Delulu

Kaya’s pov “What? Her? Is she for real?” “Has she lost her freaking mind? The alpha will not allow this.” “Delulu as usual. What can a useless omega do there, anyway?” Perhaps they thought I wouldn’t hear them. Hearing and smell would be the least developed senses in an unshifted omega. I gritted my teeth and balled my fists in frustration. Of course, I could hear their hushed whispers. Mira was an alpha, just like my parents. I knew I wasn’t Omega the entire time, but after being disregarded and bullied when I first arrived at Black Woods, I gave up trying to prove my self-worth. Why should I care about a bunch of wolves who would disdain an unfortunate omega? That wasn’t what my father taught me. I was raised to respect everyone and be kind to the less fortunate. Though the mean words and disapproval hurt, I tried to prove my self-worth during my childhood. I worked my ass off, craving acceptance. Alas, I received none. Their lack of appreciation and the rude remarks never stopped piercing my heart, but I knew how to live with it. I endured the humiliation and occasional bullies at school. At least I got to complete my education. There were nights I cried to sleep because I missed my family. I missed my pack dearly. Nevertheless, being content with what fate had in store for me was the only choice I had. I did not complain. I eagerly awaited the day when things would get better. Despite the challenges I faced in Black Woods, I had no desire to leave the pack until my mate rejected me. That was the last straw. Ezekiel hushed everyone when the crowd’s chatter didn’t stop. Theo cleared his throat, a frown briefly wrinkling his forehead, and raised a brow, judging me with his piercing blue eyes. “Are you sure about this? The training could be brutal, especially for an untrained omega like you.” I swallowed the urge to lash out at them. Mira, thankfully, was surprisingly calm. “The apprentice is for anyone who wants to try out. Yeah, I am confident in myself.” Suppressed giggles made their way to my ears. Their mockery wasn’t a surprise. Ezekiel shook his head and stepped forward. “Little omega. Are you trying to kill yourself? These trainings will be too hard on you. Have you even gotten your wolf yet? Just go cook us some dinner, please. That is how you can help us out." Several wolves laughed. My face heated up. The daily humiliation I endured from them never made things any easier. While I balled my fists once more, Mira snarled at him. I sucked a breath in, trying to keep my rage under control. Apparently he was still blind to my wolf. Good. That worked well for me. I had no desire to let them know about her yet. I ignored the beta’s statement. Neither me nor Mira wanted to tolerate the insult, but for the sake of peace, I pretended he didn’t exist. With my gaze fixated on Theo, I lifted my chin. “Alpha. Please allow me to participate. I swear I will not bother you again if I do not make it through the audition. I will come back and do all the work in the pack house like you desire.” Not! I suppressed the scream in my heart and forced my tongue to comply. Mira concurred with my deepest thoughts. Even if, for some unheavenly reason, we got ejected, there was no way we would return to Black Woods. It would be better to relocate to the human world than to live with these wolves. It took a lot of determination not to cuss at them, shift to my wolf, and run off into the woods. That way, they’d know I am not an omega, but why should I do that? I would rather keep my wolf a mystery. Tolerating their nonsense for a little while longer wouldn’t be as bad as enduring it for the past eight years. Theo's expression was ambiguous, as usual. I figured he was making fun of me in his mind. Most likely, his wolf was making jokes about me too. I was a loser after all. When he shrugged his shoulders and nodded his head, a sigh of relief escaped my lips. I felt some satisfaction from the crowd's wave of shocked gasps and sporadic groans of frustration. It was my first triumph over them. It was now time to head out of the Black Woods, never to return. *** At Crystal Lake pack The team disliked my presence on the Black Woods, but the judges who selected the finalists cherished having an alpha wolf in the group. Trained or not, they wanted me with them. The look on their faces when they announced my name was priceless. One of them growled in my face as we were leaving, grabbing the collar of my shirt. She was one of Theo's regular bedwarmers. I didn't give a damn about what she did in her personal life, but I wished she would take her filthy hands off me. Who knew how many men she got intimate with? That was a cringe-worthy. “I don’t know whose d**k you sucked to get the placement, but once I return to the pack, I am complaining to the alpha.” I smirked, looking right into her eyes. Perhaps that's how she got what she wanted. She slept with him to have things her way. “And say what? I sucked d**k to get shortlisted? Good luck with that,” I snorted into her face as I spoke. Her jaw dropped. She didn’t expect that response. I smirked. “You should offer to suck his d**k, perhaps. Really, you ought to give it a shot if sucking d***s would get you anywhere.” Her grip around my collar tightened. She bared her teeth at me, threatening me with the menacing growls that erupted from the deepest part of