Chapter 41 - My Omega Queen

This short story takes place 25 years after the events occurred in My Omega Queen.

POV: Grace

I lay down on my bed and watch as the rays of the sun slowly begin to make their way inside my room through the drapes. When the light finally hits my face, I cover it with my pillow and let out a low groan in frustration, turning over. I wasn’t able to sleep at all last night.

“Grace, we are late to the training session. Get up.” Raksha, my wolf, insists to tell me through our shared conscience.

But I couldn’t care less. I already excel at any type of combat, and my stamina level is at the top of my class. Being the daughter of the Alpha King and Queen helps a lot in this regard, offering me the advantage of inheriting my parents’ fighting skills. Besides, regardless of what she says, Raksha doesn’t want to get up just as much as me. She knows I know it, because wolves and their human forms know everything about one other.

Today is the day that we are supposed to leave for the Yearly Mating Season, which is being hosted by the Silver Fangs pack this year. About a four-hour drive from here. Usually, I would be thrilled at the prospect of having a chance to find my mate, but I am 24 years old. I have had 6 years to slowly accept the fact that I am, and probably will always be, mateless. I traveled with my parents on their business trips, taking me to every pack in the county, and I still couldn’t find my mate. Perhaps he died young. Only the Moon Goddess can tell for certain, and she refuses to answer my prayers.

My parents are growing old, and every time I return from a Yearly Mating Season gathering mateless, their foreheads grow a few more ridges. No matter how much they would like to hide it from me, I can tell they are worried, both for me and for their legacy, since I am an only child. Even though werewolves are highly fertile beings, high-ranked families with good moral values often choose to stop at one child. That is to avoid the bloodshed that unwillingly comes with the inheritance. Among our kind, it is not unspoken of for siblings to kill each other when the time comes for the Alpha to retire. Hence, whenever a discussion about mates arises, my parents steal glances between each other and then look at me with pity etched on their faces. They think I do not notice it, but all the members of the pack do, including myself.

My bullies, children of my age that envied my natural skills, used to say that the Moon Goddess gifted me with this much strength because I needed it to survive being mateless for the rest of my life. I pretended to be flattered by such compliments, but the truth is, it hurt. A lot. There’s nothing worse for a werewolf than not meeting your fated mate.

My body is jolted awake as the door to my room is suddenly slammed open. Cold sweat begins dripping over my forehead as her smell fills my nostrils. I can hear stomps getting closer and closer, before my blanket is cruelly stolen away from me and thrown to the side.

“Grace Midnight, what do you think you are doing?!” My mother’s voice echoes throughout the room.

I cover my face with the pillow and cuddle my body tighter into itself, now that the warmth of the blanket is gone. “What does it look like I’m doing? I’m sleeping.” My reply comes out muffled, but I know she heard it.

My mother scoffs and pulls away the pillow from my grasp, a whimper escaping my mouth. Now I am forced to face her, which feels like looking into the mirror. I am the spitting image of my mother, my hair a shade of dark brown with natural white locks, here and there.

My mother’s face instantly goes soft at the sight of me, “You know very well that we must leave for the Silver Fangs pack.” She says in a pitiful voice, which only enrages me further. I bite my cheek to avoid involuntarily letting her know of my thoughts about the trip. That it is a waste of time. That I would rather stay home. That I am okay with being mateless.

I still remember my first Yearly Mating Season like it was yesterday. I knew that my parents found each other at this gathering, and like any normal daughter out there, I dreamt of living a romantic fairytale like theirs. Every male present at the gathering wished to be the King’s only daughter’s mate since it meant inheriting the throne at some point. The conclusion turned out to be disappointing. Year after year, more and more disappointing.

“Come on,” my mother gets up and ushers me to stand up, “go take a shower and get ready for the trip. You can skip training session today, but don’t let your father know about this.” She covers her mouth with her pointer finger and winks.

All my rage is gone and I can’t help but smile. Sharing secrets with my mother is the best feeling in the world. She has always felt more like a best friend to me than a mother. It probably has something to do with the fact that she named me after her own best friend, the late aunt Grace.

In any case, I reluctantly get up from my bed with an overly loud groan.

“Oh, shut it”, my mother says as she shuts the door in her wake.

