The Omega's Secret

Chapter 2

“No.” Apollo growled practically flying away from me like I was poison.

I just stayed there a moment, still too dazed to process the word that had just left his mouth. Mate bonds manifested differently for people, there was no one feeling or sensation to explain. The tremors and the heat were the warning signs for me and it all led up to this one nightmare.

I was Apollo’s mate.

“This is a mistake.” Apollo turned to me, “What did you do to me?!”

“What’s going on? W-what did I just hear you say?” Lilith was beside him in an instant. “She can’t be… I-I’m supposed to be your mate.”

I finally got up, wiping the sweat off my face. I didn’t know whether to bolt or just stand there frozen.

“I’ll save you the trouble. I don’t want you. I re—“

“Silence, Omega. You do not get to reject me.” Apollo growled, it was the most emotion I’d ever seen him show.

“How could this happen?”

“She can’t seriously be Apollo’s mate…”

“He’s the next Alpha king and she’s just an Omega.”

I pretended like I couldn’t hear the background whispers.

Apollo grabbed my hand as if trying to confirm what was already obvious. My heart tugged upon contact and his amber eyes glowed an almost red colour. I snatched my hand away.

“Get it over with so I can go.”

“You can’t go anywhere yet Daphne… I’ve contacted Alpha Odin.”

My eyes widened. This wasn’t what I’d wanted to happen. I should’ve just let it go. What if they imprisoned me or banished me?

If the Alpha king was anything like his son, this wouldn’t end well for me.

Apollo stared holes through me with a death glare, Lilith wasn’t far behind eyeing me up. How was any of this my fault? I just turned away from them until Alpha Odin arrived.

I walked off to a corner, didn’t help much because everyone’s eyes were on me and somehow there were even more people in class as those around had begun spreading the news already.

Future Alpha king mated to lowly Omega. Couldn’t blame them, it was good gossip. Lilith stalked towards me grabbing my hand. I winced as her sharp nail pressed into my hand.

“Last chance to fess up, Daphne. What magic did you perform here? I always knew you had your eyes on Apollo, but he’s mine.”

“The mate bond says otherwise.” I responded calmly.

She looked taken aback. In all the years that she belittled me I’d never once talked back, until today. I had nothing to lose anymore.

“Watch yourself. You think because you’re Apollo’s mate now you’re important?”

“I thought you just said I bewitched him.”

Lilith slapped me in the face, I could’ve dodged but I didn’t, instead I smirked feeling satisfied. At least I’d get one thing out of all of this.

“That’s enough Lilith, my father will be here soon.”

Just then, two tall guards stepped into the room. They were very muscular and covered in armor. The gamma’s. The Alpha king's personal guard.

He walked in and the temperature in the room dropped. His aura was overwhelming in a way that I didn’t know whether to fear him or respect him. I felt more of the former at that moment.

Everyone bowed.

“Apollo.”

“Yes father.”

“Where is she?”

All eyes turned to me. Alpha Odin walked towards me before Apollo could give a response.

“What is your name?”

“Daphne, Alpha.”

He stared at me one long moment then simply walked out, signaling for Apollo to follow him.

I knew it, they were the same. I imagined them outside discussing how best to get rid of me. Lilith smiled now then speaking loudly, she said,

“There is no way an Omega would be the future of the royal line. Alpha Odin knows this. Apollo and I have always been meant for each other. And this… rat will be dealt with accordingly.”

People murmured in agreement.

“You should beg now Daphne. Maybe I’ll convince them to be lenient.”

I turned away from Lilith, my eyes fixed on the door as I wondered how much longer they’d be. When Apollo finally walked back in, he was alone.

“Finally, reject her now and get this over with. I’m sure this is all some trickery.” Lilith said.

Apollo walked until he reached me. His face was devoid of emotion as he stared down at me. I stared back, matching the intensity of his gaze.

“I, Apollo Valerius…”

My heart raced despite myself, already bracing for the worst.

“Accept Daphne Grimm as my mate.”

“What?!”

Lilith’s exclamation was nothing compared to how I felt. A million questions were forming in my head. Why would he do this? He was desperate to reject me just moments ago and now? What did his father say to him?

“Apollo, what are you doing?” Lilith screeched, grabbing onto his arm.

“Not now.”

Apollo held my hand and dragged me out of the class with him.

“Let go of me.”

He didn’t stop.

“I will break your wrist if you don’t stop right now.”

We kept walking past the inner school gate.

“Apollo!”

He finally let me go and I stumbled back, cold quickly replaced the warmth I’d felt while he held me. We were standing in the old dorms that had burned down a few years back. No one ever really hung out there.

“What is the meaning of this? Is this all some game to you? I thought you hated weakness or am I not weak enough for you anymore?”

“Oh trust me, I’d like nothing more than to have rejected you right then and there.”

“Then why didn’t you?”

“My father.”

“Why would he be okay with this?”

Apollo went quiet. Did he know something or was he just as clueless as I was?

“You know something, don’t you? What is it.”

“Nothing that concerns you.”

“Like hell it doesn’t. Tell me what you know or you’ll see just how miserable I can really make you for as long as we’re bonded.”

His jaw clenched but he didn’t back down.

“All you need to know is you’re my mate in name only. Lilith is the one I’ve chosen to be with. Whatever my fathers reasons are, it doesn’t change that. I have a duty as heir but don’t expect anything from me.”

“I want nothing from you. And make no mistake, I won't stop searching for the truth.”

“Glad we have an understanding.”

With that, he left me standing alone in the charred remains of a crumbling building.

“Wow, that must really suck.”

I turned around to see someone walking out from a corner, hands in his pockets. He was dressed in all black wearing an altered uniform that was very much against the academy’s rules.

Killian.

He was an outcast too, but not for the same reasons as me. He had rogue blood, an attempt by the school to foster peace and unity so they admitted a few rogues every year. In my opinion it was a dumb idea because it had only created more division. He was in the second year, same as me and I was observant enough to know that he almost never attended classes.

“How long were you standing there for?”

He shrugged.

“Can’t blame me, Princess, I love a free show.”

I watched as he returned to the corner he’d sauntered out of.

“Word of advice, staying in the shadows is a little hard when you’re dating the golden boy and you’ve just declared war by showing resistance. So stay sharp.”

“We’re not dating!” I yelled after him as he disappeared. Killian wasn’t wrong, but I couldn’t have him think I’d be easy to manipulate. Being the weak omega that easily went unnoticed was fine before, but things had changed.

I completely ditched the rest of my classes and just went back to my dorm. I took out an old box from my belongings and opened it.

I picked up the picture. A man and a woman sitting together and smiling. They looked so happy that was what made it so difficult to believe. How could they have given up their lives and gone rogue?

I dropped the picture and picked up the amulet. Maddie said they wanted me to have it always but I’d never been able to bring myself to actually wear it.

A single tear dropped onto the amulet and I felt a sharp spark. The amulet fell from my hand back into the box and I stared at it in shock for a moment before I put it away. I was only imagining things, surely.

I decided to go back out to clear my head. As I walked past the bridge connecting the Academy to a small section of the forest— one of the safe spots within the academy’s gates— I didn’t notice how close I’d gotten to the lake until I lost my balance and slipped. I crashed into the water, struggling to come back up.

In the panic, I let water fill my mouth, my lungs burned as I tried to scream for help. My head started to feel dizzy as the sensations dulled and my eyes faded to black.