The Omega's Redemption

Evans' POV

"Can you hurry up with those dishes?"

Kim's voice cut through the silent tension of the pack house kitchen like a sword, making me jolt in fear. The plates in my hands already felt weighty, my fingers trembling as I forced myself to keep working.

"Yes, ma'am, I just have a few left." I replied, keeping my pitch as submissive as possible, my eyes resting on the work at hand to avoid her wrath.

I knew better than to test her patience. One more problem, delay or response would involve those hands of her into doing something drastic. The sting of her palm across my cheeks was something I had experienced several times before.

Living here in Dawnshade had been more of a nightmare. A life I never choose for myself, yet one I was forced to endure. Sixteen years ago, my life filled with its merriness but was thwarted by the death of my parents. My parents-strong, honorable Gammas-were all I ever had. But that world became a disaster the day they died in that ghastly car crash. From that moment on, everything has taken a new turn.

Ripped of my status, my dignity and honor-I was demoted to an outcast, an omega. A mere servant in the pack I once had a rightful place in. It wasn't just the death of my parents that made my life horrific. The treat from the pack was a consideration. As if my parents' death had stripped me of any worth. As if their absence had somehow wiped off my power, my potential.

And maybe it had.

I had never trained like the others. I had no one to motivate me, no one to tell me of my inner capability of being a better wolf, but just only one person, Amelia Christensen, my best friend who always tried to give me those hopes of an identity I could never be. My wolf, Liesendra, was weak and dumb most of the days, hiding into the deep sides of my soul, barely responding in silence.

Amelia Christensen has been my friend and confidant for ten years now. Amelia is everything I am not. Her curvy frame and piercing emerald eyes, glorious prestige awards her a Beta of the Dawnshade pack. She is the daughter of Ford, Kian's personal Beta and second in command.

Kim, the caretaker, was relentless in her acts. She oversaw over the omegas with cruelty, always finding ways to deprive us of our full wages, always putting us in our place as slaves. Washing, gardening, cleaning and cooking-those were our only purposes here.

And I?

I had accepted this fate long ago.

Possibly tomorrow would be a turnaround for me as I finally turn eighteen. The day the Moon Goddess would grant me my fated mate. Someone that would love and cherish me for who I am.

"Hurry up with those! It's time for dinner. The Alpha and his friends are already mouth dropping with hunger at the dining hall," Kim snapped, her arms crossed, shooting me a grim look.

I swallowed hard. My hands moving faster, scrubbing at the last dish in fear causing my stomach to churn.

"Coming!" I shrieked, my tone a bit low-pitched.

Kim's eyes filled with disgust as she moved closer, her tall figure casting a shadow over me.

"So what was that thing which kept you so long?" She sneered rhetorically. "You keep getting lazy by the day. You are useless to the pack. A liability of its own image. No fighting skills. No intellect. And still a failure in the little you could contribute to the pack," she said in a disgusted scoff.

"I... I'm really sorry, Chief Kim," I said, my voice barely above a whisper, resting my gaze on the ground below me. My nails dug into my palms as I struggled to fight back the tears threatening to have its way on my face.

"Sorry for that useless self of yours," she spat. "Now take those dishes to the dining room.

A sinking feeling settled in my chest.

I had always tried to avoid serving at the dining, sticking to the cleaning unit where I could be unnoticed. But tonight, fate wasn't playing in my favour.

The truthful rumors about Alpha Kian's friends-Ria and Nike. Their brute and cruel nature of always taking advantage of weaker wolves, especially female omegas. I had spent this past years being invisible to the arms of cruelty in man with the mindset of being a perfect prey for men like them.

Yet tonight, there was no escape route.

Holding the heavy tray in my hands, I let out a deep breath before making my way into the dining room.

And that's when it hit me like a thud.

A pungent scent.

Strange yet intoxicating, filling my senses, curling around me like a reptile before I could fathom what really was going on.

