Chapter 15: Say What?

“Hey, Stacy! Look who’s here!” A girl clad in sports bra and spandex shorts blocked Diana’s way. She pushed Diana by the shoulders, making Diana stumble backward as she dropped her cleaning materials.

‘They finally spotted me, huh? It took them a good two months before noticing my presence even after cleaning more public places,’ Diana thought sarcastically.

“There is another omega other than that non-shifter Sally? Oh my gosh.” The girl named Stacy turned in the direction where she came from and screamed for another friend. “Riley! Come here! There is a piece of unbelievable news here! We should post this and then share it with everybody.”

Riley, with raised brows, took Stacy’s phone, dropped it, and stomped it until cracks littered its screen.

“Oh my gosh! What have you done? Why did you do that?” Stacy cradled her broken phone as big tears smeared her mascara. Kneeling on the ground, she looked up at the poker-faced Riley and the secretly-smiling Emma before she shifted all her frustration to Diana who was quietly picking up her cleaning tools. “You! This is all your fault, you stinky little bitch!”

“!!!” Diana’s cleaning tools were once again scattered around the ground after the curvy woman who went by the name Stay kicked out from her grasp.

“Who are you, huh? Who are your unlucky parents?” Emma stood side by side with Stacy. Unlike Riley, who remained to observe, Emma took Stacy’s outburst as an opportunity to blow some steam.

Diana remained silent with her head hanging low—a perfect stance for an omega.

Seeing a woman before them acting like this created a sense of satisfaction for the three, especially the one who was yet to open her smirking lips.

Riley, the one who remained silent all this time, finally spoke. “It is because someone as filthy as her does not deserve to have parents. Or maybe, she cursed her parents and killed them?”

“Ooh! That is more believable!” Stacy cooed, eyes glaringly fixated on Diana. Since she was not able to vent her anger for the destruction of her phone to Riley, Stacy found the perfect target. She poked Diana’s temples repeatedly, not minding how sharp her newly trimmed nail was. “You are a useless child whom no one wants! Why don’t you go and kill yourself, hmm? You will do the pack some favor by ceasing to exist.”

Emma frowned as she watched how Riley was grinning while watching Stacey’s bullying. She immediately stepped forward, intending not to lose against Stacy to gain Riley’s favor—after all, Riley was being rumored to be chosen by the Werewolf Committee as the new luna of the Blood Claws Pack. Riley’s father was a member of the Werewolf Committee, making Emma’s parents want to build a connection through them, the children.

Without caring that she was wearing wedged boots, Emma stepped on Diana’s hands, earning her a gasp from the latter. “What? You are going to cry? You are going to question the Moon Goddess why you are born as a lowly omega? Too late! Your very breath pollutes the Werewolf Community already!”

Emma took a peek at Riley’s reaction and grinned inwardly after seeing how Riley applied her action.

“Emma is right. I don’t want to see you ever again.” With arms crossed, Riley walked towards Diana.

Stacy and Emma immediately grabbed Diana’s arms to make the latter kneel in front of Riley. As soon as Riley stood before Diana, Riley leaned forward and pulled Diana by the hair. But the moment Riley saw a pair of emotionless eyes beneath the disheveled hair, she dropped Diana’s head as if she was scalded by a scorching thing.

Riley’s sharp gasp raised warning bells in Stacy's and Emma’s minds. Immediately, they dropped Diana like a hot potato as they tended to Riley who made a wrong step backward and stumbled on the ground with a shrilling shriek.

“Oh my gosh, Riley!”

“Riley, are you okay?”

“Aarggg! You useless baboons! Pull me up! Pull me up this instant!”

“What is this ruckus all about?” A deep voice of a woman came behind the slumped Diana. Her calloused hands held Diana’s arms. “Are you the new omega that they are talking about?”

“They? Someone already knew about her?” Riley shrieked again. She hated the thought of having her new toy stolen away from her. Just like Sally, it was forbidden to harm an omega or the bully would also be branded as an omega as per the alpha’s rules that he created two months ago.

The woman shrugged, her eyes fixated on the omega whose head remained hanging low. “You can ask the alpha or the beta when they reach here. Apparently, someone took a video of what was happening here a few minutes ago.”

Three horror-filled gasps filled the area.

