The Orphaned Omega

Chapter 2

[Dorothea’s POV]

My bike tires turned from unpaved dirt road onto the sidewalk that would take me directly out of Dark Pine territory. Just outside of the territory was the town of Peach Grove, which was small and lacked much of anything to draw attention to it. The town mostly consisted of Main Street, which had a couple dozen shops and restaurants, the grocery store, and a movie theater. Human subdivisions had cropped up over the years and Peach Grove became neutral territory between our pack, Dark Pine, and the neighboring pack of Red Moon. To the humans that lived here, the surrounding area was just thick forest or uninhabitable mountains. Should they try to cross our territory boundary, they would find themselves confused and turned about until eventually they made their way home. Lycans and other creatures of the night were able to pass from one territory to another, however, and rogues were often known to test a pack’s security at the borders. The human town was generally not a place many of us went to, since the territory had all they could really need. So, it had become an escape for me from the scrutiny and torment of some of my pack members.

I pulled up to the Moonlight Café, the charming little coffee and pastry shop I worked at. I walked the bike around the back of the storefront and tucked it behind the dumpster. I wiped my hands off on the apron and walked in the back door. I pulled my long hair up into a ponytail as I made my way to the front. This had been a place that Rosemary and I had come to while I was growing up. She would get a small black coffee and put exactly two sugars in it, except during Christmas. At Christmas she would get a peppermint mocha. She would order me a ham and cheese croissant and we would sit in the corner by the window in the soft, leather sofas. The café had three spots with various sofas and armchairs, all mismatched, as well as round wooden tables and chairs. There was a large bookshelf that faced the front door, all books available for use while at the café and even to borrow for a nominal fee. The register and coffee bar were on the south side of the café, to the right of the door. That’s where I found Lorelai, putting out fresh morning pastries before the café opened for the day.

I smiled warmly at the middle-aged woman as she turned to greet me. Lorelai was actually a Lycan too and had been Rosemary’s son’s mate. She had only been 15 when they had met, and the pair had only been together a year before Travis died. She had gone on to find a second-chance mate, a lovely human woman named Francesca. It was, of course, considered marrying down when in a Lycan-human relationship. But Lorelai didn’t care; she had even chosen to go through a ritual in which she would give up her longer lifespan to age alongside Francesca.

When I was 14, Lorelai allowed me to work under the table for cash helping her make pastries and doing the dishes and cleaning up. I’d since learned the cash register and how to make all the coffee selections. Lorelai and Francesca became like family to me too over the years, but even more so now that Rosemary had passed. It was their kindness that kept me here and kept me sane in Dark Pine. They had offered to have me move in after Rosie died, but I couldn’t stand the idea of not being surrounded by her scent and her things. Not yet. Plus, Lorelai had been concerned that if I lived with them, the pack would see me as even more of an outsider. She and Francesca barely attended pack events or socialized with the pack. They only stayed close because Lorelai didn’t dare become rogue, but most of the pack did not really care for them either. So instead, they checked in on me and made sure I was taking care of myself. They were the only friends I had here, and the only family I had left.

“Good morning, Thea,” Lorelai greeted.

“Hi, Lori,” I smiled. “Sorry I’m a bit late.”

“Didn’t even notice, honey,” she said. “Get yourself a cup of coffee and wipe down the tables for me, would you?”

“Yeah, of course,” I nodded, going to wipe down the tables and chairs before making myself a cup of coffee. I usually drank what Rosemary got – black with two sugars. I sipped on it as I went to unlock the front door and turn the sign to ‘Open’.

“Are you excited for the Alpha Ceremony?” Lorelai asked me as we sipped our morning coffee and waited for the first customers to arrive.

I snorted. “Hardly. If it wasn’t mandated, I’d be at home snuggled in bed.”

She chuckled. “Well, I still want you to take tomorrow off so you can sleep in and get ready. Maybe even go to the salon with the girls.”

I gave her the stink eye. “Lori, you know quite well I don’t associate with girls my age.” Or boys, for that matter. As the pack werewolf orphan, I was ostracized and called a freak. “And I don’t even have anything that would mean I’d need all day to get ready.”

She put a hand on her hip and her bright blue eyes bored into me. “What are you planning to wear? You haven’t gone shopping, so you need to spend tomorrow finding a dress.”

I shrugged. “I was just going to wear the black dress I have.”

“That old thing? Oh c’mon, we can do better. This kind of event doesn’t happen every day,” Lori chastised. I only owned one dress – it was a knee-length spaghetti-strapped dress that was rather…plain and had been old and worn even when I thrifted it. But what did it even matter? I didn’t have anywhere to wear something nicer, or anyone to wear it for. Plus, I didn’t exactly have the money to spend on something luxurious.

“Lori, I…” I looked down at the mug in my hands. I knew that she knew of my financial situation, but it was still a hit to my pride to speak about it out loud. I also knew if I said something, she’d offer to take me shopping herself and I didn’t need to overextend her kindness.

