The Cold Vampire King's Omega

Anastasia's POV

The sharp crack of a slap echoed through the crowded marketplace, silencing the chatter and drawing every eye. No one stepped forward. No one ever did. I was an Omega born to be a punching bag for the rest.

"Do you have any idea how much that dress costs, you filthy lowlife?!" the woman shrieked, her voice slicing through the air like a whip.

"I'm sorry, Miss. It was an accident. Please forgive me." I bowed my head, swallowing every slap she threw at me.

The longer I remained unmated, the worse things got. Misery clung to me like a second skin. I blinked away tears, my hazel eyes dull and red from crying. Hugging the small bag of supplies I'd bought for the upcoming Mating Ceremony, I turned to leave.

They say unmated Omegas without the protection of a ranked mate are cursed to suffer. Some don't even survive the heartbreak. And maybe it's true. But I still couldn't understand why were we treated like something less than werewolves, when we were the same species?

"Poor Ana," I heard one of the merchants whisper, not even trying to hide her pity. "Who would've thought her life would fall apart like this?"

"I'm from another pack. What happened to her?" someone else asked.

"It's been hush-hush," the first woman lowered her voice, conspiratorial, "but they say she was the daughter of the former Alpha and Luna."

"No one knows what really happened. They went out for a hunt... and never came back," another chimed in, her voice dropping even lower.

"And she didn't take over as Alpha?" the outsider asked, confused.

"She couldn't shift when she turned sixteen," the Bloodmoon Pack merchants answered in unison, like a tragic chorus.

"What a shame. Her parents must be rolling in their graves. No wonder she's just an Omega."

One woman scoffed, clearly wanting me to hear. "I'm an Omega too, but even I outrank her. She's nothing but a servant now. From being the pride of the pack... to its disgrace."

I clenched the fabric in my arms and focused on finishing my errands before returning to the edge of the territory where my tiny cottage waited. It wasn't much. Barely livable, really. The new Alpha had ordered it built after I failed to transform. But I was grateful. At least it shielded me from the cold.

Rubbing my stinging cheek, I walked the rocky trail home, my thoughts stuck on what I'd overheard. They weren't wrong. I had once been the heiress of this pack... until my parents vanished, and their Beta, Mr. Blackwood, took the throne.

Anyone who opposed him was quickly "removed."

Being an Omega was still better than being a rogue, I guess. Rogues had no home, no ties, and were hunted like criminals even when they'd done nothing wrong.

I sat on the porch, pulled out my mother's old sewing kit, and began working on the fabric I'd bought. It was simple, but I wanted to feel beautiful at least for tonight.

'Layla, have you sensed anything lately?' I asked my wolf quietly. I couldn't shift, but she was still there, buried deep inside me. Without her, I don't know how I'd survive.

'Actually... yes,' she said, a dreamy hum in her voice. 'There's been a faint pull... to Victor's wolf.'

My heart stopped. 'Victor? Alpha Victor Blackwood?' I asked, almost laughing. 'He would never accept us. An Omega Luna? That's unheard of.'

I remembered my friend, who was rejected by her Alpha mate the moment he discovered who she was. The pain nearly killed her. She lost her wolf entirely and had to start over among humans.

'What if he rejects us too, Layla? Would we survive it?'

'We'll be fine. Trust me. If he tries, his wolf will suffer too. That bond goes both ways,' she said gently.

I wasn't so sure. If the Moon Goddess had truly chosen him for me... then she must hate me.

When the garment was finished, I quickly bathed, scrubbing with fragrant oils to mask the scent of fear. I needed to be ready. I needed to at least try to look like I belonged.

At the ceremony, the moon hadn't yet risen, but I caught it a scent that made my heart race and my stomach twist. Earthy pine, wet soil, and the sharp bite of darkwood.

Then the high priest stepped forward, beginning the Mating Ceremony.

As the full moon bathed the gathering in silver light, wolves howled and rushed to follow their instincts. I stood still, every sense sharpened. My teeth ached. My body trembled.

And then I saw him.

Victor Blackwood.

Our Alpha.

His eyes locked onto mine, and the air around us changed. I felt the bond snap into place like a thread pulled tight between our souls. His expression shifted recognition, shock, something else I couldn't place.

Women around us gasped. Some looked devastated. Others envious.

I let myself hope just for a moment.

But then his face turned cold.

"I will not have a weakling for a Luna," he said loudly, voice cutting across the clearing. "You do not deserve to be my mate."

Gasps followed as heads turned toward us. And then, with eyes like ice and a voice that struck like a blade, he spoke the words that sealed my fate:

"I, Alpha Victor Blackwood, reject you, Anastasia Elliot, as my mate."

Anastasia's POV

"I, Alpha Victor Blackwood, reject you, Anastasia Elliot, as my mate."

His voice was cold, emotionless and yet, it shattered me.

