The pain felt different from anything she had ever felt,
Elora grabbed the side of the wooden bed, and sweat ran down her back as she got through the next step. The midwife spoke quietly next to her, her voice was steady but firm, helping her through what was happening, Her room was dark, with only a little light from an oil lamp and the quiet prayers Elora said.
She was all by herself,
She had no family, no partner, and no help from her pack.
Only the baby.
Hours went by, Or maybe it was just a few minutes, Time meant nothing in the thick fog of pain, But at last, with one final push and a rough cry that came from her throat, the silence had ended.
A baby's cry filled the room,
Elora fell back on the bed, with tears running down her face as the midwife wrapped the baby in a thin blanket. The baby's cries got softer when she was put in Elora's arms, Small, warm, and alive.
It was a girl.
Elora looked at her in amazement, Even with everything, the shame, the loneliness, and the fear, this small person had come into the world ready to fight and with strong hands, with Her small fingers closed around Elora's thumb without being taught.
"I'll keep you safe," Elora whispered, with her voice shaky, "No matter what, I promise."
The seasons changed fast after that,
Babies didn't wait for life to be easier, Neither did the bills or the hunger. Elora worked any job she could find, washing floors in the bar early in the morning, taking herbs around in the afternoon, and folding clothes at night in the healer's place, Her body never fully got better, but she didn't slow down, She couldn't do that.
She stayed out of sight, held her daughter close to her whenever she could, and kept going even when she was tired, like it was now a part of her. No one offered to help, The pack barely looked at her, except with dislike or boredom. She was a mother without a husband, an Omega, a disgrace to their important pack.
But Elora didn't care what they thought anymore,
She had her daughter,
Tarinne.
The name came to her in a dream, and when she said it, it felt like a truth that was too strong to change. Tarinne had her mother's eyes, sharp and watchful, and her small body was so strong that the older women would talk about it, "Stubborn just like her mother," one of them said once, but not in a mean way.
By the time Tarinne was two years old, she could already walk and follow Elora around while she cleaned rooms. She was quiet, but always watching, always holding onto her mother's leg or looking out from behind chairs to see what was happening.
On the rare days when they had time to themselves, Elora would sit with her by the river, brushing her daughter's hair and singing old songs that she barely remembered from when she was a child. Those were the only times she let herself relax, her feet in the grass, and the stress of staying alive getting a little bit easier with the sound of Tarinne laughing.
But calm times did not last,
The rumors still stayed with her, She would hear them now and then in the bar rooms or near the doctors' offices,
"She had that child all by herself, you know."
"She likely doesn't even know who the dad is."
"She should have been kicked out, not taken care of."
Elora paid no attention to any of them, She kept trying to make enough for meals, a place to live, and security. Her life had become about the small child she sang to as it fell asleep each night and the pain in her body that showed her she was still fighting.
She believed she could keep things that way,
But luck was hardly ever good to people like her.
It began with a scent,
Elora was holding a stack of dried plants in the pharmacy when the strong scent of control filled her nose, well-known and unwanted. Her back straightened before she understood what was happening, She had not smelled that scent in a long time, Not since the mating ritual, Not since being turned down, which changed her life.
Dar.
She turned around slowly, with her heart beating fast.
He was standing by the doorway, taller than she remembered him, wearing nice leather clothes with his father's family symbol sewn on his chest in silver. He looked around the room without much interest, but his eyes showed interest when he saw her.
"Elora," he said, like they were good friends, "I didn't think I would find you here."
She didn't say anything, she kept her hands steady on the tray,
He got closer, looking her up and down in a way that made her feel sick, "You've gained weight," he whispered, "Being a mother looks good on you."
She tightened her jaw, "What do you want, Dar?"
He smiled slowly and confidently, "A night, Or maybe two, You've always had a quiet passion in you, It made me curious before... and it still does."
She blinked, shocked by how bold he was being, "You turned me down."
"You seemed weak," he said while shrugging, "You still do, But I thought, maybe I'll take what I want now, even if it's just for fun."
Something inside her broke,
"I don't belong to you," she said quietly, "I never did."
Dar's smile went away, "Be careful how you talk to me, Omega."
Elora looked him in the eye, not backing down, "You can't buy me, and you'll never touch me."
Then he moved, quickly, getting close and towering over her, the force of his power pressing against her like a wall. Tarinne made a small noise in the back room, and Elora's need to protect her child rose up, making her stand firm even though she was scared.
Dar leaned down, his voice low and harsh, "Then get out, You and that child born out of wedlock, You don't belong here, I'll tell the Alpha, You'll have nothing."
Elora didn't even flinch, Not anymore.
She left the apothecary without saying a word, holding Tarinne closely in her arms. That night, she wasn't given any dinner at the tavern. The next morning, her laundry job was given to someone else, By noon, her room was locked without any warning, The pack had turned against her, quickly and cruelly.
It was working,
They were forcing her out, making her feel alone and desperate,
Until someone interfered.
The noise started outside the tavern, Wolves were whispering, and Doors were opening, By the time Elora went outside, a crowd had formed. Dar was standing in the middle, acting like a king talking to his subjects, He was smiling again.
But then a voice came that made everyone quiet,
"Dar."
Raydar's voice cut through the air like a knife,
The crowd moved apart,
Elora stopped moving,
He was taller than she remembered, with wide shoulders, and clad in all black. He seemed to have real authority, not the kind Dar pretended to have, but something genuine, something strong and Old.
Raydar didn't even look at Elora, He stared right at Dar wiith a cold look in his eyes.
"You're going too far," he said,
Dar laughed, "She's worthless, She doesn't belong, "
"I said," Raydar's voice got deeper, "you're going too far."
The place went completely silent.
Then Raydar faced the wolves who were all standing there, "Starting now, I am cutting off all connections to this group, Your leader's agreement with me is now over, You have no right to me or anything that belongs to me."
Everyone there gasped in shock,
And after that, he looked directly at Elora, "You are coming with me."
She did not say anything, She just couldn't.
But as he kept looking at her, something inside of her changed.
It wasn't fear, or being unsure,
It was hope.