Alpha and Omega

The unexpected

"Mom, are you sure this isn't to much?"  Turning in the mirror I can't believe how I look without my hoodies and baggy jeans, without my shoulders slumped in an attempt to make myself seem smaller.  

Mom had pulled my onyx hair back into a sleek bun at the back of my head, even knowing how much hair I had the size of the bun she made surprised me.  She'd also done my make up, lining my eyes with black and blue liner that made my blue eyes pop, finishing it off with a soft, almost nude, shade of pink lip stick.  I didn't even look like me.  While my wolf was purring in appreciation of how remarkable I looked, I was apprehensive... 

"No dear, it's the perfect amount.  Oh heels!  I ordered these weeks ago in preparation for tonight!"  Mom exclaimed, running from my room to hers.

"Heels?  Mom, I'm 6'2'', I already tower over all the other girls in my class!  The only reason no one picks on me is because over half my class thinks I'm a guy seeing as how they've never seen how long my hair is or my body shape!"  I was hollering at her so she could hear me even while in her room, before long she was rushing back in with a box with a pair of beautiful black heels with rhinestones on the heels and toe.

"They are only 2 inches tall!  You'll be almost as tall as Alpha Knox!"  She sounded way to excited at that concept.  

"I've been making my self invisible for 5 years mom, now you want me to just throw that all away and draw attention to my self?  I don't understand."  Mom knelt at my feet and had me lift one foot then the other as she slipped the beautiful shoes onto my feet, thankfully with the heel so short they were easy enough to walk in.  Turning to the mirror I was a little surprised at the effect even such a small heel had, my hips naturally pulled forward a bit and my butt was more prominent, even my posture was improved.

They matched my dress perfectly, even though it was a very simple black ankle length gown, with tank sleeves and form fitting, it hugged my body all the way to mid thigh before falling in a straight sheet to my ankles.  Every part of my body except my arms was covered, and yet, I felt exposed, almost naked.  Staring at my self in the mirror again I couldn't believe how different I looked from that Omega girl I had to pretend to be everyday of my life for the past five years. 

"I don't know about this..."  I mumbled staring at my reflection in awe.  I looked like a completely different person and wasn't sure how I felt about that.

"Don't worry, you're going to pack up the rest of the items you plan on taking with you on the move tonight and we are going to inform the Alpha at Graduation that you are going to your uncles pack to celebrate your birthday."  I turned to look at mom quizzically, but she was just grinning at me.

"What?  I thought we were moving in two days?  On my birthday?  That's been the plan forever mom, why are you changing it now?"  The grin slipped from her face for a moment, but then was back up, a mask to attempt to cover the fear I'd seen flash in her eyes.  "Mom, tell me now.  What happened?"

"I-"  Mom looked away from me, at anything else in the room but at me.  "He told me I couldn't tell you.  He ordered me Lenora."  Recognition flashed through my mind as moms eyes flickered to mine and away again.  Only an Alpha order could override an Alpha order.

"Allana Hall, I order you to tell me what changed the plan."  I hated doing this to my mother, an Alpha's order was not just words, it was a push for submission, it was taking away another person will.  Mom bent her head to the side, submitting to me and it took everything in me not to pull my aura back in, to keep my mom from having to deal with this.

"Alpha Knox is your mate.  The Alpha has forbidden me from moving you from the pack until you became of age to be claimed or rejected."  I pulled my aura back in immediately and turned away from my mom, my hand going to my mouth as I chocked back a sob.  No.  He couldn't be my mate...  Knox was a self entitled prick, conceited beyond belief and until this year he'd ignored me like everyone else.  He'd turned 18 right before senior year started and I'd caught him staring at me randomly through out the school day, each time a look of confusion and disgust on his face.