Pain lanced through my chest, sharp and unbearable. My knees buckled, but I forced myself to stay standing.

"No... Victor, you can't do this to me!" I cried, stumbling toward him, needing to touch him, to understand. But he yanked himself away with so much force, I flew back and crashed hard onto the ground. Gasps erupted from the crowd.

"I don't want a weakling for a Luna," he spat. "And I sure as hell don't want you as my mate."

My heart squeezed, but I pushed myself up slowly. I clenched my fists, trying to steady my voice even as it shook with grief and fury.

"Well, I don't accept your rejection," I said, meeting his eyes. "I won't."

The whispers around me grew louder. Some were full of pity. Others? Contempt. Like I was something dirty. A disgrace.

These were the same people who once sang my praises. Who smiled at me. Now their eyes burned with disgust.

Victor sneered. "It's not up to you whether you accept it or not. I already have." Then, without warning, he turned and stepped aside.

A beautiful woman emerged from the crowd stunning, with a smug smile painted on her face. She wrapped her arm around Victor like she already owned him.

"This is Alicia Blossom, your future Luna," he declared. "She is my chosen mate, with the Moon Goddess as my witness."

The pain in my chest twisted like a blade. I couldn't breathe. I clawed at my chest, gasping as something inside me shifted changed. My aura surged without warning, rising like a storm. Even I could feel the weight of it.

I glanced around and saw confusion in the eyes of the pack. They felt it too.

"You've made a grave mistake, Victor," I said through gritted teeth. "I just hope you won't regret it."

The pain overwhelmed me. I couldn't stay. My legs felt heavy, but I forced myself to move, pushing through the crowd. My heart thudded painfully with each step.

Laughter followed me.

"She really thought the Alpha would choose her," one woman snickered. "Pathetic."

Someone shoved me, and I stumbled. Another woman spat near my feet. "Omega trash. What did you expect? That he'd take one look at you and fall at your feet?"

I didn't answer. I couldn't. My throat burned from holding back tears.

"You dressed up like some desperate seductress thinking he'd want you," another one sneered, grabbing my dress and ripping it. The fabric tore like paper, and suddenly I was standing in rags, exposed and humiliated.

A roar of mocking laughter exploded around me.

I caught sight of a group of men heading my way. Their eyes gleamed not with concern, but with hunger.

"She's all alone now, boys," one of them called. "How about a taste of this little reject?"

"Stay away from me!" I screamed.

Something inside me snapped. Power exploded through my veins, wild and unfamiliar. My skin burned, and my head throbbed. The pain from the rejection was unbearable and yet, something else was rising, something I didn't understand.

One of the men reached for me and then, out of nowhere, a bolt of lightning cracked from the sky, striking the ground right in front of him.

The crowd gasped.

Dark clouds swirled above us, and rain began to pour, hard and violent. A storm was brewing, and I was the eye of it.

Then I saw her Alicia. Her hand rose slowly into the air, and just like that, the storm calmed. The skies cleared as if nothing had happened.

She looked at me with something dark in her eyes. Hatred.

I turned and ran. Into the woods. Away from the whispers and eyes and pain. My body felt like it was on fire, like it wasn't even mine anymore. My wolf growled inside me, restless and angry. My chest heaved, heavy with the weight of betrayal.

Then I screamed.

A scream so loud and piercing it ripped through the forest. Trees bent and wind howled around me. Power I didn't recognize surged outward like a tidal wave.

I caught a glimpse of my reflection in a puddle my eyes were no longer mine. They glowed ocean-blue.

Then everything went black.

Alicia's POV

She's been hiding right under my nose this whole time.

Now that Victor's mine, I need to play this carefully. If I make a move on her now, it'll raise questions. Suspicion. But I won't wait long. She cannot be allowed to awaken her full power.

"Babe, I'm tired. Can we go back to the packhouse?" I purred, clinging to Victor's arm.

Like the fool he is, he swept me up and rushed us home in his wolf form.

Once inside, I closed my eyes and began to meditate.

In an instant, I was submerged in water, standing before her, my mother.

"Mother," I bowed low.

"The Great Tritand glowed deep blue tonight," she said, voice heavy with warning. "Every mermaid felt it. They know their princess lives. They'll rise if she survives."

Her eyes narrowed. "Did you find her?"

"She's just a girl, weak and inexperienced," I said. "But she's started to awaken. I'll send the shadows after her before she understands what she truly is."

Mother stood, her presence fierce and regal.

"She must die tonight. If you fail... I'll send Agatha. And name her my new heir."

I clenched my jaw. "I won't fail you, Queen of the Seven Seas."

The vision faded. My eyes opened.

I walked into the bathroom, slipped into the tub, and let the water take me.

My legs vanished replaced by shimmering purple scales.

"Shadows, far and near, come to me," I whispered. "Find her. The last blood of the ocean. And destroy her."

The water around me darkened. Shadows slithered from the depths and rose before me, awaiting their orders.