Liesendra-weak and silent for so many years suddenly surged in excitement, her excitement crashing into me with a force that halted my breath.

What could this be?

My steps faltered. The tray in my hands shaking.

The scent was getting intense. More stronger. More overwhelming.

My pulse thudded in my ears as my gaze ran across the glamourous room, searching for where it was coming from.

And then-

I saw it.

Kian.

Alpha Kian Blackthorn.

Our Alpha. My Alpha.

He sat keenly at the head of the dinning table. His presence exuberates glory and power, dominating the room without effort. His piercing silver eyes were sharp and unreadable, his tense broad shoulder awarding him a burly statue as he leaned back in his chair. Strong and sharp jawlines and a muscular frame that radiated raw authority.

The air grew tense between us.

Recognition.

Bond.

A pull so intense and deep it felt as though the world itself had tethered a thread between the both of us.

MATE.

My heart throbbed against my ribs.

My hands grew shaky, and I clenched on the tray to prevent it from falling to the ground.

No.

Not me.

There is a mistake somewhere. This can't be happening.

Alpha Kian Blackthorn.*My mate.*

A feeling of me running to his arms flickered in my mind, to feel his warmth against my already cold skin. To feel what it meant to be wanted. To be loved.

But the reality slammed on me again like a cold slap

I was a mere and weak omega.

And he was the direct opposite of my personality. A powerful Alpha. A man who could possess any she wolf he wanted without a flinch.

Would he reject me?

Would he shatter my heart before I even had the chance to hope?

I forced my gaze to the ground, my breath caught in my throat as I make my way to the dining table with the tray in my hands.

And then-

*SMACK!*

Pain exploded across my cheek.

The tray shattered on the floor.

Kim's slap sent me to the floor. My hands and knees filled with the already spilled food. The slap was so sudden that for a while it made me see stars.

"Are you in your right senses? What is your problem?" she snarled.

Laughter erupted from the guts of Ria and Nike.

"Don't mind her," Nike chuckled. "I think she's thinking about one of those secret lovers of hers'. She secretly sneaks into the pack house at night." Her voice resonated in malice.

The humiliation erupts in a furnace in my heart more than the pain on my cheek.

"What's your problem, you dirty thing?" Ria added with a sneer. "Go get us our food immediately? We're starving already."

"Kim's tone turned soft-only for the Alpha. "Apologies my Alpha. This thing will be dealt with accordingly."

My breath caught in my throat as I swallowed hard. My gaze darted to Kian, searching his face for something.... something. A retaliation. A backup. An acknowledgement of the bond between us.

But he just sat there in muteness and less concern.

Silent. Unmoving. Watching.

I wanted to doubt his cold attitude, making excuses for what seemed to be disdain. I wanted to believe he was too tired and drained to react to what happened seconds ago. That there was a reason–any reason why he didn't intervene.

But deep inside of me, the fear was already ravaging my soul.

He felt it. I *knew* he felt it.

Yet he didn't retaliate.

And that... that hurt more than anything else.

EVANS POV

I made my way back to the kitchen to serve the food after the spilling of the former one.

"Alpha Kian wants to see you at his chamber." A familiar voice resonated behind me. It was Kim.

I stood in confusion, trying to fathom what possibly might be the reason. I had never been summoned by anyone except Kim. But now Alpha Kian.

"I will be there soon." I exclaimed, my tone quivering in fear. "I am finished." I whispered.

The moon beams casting silvery streaks of light through the large window of Alpha Kian's chamber. The air was thick with tension, affection, and something that the both of us couldn't yet mention. His intoxicating scent dominates my senses.

"You sent for me." I said, covering my already trembling hands.

He gave no response, not until when his lips brushed against my skin, sending a jolt that made all reason abandon me.

"I know you have always wanted this, Evans?" His voice low, husky, laced with a possessiveness that sent Liesendra whimpering in desire and anticipation.

