REVENGE OF THE ALPHA’S MATE

I could hear the cries of my pack—my family—echoing through the trees. The scent of blood was thick in the air, clinging to my skin, choking me with every breath. It wasn’t just the physical pain that made my heart clench; it was the betrayal, the sting of it sinking deep into my chest, ripping me apart from the inside out. Lucien. My Lucien. He stood there, just beyond the edge of the clearing, his cold, calculating eyes trained on me. It was hard to recognize him now. The man I once adored, the Alpha I had sworn my loyalty to, had turned his back on me. “Lucien!” I gasped, my voice barely more than a whisper, but I knew he heard me. I saw the slight flicker in his eyes—the guilt, the regret. But there was no remorse. There was no apology, no movement to save me. The Blood Council stood behind him, their cruel faces twisted with satisfaction. The leaders of that vile organization who had once spoken of peace, now relishing in my death. My life had been nothing but a pawn in their sick game, and now, as I lay shackled to the ground, I knew the price had finally come due. “Aeryn,” Lucien’s voice came, distant and cold, “I never wanted this.” I wanted to scream, to rage at him, but the words stuck in my throat. What did it matter now? He had already made his choice. “You…” I coughed, blood spilling from my mouth. “You betrayed me. You betrayed us.” He didn’t answer. His eyes met mine again, and I could see the storm of emotions there, but it was too late. The pain in my chest was unbearable. The shadows began to blur around me, the world slipping away. I felt my strength draining, every heartbeat a little weaker, a little more distant. And then, as I stumbled, I felt something I hadn’t expected—a pull. It was faint, a tug at my soul, like a thread being yanked from the very core of me. The bond. It was impossible. He couldn’t still feel it, could he? After everything he’d done, after what he was allowed to happen, could he still feel it? I turned my head toward him one last time. His face twisted with a mixture of confusion and longing, and something inside me screamed at the sight. Why isn’t he stopping this? The bond between us. It had been a lifeline once, a thread connecting our very souls. But now it felt like a mockery. Why had he abandoned me? Why had he sold me to the Council? My heart ached, the pain a raw reminder of what had been lost. “Lucien…” My voice trembled as I whispered his name one last time. He didn’t answer. He didn’t even move. The pull in my chest grew stronger, but the darkness was closing in, stealing everything from me. Just as I collapsed, just as my vision blurred and the weight of death threatened to claim me, I heard something—a voice that was not Lucien’s, a voice that sent a chill through my already freezing body. “You’re not dead yet, Omega. Not by a long shot.” The words vibrated through me, sending a shiver down my spine. The air around me shifted, and before I could even comprehend what was happening, a figure stepped into view. A woman, cloaked in shadow, her eyes glowing with an unnatural light. She moved with the grace of someone who had seen death countless times. She didn’t speak again; instead, she knelt beside me, placing her hand on my shattered body. The moment her skin touched mine, an electric shock ran through me, jolting me awake, or maybe just keeping me tethered to the edge of life. “Who—who are you?” I managed to gasp, my breath coming in sharp, shallow gasps. The woman—no, the witch—didn’t answer at first. She merely studied me, her gaze unreadable. I felt her power, ancient and dark, swirling around her, pulling me in. “I’m the one who will save you,” she finally said, her voice a low rasp. My heart beat erratically in my chest, and despite the overwhelming pain, I felt something else—something strange, something cold and powerful. “Save me?” I coughed, the words barely leaving my lips. “Why? I don’t... need your help.” “Oh, but you do, Omega.” The witch’s lips curled into a small, almost amused smile. “You’ve been playing the victim for far too long. You’ve forgotten what power lies inside you.” “I’ve... no power. I’m nothing... just an Omega,” I muttered, slipping in and out of consciousness, my words slurring. “Not anymore.” She placed her hand against my chest, and the world shifted again. Magic—raw, unrefined magic—pulsed through me, filling the emptiness inside. My broken body was healing, but the ache in my heart? That was still there, still festering, gnawing at me. The witch’s eyes met mine, and for a moment, I thought I saw something—something familiar—there. Something that spoke of regret, of a lost cause. But before I could voice the question that hung in the air, she spoke again, her voice quiet but firm. “This is only the beginning, Omega. Your revenge will come. But first, you must remember who you are.” I didn’t have time to respond. My vision blurred once again, the magic consuming me, pulling me under. And then, just before everything went dark, the last thing I heard was her voice, a whisper in my ear. “This is only the beginning.”