Rejected and Torn between Alphas

Callista's POV

"Weaklings like you shouldn't even be in my presence." Damian Ironclaw, the king Alpha of the Wolfsong Dominion Pack, lashed out at me, poison laced in his voice.

I couldn't muster the courage to stare him in the eyes; only if I wanted to get beaten up and locked up would I try such a thing.

"I will make you pay dearly for refusing to stop following my son around!" His voice filled with disgust.

"I am sorry, sir," I muttered under my breath, barely above a whisper.

"Get out of this place, now!" Alpha Damian roared at me.

I quickly got up on my knees and scurried out of the palace, running as fast as my tiny legs could carry my body straight down to the small cabin that I shared with Dahlia, an omega like myself.

Just as I was running into my cabin, I heard some other pack members laughing hysterically at me.

A young pup among the members glared disdainfully. "Look at her, piece of sh*t."

"Disgusting, she can't even shift not to talk of finding a mate, eww!" I heard another member of the pack snort coldly.

All of them burst into peals of laughter as soon as the latter finished her mean-spirited comment.

I am used to receiving all of this criticism from the Wolf Pack members, but it's got no tone on me.

What made me get bothered was the fact that I didn't shift on the first full moon of my thirteenth birthday and was not able to get a mate at twenty-one years of age.

Everyone loves the moon goddess, but I hate and despise her. She has forsaken me by not giving me a wolf, making me wolfless. Argh!.

Shifting is like puberty for us werewolves, but once you are not able to shift under the first full moon of your birth month or later in life, you are labeled as 'a late bloomer' by the other pack members.

I can feel a purr within me sometimes, pushing me and growling within, but I don't know what it is. I am not sure if it's my wolf because it isn't talking to me.

Snapping out of the daze I was in, I quickly sauntered towards my little hut.

"Callista!" I heard Dahlia call as soon as she saw me enter the room.

Dahlia is the only person I have in this entire wide world, and she means a lot to me. She would help me with my chores whenever I felt weak, and most times she offered me her food whenever I was being punished.

I was told my mother died the day I was born, and my father was murdered in a war between my pack and a rival pack ten years after I was born. That is the main reason everyone hates me, thinking I killed my mother and saying I am ill-fated.

"What?" I asked, rolling my eyes discreetly, knowing she had got another gossip.

"Haven't you heard the latest news in the pack house?" She asked quizzically, with her gaze fixed on me.

"Huh, what news?" I responded, looking puzzled.

She always has the first whiff of the latest gossip in the pack. I wonder where she got them from.

"Beta Cassius rejected his ma..."

I quickly darted towards her and used my palm to cover her mouth, not wanting her to speak any further because it could lead us into trouble.

"Shhh, you are too loud," I whispered to her.

"Isn't it true?" she asked without budging.

"Did you want us to get punished?" I quizzed with a concerned tone.

"And who is going to punish us for speaking the truth?" She questioned me frantically.

"Listen, you should be careful with what you say here. Remember, we are just a wimpy Omega with no strength to get into a brawl with even the lowest pack member,"I explained, trying to let her know the kind of situation we were in.

"Ain't you supposed to be happy?" she asked.

My brow furrowed. "Happy that what?."

"Isn't it obvious that the Beta loves you?" Her lips protruded in a sulky pout. "...to the extent of rejecting his mate all because of you," she added.

Yes, Cassius Ironclaw, the soon-to-be alpha of the Wolfsong Dominion Pack, son of Alpha Damian, has shown me love and affection ever since the humiliation, disgrace, and embarrassment I faced during the full bloom moon of my birth month when I was unable to shift. It was such a humiliating moment that I wished I could forget every bit of it.

The Beta has served as a shoulder for me to cry on ever since then, even though it was a secret, but some pack members knew, which makes me look more disgusting to the Alpha himself and every other pack member.

"It can't work, Dahlia. I am just a wimpy omega with nothing to offer him,I responded nonchalantly.

"Callista, you shou..."