Using this power would drain me but I didn't care. I would use everything I had to kill her.

Because if she lives... everything I've built crumbles.

Kael Valois POV

As one of my men drew near, I ordered, my voice sharper than usual, "Speak."

He hunched his head and fell to one knee. "There has been a breach, my king. At the Northern border, a pack of werewolves was observed. The granary was raided. went away into the woods after taking what they could.

I felt a dark rage rise inside of me the instant he said those words. Every vampire in my immediate vicinity fell to their knees in automatic submission as my aura shattered the court like lightning.

Werewolves.

Since they betrayed us, we had been rivals for as long as I could remember. because they killed my parents. I was born and raised on vengeance. For it, I bled. It was something that I lived for. I searched for it.

"Ready the guards. We ride for the border," I said, standing from my throne and turning on my heel toward my chambers.

The treaty we'd signed with the werewolves years ago meant nothing to me personally. I'd agreed to it for political balance, for the sake of my people but I had one rule written in blood: trespassers die. And lately, the wolves had been testing me far too often.

I suited up in silence, buckling on each piece of armor like a ritual. Before leaving, I glanced up at the portrait of my parents. Their eyes forever frozen in paint seemed to follow me, a reminder of what was taken.

"Going to war again, my king?" came a sultry voice behind me.

Lianna.

She slid her arms around my neck, pulling me into a kiss that was all heat and no heart. We'd been lovers for years friends with benefits in a world where love meant weakness. I'd never found my mate, and she hadn't either, so we made do with what we had. No promises. No marks.

"There was a breach," I said. "Werewolves at the Northern border."

She bit her lower lip, a look that usually drove me wild.

And this time was no different.

I grabbed her, lifted her effortlessly, and threw her onto the bed. Her dress tore under my hands, her moans spilling into the air as I kissed and marked her skin. Lust took over. The way she writhed beneath me, the way her body responded it pulled something primal from me.

But afterward, as we lay tangled in the sheets, something unexpected crept in.

Disgust.

Not at her. Not at the act. But at myself.

It was like something inside me recoiled like my soul had caught up to my body and hated what it found. I'd never felt guilt after being with her. Never questioned it. But now...

Something had changed.

I dressed in silence. She watched me with confusion, but I said nothing.

As I stepped into the corridor, my seer was waiting of course he was.

"Matif," I said. "Out with it."

"The tides have changed," he murmured. "And the cold king will burn."

Then, as always, he vanished into the shadows before I could demand clarity. Cryptic bastard.

With a clenched jaw and a restless heart, I headed for the training grounds. My soldiers were already assembled, waiting for orders.

"These mutts crossed into our land and stole from us," I began, loud and clear. "Today, we answer that insult with blood."

I mapped out the attack. "Group A takes the west flank. Group B, east. Group C, the south. I'll lead Group D from the north. No survivors. Let this be the last time any of them dare step into our kingdom."

A chorus of snarls and growls followed as the guards half-shifted and launched into the night, blurs of speed and shadows.

"Lucien," I spoke through the mind-link as we ran. "Give me a sitrep."

"Twelve rogues, my king. No crest. No allegiance."

I arrived at the granary and saw the destruction for myself. The scent of wolf blood was thick in the air. Strong. They were powerful, experienced. Not your usual scattered rogues.

We tracked them quickly straight into an ambush. Group A was already engaged in battle when I arrived. Without hesitation, I joined the fray.

Claws extended. Blood spilled.

I tore through them, one by one, with savage precision. Hearts were ripped from chests. Screams echoed into the night.

Only one remained when the dust settled.

"Who sent you?" I demanded, my voice cold, my claws pressed to his throat.

"No one," he rasped.

I sliced his jugular cleanly and watched him bleed out.

"Lucien," I called. "Hang the bodies along the border. Let this be a message to every wolf out there. Trespass, and this is your fate."

He nodded grimly.

Then I felt it.

A shift.

A strange ripple in the air raw, ancient magic thrumming against my senses. The ocean near the border trembled, the tide unstable. I closed my eyes and listened. Something wrong was stirring, like the world itself had changed its rhythm.

I sniffed the air ,magic. Not the kind I knew. Older. Wilder. And for some reason, it pulled at something deep inside me.

Without waiting, I returned to the capital and stormed into Matif's quarters. He was unsurprisingly midway through another carnal ritual.

He scrambled to dress. "My apologies, my king"

"My chambers. Now."

I didn't wait. He followed in silence.

Inside, I turned to him, my voice sharp. "The sea is restless. Magic's off balance. What the hell is going on?"

He smiled. Always that damn smile.

"The tides have changed," he repeated. "And the cold king will burn."

I slammed my fist into the nearby table. It splintered.

"Enough riddles, Matif! Explain it."

But he just stood there, calm as ever.

And repeated again, word for word:

"The tides have changed. And the cold king will burn."