"It's okay though!  You will command me not to remember this conversation, when we get to graduation I'll express that you wish to spend your birthday with your Uncle Leonard and cousins and that we'll just be taking a few bags for the week long trip and will be back after."  Mom was standing in front of me again, taking my hands in hers as she stared up at me with love shinning in her eyes.  "We will get you out of here my dear,  I promise."  I just nodded my head and blinked my eyes dry.

"This just makes you dressing me up all the worse mom, why would Knox ever let me go if he sees I'm every bit as beautiful as his girlfriend?  Slumpy old Ora I could see him rejecting, but now?"  I waved my hand up my body and at my face.  I wasn't being conceited, I'd always known I was a pretty girl, but tonight, tonight I was drop dead gorgeous. 

"That's the best part about you being an Alpha as well my dear, you can reject him.  Then you will be free from this pack and he will be free to find his own chosen mate."  Mom patted my hand in hers and flashed me a confident smile.  "This will work.  It has to!"  She threw her hand up in such an elaborate and dramatic wave that I felt my self giggling before I could stop my self. 

"I still don't understand why I have to dress up."  I looked at my self again, my hands picking at my dress.

"Because the Prince is coming tonight and he'll need to choose a mate soon.  Who better then an Alpha woman born of and Omega mother and Warrior father?  Fresh blood for the royal blood line."  I cringed at the way she said that and shook my head.  

"Eww mom...  Are you going to auction me off to the highest bidder tonight?"  Mom waggled her eyebrows drawing another burst of laughter from my mouth.  "Mom!"

"What?!"  She asked dramatically, her eyes going wide as she stared at me like a crazy person.  "You're telling me being a Princess wouldn't only keep you safe from Alpha Neo and Alpha Knox but also be an amazing chance at life?  An Alpha Prince would appreciate an Alpha mate."  Mom nodded her head at the end to emphasize her words, but I just rolled my eyes.

"Or he could be waiting for his fated mate.  Not to mention if he's considering taking a chosen mate soon then he must be much older then me, wouldn't it be weird for him to marry a 17 year old girl mom?"  I started packing the few things around the room that I wanted to take with me to my Uncles, including the only picture I had of my father.  I looked like him, with my black hair and bright blue eyes, tall, commanding.  Mom never talked about him but I knew she missed him, I was the only reason she hadn't chosen to follow him to the Moon Goddess's realm.

"First of all, you will be 18 in 2 days, legal anywhere in the world.  Second, he's only 24 years old, so not to crazy an age gap.  And third and final, I would do anything to insure your safety from this pack of conceited, self entitled ass holes who call them selves Alphas."  Mom's words were filled with so much venom I turned to stare at her in shock, when she noticed she waved a hand at me and turned back to pulling clothes out of my drawers to stuff in a bag.  "You don't see what's going on in the pack Ora.  We aren't the only family who was denied the ability to leave." 

The alarm on my phone went off, signally it was time to leave for graduation.  "It's time!"  Mom squealed zipping up the bag in her hand and moving towards the door to my room, turning around last second to see me looking at my self in the mirror again.  "Will you stop gawking and come on?  I wanna see my baby walk up and get her diploma and I wanna see the look on every person's face there when they see you."  With that we were gone, white cap and gown in hand as we drove towards the school.

Thirty minutes later I was standing with the rest of my classmates and I realized I much preferred being invisible.  Everyone was gawking at me and pointing, and whispering, apparently not remembering that as werewolves we all have very sharp hearing and I could hear everything they said.

"Who is that?"

"I don't know, I've never seen her before?"

"She's so tall!"

"There's no way she was in our class."

"Screw her height look at how beautiful she is, have you ever seen such blue eyes."

"To Hell with her eyes, ever seen such black hair?"

"Knox can't stop staring at her, it's pissing Kathleen off big time."

"I got her name!  It's Lenora Hall!"

"Who?  I've never heard of her?"

"She's been in our class since kindergarten, she's just always stuck to her self."

"No way, I'd remember a face like that with a body like that."

"Remember the tall kid in the black hoodies and baggy jeans?"

"That was her?!"