She was cut short by the raging voice of someone outside our door.

"What are you fools discussing in there?"

Our eyes widened as we both simultaneously stared into each other's eyes, covering our mouths from letting out any words, my chest pounding like a ticking time bomb at every interval.

"Ahh!" I exclaimed when I heard the voice of the person at the door.

"Em, em, nothing, ma," Dahlia stuttered, trying to squeak out a reply.

"Leave now and find something to do, spineless wolves." Enforcer Azura ordered.

We both quickly followed in each other's footsteps and ran out of the room to continue with the chores assigned to us.

"Come back here, Callista." I heard Azura's voice calling out as I was running, which made me stop and turn in her direction, walking like my feet couldn't carry my body.

"Can't you run? You pathetic excuse for a wolf."Azura snorted coldly.

I quickly hastened my pace and ran to her, with my face glued to the floor.

"I am sorry, ma," I responded apologetically, still not maintaining eye contact.

"Sorry for yourself," she spat coldly.

"Go and serve Alpha his meal," Azura ordered.

Although all those words pierced my heart like a warrior's dagger, there was nothing I could do. That is the ridicule I am facing as an omega of the pack.

"Okay, ma." I nodded and left for the palace kitchen to get Alpha Damian's food. In a jiffy, I head into the palace to serve the Alpha.

As soon as I saw Alpha Damian waiting expectantly to have his meal, I hastened my pace so I would not get scolded for walking slowly. Just an arm's length away from Alpha Damian, my leg tripped, making all the content in the tray slip and pour on Alpha Damian.

Geez! I messed up.

Boom! Stars spinning around my head and eyes, Alpha Damian landed me a resounding slap.

"You're a disgrace to all werewolves. A disgrace to our kind." Alpha Damian spat, fuming with rage.

"I... I am sorry, sir."

"Shut up! And go get me another meal," he roared disdainfully.

I ran out of the palace. Just a step out of the palace, I bumped into Selene Orion, the Beta's rejected mate.

She wore a disdainful grimace, but I didn't spare her any time to go ahead with her derogatory remarks.

"Bitch! Next time, watch your front, you fool of a wolf. I heard her after I had walked some distance away from her.

I headed straight up to the palace kitchen, where I met the pack's house cook.

Within a few minutes, she was done packing Alpha's food.

Being very careful this time around, I served Alpha Damian and left quickly before he got cold once again. His rage was something I wouldn't pray for other Omegas to experience.

A few hours later,

I stared blankly at the ceiling as I laid on my back on one of my wrappers in our non-accommodating cabin. I was not giving dinner because I poured food on the Alpha; I laid there chewing on my nails because I found it hard to sleep.

Is it because I didn't have dinner? No, because most times, even if I had dinner, I found it hard to sleep.

My insomnia started after I was unable to shift. I guess it was part of the physical effect of not being able to shift.

Faint noises erupted from the palace but gradually increased. I sat up on my rear, so I could be sure that my ears weren't deceiving me.

I patted Dahlia slightly; she was fast asleep, but I needed to inform her because I didn't know what was going on.

"Did you hear that?" I asked Dahlia with a worried tone.

Yawning, she sat up. "What's that?" she responded, rubbing her palm across her face.

"I don't know either; just listen carefully," I answered back.

"Wait, isn't that Enforcer Azura's voice?"

"Yes, and Alpha Damian's roaring," I added.

I squinted my eyes simultaneously, trying to grasp the situation.

"Call out those feeble, spineless, and wimpy Omegas out here." I heard Alpha Damian's voice roaring with rage.

Simultaneously, Dahlia's eyes and mine locked, my heart pacing like a ticking bomb. I don't know how Dahlia's heart was racing, but it shouldn't have been more than mine.

With a booming slam, the door flung open.

.

Callista's POV

With a booming slam, the door flung open, revealing the palace guard.

Ahh! What would make Alpha Damian summon us to come out in the witching hour? Lots of questions were running through my mind.

"Get up, dunce wolves," the palace guard ordered harshly.

