THE OMEGA'S VOW

LYRA

I should have been walking into a honeymoon suite, not being dragged through hospital doors.

My wedding dress brushed against the white floor; the hem was already becoming very dirty, as the smell of antiseptic filled my nose.

I tried holding the dress up a bit, and while doing that, my veil slipped off my shoulders. This night could not be more frustrating. And the more forward we moved, the faster my heart beat so fast it felt like it wanted to escape my chest.

Darius held my hand in a tight grip, but I did not pull away. His voice was filled with desperation as he spoke to the doctor in the hallway.

"Doctor, please, hurry. Do not let her die. Please do not let my sister die." He begged.

Sister.

The word felt surreal in my head. His sister. On our wedding night, my husband was begging for another woman's life.

I swallowed slowly. "Darius-uhm, what exactly is wrong with her?"

He turned around and moved closer to me; from this view, his eyes were red, and his face was soaked with tears.

"Lyra, just stay calm. The doctor will explain."

The doctor slowed down and looked at me. He looked tired. "Mrs. Venn, your husband's sister is in critical condition. Her kidneys are failing. We have been searching for a compatible donor for months-you." He glanced at the file, then at me.

"You are a perfect match."

The words began to dance around my head.

Perfect match.

Donor.

Surgery.

Tonight.

Nothing made sense to me anymore. How? I shook my head slowly. "Me? But I just got married-we were supposed to-how is this even?"

Darius squeezed my hand harder. "Lyra, listen to me. She will not survive the night without this. Please. She is my sister."

He knelt down in front of me. Crying! "I cannot lose her. Not after everything."

I looked at him for what seemed like a few minutes. The man I married today. The man who promised me forever. He now looked like he was about to fall apart.

I thought about my vows. I thought about standing beside him in sickness and in health. Better or for worse.

"What kind of wife would I be if I turned away now?" I whispered more to myself than to him.

"But Darius," I said aloud in a rather shaky voice, "A kidney transplant is not small."

"I know," he said, standing up to his feet and pressing his forehead against mine.

"But I swear, I will make this up to you for the rest of my life. You are saving her. You are saving me. Please, Lyra."

I looked at him again, looking for a reason to back out of this. But I could not find any, I would just be betraying him if I did not. But this was insane. I was scared. How did I go from wedding bells to hospital bed?

My heart began to race again as I thought of all the possibilities of what could go wrong and how this was all too much for me to bear. But instead of protesting, I nodded in agreement. A decision I would later come to regret.

"I will do it."

He let out a sound that was somewhere between half sob and half relief. He kissed my forehead again and again. And I wondered if that was what cleared me of all my sense of reasoning.

"Thank you. Thank you. God bless you."

Two nurses came by quickly with a wheelchair, and I looked at Darius again before sitting on it.

"I guess this is it," I whispered to myself as the nurse wheeled me away. My dress got caught on the metal frame slightly, but the second nurse lifted it gently.

"You are very brave," she said.

But her eyes did not agree with her words. They took me to a new room, which I perceived to be the changing room. In there, I got out of my wedding dress and wore my surgery clothes.

Inside the operating room, the lights were really bright, blinding almost. I squinted my eyes quickly, and at the same time, goosebumps began to form on my skin; the air in here was cold.

A nurse leaned close. "Are you sure you want to do this? You do not have to. There are risks."

"I want to," I said quickly. "She is my family now. I will do it."

She studied my face, then nodded. But I noticed the hesitation in her movement.

The surgeon looked at the machines. "We are ready."

The church bells were still echoing in my ears when I looked down at my hands, as my fingers wrapped around Darius's. The ring was heavy, but it was proof of my beautiful reality.

"You are mine now, Lyra," he whispered as we walked down the aisle.

"Forever," I said.

"Forever," he repeated.

People clapped. Cameras flashed. My mother cried. His family smiled widely. Everything felt unreal, like I was inside a dream that refused to end.

At the reception, Darius stayed close. He fed me cake. He raised his glass for toasts. His arm stayed around my waist. He never let me go.

"You are the best thing that has ever happened to me," he whispered.

I laughed. "And you-you are stuck with me now."

He kissed me slowly while everyone cheered. And I was loving every second of it.

Then his phone vibrated.

Once.

Twice.

Three times.

