The Fat Omega’s Vengeance : Between Two Alphas

Aria's POV 16

“Are you completely out of your mind?” The words tumbled out of my mouth before my brain could even stop them.

Damian didn't even flinch, he just stood there watching me with his calm, golden eyes. “I don’t think so.”

“Damian, I am an omega,” I hissed, stepping closer and lowering my voice so the guards near the gate couldn't hear us. “Omegas do not attend the Celestial Mate Ball and they've never ... .especially as dates to the pack Beta. That is not how this works. People will lose their minds!”

“Let them,” he replied simply, putting his hands into his pockets.

I stared at him, my head throbbing. “Let them? You don't understand the kind of mess this will cause…the gossip alone will make my life in the pack house a nightmare. Beside that, why would you even want me there?”

“Because I asked you,” he said, his tone entirely too relaxed.

“That’s not a real reason.” I argued back, frustration boiling over in my chest. “Look at me, Damian. I’m nobody… I clear dirty plates and scrub floors. If you show up with me on your arm, everyone from our pack and every surrounding pack is going to be staring, questioning, and digging into who I am which is very unnecessary.”

That was the real danger, though I couldn't tell him why I didn't want people to look into me.

Damian took a slow step toward me, closing the distance between us until his shadow fell completely over me. The easy, teasing smirk vanished from his face, replaced by an expression that was terrifyingly focused.

“Let them look,” he murmured, his voice dropping low enough that only I could hear it. “And let them dig. I don't care about pack rules, Aria, and I certainly don't care about what a bunch of arrogant Alpha wolves think.”

I swallowed hard, my throat feeling dry. “And what about Alpha Kael?” I whispered, testing the waters. “He’s your Alpha, how are you going to explain bringing an omega as your personal date?”

A dark, dangerous flicker flashed deep in Damian's eyes at the mention of Kael's name. It was gone so fast I almost thought I imagined it.

“Kael doesn't own me,” Damian said coldly. “And he doesn't own you either. He will deal with it.”

“Damian—”

“The decision is made, Aria,” he interrupted gently, though his voice left absolutely no room for debate. “The dress is bought and you’re coming with me.”

“ But isn't that the night you find your mate? I can't —”

“ There won't be a mate nor will I find one.” He turned around and started walking back toward the main pack house.“ Natalie will help you and please Natalie you'll help her get ready on the actual day let me know everything that is needed ."

“ Yes Beta,” she said with a huge smile on her face.

I stood frozen on the dirt path, staring at his retreating back in utter disbelief.

Beside me, Natalie finally gasped, grabbing my arm so hard her fingernails dug through my sleeve. “Oh my goddess, Aria... you’re going to the Ball with the Beta!”

I buried my face in my hands and let out a long, miserable groan.

Disaster wasn't just waiting around the corner anymore. It was pulling up a chair and inviting itself to dinner.

Later in the day , I couldn't work properly because my brain kept repeating Damian’s ridiculous command over and over again. You will be my date. Was he completely out of his mind? Did he want to embarrass me in front of the entire pack? Omegas did not get invited to formal events like it's something I wanted to change when I was Lydia but it wasn’t easy, so an omega going there was going to be chaos let alone as the Beta's date. The pack gossip was already going to be terrible.

Still, despite my anger, I put myself together and got dressed for training.

I did not care about pleasing Damian, but I did care about surviving. Aria’s body had failed me when those rogues attacked in the woods, and I had been completely helpless. That terrified me, anything could happen in this dangerous place, and I needed to get this body into shape as fast as possible. So, like it or not, I needed to train.

When I stepped into the dusty arena, Damian was already there waiting for me.

I marched right over , glaring at him.

"You look like you want to kill me," Damian said calmly, picking up a pair of wooden training staffs.

"Maybe I do," I snapped, taking a sharp breath. "What was that ridiculous stunt about really … are you trying to make me a laughingstock? An omega as your date? What is wrong with you?"

"The pack's gossip is not my problem Ari,: Damian replied smoothly, tossing a staff toward me. "Pick it up. We are working on basic sparring today."

I caught the staff, forcing my posture to look sloppy and weak even though every bone in my body wanted to wipe that calm look off his face.