Without thinking much, we both didn't hesitate to get on our feet as we were led out by the guard.

Walking out of the room, all the pack members had gathered in the middle of the pack house.

We call it the assembly ground. It is where we always gather whenever Alpha or Beta has important messages to pass along.

"What's happening?" I asked curiously with my mouth wide open.

I looked into Dahlia's eyes, our gazes piercing into each other. She gave me a 'why would I know look' which made me divert my gaze from her.

As we approached the standing pack members, my heartbeat increased, pounding as if it would explode.

"Walk faster!" Enforcer Azura shouted at us.

As we got to where the pack members were, I could see they were circular, but what's happening?

As I walked through the crowd, I saw someone lying on the floor, but I couldn't fathom who it was, making me fight my way to the front of the pack members.

Damn! Lying lifelessly on the floor was Beta Cassius's sister, Imogen Ironclaw.

Just as I was having different thoughts running through my mind, I heard Alpha Damian's voice.

"Who killed her?" Alpha Damian questioned us inquisitively. Gazes travel from one person to the next, all looking at each other suspiciously.

"Answer me, now!" A deafening roar erupted from Alpha Damian's throat, shaking the ground we all stood on.

Everyone was standing shakily, and I could see we were all in fear because no one dared to face Alpha Damian's wrath.

"I enjoy watching you all cower in fear. It's all you're good for," Beta Cassius spat coldly at us. He was in a rage.

I have never seen him look so fierce.

"Since you don't all want to talk, I know what to do," he said, paused, and shifted his gaze to a guard standing nearby.

"Call Shaman Lyra Silvermist," he ordered the guard.

I could hear murmuring from the pack members at the mention of Lyra Silvermist. She is the shaman of our pack-a very powerful shaman at that.

She has powers ranging from foreseeing the future, reading someone's destinies, healing, shape-shifting, divination, and weather manipulation. That's all I can remember.

In a jiffy, shaman Lyra Silvermist walked through the crowd. She bent down and kneeled beside the lifeless body.

Yes, I remembered one of her superpowers. She can carry out the 'Native Autopsy'; that's what we call it in our park. She could detect and ascertain the cause of death of a dead body.

Within a few minutes, Shaman Lyra Silvermist stood up and walked majestically toward Alpha Damian, squaring her shoulders like an arrogant peacock.

"She was poisoned." She paused and looked back in our direction with a smug look on her face. "She ingested a poison made from wolfsbane." Lyra Silvermist added, bowing her head to Alpha Damian.

Everyone was shocked, as gazes traveled from one person to the other, who would have had the audacity to poison Alpha's only daughter. That's so cruel. If an Alpha's daughter can be killed, that means even a lowly-ranked Omega like us is at risk.

"Who served Imogen her last meal?" Cassius' question jolted me back out of my thoughts.

Why is he asking that? Does the person who served her have something to do with her death?

Isn't the person who cooked the food supposed to be summoned?

I was asking these questions, but no one could give answers to my questions.

"Are you all deaf?" he asked with a contemptuous tone.

"It's Callista," I heard Enforcer Azura respond immediately, causing a million laser-like glares to fall on me.

"Did you?" Cassius barked coldly, staring in my direction. I could sense he was burning with rage.

"I... I didn't kill her, sir," I stuttered shakily.

"Then, who did?" he asked with a contemptuous tone.

"She did." I heard a familiar voice; it was Dahlia's. My jaw dropped, my mind flustered in disbelief, and the only person I confided in was speaking against me.

I raised my head and stared directly into her eyes, making my gaze pierce into hers. She gave me a wicked smirk, which made me divert my gaze away from her.

"Wicked witch!." I heard a mature feminine voice from behind me.

"That was how she killed her mother, a useless late bloomer," another member commented.

Hearing that I had killed my mother made hot tears trickle down my soft cheeks and chin.

My heart aches, my shoulder shakes, and my legs tremble. I felt like I could fall if I continued standing on my feet.