Now that I am rid of the training session, I take my sweet time showering. When I open my door to head downstairs, I find Chloe crouched down and waiting for me. Chloe is the Beta’s daughter, and, as one would expect, she is also one of my best friends. Despite being younger than me, the Beta blood in her veins has shown quite early in our relationship, jumping to my aid every time I’d have issues. Chloe is more prone to acting out on her instincts. She used to start fights all over the pack on my behalf, whenever anyone would dare even whisper anything negative about me. Though they love me greatly, my parents have never stepped in to help with my bullies. They believed that having to fight seven, eight people at once was a good life lesson. They said that not everyone in my pack will agree with me, and this is the only way werewolves solve issues. So to say, wolves would rather fight than sit down and talk through their issues over a cup of tea.

“You thought that you could leave without saying goodbye?” Chloe cried as she stood up and patted the dust off her knees. Her bob-cut blonde hair rustles with her movements. Every time I see it, I’m reminded of why she keeps it short. One time, a bully pinned her down by the hair and managed to get the upper hand. The next day, Chloe gave herself a buzz-cut.

“I’ll be gone for two days at most. You wouldn’t have even noticed.” I reply and the corner of my mouth lifts in a smile.

“Ah, that hurts.” Chloe cries dramatically, putting a hand over her heart, then she pulls me into a hug and whispers, “I have a good feeling about this year.”

“Easy to say for someone that found her mate in exactly 13 seconds after getting her wolf.”

She scoffs at my reply. “Yours must be more special.” She says.

“Yea,” I shrug, “specially dead.”

Chloe hits me lightly on the shoulder, “Stop saying that, dummy. Your terrible jokes are the reason why the Moon Goddess postpones the meeting with your mate.”

“Grace,” my mother shouts from downstairs, “we must leave!”

I sigh and my shoulders visibly drop, making one of my backpack’s straps slip.

“You can do it! The Grace I know doesn’t run away from a fight!” Chloe encourages me. Or at least tries to.

I convince my legs to move forward, muttering under my breath, “So I’ve been told…”

By the time I reach downstairs, my mother and father are already waiting for me at the door, flanked by the Beta male and female, Michael and Amanda.

I hadn’t expected both of my parents to join me, but I don’t say anything for fear that would change their mind. In the last years, the rogue attacks have dramatically increased in frequency so my parents avoid leaving our pack unguarded. At least one of them must stay in the pack at all times.

This gathering must be really special for both of them to go out of their way and join me.

A whole row of SUVs is prepared at our doorstep, filled with pack warriors and other pack members that want to attend the gathering. My father takes up his spot in the driver’s seat of one of the middle SUVs, my mother at its right and I lay down on the huge backseat, throwing my backpack at my leg space. The advantage of being an only child is that you get to boast on the whole backseat.

“I have a good feeling about this year.” My mother says excitedly as we exit the driveway. My father nods at her words.

“What’s up with you people? Chloe said the same thing earlier.” I reply as I cover my eyes with my forearm. I could pretend that my eyes are just sensitive to the light due to my lack of sleep, but the truth is, I just don’t want my parents to see the hurt in my eyes. I hear this phrase every year.

However, I catch a glimpse of my parents exchanging worried looks.

“There it is again, that pitiful look.” I think to myself and turn over, surrendering myself to sleep for the rest of the road.

Next I open my eyes, I am jostled awake by my mother. “Grace, we arrived.”

I scratch my eyes and look around. We parked on the driveway of what I assume to be the Silver Fangs pack’s Alpha house. A pack warrior swiftly comes from another car and takes our luggage from the trunk. My father gives out some orders to our other pack members, who excitedly take off toward the center of the pack village, from where music and lighting are coming. This night is already supposed to be the mingling part of the gathering.

The Silver Fangs pack’s Alpha and Luna exit their house and head toward us, closely followed by another figure, a young male.

At that moment, my father puts a hand on my shoulder. I look confused at his hand and then at his face, the question written all over my face. My father swallows, thins his lips then says softly, “Grace, before you go to the party tonight, me and your mother would like you to meet the Silver Fangs pack’s Alpha, Luna, and their second son.”

I look again toward the incoming group. I examine the young male again, who looks to be in his early 20s. His black hair is styled slick on his head, and he looks well-built, his muscles visible even from underneath the shirt. Classic Alpha heir.

“I’d hit that.” I think to myself, teasing Raksha. She lets out a scoff inside of my head. Sometimes I wish she would also give up on finding our mate, like I did, and let me mess around a bit. I haven’t even been with a man because of her. It’s getting embarrassing.

“He is not my mate,” I tell my parents, easing Raksha’s fears.

My mother’s forehead grows another ridge, as she furrows her brows and says “That’s all right, dear. We expected that.”

My eyes narrow on my parents’ guilty faces, and the realization hits me like a ton of bricks. They want us to take a chosen mate.