her throat. “Maybe I will. Oh, I would do much more than that. He is so good at what he does. You wouldn’t know because you’re a loser.” I cringed. That was revolting. Although I didn’t catch feelings for that douchebag, he was still my mate... ex-mate. “Well, if you want his STD-infested d**k so badly, be my guest. I won't be around to clean up after you.” Wolves, especially alphas, rarely get sick, and catching an STD was impossible, but I had to say something. I took their jabs in silence for eight long years. Not any more. I was done. This blond bimbo wasn’t an alpha. Perhaps my words would mess with her brain. I studied her face. For an instant, she appeared perplexed. Her bewilderment ended far too quickly for my taste, but before I could further mess with her, I heard heavy footsteps coming our way. “Hey! What is going on there? Natasha, let her go!” Ezra, the beta of Crystal Lake, shouted. She hastily let go of my shirt. “I don’t want unnecessary fights here. Uh,” his gaze drifted to the file he was holding. “Kaya! I need you in the training arena.” I gave a nod and turned to walk away. However, before leaving, I turned towards the butt-hurt she-wolf, who was still fuming. I snickered under my breath as I left her in her misery. Why should I care about her? I was free. *** The training arena wasn’t bustling with the new recruits. Just a handful of young wolves awaited the trainers. To my relief, none of them were familiar to me. Which probably meant they were from the neighbouring packs. “Hello there.” My heart fluttered when they acknowledged me. No one greeted me like that, so having her notice me as soon as I entered felt like a privilege. A petite girl grinned at me when I approached them. She smiled at me, her amber eyes glistening. I couldn’t help but notice how pretty she looked. Her porcelain skin was flawless. Among the wolves gathered in the arena, her aura was noticeable. Perhaps she was from the alpha lineage. “Hi,” I said shyly. Despite coming from an alpha family myself, I hadn’t really socialised. I had given up on it back in the Black Woods, so I doubted I had that skill. “I am Sasha, daughter of Alpha Karl,” she said. That explains why she seemed to be the group's dominant female. She was the hosting alpha's daughter. She tossed her dirty blond curls to glance to her right, pointing towards a lean, tall brunette whose face sported a not-so-friendly look. The dark makeup on her face stood in stark contrast to her fair skin. She looked different, but I liked her. There was no negative energy from the girl that my wolf sensed. “And this is Nikita from Opal Moon. Don’t bother about her b***h-face, she is really sweet.” Nikita smirked while the girl, with brown hair and delicate freckles on her cheeks, snorted at the introduction. Sasha’s grin broadened. “And this is Liana from the Howlers. What’s your name?” I smiled at them. These girls seem to be fine. “Kaya…” “From the Black Woods, right?” I scrunched up my nose. “Uh, well, yes, but I am originally from the Golden Crescent. My pack was murdered,” I said, a shiver running down my spine when I recalled the incident. I didn’t get to speak about my plight much in the Black Woods, so it was strange to say it out loud. “Oh. Golden Crescent… I am so sorry,” Liana whispered, covering her mouth. A sad smile curled on my lips as my heart plummeted. Recollections of the day I lost everything came rushing back. I thought I had gotten over it, but I guess I will never truly heal from that trauma. My only option for the last eight years has been to be strong. With a sniffle under control, I shrugged my shoulders. “It's in the past,” I said, hoping I didn't appear melancholic. And for precisely that reason, Daddy and his council devised this programme. The violent attacks require action on our part. The adversaries kept going. They keep attacking. Sometimes they succeed, sometimes they don’t. There are no longer any small packs in this area. Golden Crescent was just one of them. I wasn’t expecting to meet a survivor,” Sasha said, with a compassionate glance in my direction. I hated that look. I no longer desired pity. If I could get revenge from the Silver Claw, that would be nice. “Who’s a survivor?” Everyone turned towards the entrance. Four men stood at the doorway. One of them was Beta Ezra. I studied the men’s demeanour. They all towered well over Sasha, but one of them had eyes that matched hers, and his aura demanded more authority. Alpha Karl, her father, I suppose. They were all handsome, with athletic bodies and attractive facial features, but Ezra stood out from the group because of his darker skin tone. The other two strangers were noticeably younger than Ezra and Alpha Karl. They were okay, but the one with a large tattoo on his forearm was getting on my nerves. I didn’t like the way he was ogling Sasha. And to my dismay, he shouted the words I didn't want to hear. “Mate!” Horrified, I looked at Sasha, and to my disappointment, she had stars in her eyes. “Mate,” she parroted the woeful words, staring at the tall, white boy who I assumed was about to crush her dreams. “Great! My brother found his mate. I want to puke,” Nikita mumbled under her breath. Her brother? I looked at her. They did share similar features, but Nikita had hers covered under her heavy makeup. She was right, though. I also wanted to puke.