I stood to the side amongst two other omega slaves as Isabella, the Alpha's daughter, who was supposed to get married today, cried in sheer agony.
"Isabella please…." The Alpha pleaded, looking at his daughter with genuine fear and concern. The Luna stood beside the Alpha, hands clenched by her sides and both of them looking at thier daughter as she had a mental breakdown.
"I don't want to marry that monster!" She cried, tears streaming down her face.
I almost felt sad for her. Almost.
Why?
Because Isabella has always been a wicked witch. She was beautiful, I would admit, but her heart was ugly. She was a spoilt woman whose parents would give her every damn thing she wanted on a silver platter. But the first time something's not going her way, she throws a tantrum. How ironic?
"Isabella, please don't say such things. Especially not today, Alpha Zevrik is downstairs with his pack, he's ready to marry you and take you to his home. We all agreed to this, you know how much we needed this alliance. We-"
"I don't care about the stupid treaty!" She yelled, picking a vase from the window side and throwing it at the wall.
"Isabella!" The Luna snapped. "Get a hold of yourself! We already agreed to this. You will marry Alpha Zevrik, so why are you saying this now?" She asked.
"We?" Isabella asked, looking at her mother as if she was speaking in tongues. "I did not agree to this! You made this decision behind my back, you thought it was the best thing for the pack, but is it the best thing for me?" She wailed.
The sight was ugly.
"Isabella enough!" The Luna finally snapped. I was surprised her patience even lasted this long. Isabella was just like her mother, cruel, lacking empathy. And the Alpha…Alpha Derek was a selfish man who wanted everything without a care in the world.
It made me wonder how the pack survived this long with them at the top. But of course, the pack was already at its lowest, barely putting through. Which was why their only daughter is about to get sold to Alpha Zevrik, the most powerful, and rumored to be the most cruel Alpha in existence. His name alone sent shivers down the spine of many wolves, including mine.
Before the Luna could grab her daughter's arm, a loud knock rang through the door, then a voice came through. "Alpha Derek? Alpha Zevrik is losing patience, and the guests are starting to get weary. He demands to know why his bride hasn't descended."
I watched as Alpha Derek's face paled, looking back at his sobbing daughter and then back at the door. I could see the gears turning in his head, even though I was an omega and our kind were barely included in the pack's affairs. I knew well enough what this meant. War.
If Isabella does not get dressed and show up at the wedding, it's war. Because it's considered breach of contract. And no Alpha would accept humiliation.
'I'll stall him." He said finally, voice shaking. "Fix this Elena. Use force if you have to, get her in that dress." He snapped and stormed out the door without sparing Isabella a single glance.
The moment the Alpha slammed the door behind him, the room fell into a suffocating silence. Isabella didn't move, she just stared at the floor, chest heaving.
"I see how this is." She said slowly. "You never loved me did you? The both of you. This was your plan all along, to groom me until I'm perfect and then sell me off to some rich Alpha so you could live the lavish life you've always wanted." She sneered.
"Isabella, you know that's not how this is." The Luna reasoned, but Isabella wouldn't listen.
The madness brewing in her eyes should've warned the Luna. Because the next thing we all knew, Isabella picked up a broken part of the vase she threw earlier, and held it against her neck.
My eyes widened in surprise and I could see the Luna stiffen too.
"Isabella, have you gone mad?" The Luna yelled.
"Maybe, maybe I have gone mad." She said coldly.
"Darling, please calm down. Put that down."
"No, I will not put anything down unless you do something about this before father gets back!"
"What do you expect me to do Isabella?" Luna questioned.
"I don't care what you do! Find someone to replace me if you have to. If I get married to that monster tonight, I will kill myself before sunrise." She threatened.
The Luna looked around frantically, before her eyes landed on me. I immediately looked down but it was too late, we already made eye contact. I kept my head down, staring at the tattered end of my dress, wishing I could disappear into the ground.
"You." The Luna whispered.
I could tell she was talking to me, it made my skin crawl. I didn't want to be involved in any of her and her daughter's games. The Luna was as crazy as her daughter.
"Are you deaf?" She snapped and I looked up immediately.
"Me?" I asked, just to be sure. Fear was beginning to sink deep into my bones, I did not like where this was going.
"No, me. Idiot." The Luna replied sarcastically, glaring at me. "Stand up straight." She commanded.
I obeyed, my knees trembling as I slowly stood up to my feet. The Luna stalk towards me, scanning me like a predator to its prey. She reached forward and grabbed my chin, tilting my head sideways.
"Same height, same physique." She murmured to herself. "With the heavy lace veil and enough enchantments to mask her omega scent…. Zevrik might not notice until the bond has been sealed."
Isabella stopped crying and slowly put the broken shard away from her neck. She slowly looked from me to her mother, then a slow wicked realization dawned upon her face.
I shook my head frantically. "No. Please."
My head snapped to the side as a hot slap landed on my cheek. I muffled the cry that threatened to escape my lips, tasting blood.
"Aria," Isabella breathed my name like a curse. "She's perfect. No one cares if an Omega goes missing. No one will look for her."
I sobbed silently, realizing what was about to happen. And then the most terrifying words I've ever heard in my entire life.
"Strip her."
I stumbled back but two other omegas stepped forward and held me in place. "Luna please." I begged.
"He'll kill me! He'll kill me when he finds out I'm not his bride! Please don't do this." I pleaded as my clothes began tearing off me and hot tears began to stream down my face.
"Don't worry you worthless Omega, I'll give you suppressant, he won't even smell you from a mile away." She said and brought a vial from the night stand, I tried to break free of the strong hold on me but it was no use.
"Hold your breath, girl," the Luna hissed, holding my head in place and pressing the tip of the cold bottle against my tongue. "From this moment until the moon sets, you are Isabella." The bitter liquid slid down my throat and I tried not to gag.
"Your heart is hers. Your scent is hers. If you let a single Omega trait slip through, Alpha Zevrik won't just kill you, he'll tear this entire pack apart, and I'll make sure you're first in line." She emptied the bottle and stepped back.
I began to cough, feeling the suppressant already working in my body. Suppressants were deadly to omegas, but I didn't think they cared.
The Luna stepped closer and grabbed my face roughly in her hands. "Either you do as you're told, or I make sure your little worthless Omega siblings die and rot in hell.
"Please." I sobbed weakly.
Isabella laughed like a mad woman and went to her bed to pick up the white wedding dress and threw it at my feet.
"Put the dress on her." She said and looked at me in the eye. "Consider this a promotion, slave."