“It is. And he let me know just now. I don’t know what to do, Ivy. I… How am I supposed to become Alpha Savage’s mate tomorrow? I… I’ve never even left the pack, not once.
“I don’t even know Alpha Savage. I’m sure he and the other Firewolves will hate me, just because I’m an Omega.”
“Don’t say that, Luna,” Ivy replied. “If Alpha Savage agreed to pursue this mating, he’ll want his pack to treasure and protect you. After all, you’ll be bonded, and you’ll be the mother of his pups.”
I shivered and curled into a ball. That was another thing that scared me. I’d never had intimate contact with a male. It was only sex, the most natural thing in the world, but my Omega nature had been a barrier between me and any potential relationships, no matter how transient. I couldn’t see things going better with Rufus Savage.
“It’s an arranged mating,” I told Ivy. “I’m not his true mate. His responsibility to me is limited.”
“But still there,” Ivy pointed out. “This could be a good thing, Luna. I know it’s not ideal. It’s scary to have to face this sort of thing, so quickly and suddenly. But you could have a wonderful family soon. You should focus on that. A lot of arranged matings work out well, and females find happiness and contentment in their pups. And you want to be a mother, don’t you?”
“Of course, but…”
I trailed off, not knowing how to finish that sentence. In the end, what I wanted didn’t matter that much. I was an Omega, and I had to obey my Alpha’s commands, to do the right thing for my pack.
“Listen, Luna,” Ivy continued, “I’ll be honest with you. It’s true that you’re at a bit of a disadvantage because of the Omega thing. But you’re also the most beautiful female in our pack. Do you know that a lot of females are jealous of you?”
“Jealous of me?” I snorted. “I’m not that special.”
“Come on, Luna, you’re not that naïve. You’re attractive and you know it.”
I supposed she was right. My fur coloring was unusual, to the point that when I’d been younger, my father had liked to say he could see the moonlight in each strand of hair. In every other way, I didn’t think I had too many advantages over the other females. But I wasn’t the best person to judge, since I didn’t know much about the tastes of males.
“Why does that matter?” I asked Ivy. “I doubt my fur coloring will be enough to make Alpha Savage like me.”
“Now you’re just being deliberately obtuse,” Ivy replied. “It’s not just about your fur. Your beauty is your weapon. You need to own it. To use it.”
It didn’t feel like a weapon. It felt like a cage. I felt trapped, a captive of my pack and of other people’s choices. But I had to admit that having a plan was better than just feeling sorry for myself and freaking out.
“What am I supposed to do then, Ivy? When I go to see the Firewolves.”
“Don’t panic. Even if Rufus Savage is as violent as they say, he needs you to have his litters. He won’t hurt you. Remember that.”
I nodded, taking solace in Ivy’s words. My friend had a point. Maybe the Firewolves would look down on me, but as their Alpha’s mate, I could get close enough to him that it wouldn’t matter.
Besides, this wasn’t about me, not really. This agreement would ensure peace between our two packs. I would find a way to make it work. I just had to. The alternative was unacceptable.
* * *
Rowan
“I understand your concern, Alpha Clayton, but I assure you there’s nothing to worry about. The rogues will never be able to enter Firewolf lands.”
“Still, I’d feel better if we tightened the guard a little. I think we can both agree that we need this to go as smoothly as possible.”
I watched the exchange between my brother and the Wolfsbane Pack Alpha, suppressing a scoff of disdain. The man was fooling himself if he thought this would go well, particularly for his Omega daughter.
Rufus might have agreed to mate her, but it was an arranged mating, with no genuine feelings attached to it. My brother was a good man, and a good Alpha, but he would break an Omega in two.
But it wouldn’t cost me anything to indulge Edgar Clayton in this little charade of his. “We’re aware that your daughter might need an adjustment period, and we’re taking all the necessary steps to make sure she’s comfortable here. That includes protecting her from the rogues. You don’t need to worry about that.”
Edgar looked at me like I’d just sprouted a second head. He then waved a hand dismissively. “Ah. Yes. I’m not worried. I’m sure Luna will handle everything fine.”
Rufus arched a brow, tapping a clawed finger against the scarred surface of his desk. “Will she? She is aware of our agreement regarding the litters, then?”
Seated on a chair that directly faced Rufus, Edgar shook his head. “I didn’t deem it necessary to tell her, but she’s a smart female. She’ll probably figure it out on her own. Besides, her opinion doesn’t matter that much.”
No, it didn’t. She was an Omega, and her only usefulness to her father lay in her beauty and her ability to breed. Even so, the concept of what my brother and Edgar had planned still filled me with distaste. It was one thing to arrange a mating between two members of enemy packs in order to avoid a pack war. That kind of relationship wasn’t unusual, especially now, when the chaos seemed to have abandoned us. But the chaos had no influence over the bond between a female and her pups, and it was a bond her father didn’t respect.