I needed to say no. I should have turned away. But the connection was enveloping, and my heart-desperate and foolish–hung to the idea that the tension between us could change everything. That it could bring is to the fate of the Moon Goddess.

"Yes," I whispered, my voice quivering in desire as I felt his breath cascading on my neck.

Kian lost patience. His hands fluttered on my waist, pulling me against his burly frame. His scent–dark lavender and raw masculinity-enveloped me, stimulating something primal deep within my core. His lips glued to mine, when I felt the wetness on my pussy, not with tenderness but with an urgency that spoke of a desire neither of us could control.

A moan escaped my lips as he deepened his kiss, his tongue ravaging my lips as I felt his fingers having its way on my core. His lips claimed every inch of my mouth as though he needed to consume me whole. What seemed like a stage one moan intensified when his lips made its way to my nipples. Heat coiled low in my belly, spreading like wildfire through my vessels as his hands roamed, fingers following the delicate curve of my spine before holding my hair.

His lips rubbing my nipples, sending my core to more of its wetness. My body arched into him instinctively, yearning for more than just the sucking and licking, craving his touch in ways that should have terrified me–but didn't.

"Kian..." I breathed, my voice quivering with a mixture of pleasure and something dangerously close to desperation.

A low growl rumbled from his broad chest, vibrating against my light skin as he pushed me backward. The soft press of the bed met my back, but there was nothing slow about the way he took over me, his weight and size making me feel caged–and I loved it.

Clothes disappeared between fevered moaning and touches, each layer removed hastily, leaving nothing but skin to skin. The moment his body met mine, bare and unshielded, his cock first resting on my thighs as I held his head, my eyes locked into his.

Instead, he tormented me with slow, deliberate movements, his fingers teasing the heat pooling between my thighs until I was trembling, gasping his name like a desperate prayer.

I couldn't help with the first pain followed by pleasure that shot a loud moan from my lips, my fingers digging into his shoulders as pleasure and pain blurred into one intoxicating sensation. "More of that. Please don't stop. Please don't stop." I felt my thigh trembling, gasping his name like a desperate prayer.

Kian's movements were controlled at first-deep, slow thrusts that sent waves of pleasure crashing through me. But as the tension coiled tighter, his restraint unraveled. His moves turned desperate, each thrust harder, deeper, pushing me closer to climax.

I held unto him with my foot, nails raking down his back as my body arched beneath him. The pleasure was uncontrollable, consuming, drowning me in a pool of sensitivity so intense I could seldomly catch my breath.

"Kian," I gasped, my voice breaking as I shattered beneath him, my body convulsing with wave after wave of cum.

His name was still on my lips when he found his own release, his body tensing above me, a deep, guttural growl ripping from his throat. For a flick moment, I felt him hesitate, as if fighting the instinct to mark me-to make me his forever.

But he never did. Even in the throes of pleasure, he held back.

When we were done, I lay close to him in tiredness, my body still shaking from the aftermath of what we had done. I stretched out my arms, my fingers resting on his arm, searching for warmth, for an assurance that what he had just done meant something.

But Kian shifted away, dashing me off his back without a word.

My chest instantly felt heavy. I had given him my virginity as my mate. My everything. And yet, I still looked disdainful towards him.

I turned opposite to him, curling in on myself as silent tears made their way on my cheeks.

For one night, I had let myself believe that he was mine. That I was his.

But I was a fool to ever believe that.

So painfully, devastatingly wrong.

Pain ravaged into my chest as I clenched my hands to the bed sheet.

"You can leave my bedroom now."

His voice was cold, devoid of warmth, of any emotion at all.

For a moment, I froze, my heart cracking into a thousand pieces. "Kian...?"

"But..." I tried to speak on my already trembling vocal.

"But what. Leave my chambers right now."

But he said nothing more. He didn't even look at me.

I fought with any further tears that could expose my vulnerability and weakness, as I gathered my clothes in silence. With each step away from his bed, the cruel reality settled in-I was just an identity to satisfy his pleasure.