I regret being born into this cruel world. How would I kill someone I never set my eyes on?

Why do bad things keep happening to me? Why was I even created?

The tears didn't stop; they kept flowing freely like a river, even though I was trying to hold them back, but I couldn't. I felt like I was stabbed, realizing it was Dahlia who framed me.

"You think the crocodile tears you are shedding will move me, huh?" Cassius' question snapped me out of the daze I was in.

I don't know what to say to him. Nothing I would say can save me from getting punished.

Anyway, I am ready for the worst; isn't it just to get beaten and locked up?

"Beta Cassius, Callista even cheated on you with Gamma Maximus."

The glares on me were so intense that they could pierce through a tiny piece of paper.

"Shut up!" Beta Cassius scowled at Dahlia as soon as she said that; maybe he didn't want other pack members to know he was dating an Omega not fated for him.

Is she mad? When did I ever make out with Gamma Maximus? And why is she saying to everyone's face that I am dating Beta Cassius?

"Cassius, didn't you tell me you had nothing to do with this weakling Omega?" Alpha Damian asked Cassius with a disappointed tone.

"Y...yes si'' Cassius was cut off before he could finish what he wanted to mutter.

"Now you see the real devil she is. She killed your sister; sort it out!." Alpha Damian scowled defiantly at Cassius and stormed out of the podium they were sitting on.

As soon as Alpha Damian left, Cassius walked up to where Gamma Maximus was sitting. Smack, he handed him three thunderous slaps.

"Lock him up inside the dungeon," Cassius ordered the guards, without hearing Maximus's part of the story. I felt pity for him, though, because nothing happened between us; it was all cooked up.

Cassius strode down the small staircase to where we were standing. He stopped immediately as he got to where Dahlia was standing.

"Throw her into the cell," he ordered the guards fiercely, pointing towards Dahlia. "Next time, you mind what you spill," Cassius added, as the guards came down and took Dahlia roughly away.

Cassius walked up to where I was standing; his facial expression displayed rage, irrationality, and fury. I have never seen the man whom I have found myself to love since my thirteenth birthday look so ruthless.

Everything happened so fast. I found my body dangling in the air, my leg shaking, his grip on my neck, my face widening, and my voice caught in my throat. His grip was fierce, and like that of iron, I tried to pull it off with my hands, but I couldn't. Life is slowly draining out of my body as my eyes begin to close slowly.

Thud! My body wobbled on the floor, some distance away from him. I coughed, and I knew it was blood.

I could feel the presence of my wolf within me; it growled and was trying to fight, but it couldn't. It felt weak. My body aches, making the tears that had stopped earlier flow freely to my cheeks.

Other pack members laughed loudly, making tears flow down my face.

"You're a waste of space. Our resources are better spent on the stronger ones rather than you."

I tried making a connection with my wolf,but she isn't listening to me.

"I break all ties with you today, Callista Stone, Omega of the Wolfsong Dominion pack. I hate that I love you."

My heart ached like a forgotten melody as he spoke those heart-rending words. Gazes fell on me; some looked with pity, while others looked with scorn.

I could see Cassius felt betrayed, but there was nothing I could do to prove my innocence.

"I...I didn't kill her; the moon goddess can bear me witness," I uttered defendingly as tears trickled down my cheeks and chin.

He paused, tilted his head, and a smirk appeared on his lips. "Take her deep inside the woods and execute her; go and never return!" Cassius snarled in anger and left the assembly ground.

What? He asked me to be killed.

What have I done to deserve all this mistreatment?

Even though I hated coming into this world, I never wished to leave it so soon and suddenly, not even for what I knew nothing about.

***

Deep inside the woods, the two guards walking me out of the palace suddenly turned into wolves.

Callista's POV

Deep inside the woods, the two guards walking me out of the palace suddenly turned into fierce-looking wolves.

They had different furs; one was a hybrid of gray and white, while the other was sparkling white.

Their fangs are long and sharp like daggers, and their muscles rippled beneath their thick, ample furs.