"Oh yeah, Knox is definitely staring... do you think he'll talk to her?"

"Guarantee it... oh, look, there he goes!  Kathleen is steaming!"

Great, I went from being invisible to being the biggest piece of gossip at Graduation.  I tried to duck my head and keep to my self, but as soon as people noticed me it was a waste to pretend I wasn't there.  So instead I simply smiled and nodded as people stared at me and whispered, pretending to be really into the program I had been handed when I walked in.  Hearing the bit about Knox though made me groan in exasperation.  Last thing I needed was him starting crap.  Maybe he'd admit that he knew I was his mate and I could express how incredibly not interested I was here and now.  But no, that wasn't how an Omega would act, and I had to continue my little masquerade a little longer.

"Hey there."  I heard Knox's voice behind me and cringed inwardly at the disgustingly weak tone of it.  How he was supposed to be our next Alpha was beyond me.  Turning to face him I pasted a polite smile on my face, though the fact that I was at eye level with him was beyond enjoyable, especially when his own gaze winded slightly at the same fact.  "Lenora, you've grown a lot since the last time we hung out."

"Seeing as how that was when we were 10, I'd say I have."  I knew it was a smart ass thing to say, but I honestly couldn't resist, the narrowing of his eyes at my snarky comeback was just to much fun to watch.  "You've grown since then as well, Alpha."  Ehh, just calling him that made me want to wash my mouth out with soap, it felt wrong.

"That's true I guess."  He puffed his chest out with self importance and smirked at me, raising a hand to my face, I wanted to cringe away, but it would be an insult, so I dropped my eyes and held my self rigidly still.  I wasn't prepared for the sparks that erupted across my skin where he touched and my wide eyes flew to his smug ones.  It was the mate bond, I really was his mate and he was mine.  Boy did the moon goddess get this one wrong.  

"I see you can feel it to, most likely since you'll be 18 in less then 2 days.  I was going to reject you..."  My heart soared at those words, if he rejected me then I won't have to reveal my wolf or my status, me and mom could leave with no interference.  "But honestly, you are so gorgeous, I'd be a fool to not keep you.  Not by my side of course, you are of Omega birth, to weak to be my mate and bear my heir... but you'd make a fine mistress."  Stepping even closer I could smell sweat coming off his body and alcohol on his breath, I guess he started the party early, and I wanted to vomit.  It was odd finding him attractive and reacting to the mate bond while also being able to keep my head about me since I was not yet of age.

Taking a step back from him I gave him another polite smile.  "As... intriguing, as that offer sounds, I'll have to decline, I am no mans mistress or second choice."  I went to turn away but was snatched back when his hand wrapped around my arm and pulled me back to face him, his fingers were bruising on my arm as they dug into my skin, but I refused to back down to him.

"You are mine!  You don't get a choice in the matter Omega."  He was whispering an inch from my face, so mad that a little vein in his forehead was pulsating and his ugly dull green eyes were blazing fire at me.  Instead of doing the smart thing, instead of bowing in submission for now, instead of making the drama and the scene end, I smirked at him and narrowed my eyes.

"Ora, you take care of him... or I will."  Growled my wolf, not that I needed the encouragement, anger was already coursing through my veins and there was now way I was going to roll over and take his misogynistic opinions and orders to heart.

"Just try and make me Knox ."  I sneered his name, placing my fingers around his hand on my arm and bending it back, putting pressure on his hand and twisting till I heard a snap.  He whimpered at the pain in his fractured wrist and tried to yank his hand away from me, but I wasn't done.  I pushed his hand back, towards his forearm and applied more and more pressure while his angry gaze bored into mine.  "I belong to no man, least of all a sniffering, pathetic, coward of a wolf like you."

"Is there a problem here?"  A deep foreign accent asked behind me.  s**t, the prince.  I let go of the imbecile I was holding and spun around, keeping my eyes down cast.  "No Sir, not at all."  

