The Alpha's Regret My Rejected Omega is a Queen

The grime felt like a second skin. I sighed, the sound lost in the cavernous dining hall of the Silvermoon Pack. My knees ached from hours of scrubbing the vast wooden floor, and a bead of sweat traced a path down my temple, stinging my eye. From the adjoining room, a wave of laughter washed over me, a painful reminder of where I stood. They were in there, my pack, sharing a meal, sharing stories. I was out here, the omega, the lowest of the low, existing only to serve.

Tomorrow, I would turn eighteen.

The thought was a tiny flame in the cold cavern of my chest. Eighteen. The age when a werewolf finds their mate, the other half of their soul, destined by the Moon Goddess herself. For most, it was a day of celebration. For me, it was a desperate gamble, my only ticket out of this hell.

They all thought I was a true omega because I’d never shown any sign of a wolf. They called me broken, powerless. They were wrong.

My parents, the former Alpha and Luna of this pack, died when I was six. It was before their deaths that they taught me the most important lesson of my life: how to hide. How to suppress the powerful, ancient wolf that had awakened in me far too early, how to cloak the formidable aura that was my birthright. “You are different, my Aurora,” my father had whispered, his hand on my head. “Your power is a beacon. Until you are strong enough to wield it, it will only draw wolves who wish to extinguish it. Promise me you will hide.”

I promised.

Then they were gone, killed in an ambush the pack still spoke of in hushed tones. A new Alpha, Victor, seized control. He was my father’s Beta, a man whose ambition had always been poorly concealed. The first thing he did was strip me of my title and throw me in the barn. From Alpha’s daughter to omega slave in a single day. My life since had been a blur of endless chores, casual cruelty, and gnawing hunger.

But every night, after the pack house fell silent, I would sneak to the farthest edge of the woods and I would train. I would let my wolf run, letting her power surge through me. The world believed I was weak, but I knew the truth. My only hope was that my mate, whoever he was, would be strong enough to see it too. He had to. He was the only one who could save me.

I was also bullied for my eyes. It was another part of my 'difference'. My left eye was a clear, crisp blue, shot through with flecks of gold. My right was a deep forest green, with the same golden specks dancing in its depths. No one else in the pack had eyes like these. They called me a freak for it. I thought they were beautiful.

‘That’s right!’ My wolf, Lyra, chimed in from the depths of my mind, her voice a comforting rumble of pure confidence. I allowed myself a small, secret smile.

Finally, the floor gleamed, spotless under the dim lights. My work was done. I pushed my aching body to its feet and headed for the back of the pack house, towards the barn that had been my home for twelve years. It smelled of hay, cattle, and a deep, ingrained poverty that clung to everything. My only real friend in this world, Chloe, was already there, huddled on her thin mattress.

I pulled a set of clean, threadbare clothes from the splintered cabinet that served as my wardrobe and slipped out the back. The lake was my sanctuary. I scanned the tree line, my senses on high alert. Satisfied I was alone, I placed my clean clothes on a large, flat rock, stripped off my sweat-soaked rags, and waded into the bracingly cold water. It was a shock, but a clean one. It washed away the dirt and, for a few precious moments, the shame.

A few minutes later, a familiar scent drifted on the night air. I turned to see Chloe’s silhouette approaching through the trees. I smiled as she stepped into the clearing, and she returned it, though hers was tinged with exhaustion. I turned my back respectfully as she undressed, and soon felt the water ripple as she joined me.

“I’m so tired,” she mumbled, her voice barely a whisper as she swam closer.

“I know,” I said, sighing. The feeling was a constant companion.

“But tomorrow we’re eighteen,” she said, her tone a mixture of faint hope and deep-seated dread. “You think… you think we’ll find our mates?” she asked, but her voice held the answer she already believed. “No, probably not. Why did we have to be omegas? It sucks.”

I frowned, a pang of guilt striking me. The common belief was that omegas were too weak to be blessed with a mate by the Moon Goddess. Chloe believed it. She had no idea that I wasn't a true omega, that my wolf was strong and waiting. I couldn't tell her, not yet. How could I explain that I was supposed to be the Alpha of this pack, but I was living in a barn, letting her suffer alongside me? Hiding was for my safety, my parents had said. If Victor or his followers knew I could shift, that my eyes could glow with power in the darkness, they would see me as a threat to be eliminated. They’d call me a monster and kill me. Still, the secret felt like a betrayal to the one person who had ever shown me kindness.

“Why are you always so calm about it, Aurora?” Chloe asked, her brow furrowed in the moonlight. “Don’t you want a mate?”

This was the hardest part. The lie. I had to build a wall around my heart, even with her. “There’s nothing wrong with being an omega, Chloe,” I said, forcing a calm I didn’t feel. “And having a mate… it might just be more torture. Imagine he’s a powerful warrior, and he finds out his mate is just… us. He’d probably reject us on the spot. Maybe it’s better this way. No mate, no rejection.”

