A PLACE IN THE PACK
781 Words
The village was still quiet when Liyana opened her eyes.
This time, she sat up before Nova could wake her.
Inside her mind, Nova blinked.
‘You beat me.’
Liyana smiled proudly.
“I wanted to surprise you.”
Nova narrowed her eyes.
‘I don’t know if I like this.’
Liyana laughed as she folded her blanket.
“I thought you’d be happy.”
‘I am.’
Nova grinned.
‘But now I need a new job.’
Liyana stepped outside.
The cool morning air brushed against her skin.
She stood there for a moment, enjoying the silence.
Ever since her first shift, everything felt different.
She could hear birds much farther away.
She could smell fresh bread baking somewhere in the village.
She could even hear warriors already sparring in the distance.
Nova closed her eyes.
‘The world is louder now.’
Liyana nodded.
“But somehow… calmer.”
Before breakfast, Maren called to her.
“We’re short on firewood.”
Liyana picked up a rope without hesitation and followed her into the nearby forest.
As they gathered wood, Maren showed her which trees burned longer without making too much smoke.
Liyana listened carefully.
She enjoyed learning practical things.
Nova, however, had other ideas.
‘Can we race back?’
Liyana smiled.
“We’re carrying wood.”
‘Exactly.’
Maren glanced at her.
“What are you smiling about?”
“Nova thinks carrying firewood is the perfect time to race.”
Maren laughed.
“That sounds like Nova.”
Later that morning, Liyana carried a stack of cleaned blankets to the Alpha House.
As she walked down one of the hallways, voices reached her ears.
Two young warriors were talking nearby.
One of them sighed.
“My mother wants me to marry a strong wolf.”
The other laughed.
“Anyone but an omega.”
They both chuckled.
“They’re too weak.”
“They’d never make good mates.”
Liyana slowed for a moment.
The words stung.
Not because she’d ever dreamed of being married to someone of very high status …
But because they spoke as if omegas were worth less than everyone else.
Nova let out a quiet growl.
‘They’re wrong.’
Liyana forced herself to keep walking.
“I know.”
Even so…
Their words stayed with her.
At the training grounds, Kael had just finished leading drills.
Several younger warriors gathered around him.
One of them smiled.
“I want to be just like you one day.”
Kael smiled back.
Before he could answer, Alpha Magnus walked over.
“Then show them what kind of Alpha they’ll follow.”
Kael frowned slightly.
Magnus pointed toward two exhausted trainees struggling to carry heavy training logs.
Without saying another word, Kael walked over and lifted one end himself.
The younger warriors immediately rushed over to help.
Magnus smiled.
Inside Kael’s mind, Onyx spoke quietly.
‘They followed because you did.’
Kael looked at the group and said quietly.
“I didn’t tell them to.”
Magnus looked at him.
“A true leader rarely has to.”
That evening, Liyana and Maren prepared dinner together.
As they cooked, Maren glanced at her.
“Do you enjoy your new responsibilities?”
Liyana nodded.
“I do.”
“You don’t wish you’d been born stronger?”
Liyana was quiet for a moment.
Then she smiled.
“Sometimes.”
“But wishing won’t change who I am.”
“So I’d rather become the best omega I can be.”
Maren’s eyes softened.
“You sound just like your mother.”
Liyana looked up.
“Really?”
Maren nodded.
“She believed every wolf had value.”
Nova smiled.
‘I think she’d have been proud of you.’
“So do I,” Liyana whispered.
Later that night, the newly shifted wolves gathered for another supervised run.
Liyana shifted.
For the second time, Nova stood beneath the moon exactly as she always had inside their shared mind—a graceful silver-white wolf with bright blue eyes.
Nova stretched happily.
‘I’ll never get tired of this.’
The young wolves ran through the forest together.
They chased one another between the trees.
Splashed through shallow streams.
Leapt over fallen logs.
For a little while…
There were no ranks.
No expectations.
Just wolves enjoying the freedom of the night.
After returning home, Liyana sat on the cottage steps with a blanket wrapped around her shoulders.
Nova looked up at the moon.
‘Do you ever wonder who our mate is?’
Liyana smiled.
“Sometimes.”
‘Do you think they’ll like us?’
Liyana looked at the stars.
“I hope…”
“…they’ll see us for who we are.”
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