"Yes, this Omega broke my wrist."  Knox growled, cradling his injured wrist to his chest and glaring at me.  Not very intelligent on his part to admit that an Omega was able to hurt him.

"An Omega?"  The foreign voice asked with amusement lacing his tone.  "You let an Omega best you?  Awfully brave to admit that Alpha Knox... or very ignorant."  I couldn't help the burst of laughter that came from my mother and I tried to smother it with a cough, but the smile that formed on the foreigners lips had me grinning back, not even bothering to keep my eyes downcast as a proper Omega would do.  "What is your name Omega?"  I didn't miss the sarcasm he used to emphasize that last word.

"Lenora Hall, your Highness."  His eye brows shoot up right before he started chuckling, I watched him nervously, knowing I had just made a fool of my self.  

"No Miss Hall, I am not his Highness.  But thank you for the compliment."  The strange man continued chuckling, before his eyes grew hard and he glared at the weakling Alpha beside me.  "And you, putting your hands on a woman in your pack... disgraceful.  Rest assured the Prince will hear about this."

"But Rising Beta Jaxon, she is my mate."  I rolled my eyes and scoffed at Knox's words.  I'd never be his mate.  Even if my human half had been willing to give him a chance, Mathilda had decided he was to weak for us.  I'd never heard of a female wolf refusing the mate chosen for her, but then again, there had never been a female Alpha that I was aware of.  My scoff had earned me another glance from Jaxon and I just smiled at him and shrugged my shoulders, which it turn made him chuckle again.

"Even if that is true, pup, I do not think the lady agrees to the match.  Best you run off now and lick your wounds, I believe the procession starts any minute now."  Unable to go against a Royal Beta, Knox snarled at me and turned, stalking back to where Kathleen was standing with silent tears in her eyes.  Everyone in the waiting area was staring at me or Knox and I knew they'd heard every word.  Great.  

"You are..."  Beta Jaxon's intrigued words drew my attention back to him, his eyes searching my face with curiosity burning in his gaze. "... different than any Omega I have ever met."  He paused a moment, just watching me, as if I were a puzzle he wanted to figure out.  Jaxon was a handsome enough man, with a square jaw and high cheek bones, his eye were a cobalt blue and his hair was almost as black as mine, he was taller then me, which was nice for a change with most of the guys in my class being around 6'2-6'3,  Jaxon was 6'5 at least.  He was wearing an expensive looking suit which surprised me a bit, most people simply wore khaki's and button up shirts, but he was wearing a full 3 piece suit with a pristine white button up shirt and a black tie with a gold crescent moon pin in the middle.

"Do you like what you see Lenora?"  I heard him ask, amusement mixed with his accent again.  

"I mean, you are rather handsome, but not my type I fear."  I snipped back with a wink.  Whoa, what in the hell had come over me?  Was I just going to completely be my self now?  Smart ass comments and all?  But he was laughing again, looking at me in a new light, which I found a little disturbing.

"Well that is good, seeing as how I am mated to Princess Catherine."  

"See, I also don't like to share, the works out best for both of us."  Holy s**t Lenora, calm down... I didn't know how to stop it though, it was like everything that had happened tonight lead to me being one hundred and ten percent the real me.  

"I like you Omega."  There was that sarcasm on the word Omega again, that along with the glint in his eye told me he didn't believe I was one at all, that could be good or bad for me.  Something told me I'd find out soon as I heard the processional music start up and the teachers started ushering students to get in line in pairs.  Knox and Kathleen at the front, of course.  "Nice to meet you Lenora, congratulations."

"Thank you!"  I called after him as he walked towards the auditorium's double doors and disappeared within. 

Standing in line next to Karen Legger, I couldn't stop the bright smile on my lips.  I had been my self and impressed a royal Beta.  Suddenly I felt more confidant in mine and moms plan and I was beyond ready to escape this pack and move on with my life, maybe even possibly a chosen mate.