REJECTED TWICE: CHOSEN BY FATE

CHAPTER 2

Asha’s POV

Finally, the day of the annual competition arrived. Our pack was abuzz with excitement because this was one of those rare events where all ranks had participation privileges, from Alphas to Omegas. For this one day, our pack would be together in a show of strengths, brains, and talents. The mere thought of competing sent my heart aflutter the chance it gave me and all others that I was indeed not only the Omega's daughter.

I was knotting my dark hair up, still steadying my breathing, when Lilith strode over. She wore an outfit that shone in the sun, every strand of blond hair so, her eyes bright with smug confidence.

"Oh, you're competing?" she said, looking me up and down. "I thought the competition was for serious contenders." The smile on her face was as sweet as poison.

I clenched my fists, forcing a face of calmness. "Yes, I am."

Lilith laughed, and an icicle-like feeling ran down into me. "This will be fun." With that, she turned and walked away, her laughter still ringing in my ears.

Strength was first, and the competition opened with the crowd gathering around a make-do arena, excited murmurs filling the air as each contestant prepared. We were going to be taken through a series of physical challenges, from weight-lifting to intense physical drills. The nerves were building, yet I reminded myself why I had come here to prove that I was more than the role I'd been handed.

I stepped forward, my name being called out, and I set my eyes on the weights before me. Though I was not as strong as many of the competitors, I had, in secret, been training, thus pushing myself in ways few knew. I pulled the weight; my muscles strained, yet I held steady and moved through each set until I'd completed the challenge. There was applause-polite, but nothing compared to the cheers Lilith had received, and I didn't care. I'd done it.

Lilith, of course, was breezing through the strength round, performing each challenge with poise and ease, as if she barely broke a sweat. She bathed in every cheer, every approving nod. When she finished, her eyes met mine, and a mocking smile tugged at her lips.

Beauty was next, and, gah, I am so not into this stuff. I knew it counted here, though. The judges were looking for grace, elegance, and how well one could carry themselves with pride, head held high. We were supposed to walk down a small runway set up in the clearing, showing our "best selves." Lilith was in her element, gliding across the runway with practiced ease, her movements calculated to draw admiration.

When it was my time, I came out, feeling the weight of every state. Never looking polished, like Lilith, I knew that I had put that simple dress on, yet I held my head high. I walked with confidence, learned, and built for myself strength that came from no other than resilience. I wasn't applauding for me, and neither did anybody else; there were a few curious glances left, that's all. They hadn't expected to see me, and that was good enough.

The third was intelligence. We'd all sat at a table set with puzzles and riddles, and each of us contestants had taken turns for only so much time to do as many as we could. This was my best chance to impress. Unlike with strength or beauty, intelligence was something I could control-something I'd honed over years of solitude. While Lilith had spent her time perfecting her image, I'd been reading, learning, and sharpening my mind.

The first couple of puzzles were all pretty straightforward-riddles, logic challenges. I solved them easily, each one building my confidence. I could feel Lilith's eyes on me and couldn't resist a quick look. She was frustrated, fingers drumming impatiently against the table as she struggled with a puzzle.

I smiled to myself and refocused my attention on my work. The time started ticking away, and I began working through puzzle after puzzle-my hands steady, my mind sharp. As this round neared its close, a surge of pride welled up inside me. I had finished all the puzzles and, going by the murmur continuing around me, knew I was doing well. Lilith had only completed half of them, and it didn't take much to realize frustration that wasn't quite hidden.

The judges tallied the scores in silence as if I was locked up tight right there with them. Lilith stepped back and crossed her arms over her chest, watching me with her eyes narrowed to slits. She couldn't stomach the concept of my success, let alone beating her. But I wasn't there for her approval, nor was I there to win. I was there to prove something to myself that I was worth something other than the rank thrust upon me.

The head judge stepped forward, commanding our attention. "Thank you all for participating in this year's competition," he began in that voice carrying across the crowd. "We've seen impressive displays of strength, intelligence, and grace-and we'd like to acknowledge the top contenders.

I breathed deeply, my eagerness overwhelming. The judge called out the top scorers of each category: Lilith was called for beauty, as I knew she would be, and seemed to bloom under all the attention. But when the intelligence round came up, my name was announced as the top scorer.

A murmur of surprise moved through the crowd and a small, proud smile creased my lips. For once, I'd outshone Lilith, in a way she couldn't refute. I glanced in her direction, catching the flash of irritation in her eyes, and for one moment, I felt the weight of her resentment lift off my shoulders. She might hold power over me in many ways, but not here. Not now.

The final scores were in, and though I hadn't won overall, I'd placed in the top five feats for someone like me, an Omega's daughter, a girl no one had expected to see competing at all. I held my head high, ignoring the whispers around me, the curious glances, the murmurs of disbelief.

The crowd was gone, and Lilith sprinted up to me, her face twisted in barely contained rage. "Enjoy it while you can, Asha," she spat, her voice cold and little more than a whisper. "This doesn't change anything. You are still beneath me."

I met her glare for glare. "Maybe. But I will never stay there.

Her eyes are slit, her mouth pursing into a thin line. For once, she seemed at a loss for words, and I took advantage of that, turning to walk away, leaving her standing in a siege of her bitter threat hanging in the air. I knew she'd find ways to make me pay for this, but not now. I'd done what I came to do, and that was enough.

I left the packhouse, cool evening air filling my lungs as I emerged out into the open. The competition was done, but running through me now lay a new strength and quiet determination that Lilith couldn't touch. I stood my ground and proved myself in ways that mattered to me. I was more than just the daughter of an Omega, more than some role she and others tried to hem me into.

I allowed myself a small smile as I walked back toward the woods. And maybe, just maybe, I’d find a way to rise above it all. But as I made my way toward the woods, I felt a sudden chill crawl up my spine. A rustle from the trees ahead caught my attention—soft, barely perceptible. Then, through the branches, I saw him. Rylan. He was standing there, watching me. His gaze was unreadable, his presence unnerving.

I stopped in my tracks, my heart racing. What was he doing here? And why did the tension in the air feel different now? But just immediately, he disappeared and I returned to hear the results.

As soon as the final results were announced, a hollow burn seared my chest.