Without looking around or asking about whatever they wanted to know, the trio turned around the next moment. A few steps away from the two, Riley turned around and pointed a finger at the woman with a threatening growl. “Just so you know, my father works at the Werewolf Committee. I am his only daughter. We all know he won’t let me be harmed. So watch your back, Samantha.”

“It is Gamma Samantha. I have been promoted.” She looked to her left and grinned at Riley. “Alpha is coming.”

Another wave of three horror-filled gasps resounded. This time, the trio raced against each other as they left the area without ever looking back—too scared to see the familiar face of their hot-looking yet cold-hearted alpha who would surely punish them.

As soon as the two were left alone, Diana immediately picked up the scattered cleaning tools. She knew she was late for the schedule and Sally would take her dinner again. It had been two days since they started living together because of the inspection from the Werewolf Committee.

With her head hanging low, she whispered two words. “Thank you.”

The disheveled bangs covering her eyes were an added bonus, this gave Diana a leeway to stare blatantly at the woman who helped her.

She was quite fit with her hair cut in a men’s cut style. Sporting a dark green fitted sports sleeveless paired with jogging pants and combat boots, the woman in front of her was a force that screamed power and strength.

“M-My name is Diana. I-If M-Ma’am likes someone to clean, I-I can help.”

Scratching her nape, she extended her calloused hands. “Don’t call me that or any honorary title. I allow you to call me Samantha as long as you tell me your name.”

Biting back the urge to smile, Diana shyly took Samantha’s hand for a handshake. “Diana. Diana Ritchell.”

Diana slowly raised her eyes, meeting Samantha’s shell-shocked gaze. Samantha took Diana’s hand when the latter was about to withdraw her hand. “Y-You’re… Y-You’re…What happened with your hands?”

Samantha, who was tongue-tied a few seconds ago, frowned upon seeing the flinch on Diana’s face as soon as she tightened her grasp on her hands. Scanning the latter’s hands, her frown deepened upon seeing how swollen Diana’s hand was!

“Was it them?”

“H-Huh?”

“Was it the fucking three ugly ducklings who did this to you?”

Seeing Diana’s shaky eyes, Samantha proved her conclusion to be true. “Come with me. I will mind-link Alpha and take you to the precious pack doctor’s cabin. I am sure there are some medicines left there.” She carefully tugged Diana’s arm to follow her.

“N-No, I can’t. I’m already late with my schedule…”

“The heck about the schedule! You are my future luna and you are being treated like this? I need to speak with alpha about this! I have to or I swear I will regret accepting the gamma title.”

‘Oooh. What an unexpected harvest,’ Diana languidly thought, ‘I can accomplish many things because of this pretty little gamma. Gamma Samantha—the woman who is more loyal than a hound and who is more devoted to her job which is to protect the luna. I never expected to meet you like this. Somehow, I want to thank those three. Without them, I won’t be able to earn this reaction from you.’

Diana stopped the urge to shake her head as she lamented at the back of her mind while allowing Samantha to drag her.

 As soon as they saw the telltale sign of the foggy lake, Diana’s warning bells resounded as her wolf whimpered. Her gaze immediately connected with a pair of intense blue ones.

‘You are quite fast, too fast for my liking. Now, my chance to take Samantha to my side has been crumpled. This golden opportunity has been completely ruined by your grumpy presence.’

“Alpha, you are here! I already—”

The towering figure who was standing by the lake’s docks bypassed Samantha as if he never saw her in the first place. A big pair of warm hands pulled Diana by the waist before taking her hands from Samantha.

“Who did this? Who dared to harm you?” growled Alpha Dylan. The way his voice deepened, one could tell that he was on the verge of being taken over by his wolf. The instinct to tear those responsible for her pain was driving him insane.

‘Are you seriously asking me that question?’ Diana could only ask this question at the back of her mind. Staring at his jaws clenching and his chest heaving from time to time, Diana bit the insides of her cheeks.

“You did.”

Diana almost lost control when she was about to laugh after hearing Samantha’s instant remark. Clenching her fists to stop herself from applauding, Alpha Dylan took it as a sign of hurting from her.

“What do you mean?” Alpha Dylan turned his attention to Samantha yet he still refused to let go of Diana’s wounded hands. No matter how furious he was, Diana did not feel an ounce of pressure from his countenance as an alpha or a bit of force from his grasp—in fact, it was quite the opposite.

