I Am the Omega, the Alpha's True Mate

The silence after Kael’s announcement was thunderous. Ayla stood by his side on the palace balcony, the weight of thousands of eyes pressed against her. Below, the pack bowed—not to mock her, not to scorn her, but to acknowledge her. But deep down, Ayla didn’t trust it. She could feel it in the air—the stiffness in some shoulders, the hesitation in the way a few Elders bowed a second too late. Not everyone approved. Not everyone believed in a queen who once crawled in dirt to survive. And she’d be damned if she gave them a reason to doubt her now. --- After the crowd dispersed, Kael escorted her inside. The moment the doors closed, his façade dropped. “That went better than expected,” he said. “You didn’t see the glares from your noble council,” Ayla replied, pulling off the ceremonial cloak. “They looked at me like I’d rolled in from the gutter.” “They’ll adjust.” “They won’t,” she said sharply. “They’ll test me. Challenge me. Try to humiliate me.” Kael stepped closer, voice low and sure. “Let them. You’ll prove them wrong.” Ayla stared at him, something fierce and cold simmering in her chest. “I don’t want your protection.” “And I’m not offering it,” he replied. “I’m offering my partnership. But I’ll never stop defending what’s mine.” That word. Mine. It echoed in her mind longer than she liked. --- Later that evening, Ayla returned to the healer’s wing to oversee the wounded soldiers. But as she approached the central chamber, she heard low voices inside—angry, hushed. “She’s just an Omega,” a male voice sneered. “What makes her worthy of being queen?” “She’s dangerous,” said another. “If the Alpha King is truly bonded to her, she could control him.” “She’s already changing things. Healing rogues? Speaking in council? It’s not her place.” Ayla pushed open the door. The voices stopped. The warriors inside froze when they saw her—two nobles she hadn’t yet met, and a junior healer she vaguely recognized. She didn’t shout. She didn’t flinch. She walked calmly to the table, unrolled her satchel, and began preparing herbs. “You know,” she said coolly, “in most packs, eavesdropping on a queen would be considered treason.” The nobles stiffened. “I… I apologize, my lady,” one stammered. Ayla met his gaze with icy calm. “Don’t apologize. You spoke your mind. That’s your right.” She leaned forward slightly. “But if you speak it again outside these walls, I won’t be as gracious.” Silence. Then she smiled—sweet, dangerous. “Now leave. I have real work to do.” --- That night, as she walked the halls alone, Ayla found Selene waiting near her door. “You heard what they said,” Ayla murmured. Selene nodded. “They’re afraid.” “Of me?” “Of change.” Ayla studied her. “Will you protect me if it comes to a fight?” Selene raised her chin. “No. I’ll fight beside you.” --- Ayla stepped into her room and closed the door. She stood in the silence, looking at her reflection in the mirror. No longer just the rejected Omega. No longer invisible. The queen had been named. Now she would have to prove she deserved the crown.