The moon goddess had given me a mate. But he had already decided I was absurd to him.

And so, I walked away, leaving behind the remnants of a dream that had shattered before it even had the chance to begin.

Evans' POV

The cold air of the pack clunged to my skin as I stepped out of Kian's chamber, my trembling legs struggling to make its way on the ground, my heart heavier than its normal. The scent of our night together still glued to my skin, mixing with the faint traces of his intoxicating scent that connected us. But there was no warmth left. Only an unbearable and painful hollowness gnawed deep inside of me.

He commanded me to leave.

No remorse. No hesitation. Just a cruel command that required immediate response, as if what we shared was absurd.

The venom of his rejection wasn't immediate-it infiltrated slowly, creeping into my bones as I walked through the silent passages of the packhouse. My fingers clutched at the hem of my clothes, my body throbbing from his touch, my soul shrieking for the mate who had already dismissed me in disdain.

"Why didn't he mark me?" Liesendra whimpered inside of me, her presence weak and concerned.

I was always aware of Kian's past-his acts were whispered about in the pack and I was foolish to ever believe that mine would be a different story. But he is my fated mate. That should have meant something valuable and important to him.

Yet, to him, I was just another fish in the bait.

I stepped outside, the cold morning chill cascading on my skin, and I inhaled sharply, reeling myself through the event between I and Kian, holding back the tears threatening to spill on my face. I refused to cry for him. Not now.

The familiar scent of earth furred my senses as I made my way to the omega quarters, a place I had desperately placed in my mind of not returning.

But I was left with no choice.

My momentary escape had been thwarted.

The strong scent of oppression and brutality filled me the moment I opened the door to the dimly lit kitchen where the slaves worked tirelessly. The clatter of dishes, the bubbling sound of cooking stew in the big pot, and the whisper conversations that filled the space. I had barely taken a bold step inside when I was interrupted by a familiar voice.

"You stupid Evans, where the heck have you been all this while?"

Chief Kim.

I turned slowly, my body already reeling from its turmoil. The older woman stood in the middle of the kitchen, arms crossed, her eyes shot at me like a bullet.

"The garden still looks very dirty, and the dishes are dirty. Do you think your absence can be stealth?" Her voice carried an edge of disgust.

"I....I'm really sorry Chief," I said, trying to maintain a low voice as I bowed my head, forcing the budge in my throat down my gut.

"You better be sorry for your stupid self," she snapped. "You think just because you warmed the Alpha's bed, you are above the slave rules?"

A few gasps and whispers filled the kitchen. My skin burned with humiliation.

She knew. They all knew.

The reality hit me like a blow, sending a shock down my spine. Did Kian not even bother to be discreet? Did he parade me as other omegas he used as a bait for his satisfaction?

"Get to work immediately." Chief Kim's commanding voice was clipped and dismissive.

I held my pride and moved hesitantly towards the sink, ignoring the whispers as I soaked my hands into the soapy water. The warmth of the water did little to soothe my trembling fingers. I scrubbed, losing myself in the repetitive motion, trying to remove the pain threatening to take over me.

But my mind wouldn't let go.

Kian's hands on my skin. His cock inside me. His moans. The manner he held me as if I mattered-only to trash me like a paper.

A sharp pain sent me back to reality. I gasped for breath, looking down to see blood seeping through my palm. The knife I had been washing had made a cut on my skin.

The room went silent as my breath hitched.

Then it happened.

A sudden warmth suffused through me. Not from the cut, but from something that seemed familiar. Something primal and instinctual. Liesendra stirred violently in my chest, her sadness turning into feverish excitement.

I knew this feeling.

He was here.

Before I could process it, a familiar voice spoke from behind me.

"What happened to you?"

My spine stiffened at the sound of Alpha Kian's voice. It was softer than before, a hint of concern lacing his words, but I didn't dare look at him.