They howled at the moon, which pierced my heart, sending shivers down my spine. Their growls are deep and menacing.

Huh? Why do they turn into wolves? Are they going to kill me just like that? With an attack?

Thud, my body makes a sound, landing roughly on the floor as a result of a push, making my body ache. I winced slightly while holding my head; it was banging.

Before I could know what was going on, I saw another wolf appear from nowhere.

This one has shades of brown fur, but it's coarse and wiry, with long, sharp fangs. Its muscle is twice the size of each guard wolf in the palace.

Its snarls are low and guttural. Its presence is enough to instill fear in the hearts of even the bravest.

I could smell blood around its body. Maybe it's a hunter-wolf.

Awoo! The brown-furred wolf jumped and pounced on the other two wolves, escorting me.

"Protect her!" the hybrid-colored fur wolf told the white one as it paced forward to attack the brown, coarse-fur wolf.

Their paws make a menacing sound, making the ground shake and tremble. It was obvious the coarse brown-fur wolf was more powerful than the white palace guard wolf.

When the white fur wolf saw that it was not getting in their favor, he pounced forward and launched its attack fiercer than the hybrid-colored fur wolf.

I think they both make a better duo. I chuckled as I watched the fight unfold, my face beamed with a small smile at the corner of my lips, seeing the palace guard wolves having the upper hand.

But what if things turned the other way around?

What if the brown-fur wolf killed them?

Will I be spared? Anyway, I am going to be executed, even if they win the duel.

Should I pray for their defeat or victory? I am not sure what I wanted.

No! I shrugged off the thought.

Thud, the hybrid-colored fur wolf, landed on the floor with blood dripping from different injuries on its body. It was panting heavily on the ground.

Part of me was happy, while the other part wasn't.

Maybe I wanted the palace guard wolves to be killed, so the brown-fur wolf would save me from getting killed.

Was I even sure it would spare me either?

Growling, the hybrid-colored fur wolf stood up and launched an attack. I think it has regained its strength.

After watching the scenes for over ten minutes, the brown-fur wolf ran away when it couldn't overpower the duo.

In the twinkle of an eye, they turned back into humans, but looking pale and weak, with injuries that they had sustained in their wolf form still on their bodies.

"Stand up!" the hybrid-colored fur wolf ordered.

"You should thank us for saving your weakling ass," the white-fur wolf spat boastfully.

"You would have been coldly murdered if not for us," the hybrid-colored fur wolf added, squaring his shoulders arrogantly.

Why did they save me?

Aren't they still going to execute me?

So why fight to save me?

I stood up from where I was sitting and walked slowly behind them because they had moved a few distances away from me.

"Walk forward if you don't want to be killed," the hybrid-colored fur wolf shouted, turning to look at me from the back.

I ran to their front because I was frightened we might be attacked again. I can't stand a chance with that fierce-looking brown-fur wolf.

After walking a few distances, they stopped.

"Callista!." I heard someone call my name.

I paused and turned in their direction. My gaze traveled from one to the other.

"Yes," I answered.

"Go and never return," the white-furred wolf said calmly.

Huh? My jaw dropped, and my mouth widened in shock. I squinted my eyes, trying to see if I could see clearly.

Are they sparing me?

"Yes, we decided to spare you," the hybrid-colored fur wolf added, like he was reading my mind.

A broad grin fell on my face when I heard what they said.

I am being given a chance to survive.

Tears trickled down my soft cheeks and chin; even though I was happy, at the same time, I wasn't.

"Bye," the two palace guards growled, turned into wolves, and ran off, leaving me to wallow in my own misery.

I am in the woods all by myself.

What if the brown-furred wolf comes back to kill me?

What if I was attacked by another wolf? I don't even stand a chance to duel with anything.

I sauntered forward, wiping the tears on my face with the back of my palm, letting fate take its course since I was destined to be like this. There is no one I can question about what fate has bestowed upon me.

It's the witching hour. How am I going to survive this?