He stepped forward, showing me basic stance work as if I were a little kid who had never held a weapon before. "Hold your elbows higher and keep your feet spread…try not to trip over yourself."

I followed his instructions, biting the inside of my cheek so hard I almost tasted blood. We started to spar, tapping our staffs together in slow, simple rhythms. But as we moved, Damian kept watching me with a smug look in his eye.

"You know," Damian said casually, easily blocking my lazy swing, "for someone who claims she wants to protect herself, you hit like a helpless little pup. Maybe I should actually start from ground zero and train you like an actual pup.”

Something inside me snapped.The insult hit my ego like a spark to gasoline. Forget playing dumb. Forget pretending to be weak, pure rage filled my mind, and before my brain could stop me, my body took over.

I turned sharply on my back foot, bringing the wooden staff around with terrifying speed and force.

CRACK!

My weapon slammed against his with enough strength to send a loud echo bouncing off the arena walls. I did not stop. I swept his legs, drove the blunt end of my staff toward his chest, and used an advanced counter-attack that Kael himself had taken months to teach me.

Damian’s eyes widened in sheer shock as he was forced to throw himself backward to avoid a blow that would have smashed right into his head. The wind from my weapon whipped his dark hair across his forehead. He stumbled back three full steps, barely catching his balance, his mouth slightly open as he stared at me in complete disbelief.

“s**t,” I cussed under my breath. I froze, the wooden staff trembling in my hands as my mind cleared. Oh goddess, I had let his words get to me that I almost knocked out the pack Beta. I had just used warrior techniques that no omega should ever know.

"I am... I am tired," I lied quickly, dropping my weapon into the dirt and clutching my chest, forcing myself to breathe heavily. "I can't train anymore today, can I leave?”

Damian did not say much. He slowly lowered his staff, his intense golden eyes tracking my every movement as if he were looking at a total stranger.

"Fine," he said quietly after a long silence.

He dropped his staff and pointed toward the path leading out of the arena. "Let's go to the lake for a small relaxer.”

I wanted to say no immediately. I wanted to run back to the omega quarters and hide under my blanket. But my body was burning with anger and adrenaline, and I knew the cool water at the lake usually helped calm my racing thoughts.

"Fine," I muttered, following behind him.

When we arrived at the shore, Damian did not hesitate. He took off his shirt, kicked off his boots, and walked straight into the clear water.

I sat down on the grassy bank, putting my legs in the water. I could not help watching him as he swam. The water slicked back his dark hair and glistened against his broad shoulders. He looked effortlessly good-looking, and for a brief second, I found myself admiring him.

Stop it, I scolded myself internally, shaking my head. He is annoying and arrogant. Damian surfaced near the edge, wiping the water from his eyes. He looked up at me and waved his hand. "Come in. The water is great."

"No," I replied firmly,"I can't swim."

Damian let out a short laugh, totally not believing me. "Right. Just like you can't fight?"

Before I could react, he lunged forward, grabbed my ankle, and pulled me right off the bank into the deep water.

A loud splash echoed through the quiet woods.

Cold water rushed over my head instantly. Panic seized my throat. In my past life, I had never learned how to swim, and as Aria I certainly did not know how either. I thrashed wildly beneath the surface, my hands clawing at empty air as my chest burned for air.

"Stop pretending, Aria, it's not that deep—" Damian started to say, but his voice cut off as he saw me sinking, coughing and gasping bubbles of air.

"Oh s**t," he muttered, his face turning pale. "You really can't swim!"

Strong arms suddenly wrapped around my waist, pulling me up through the surface. I gasped loudly, coughing up water and clinging to his shoulders like a lifeline as he swam us back to the shallow edge.

He waded out of the lake, lifting me up into his arms effortlessly in a bridal carry to get me onto the dry grass. He moved so smoothly, carrying me as if I weighed absolutely nothing at all.

He laid me down gently on the bank, hovering over me with genuine concern in his eyes. "Are you okay?"

I coughed, wiping the wet hair from my face and catching my breath. As I looked up at him holding my heavy, wet body without even breaking a sweat, a strange, bitter thought crossed my mind.

So my weight was never the problem... It's a me problem