It was all a lie. I thought about my mate every waking moment. He was my lifeline, my only hope for salvation.

Chloe sighed, the sound heavy with resignation. “You’re right. We should just accept our fate.”

I felt a surge of sympathy for her. Her body was frail, her spirit worn down. I wasn't sure if her wolf would even awaken tomorrow. I hoped it would. She deserved at least that much.

Chloe suddenly swam right in front of me, a small, mischievous smirk on her face. She reached out and gently touched my cheek. “You’re really pretty, you know that, Aurora?”

I playfully pushed her hand away, a genuine laugh escaping me for the first time all day. “What’s gotten into you, Chloe?” I asked, swimming towards the shore.

“Nothing! Just admiring my beautiful best friend,” she chuckled.

“Whatever,” I mumbled, but I was smiling. I climbed out of the water and quickly slipped on my clean clothes. Chloe did the same. I twisted my still-damp hair into a messy bun, not bothering to be gentle. We walked back to the barn in comfortable silence. For twelve years, we had gotten used to this life. The initial sadness had long ago faded into a dull, everyday reality.

As we entered the barn, both our stomachs rumbled in a painful chorus. Hunger. It was a constant, gnawing ache. Our last meal had been two days ago. Alpha Victor had forbidden anyone from giving us food as punishment for a vase his own daughter, Scarlett, had broken and blamed on us.

“I’m so hungry…” Chloe mumbled, her voice weak as she collapsed onto her mattress.

I couldn’t take it anymore. We couldn’t go on like this. Starvation was a real possibility. I licked my dry lips, a fierce resolve hardening within me. I was done being a victim.

I walked towards the barn door. “Where are you going?” Chloe asked, her voice laced with alarm.

“I’m getting us food,” I said, my tone leaving no room for argument. “I can’t take this anymore. You stay here. I promise, I won’t get caught.”

She nodded hesitantly, her eyes wide with fear. “Be careful…” she whispered.

I slipped out into the night and darted towards the back of the pack house. The silence was absolute. Everyone was asleep. I gently tried the kitchen door handle. Relief washed over me as it clicked open. They’d forgotten to lock it.

Tiptoeing inside, I let my secret weapon emerge. I relaxed the tight control I always kept on my power, and my eyes began to glow. The dark kitchen was instantly illuminated in a haze of ethereal blue and green light. Every detail was as clear as day. This was one of my gifts—a wolf’s night vision, but amplified, clearer. My senses exploded. I could hear the slow, rhythmic breathing of every pack member sleeping in their beds upstairs. I could smell the lingering scent of their roast chicken dinner.

How would I ever explain this to them? Would they see it as a gift, or as the mark of a monster?

Pushing the thought aside, I moved quickly. I opened a cabinet and found a jackpot: cookies and cans of sardines. I grabbed four cans and two packs of cookies, along with two bottles of water. As I closed the cabinet, a new sound pricked my ears. Faint. Soft. Footsteps, coming down the main staircase.

My heart hammered against my ribs. I clutched the food to my chest, backed out of the kitchen, and gently closed the door. Then, I didn't just run. I flew. My speed was another gift, faster than any wolf I’d ever seen, even in their human form. I was a blur in the darkness, reaching the barn in a flash.

I burst inside, panting, and quickly forced the glow in my eyes to fade back to normal. Chloe jumped to her feet, her face pale.

“Oh, my goddess! You were gone for so long! I thought you got caught!” she exclaimed, her voice trembling.

I grinned, holding up my bounty. Her eyes lit up, sparkling with a joy so pure it made my heart ache. I handed her a pack of cookies, two cans of sardines, and a bottle of water.

“Thank you, Aurora! Thank you!” she cried, throwing her arms around me in a tight hug.

“It’s nothing,” I said, my voice thick with emotion. “Come on, let’s eat. I’m starving.”

We sat on the nasty mattress and devoured the food in silence. It was the best meal I’d had in years. When we finished, we lay down side-by-side. Chloe was asleep in minutes, her breathing soft and even.

But I was wide awake, my mind racing. Tomorrow. What would happen tomorrow? Would I find him? My mate? And if I did, what would he be like? Would he accept me, a lowly omega with dirt under her fingernails and secrets in her glowing eyes? Or would he reject me, just like everyone else? The thought sent a shard of ice through my heart. I couldn't bear that.

Staring up into the darkness of the barn, I sent a silent prayer into the universe.

Moon Goddess, I’ve endured so much. Please. I hope my mate will not reject me. I hope he will accept me and love me for who I am. I entrust my fate to you.

I closed my eyes, the question echoing in the silent chambers of my soul. ‘Will my mate accept me?’