "Not bad. You're still quite conscious."

The next moment, she found her breath hitch as he suddenly reached out to wrap his arm under her head gently and helped her sit up. He was staring at her so intensely that she found herself curling her toes.

His eyes were very dark, and it was as though he had changed into another person as he sat down across her. He reached out to rub her lips gently, and as he did so, she felt his hot breath fall on her face. He seemed to have drank, too. As she looked at him, she realized he seemed to be wavering and contemplating, but eventually, the passionate side won as he inched closer.

He looked directly into her eyes and whispered, his hot breath brushing right over her lips. "My name is Tristan. Make sure to remember it."

Then, he kissed her directly on the lips.