I hurriedly turned towards him, placing my hands to my back as I clenched my fist to halt the bleeding, refusing to let him see my pain.

"It's nothing," I said, trying to steady my already quivering and frightened voice.

I could feel his piercing silver eyes pressing against my skin. The bond flared between us, alive, demanding, but he saw it as absurd-just as he had ignored me earlier this morning.

The silence grew between us as though we were the only one's in the kitchen

Then he sighed. "If you say so."

Just like that, he turned to leave.

My heart clenched. Is that it?

No apology. No explanation. No persisting.

Nothing.

I bit my lip, steadying my tears at bay as I forced my legs to motion, to pretend that his presence didn't affect me.

But just as he reached the door, his voice held me in my tracks.

"By the way, Evans, you're invited to the Lunar Convergence Ceremony tonight."

I froze.

Slowly, I raised my head to look at him.

The Lunar Convergence? The sacred night where mates were revealed before the entire pack? Omegas were never allowed anywhere near the ceremony-except as servers.

Yet Kian was inviting me.

Was this it? Was this the moment he would finally announce me as his fated mate and Luna?

"I'll send my Beta to bring you something good to wear. Not those rag of yours ," he added, his voice impassive before he disappeared through the door, leaving me in a fog of confusion.

For the first time since I left his chamber, hope came alive in my chest.

Maybe-just maybe-the Moon Goddess had her plans and will.

********

The dress arrived later in the afternoon.

A beautiful royal blue gown, the exact reflection of the moon on a clear night, with delicate and exquisite embroidery that gleamed under the candlelight. It was the most beautiful thing I had ever owned for myself.

I am eighteen today. A day I finally find my solace in the hands of my lovely fated mate. The Alpha of this great pack.

My fingers running over the fabric, unable to halt the small smile that tugged at my lips. This wasn't a dream.

Tonight, my life would take a good turn.

Dressed in the gown, my hair cascading over my shoulders, I made my way to the grand hall. The sight in front of me exhibiting its sleekness over me-crystal chandeliers hung high, golden ribbons wrapping the hall elegantly, and the aroma of natural roses filled the air.

It was beautiful.

My heart raced as my eyes scanned the crowd for Kian. And then, I saw him.

Manned in a regal golden colour suit, he stood at the middle of the hall, his authoritative presence commanding as usual. Liesendra leaping for joy within me making the butterflies in my belly to awaken.

Then he spoke his first words.

"I, Alpha Kian Silverstein, leader of the Dawnshade pack, stand before you tonight as tradition demands. The time has come for me to choose me to bring to the pack m my fated mate and Luna."

A hush fell over the room.

My hands trembled at my sides in anticipation.

And then-

"I call upon Miss Evans Blackthorn to step to the centre of the hall."

The murmurs were instant.

"An omega?"

"There is a mistake somewhere!"

"She can't be Luna!"

I ignored them, stepping forward, my heart thundering in my chest. This was it. This was-

I tried to ignore them, making my way to where Kian stood, my heart race becoming primal. This was it. This was-

"This is to openely and officially announce to the pack of Dawnshade that I, Alpha Kian Silverstein, reject you, Evans Blackthorn, as my mate and Luna of this pack."

The world spinned as though it was rapture.

Whispers grew in the air, but I became more defiant to them. My breath caught in my throat, my knees threatening to fail as the rejection hit me with large force.

"But... but... we're fated mates," I whispered, my voice budging.

Kian's silver eyes remained cold. "The Moon Goddess made a mistake."

A malicious grin sounded beside him. Amelia Christensen, my best friend-the girl I had trusted.

"And I officially accept Amelia Christensen here as my Luna."

The final blow.

The bomb of pain exploded in my chest, an unbearable agony that blurred my vision.

Amelia moved closer to me, her voice a whisper only me was audible to.

"You have been nothing but a pawn in my game. And if you stand in my way, Evans, I will kill you."

Her lips curled into a smirk.

And just like that, my world ended.