His smile faded quickly. "Excuse me," he said and walked away.

I watched him from across the room. His face changed. And when he came back, his skin looked pale.

"What is it?" I asked.

"It is my sister," he said quietly.

"She is dying. The doctors say she might not last the night."

The room fell silent.

"Then let us go," I said.

Minutes later, I was in the back of a car, still in my wedding dress as the city lights passed by. Darius shouted into his phone, while I held his hand and said nothing.

I blinked, and the memory faded.

I looked through the glass wall separating me from the hallway. Darius stood there with his hands pressed against the glass. His eyes found mine, and for a moment, I felt calm.

At least he was here with me.

Then someone stepped beside him.

A woman.

And suddenly I couldn't breathe.

It was his sister!

She was nothing close to a dying woman. In fact, she was the total opposite of dying. Her skin glowed. Her hair was neat. Her clothes looked expensive. And she was smiling.

She was alive! And healthy.

Confusion flooded me. Why was she here? Why was she standing? Why was she smiling?

Darius wrapped an arm around her shoulders. She leaned into him and kissed him. His sister kissed him!

The mask lowered toward my face before I could even put myself together and get out there.

"Is she fine?" I mumbled in shock.

I searched Darius's face. But he wasn't looking back.

The truth hit me all at once. My marriage. My sacrifice. All of it was a lie.

Darkness pulled me under.

The last thing I saw was Darius pulling her closer to himself.

And then there was nothing.

LYRA

I opened my eyes slowly as my consciousness began to return. The lights once again felt a little too bright. I really wish they would change these. I looked around a bit and noticed the ropes from the machines attached to me. I tried to raise my head up a bit, but the pain in my body stopped me quickly. I groaned and lay down.

"She is awake."

The voice came from my left. I turned my head with effort. A nurse stood beside the bed, her hair in a pulled back ponytail, and well she was quite calm for someone who was in surgery.

"Easy there," she said. "Try not to move too much."

"What happened?" I asked.

"You are out of surgery."

Surgery.

I closed my eyes briefly, and the images flooded back: glass walls, bright lights, Selene standing on her feet, smiling and kissing my husband.

I opened my eyes again. "I saw her."

The nurse paused.

"Saw who?" she asked.

"My husband's sister," I said. "I saw her standing- She was fine. Perfectly okay, even."

She opened her mouth to say something, but quickly refrained and went silent. "You were under stress," she said. "Hallucinations happen."

"That was not a hallucination," I replied.

She adjusted the drip beside me. "Try to get some rest. Okay."

"I want my husband."

"He stepped out."

"He stepped out when and to where?" I asked.

She did not respond. "How long have I been here?"

"Several hours."

"And he has not come back."

"He will," she said, but her tone wasn't convincing me.

I swallowed. "Where is she? His sister."

"She is in recovery."

"I saw her kissing my husband and laughing," I said quietly. "Does that sound like recovery?"

The nurse straightened. "I am not allowed to discuss other patients."

"So I am just a patient now," I said.

She looked at me again, and I saw pity in her eyes. But why. What the hell is going on?

"I will get someone," she said.

Then she left.

The room went quiet again. All that could be heard was the low beeping of the machines around me. I stared at the ceiling quietly, which was a total contrast to the havoc playing in my mind. I kept recalling the hallway over and over again. Darius's arm around Selene. Her leaning in to kiss him. She wasn't dying, heck, she wasn't even sick. They used me.

I heard footsteps.

This time, it was his mother. Lucinda.

She walked in calmly. And for a woman whose daughter was meant to be dying, she looked a little too composed. Red bottom heels and perfectly styled hair. She smiled when she saw my eyes open.

"Lyra," she said. "You scared us."

"You don't look scared," I replied.

She ignored that and moved closer to me. "How are you feeling, darling?"

"In pain," I said. "And confused."

"That is normal after surgery."

"I saw her," I said again.

Her smile faltered for a second, but she quickly fixed her face and smiled again. "Saw who dear?"

"Selene," I replied. "In the hallway. Standing beside Darius, oh no, let me correct myself. Kissing Darius."

She exhaled softly. "You were drifting in and out of consciousness. How could you be sure of what you saw?"

"I was awake."

"But, you were medicated."

"I know what I saw."