I shrugged off these questions and walked quietly into the woods. Everywhere, it was silent except for my legs kicking the rustling leaves and the gentle breeze flapping the tree wings against each other as I stared at the moon in its full bloom.

"Don't worry, I will protect you," I heard a voice whisper to me.

I turned around, trying to see who had just spoken to me, but I couldn't find anyone.

Who might be here with me in the woods?

"Callista, it is me, Maya, your wolf."

What? My eyes widened as I heard that, my wolf.

Wow! That means I am not wolf-less.

The moon goddess hasn't forsaken me, I said, grinning from ear to ear.

Thank you, moon goddess.

"Yes, I have been here with you for a little while," my wolf uttered through the mind link.

"Why don't you talk to me?" I asked my wolf.

"This is when I felt you needed me the most." My wolf whimpered.

"Hmm, okay"

I looked up at the full-blooming moon; it was staring at me, and I stared back in admiration.

"Why don't you try to shift?" I heard my wolf whimper in my head.

"Huh, shift?" My eyes widened as goosebumps rose over my body. That's a dream I never thought I would be able to achieve.

"Okay," I responded. I let my wolf take over me as I just stood there because I didn't know what to do or expect, so I just stood still.

It happened so soon. I was on furs, and I could feel it. My skin stretched out, and my bones were cracking and breaking. It hurt, but I could endure. Tears welled up as my eyes were closely shut, and I allowed them to flow freely.

Soon, the pain stopped, and I sighed in relief. I opened my eyes; I was on my paws.

I was in my wolf form.

I could smell, see, hear, and feel everything around me. The feelings were different, and everything was wonderful.

Purr! The sound came out as I tried to cry.

I am a hybrid of brown, black, and white fur-colored wolf. Wow!

"Let's run," my wolf whimpered in my head.

I hesitated at first, but we started running at a very scary and frightening speed, and it became more enjoyable.

My paws pounced on the floor menacingly as I ran, and the wind brushed my fur back as I galloped deep inside the woods.

We kept running as fast as we could. I felt strong after so many years; it was such a wonderful experience on my first shift.

After running for two hours, "Let me shift back," I said to my wolf as we slowed down our pace.

In the twinkling of an eye, I shifted back to my human form.

I perceive something strange; I think my senses are heightened.

"What's that?" I mind-linked my wolf.

"It felt strange to me too," she replied.

Pang! I felt a sharp pain, sudden and piercing, behind my back. I stretched my hand towards my back to feel the metal object buried in my marrow.

Damn! It's an arrow.

My face became blurry as I saw four humans surrounding me.

"Who are those people?" I asked my wolf.

"I think they are trained werewolf warriors," my wolf mind-linked.

My eyes widened in shock.

"She is the weird aura I felt," one of the warriors said, breaking my chain of thoughts.

She moved closer to me and landed me a kick, which made me fall and groan in pain. I could feel my wolf was hurt too.

"Do you want me to shift back so we can attack them?" My wolf whimpers.

"No." I don't want any of us to get hurt; we are too weak to face the ruthless warriors.

"But we could get killed this way," my wolf howled.

I stood up to attack one that was very close to me, but I was sent back with a hard kick, making me hit my back on a tree.

Arrg! I groan in pain.

Even though I just got shifted, I am still a weakling omega, which makes my wolf nothing different. There is nothing we can do.

"You dare to walk into our territory." I heard faintly from another member of the group because my consciousness was slowly slipping away.

An intoxicating smell was felt in my nostrils. I felt the urge to stand up and follow the smell, but I couldn't gather the energy.

"Did you perceive that?" My wolf mind-linked.

"Y...yes" I replied faintly.

My wolf started humming in my head. I was nervous as the scent filled my nostrils. I haven't perceived that scent in my entire life. It was different.

"I think our mate is somewhere around," my wolf whimpered.

What? Mate? How is that even possible?

"Our mate bond is working its magic," my wolf answered.

I closed my eyes and fell into a slumber, but I could feel the scent; it was attractive.

My mate in the woods?