Just then, Francesca bustled in through the back door. “I’m heeeere!” she sing-songed.

I breathed out a sigh of relief, thinking her arrival would mark the end of this conversation. Oh, how I was wrong. The stout, curly-haired woman rounded the corner and brandished a sparkly garment at me.

“Look what I brought!” she crowed, practically vibrating with excitement.

I looked from her to Lori, horrified. “You can’t possibly mean…”

“Oh yes, this is for you!” Lori smiled. “Fran, you were just in time. Impeccable timing, really.”

I stared at the dress in Francesca’s hands. It was short, with a wrap-style look that collected right at the waist in a little knot. It had short cap sleeves and a deep v-neckline. It was a blush pink and had sequins that caught the light easily. It was beautiful, but I knew I would feel extremely uncomfortable in it. “You seriously want me to wear that?”

“Yup!” Fran grinned. “You’re going to wear it, and I’m going to come and do your hair and your makeup, and you will have a Cinderella moment. You could very well meet your mate tomorrow! All the surrounding packs are coming, aren’t they?”

I sighed in defeat. “Yeah…okay. Thank you,” I said, looking between the ladies that I had come to know quite well over the past two years. “I really appreciate it.”

The conversation had to come to an end for real this time when the bell above the front door chimed and in walked our first customer of the day. We all got to work and before long, the morning rush had helped pass the time quickly. I couldn’t help but think of Fran’s statement. It was true – all the packs around us would be sending members and their Alphas to welcome the new Alpha. I wasn’t quite 16 yet, but my birthday was just around the corner. I wouldn’t be able to smell my mate until I was 18 myself, but I would know it was true if he found me. I didn’t have my wolf yet, but if my mate were 18, he could find me and there was the chance my wolf could come early. I wasn’t waiting around for my knight-in-shining-armor or anything, but the idea of having a mate in another pack was intriguing. It would mean I could leave this place. If I were lucky, he’d be in Red Moon, and I could stay working at Moonlight! Ah, a girl could dream.

The problem with that, of course, was the idea that as a wolf and not a Lycan, he could just as easily reject me. I’d been through a lot of loss in my fifteen years, and I wasn’t quite sure I wanted to risk this one yet. Losing your mate could drive you crazy and being rejected could break your soul. Lycans, and wolves, were made to spend their life with their destined mate. We were powerful alone, but we were unstoppable together. We were whole. To be rejected was the worst type of pain a Lycan could endure. It meant your other half, the one meant for you, turned their nose up at you. It was highly frowned upon to do, as it was seen as a rejection of the gift from the moon and stars. And yet…prejudice still ran strong within many Lycans. Being mated to a wolf, or worse even a human, was seen as an insult to a pure Lycan bloodline. My thoughts over this churned all morning, and I decided it was better to just never meet him at all.

There was a lull before the lunch rush that I spent getting through some homework and trying to shake thoughts of mates. The idea of leaving Dark Pine was enticing in and of itself, with or without a mate. But transferring packs with a status like mine would be damn near impossible. There were only 3 ways Lycans left their home pack – 1: mate with someone of another pack and move there, 2: have status or training that was desirable (like a doctor or warrior) or 3: become a rogue. Well, technically there were 4. The fourth was selling your soul to the Queendom and getting recruited to work for the royals – the militia, or within the palace. I didn’t have either of the first two, and I didn’t fancy going rogue or working for our Queendom. Chances were the royals would be even worse to me than my pack was – better the devil you know than the devil you don’t. So…I’d stick it out in Dark Pine.

I was leaning against the counter, pouring over math notes to rid myself of my thoughts when someone walked in. I must not have heard him, because I didn’t know someone was there until he cleared his throat. I looked up and was greeted by the most mesmerizing pair of hazel eyes. My breath caught and my brain seemed to short circuit for a moment. I forgot completely how to think, let alone speak. The boy in front of me had perfectly tanned skin and a chiseled jaw. His cheekbones were sharp, and he had a pair of full, pouty lips. He ran his hand through his bronze-colored hair (don’t think I didn’t notice his delicious bicep as he did so) and rose a perfectly arched eyebrow at me.

“Are you deaf?” he said, impatient.

“Huh?” I asked, taken aback. “No, I’m not deaf.” I realized I must have missed something he had said.

“Oh, so you’re just stupid,” he frowned, rolling his eyes. I was immediately jolted back into my body. There it was…the Ian Weller I knew. Yeah, this was Alpha-to-Be Ian. I can’t believe I had nearly been drooling over him. What is wrong with me? I had never in my life reacted to him like that. I had never even thought Ian was attractive. Then again, Ian often partook in my torment. Most of the popular kids did. Once one of them got going, everyone else usually joined in. I knew that my classmates all thought I was an absolute freak. A wolf, an orphan, and up until a couple years ago when I started public school, practically a stranger to them. I had no parents to run and cry to, and most of the pack turned a blind eye to wolves being put in their place, i.e. lower than the Lycans. I also wasn’t born of Dark Pine, and my dad had no real ties here either. His coming here was unusual, and now I was dealing with the consequences of that. I’d begun to realize that most of the pack saw me as a burden – an orphan they had to take care of, an outcast. Something other. I didn’t belong here anymore, or maybe I never had at all.