She placed her hand on the bed rail. "Lyra, please do not do this to yourself."

"Do what?"

"Create unreasonable stories."

I laughed quietly, then stopped because it hurt. "So now I am imagining things."

"You went through a lot," she said. "And your mind is trying to protect you."

"By lying to me?"

She leaned closer. "By helping you cope."

I turned my face away. "So where is Darius, huh?"

"He is with his sister."

"So she is awake."

"Yes."

"Is she healthy enough to sit and talk?"

"She is improving."

"Enough to stand." There was a pause.

"She insisted," his mother said. "She wanted to see him."

"But not me. Not the person who saved her life."

"You needed surgery," she replied. "She needed reassurance."

I faced her again. "Reassurance from my husband."

She did not answer.

"Did she need my kidney to stand?" I asked.

Her eyes hardened slightly. "That is enough."

"No," I said. "That is not enough. You all said she was dying, didn't you?"

"She was critical."

"No-that's a fucking lie. She was glowing," I replied.

Her voice became lower. "You should be grateful she survived."

"And I almost did not."

"But you did," she said. "And now you will recover."

"How?" I asked. "Here. Alone. By myself."

"You are not alone."

"Then where is my husband?"

She straightened. "He will come when things settle down."

"When," I asked.

"Soon."

That word again.

She reached into her bag and placed a folder on the table beside my bed.

"And what is that supposed to be?" I asked.

"Documents."

"For what?"

"Hospital procedures."

"I am not signing anything."

"You will later."

"I want my mother."

"That is unnecessary right now."

I scoffed. "Why, so my mother is unnecessary now?"

"She will worry about you, and you wouldn't want that, would you now, darling?"

"I am already worried," I replied.

She sighed. "Lyra, you need to trust us."

I stared at her. "Trust who?"

"Your family."

"My family," I repeated. "You mean the one that is lying to my face."

She picked up the folder again. "Enough."

She left without another word.

Minutes later, a different nurse came in. A younger one. She checked my vitals with careful movements.

"You look scared," she said quietly.

"I am scared," I replied and closed my eyes slightly.

"You did something brave," she said.

"Did I," I asked. "Or did I get tricked?"

She did not answer.

"Can I ask you something?" I said.

She nodded.

"Was she really dying?"

Her hands paused.

"I cannot discuss that," she said.

"Before the surgery," I added.

She looked at the door, then back at me. "She needed a donor," she said carefully.

"But that's not the answer to the question I asked."

Silence.

"That is enough," she said finally and left.

Later on, the room filled again. This time, his mother returned with another woman. She wore a fitted suit and held a tablet.

"This is our legal consultant," his mother said. "She will explain a few things."

My heart sank. "Explain what?"

"Post-surgical matters," the woman said smoothly.

"I want my husband," I said.

"He is busy," his mother replied.

"With who?"

"With his sister."

The consultant stepped closer. "Mrs. Venn, this is routine."

"I am not signing anything."

"You will not sign now," she said. "Maybe later."

"When I can think."

"Yes."

They stepped outside, but the door wasn't closed fully, at least not enough to hear what they were saying.

"She is stable," the consultant said.

"Once she can hold a pen, make her sign," his mother replied.

"And after."

There was a pause.

"After that," she said calmly, "She is no longer our concern."

LYRA

They discharged me the next morning.

Not because I was fine or because I was ready. But because they said I was stable enough to leave. That phrase followed me everywhere now.

'Stable enough.'

I didn't have to be healed or safe. Just strong enough to be moved out of sight.

A nurse helped me into a wheelchair. I did not argue anymore. Arguing required strength, and I had very little of that left. My body felt unfamiliar and fragile, as if one careless move could split me open again.

"Your husband will be waiting outside," she said.

I did not respond. Husband huh. The same one who was with his sister the entire time his wife was in admission.

The hallway smelled the same as before.

Clean. Cold. Empty.

I kept my eyes forward because I did not want to see that glass wall again. I did not want to remember how small I felt lying there while the truth stood on two healthy legs beside my husband.

Darius stood near the exit when we reached the front. He looked rested and much better than the crying man earlier.

He had changed his clothes, and his hair was neat again. When he saw me, his facial expression quickly changed into concern. How much of a pretender can he be?

"Lyra," he said, stepping closer. "How are you feeling?"

