Back To My Place
967 Words
Mira’s POV
After serving in his chamber that night, he asked me to follow him. My legs felt like lead as I followed him out of the chambers. Every step was measured, careful, as though the wrong movement might shatter whatever fragile protection surrounded me. My heart pounded hard against my ribs, loud enough that I feared others could hear it.
The warmth of his presence lingered behind me, heavy, commanding, and impossible to escape. Even with the distance between us, I could still feel it pressing into my back like an unseen hand. My palms were damp. My fingers trembled despite my efforts to still them, so I curled them into fists and focused on breathing.
In. Out. Quiet.
Rowan did not speak.
That silence was worse than words.
I could feel his gaze on me, steady and unyielding, as if he were measuring each step I took. It made my stomach twist, not just with fear, but with a strange awareness I didn’t want to name. I had spent my life avoiding notice. Being watched like this felt dangerous in ways I didn’t fully understand.
The corridors opened into the pack hall, and the energy shift was immediate.
Warriors paused mid-conversation. A few omegas lowered their heads even further. I felt their eyes brush over me, sharp and curious, stripping away what little comfort I had left.
Selene was there.
Of course, she was.
She stood near the edge of the hall, arms crossed, her posture relaxed but alert. Her eyes locked onto me instantly, burning with resentment so raw that it made my skin prickle. Her friends lingered nearby, pretending disinterest, though their attention was fixed firmly on me.
“Back to your quarters tonight,” Rowan said at last.
His voice was quiet and controlled. Conversations around us faded as wolves strained to hear.
“You will sleep there. You do not stay in my chamber.”
The words struck deeper than I expected. Not rejection. Not kindness. Something in between. A boundary drawn clearly, for them and for me.
“Yes, Alpha,” I replied, my voice low, steady, despite the storm inside my chest.
Selene’s lips curled into a small, satisfied sneer. I saw the exchange of glances between her and her friends. They didn’t speak, but the message was clear.
This isn’t over.
I lowered my gaze, schooling my expression into something neutral. Omegas survived by not reacting. By not standing out. By not giving anyone a reason.
As we moved towards the exit, Rowan’s presence pressed closer. Not touching, yet, but near enough that my senses reacted anyway. My steps grew smaller, my muscles were tight with awareness. I hated that my body responded to him so easily.
The whispers followed us.
“She’s always near him.”
“She thinks she’s special.”
“She doesn’t know her place.”
Each word felt like a pin pressed beneath my skin. Heat crept up my neck, but I forced myself not to flinch. Shame was a luxury I couldn’t afford. Neither was anger.
“You’ll regret this,” Selene said silently, as we passed by her side, her voice smooth and venomous. “The Alpha will see you for what you are. You’re nothing.”
I didn’t respond.
I didn’t look up.
I moved forward instead, stepping around her with quiet determination. My body acted on instinct, carrying me past her before fear could root me in place.
As I passed, Rowan’s hand brushed my elbow.
The contact was brief. Barely there.
But it burned.
My breath caught. I stiffened, then forced my body to keep moving. I didn’t dare look back. Didn’t dare acknowledge what that touch meant, or what it might cost me.
He said nothing.
He didn’t need to.
The message was clear.
The walk to the quarters felt longer than it ever had before. The familiar paths now felt exposed, every shadow was heavy with watching eyes. Wolves moved aside as we passed, not out of kindness, but respect. Or fear.
For him.
Not me.
When we reached the edge of the path, Rowan stopped walking.
“You will rest,” he said quietly. “Tomorrow will not be easier.”
I swallowed. “Yes, Alpha.”
For a moment, I thought he might say more. He didn’t.
I walked on alone.
The omega house loomed ahead, small and dim, its walls worn from years of neglect. Normally, it was a place I blended into easily. Tonight, it felt like a reminder of everything I was, and everything I wasn’t allowed to be.
I paused at the doorway.
My hands shook. My knees felt weak. I had endured worse days than this, but never with so many eyes watching and never with Alpha’s attention wrapped so tightly around me.
Inside, the familiar scents greeted me: old wood, oil lamps, dried herbs. I closed the door quietly behind me and leaned against it for a moment, finally allowing myself to breathe.
It didn’t help.
Selene’s voice echoed in my thoughts, sharp and relentless. I knew she wouldn’t stop. Not now. Not after being challenged in front of the pack. She had allies. Influence. Time.
I sank onto the edge of my cot, wrapping my arms around myself. My body still remembered him, his nearness, his gaze, the way his touch had sent awareness racing through me despite my fear.
I hated that.
I hated how alive it made me feel.
Tomorrow would be worse. I could sense it deep in my bones. Being noticed by the Alpha had changed something fundamental. Protection came with a price. Attention always did.
I lay back slowly, staring at the ceiling.
And as exhaustion finally pulled me under, one thought refused to let me rest.
This was only the beginning.
- Writer
