Betrayed, Rejected and Reborned Omega Strikes Back

Chapter One A ritual to bottle up memories perfectly and relieve it whenever I wanted, unfortunately didn't exist anywhere. I had looked. Pictures and videos just wouldn't cut it. I wanted to be in my own head. I wasn't too sad though. I knew I'd remember today for a long time anyway. It was still dark outside when I woke up. First, I took a long bath, one that left me smelling like a body care store. Wrapped in a fluffy robe and armed with an upbeat playlist, I hoisted my bag of products out from the wardrobe. Doing my hair would be the biggest task. I had a lot of hair, so it took a lot of time. And a lot of burns too. It was also long and went all the way down to my ass. I might have cut it a little shorter, maybe to my back but Asher really liked it. He said it glinted like sunlight. Meryl, who was my hairdresser, would have been doing all this curling and setting but I was staying in a Mayweather's Cabin. There were ten of them built in a circle, with the backs of them facing each other. I wouldn't have any family here today and I did my absolute best not to think about it. I would not cry . I'd counted out my parents long ago. Father and my step-mother didn't like me and my mother was dead. The witches of my coven, my sisters, would have come but they had a very important meeting today with Alpha Zoran. One I had to take special permission to miss because today was my mating ceremony. I could have laughed, except it wasn't funny. I had to take permission from my father to attend my big day. I huffed and accidentally burned myself with the curling iron. But I didn't even care. Today was my mating ceremony! I powered on, only burning myself three more times by the time I finished curling my heap of hair. Putting it into a fancy bun with small sections of hair elegantly curling around took half as much time as curling it. It was 6 am now which meant if I didn't want to go late to my own mating ceremony, I only had an hour to do my makeup. Yikes. I was cutting it close but I was done just in the nick of time. It was finally time for my dress. I went back to the wardrobe to retrieve my garment bag. The white dress was a stunning floor length number that draped off me, the fabric rippling in the sunlight. It was high-necked and left my hands and back bare. I went to stand in front of the mirror. A self-satisfied hum escaped me. I'd done a good job. I twirled in an empty room. Asher got a different cabin from me, wanting to leave me alone as I dressed. Besides, from where he came from, mates don't see each other the day before walking to the altar. I had to respect it. He would love this though. I couldn't wait to see him. I slipped on some white kitten heels and muttered a spell to heal my burns. I was ready. Oh goddess. I gave myself a once over as anxiety began to crawl up my spine. I needed to get going. Asher's pack was nearby and his wolves may already be seated. I didn't want to keep them waiting. Well, the few that would make the journey here. For some reason, his pack wasn't too fond of me. But he was their Alpha, it would be disrespectful not to attend. It would be such a small ceremony, smaller than I wanted but I'd have it in a bathroom after a night of drinking if I had to. I had waited for so long already. At least my wolf was awake. Asher wasn't her fated mate but I don't care. Asher was mine. We'd chosen to love each other. Besides, my wolf may be too weak to recognize her mate if she did meet him anyway. I walked out, holding our ring box, trying to contain the smile on my face for the pictures. He'd let me choose them and I had chosen a simple gold band for us, mine just had three sapphires set in it. The ceremony was going to be held beside the ring of cabins and it took me three minutes to get there. The altar was placed under a tree with two canopies at either side. It was beautiful. Minimally decorated in whites and blues, with twinkling crystals chiming as the wind played with them. Asher was already standing there in a pale blue suit that made the blue of his eyes sparkle. His light blond hair was pulled up into his favorite style, a ponytail with his shorter face framing pieces, softly blowing in the breeze. I gave up having a picture perfect smile.There he was, my mate. We were about to make it official. I quickened my pace and soon I was standing in front of him, my smile from one end of my mouth to the other. "Shall we begin?" The priestess asked. I nodded, of course we could. But Asher held up a hand. The slight noise of people murmuring stopped. My step-sister stood up, wearing a smirk. And that wasn't all she was wearing. What the hell was she doing? Freya's dress was a beautiful long slinky number. As she walked down to us, the gigantic slit exposed tan legs. I snarled. The dress was a stark white. I would rip that dress from her body and stuff it in her mouth! Wearing white to a wedding was an insult to the would-be bride. It screamed that you and the groom would be a better match. What did this b***h think she was doing? She was insinuating that she and Asher. . . Oh hell no! I took a step toward her but Asher put a hand out to stop me. He was looking at her. I didn't see the expression on his face but I imagined what it would look like. If he wanted to handle this one, I'd let him. The w***e would get what was coming to her. He walked up to Freya, looked down and she smiled at him. It was when he smiled back that warning bells started ringing in my head. Wearing white could also say you were sleeping with the groom, and not as a fling either. For that, you'd wear red. White said the two of you were in a serious relationship. My heart dropped as he leaned down. My ears were ringing. I knew deep down what was going to happen but I couldn't look away, not even when they closed their eyes. He kissed her. I couldn't think, couldn’t make sense of what I was seeing. Asher . . . And Freya?! How? When? Was I maybe hallucinating? I hoped I was. I stood there slack- jawed, until they broke apart and walked to me, hand in hand. "I, Asher Elord, reject you, Melissa Stone as my mate. Go back to your coven." Those were the first words I heard from him in two days. They walked past me, Freya bumping me with her shoulder, to the altar. "Now we can begin." Freya's words zapped through me, propelling me forward. I forced myself to turn my back, put one foot in front of the other, and keep the tears firmly in my eyes, amidst the staring and whispering. Until I got back to my room. Then I bawled like I never had before.