I stared at him. "You tell me."

His brows drew together. "What does that mean?"

"It means you were not there when I woke up."

"I had to step out."

"You stepped out for hours. 24 hours to be precise."

"My sister needed me."

I laughed quietly. It hurt my side, but I did not stop myself this time. "She always does, doesn't she?"

His mouth opened, then closed. "Let us go home."

Home.

The word felt empty now, but what choice did I have?

He did not take me to our penthouse.

The car drove past familiar streets, then unfamiliar ones. The buildings changed. The noise faded. When the car finally stopped, I saw a white house standing alone behind tall gates.

"Where are we?" I asked.

"A temporary place," Darius replied. "Until things settle."

I looked at him. "Things have already settled. Just not for me."

He ignored me and drove in.

Inside, the house smelled unused. Everything was neat and somewhat robotic. It had no personal touch. No photos. No signs of life. It felt staged, as if someone expected us but never planned to stay.

A woman was already inside.

She stood near the kitchen counter, holding a glass of water. She turned when we entered and smiled.

Selene.

No hospital gown. No weakness. She wore a red dress that fit her body perfectly. Her hair fell neatly over her shoulders. She looked calm.

Alive.

"Oh," she said gently. "You are home."

I gripped the armrest of the wheelchair. "So this is where you were."

Darius moved forward. "Lyra, this is not the time."

"When would be the time?" I asked. "After I sign whatever papers your mother keeps bringing."

Selene stepped closer. "You should rest, you know."

I laughed again. "Do not speak to me as if you care."

She flinched, then recovered quickly. "I am grateful."

"For what?"

"For what you did," she said. "For me."

"For you," I repeated. "Or for him."

Darius sighed. "Enough."

"No," I said. "Enough was when I gave up my body without knowing the truth."

Lucinda walked in then, her heels clicking against the floor. She looked around approvingly. "You are awake. That's good."

I looked at her. "You all planned this."

She raised a brow. "Planned what my dear?"

"Everything," I said. "The marriage. The surgery. The lies."

And she did not deny it.

"You should be proud," she said with clear disdain. "You served a purpose."

"A purpose," I repeated.

Darius looked away.

"So tell me," I said with a steady voice despite the pain. "Was any of it real?"

He inhaled slowly. "Our marriage was necessary."

Necessary.

"That is the answer to the question I asked."

"It was strategic," he said. "You were compatible, and you fit all the requirements."

"And Selene," I asked. "What does she fit?"

He looked at her then. His face softened. "She is my partner."

The room felt smaller.

"What?" My head began to spin in circles.

"She always has been," Selene added quietly.

I nodded, trying to steady my head. "So I was what. A solution."

Lucinda smiled. "You were convenient, darling."

I closed my eyes for a moment. When I opened them, I looked at Darius. "Did you ever feel anything for me?"

He hesitated, and that pause told me everything.

Lucinda placed a folder on the table. "Okay, enough of the emotional chit chat. This should be resolved quickly."

"Resolved," I said. "Or erased."

"You're quite smart for an omega," she replied calmly. "This arrangement benefited you more than you realize."

I stared at her. "I lost a kidney."

"And you gained status," she said. "A name. Protection."

"I gained scars," I replied.

Darius stepped forward. "Lyra, let us not make this harder."

"Harder for who?" I asked. "Myself or you."

Selene moved closer again. "I never wanted to hurt you, sweetheart." She made a pouting face.

"But you did," I said. "And you knew you would."

She reached for my hand. I pulled back. "Do not touch me, you fucking bitch."

"Me? A bitch." She said calmly. "The only bitch I see here is the one in a wheelchair."

"Anyways, that's not what I wanted to say." She turned around and began pacing. "I wanted to thank you for saving his legacy."

"No," I said painfully. "I saved your life."

She paused and turned again to face me. "You saved our baby."

I froze.

"What did you say?"

She took my hand again before I could stop her, placing it gently against her stomach.

"I am pregnant," she said softly. "You saved my child."

The room went silent.

I looked down at where my hand rested. And I felt nothing but the numbness spreading through me.

Lucinda nodded. "You did well."

Darius did not speak.

I pulled my hand back slowly.

"So that is it," I said. "I gave up my body so you could have a future."

Selene squatted in front of me. "Thank you."