Diana could feel him restraining from releasing his alpha dominance because of… her? On instinct, she remembered when he used the alpha command on her. She was sure she saw a hint of remorse in his bright blue eyes that time.

‘Oh-ho! Are you seriously taking consideration of me? Me? Seriously?’ Diana wanted to ask these questions but the presence of Gamma Samantha was stopping her from stripping her poorly-treated-omega façade. ‘After all, Gamma Samantha was known from my first life as someone who had a great sense of duty, especially to the weak. Plus, it is quite entertaining to watch this scene.’

“What I mean is Miss Diana Ritchell wouldn’t have that swollen hand after being stepped on by those ducklings if Alpha did not place her as omega. Being an omega is like an open invitation for anyone to abuse her—and save me from the bullshit about the rule of not allowing anyone to bully the omega, Alpha, please. If that was effective, we wouldn’t have been here talking about it.”

Samantha walked past Alpha Dylan. “You may summon me later for my punishment, Alpha. Excuse me.”

‘Oh, wow. I wouldn’t dare talk to this man like that. But look at his gamma…’ Diana applauded Samantha—at least in her mind.

There was an awkward silence between them as soon as the furious Samantha left the lakeside.

“You got some feisty gamma in your hands, Alpha. But I like her sass, she does not take bullshit from you men.” Pulling her hand away from his loosening grip, she crossed her arms and stripped her façade right in front of him. With them alone now, she got no reason to hold back anymore.

Alpha Dylan faced her. He towered over her even when she was not that small either compared to most girls. “What do you think about what she said, hmm? I can practically hear the gears in your head turning…”

 He caressed the corners of Diana’s eyes. “The glint in your eyes when she disrespected me and—“His touch lowered to the corner of her lips.

“—the small quivering of the corners of your lips as if you are stopping yourself from smiling…I wonder why didn’t Gamma Samantha see this mask?”

Swatting away his hand from her face, she raised her brows. “What do I think? Does it even matter? I got what I wanted by coming here, so there is hardly anything to feel about it.”

“By cleaning toilets, you got what you wanted? Does that even make sense? Diana, I have been wondering. When you told me you wanted to be my second-chance mate for power, I believed it. I saw the greed in your eyes, so I waited. But I have waited two months and still nothing. You are still an omega.”

‘Oh, you have no idea, Alpha.’

Diana turned around from him and faced the calm lake. “There is a saying across the continent, Alpha. Whoever gains an ally in this pack of yours will feel like gaining the backing of a hundred armies.” Diana did not elaborate. As long as he would not be hers for the taking, she would not risk her second life for a man—never again. “Do you have more to say, Alpha? I have to clean first.”

Walking away from him felt without the need of screaming or threatening was a refreshing feeling for Diana. Her steps were light as she trotted away. She planned to go back and pick up the cleaning tools she dropped.

Five meters from the unmoving alpha, he finally spoke. This time, his voice was less commanding, as if he was not even sure of what he was saying. His tone did not stop Diana. Oh, no. It was the content of what he was saying that made her turn around again with widened eyes.

“Excuse me, say that again?”

Closing the distance between her, he walked to her in big strides, only stopping when he was a meter away from the stupefied Diana. Leaning down to inch their faces closer, he inched her face up to meet his gaze halfway.

“I said, be my luna and risk everything with me.”

“Risk what? Is that a death warranty I am hearing right there? Are you threatening me?”

“Goddess, no!” Tugging his hair, he looked around and sighed before he cupped Diana’s small face. “I am an alpha. I have many enemies and that comes with great danger. I have both enemies inside the pack and outside the pack. Many people will rejoice at my death and rogues hate me more than they hate the Werewolf Committee.” He drew a deep breath. “Despite that, I can’t… I can’t push you anymore, Diana. I can’t convince myself that by hurting you, I am saving your life. I just can’t do this game of pretend anymore when every waking second of my day, I only want to see your face.”

‘Say what?’ Diana was so not ready for such a heated confession. Like a fish out of the water, she kept her mouth opening and closing, completely clueless as to what to say.

Seeing her struggle, Alpha Dylan continued carefully. “And by becoming my luna, I am granting you the power over me, the chief-in-command of the entire legion of elite warriors. You have me, you have power, baby.”

“That’s the word I am waiting for.” Diana grinned like a Cheshire cat. Pulling him by the collar, Diana tiptoed and met his lips halfway.