THE ALPHA'S OMEGA BRIDE

“MYRA!” I jumped awake. My heart was beating fast as I stared at the cracked ceiling above my head. “Get out of that bed!” I quickly sat up. That voice. My stepfather. I looked at the small clock beside my bed. It was barely six in the morning. “I’m coming,” I answered softly. “Coming? How long does it take you to get out of bed?” I didn't answer. I quickly got dressed in my old, faded clothes and tied my hair into a simple ponytail. Before leaving my room, I looked at myself in the small mirror hanging on the wall. I looked tired. I always looked tired. My name is Myra. I am eighteen years old, an Omega of the Riverside Pack, and a second-year student at Riverside University. And this was my life. I opened my bedroom door and walked downstairs. My stepfather was sitting at the dining table. He looked at me with disgust. “You're late.” “I’m sorry.” “Sorry?” He laughed bitterly. “You are good for nothing.” I lowered my eyes. My mother was standing in the kitchen, preparing breakfast. She heard everything. But she said nothing. That hurt more than his words. My father had died when I was young. After his death, my mother married Adrian. At first, I thought he would become a father to me. I was wrong. Adrian was once a Gamma in the Riverside Pack. He had power, respect, and money. But after losing his position, everything changed. And somehow, I became the person he blamed for everything. “Go and clean the house,” he ordered. “But I have school—” He slammed his hand on the table. “I don't care about your school!” I flinched. My mother finally turned around. “Myra, just do what he says.” I looked at her. There were so many things I wanted to say. But I swallowed them. “Yes, Mum.” I spent the next hour cleaning the house. By the time I finished, I was already late for class. I grabbed my old backpack and rushed outside. The moment I stepped through the gate, I breathed freely. Campus was the only place where I could pretend to be normal. Riverside University was filled with werewolves from different packs. And because most of the students came from wealthy families, I always felt out of place. I walked quickly toward my lecture hall. As I passed a group of girls, I heard them laughing. “Isn't that Myra?” “The Omega?” “Yeah.” One of them looked at my shoes and laughed. “She still wears those?” I looked down at my worn-out sneakers. My cheeks burned. I kept walking. I was used to it. Being an Omega meant being at the bottom. And being poor made it even worse. I entered my lecture hall just as the professor walked in. “Sorry, sir.” He looked at me. “Take your seat.” I quietly walked to the back. As I sat down, my best friend, Lily, leaned toward me. “You look exhausted.” “I am.” “What happened?” “Nothing. Just my stepfather.” She sighed. “One day, Myra, you're going to leave that house.” I smiled sadly. “I hope so.” I opened my notebook and tried to concentrate. Then suddenly, the entire lecture hall became quiet. I looked toward the door. A tall young man walked inside. Ryan Blackwood. The Alpha. He was a third-year student at Riverside University, two years ahead of me. Everyone knew him. He was handsome, rich, powerful, and arrogant. And most importantly... He was the future Alpha of the Riverside Pack. Girls immediately started whispering. “Ryan is here.” “He looks so good.” “Do you think he'll attend the party this weekend?” Ryan didn't even look at them. He walked straight to his seat. Our eyes met for only a second. Then he looked away. I lowered my head. Why was my heart beating so fast? I ignored the feeling and returned to my notes. I didn't know that the boy I had just seen would soon change my entire life. I didn't know that my stepfather was hiding a secret. And I certainly didn't know that before the week ended... I would be standing at the Riverside Pack's doorstep. As Ryan Blackwood's future wife.