Scarred and Fated to My Father’s Enemy

Neriah POV It’s been three months since Kieran left for his campaign against the growing rogue problem. Before he left he promised me that if he comes back to me, he will officially announce me as his Luna. I look at myself in the mirror. The scar on my face is a constant reminder of the bet I made with my father three years ago. Hide who you really are, get him to fall in love with me, an Omega the bastard child of the King who has been deemed unworthy by any male that lays eyes on me. At the time I thought my father was being cynical. I thought if people got to know me, really know me, they would stop seeing the scar first. I thought love was stronger than appearances. Three years later, I was standing on the verge of proving him wrong. My wolf is still dormant even at the age of 21. Kieran agreed to take me as a chosen mate in order to secure the support of my father the Alpha King to help keep his struggling pack afloat. The first year with Kieran was the hardest. He was cold and distant; he would always say my scar made it hard for him to be around me. I remember crying myself to sleep after he said it the first time. I used to stare at my reflection wondering if I would look different if I tilted my head a certain way or covered part of my face with my hair. Eventually I stopped trying to hide it. If Kieran couldn’t love me because of a scar, then that was his weakness, not mine. Instead of self-pity, I poured my blood, sweat, and tears into his pack. By the second year, I had stabilized their finances, saved their dying crops, and nursed them through a harsh winter. The winter two years ago had nearly broken Silverstone. Families were rationing food, and warriors were skipping meals so their children could eat. I spent weeks negotiating trade deals and finding suppliers willing to work with us. Last year when rogues attacked and destroyed nearly a quarter of the territory, I helped coordinate the rebuilding effort. I knew every family by name. Every loss. Every victory. This wasn’t just Kieran’s pack anymore. It was mine too. Kieran and I never fully mated, he marked me before he left with a promise that I will officially be his upon his return. Some nights I would touch the mark and replay that memory in my head. The way he held me, the way he looked at me. This was the first time I felt truly loved by this man I gave everything to. The head Omega Nina walks over to me pulling me from my thoughts. “Good morning, Luna everything is ready for the Alpha’s arrival” she says. The title still sends warmth through my chest. Three years ago, nobody would have called me Luna. Most of the pack barely acknowledged my existence. “Perfect and the kitchen prepared all of his favorite dishes, correct?” I ask and she smiles at me. “Yes Luna, everything is just as you requested” she says. “Thank you, Nina, that will be all” I say as I walk through the very halls I helped rebuild after the rogue attack last year. I look around at the now prospering pack and I smile at all that I have accomplished. Now all that is left is for Kieran to come home and make me his Luna and then I would have officially won the bet and I have more than earned my place by his side. The horns blow announcing Kieran’s return. I smile a big grin and lift my gown and run outside to greet him. My heart races as I push through the crowd. Three months of worry finally over. Three months of waiting for this moment. When the convoy comes to a stop Kieran steps out and the pack screams in excitement and they release confetti and balloons. He smiles big as his pack welcomes him and our warriors home. Relief crashes through me. He’s safe. He’s finally home. He turns back to the car and a beautiful tall petite blonde steps out. A contrast to my curves and my scarred face that I try so hard to hide. My steps slow. Kieran places a hand on the small of her back and walks over to me. The gesture is small but intimate. Too intimate. Kieran has never touched me that casually in public. “Neriah sweetheart this is my mate Ember” he says smiling. For a second I honestly think I misheard him. “Her father died in battle and I promised him I will look after her and that is when I discovered we were mates.” he says looking at her. The way he looks at her twists something painful inside my chest. I’ve spent three years hoping he would look at me like that. “She is also pregnant, I will take her as my Luna but the pack and I will still take care of you,” he says. Pregnant. Luna. Mate. Every word feels like another crack spreading through my chest. Ember lowers her eyes as if she’s uncomfortable, but I don’t miss the way her hand possessively settles over Kieran’s arm. My entire world shatters at the word mate. Everything I have given to this pack all thrown away in seconds. Three years of sacrifice. Three years of loyalty. Three years of believing I was building a future. Gone before the confetti had even finished falling. He looks at me, guilt written on his face. “Say something,” he says. Around us, the celebration has gone silent. I can feel hundreds of eyes on me. Waiting. Watching. Pitying. “Congratulations and welcome home” I say before turning and walking into the pack house. My vision blurs. My chest aches. Every step feels heavier than the last. But I refuse to cry in front of them. I refuse to let Kieran remember me as the woman who begged him to stay. If my world is falling apart, I will let it happen in private.