I sighed. “What can I get you, Ian?”

His frown deepened. “It’s Alpha Ian to you, omega.”

It was my turn to roll my eyes. “Not here, Ian. We’re in Peach Grove. We’re supposed to keep that kind of talk to a minimum, per the Queen’s order.”

“Whatever,” he said. “Get me a caramel macchiato. Hot. Large. Mutt.”

“Sure,” I said, turning to get started on it and choosing to ignore his use of such a derogatory term for a werewolf. The back of my neck prickled, sensing the feeling of eyes on me. I glanced toward Ian to find him staring at me. No, not staring. It was like he was…checking me out. I gave my head a little shake and turned back to the drink. I must be losing my mind. First, I nearly lose my cool over Ian Weller, the biggest jerk I had ever met, and now I swear he was checking me out. I was definitely losing it.

I turned around and set his drink at the other end of the bar, sticking a stopper in it. My gaze flicked up when the bell chimed again and in walked a tall, golden-haired girl. She caught sight of me and grinned widely, giving a squeal as she ran up to the counter.

“Hi Thea!” she chirped, elbowing Ian out of her way. “I have the beeeeeeest news!”

“What the f**k, Bailey?” Ian growled. Only one person in her right mind would go around acting like that to Ian, and that was Bailey Weller, his younger sister. She was my age, but her birthday was two months ago. We weren’t schoolyard friends, or even friends outside of these walls, but she had stumbled upon Moonlight Café one day and we’d become friendly. She also managed to keep her friends from bullying me, which was nice.

“Oh, shove it, Ian,” Bailey rolled her eyes. “What are you even doing here? You hate the human town.”

“Someone told me this was the best coffee around and I could really use the caffeine.”

She snorted. “Yeah, we all know. Kelsey can’t stop talking about how you ‘made love’ to her all night long. Really, Ian? Kelsey?” Bailey used air quotes around ‘made love’. We all knew full well that Ian had just slept with her to get himself off, there was nothing emotional about it for the Alpha’s son. I’d heard of his conquests many times, but for some reason today it made my chest feel tight. Maybe I was getting sick.

“Oh, spare me the lecture, Bails,” Ian said. “She’s hot.” Kelsey was one of the popular girls in the grade between me and Ian. She was the gamma’s daughter and while she was beautiful on the outside, she was as rotten as roadkill on the inside. I could probably give her the credit for involvement in a huge portion of my torment.

“She thinks she’ll be your future Luna,” Bailey said, sneering.

“I’m done here,” Ian said, throwing money onto the counter and taking his coffee. He stormed out before his sister could say anything else.

I laughed softly, handing Bailey her usual coffee order – an Irish cream with an extra shot of espresso. She was bubbly enough on her own; the extra caffeine just made her next level. “What’s the big news?”

“Oh, my Goddess, I’d nearly forgotten!” Bailey trilled. “I got my Lycan today!”

“What?! That’s amazing,” I smiled. Any time between 16 and 17, a Lycan is apt to meet their beastly counterpart for the first time. It starts with them joining you in your head, and then at the full moon you will shift together for the first time. After that, you can shift whenever you want to.

“I know right!” Bailey beamed. “I can’t wait to see what color she is.”

“I can’t wait to hear about it,” I said. “What’s her name?”

“Its Roxanna, but she told me to strictly only call her Roxy,” Bailey said. “She’s got quite the strong personality.”

I laughed. “Honestly, what else did you expect? Have you met you?”

Bailey grinned at me and tossed hair dramatically over her shoulder. “True!”

Both of us laughed this time and I shook my head at her. “Well, I can’t wait to meet Roxy soon.”

“Thanks, Thea. She says she’s excited to meet you too,” Bailey smiled.

I smiled back at her and grabbed a rag to wipe down the counter.

She leaned on the counter, sipping her drink. “Can you believe Ian is going to be the Alpha tomorrow night? Eugh.”

I gave a noncommittal shrug. It was fine for her to talk bad about Ian, but I couldn’t. If someone heard an omega speaking ill of their leader, we would be penalized. Severely.

She gave me a conspiratorial look. “Well, I know you actually agree with me.”

I laughed. She was right. Ian was pretty, but he was also kind of a blockhead. Everyone knew that Bailey was the brains of the two siblings. It was a shame she hadn’t been born first. Most Alpha Lycan couples gave birth to a male son first, but should their first-born be a girl, then she could become the next Alpha. Our society was run by a Queen, after all, so women in power wasn’t something new. When a daughter was born first, it was even highly celebrated. “No comment.”

“Well, at least it’ll be one hell of a party,” she laughed. She handed me money and blew some air kisses my way. “See you tomorrow, T!”

“Bye,” I smiled, watching her skip out of the door.