I couldn't stop crying for minutes—hours. I've lost track of time, consumed by my own misery. I've been in this position for a long time, my head resting on my folded thighs, my arms hugging my body. My limbs are so sore I can't move without wincing. My head hurts too, and there's the humiliation, creeping in every few seconds.
I wipe my eyes, sniff, and try to convince myself that whatever happened was love blinded by rage. My wolf is so sad she's locked her thoughts away. I try to connect with her, but to no avail. She's traumatized, especially considering the great expectations she had from her mate.
A knock echoes through the large, empty room. The tables and chairs cast long shadows—the sun has set. I move idly, dragging my feet across the floor and wiping my cheeks in a failed attempt to conceal the puffiness. It's no use; the tears just keep coming.
"I'm coming," I croak to whoever it is. I hold my breath in anticipation, chanting to the Moon Goddess—the very being responsible for my demise. I hate this mate-ship. I've only just entered it, but I hate it so much, I'd rather scrape food off the ballroom floor like I did back in the day.
"Oh my, you are quite a mess."
Lily throws her arms around me. Maybe it's the presence of another being, or the fact that I haven't been hugged in so long, but I burst out wailing.
She pats my back in slow circles, drawing me close. She guides us to an abandoned chair at the far end of the room. She drags another chair close and sits me down. I stretch out my hands at the loss of her contact.
"Shh… I'm just going to close the door and come back, okay?"
I nod like a five-year-old whose toys have just been snatched by the mean boy across the street. The hard wood of the chair is uncomfortable. I wiggle in place, trying to ease the pressure. My legs are starting to itch, my throat is dry, and a stubborn migraine throbs at my temples.
I try to recall the events properly, but I can't. Sometimes things happen to us and we have no recollection of how they began or what occurred in between—only the ending remains. It's a cruel world.
And so, when she came back, the first words I said were,
"He didn't mean it, he was just—"
"I know, I know. Trust me. Being mated to an Alpha isn't easy, Zara. Especially Alpha Josh. He's just too..."
"Complicated?"
"Yes. Not in a bad way, though. He's just too closed off. Guys like him need girls like us. The Pack can't function without a Luna."
She brushes strands of hair behind my ear and plants a feathery kiss on my forehead. The warmth spreads through me, and for the first time since I stepped into this building, I feel a flicker of hope.
"What are you doing here?" I ask.
I no longer try to cover myself. I sit with my back against the chair, one leg crossed over the other, observing her flowery dress that clings to her when she moves, and the little tiara that completes her 'princess vibe' look. Everything about Lily screams loyalty.
"Alpha Josh asked me to come help you with your clothes. He said you were waiting for me."
It must have slipped past me. I was too busy gauging his reaction to hear those words—too heartbroken to look at him when he left.
"Okay."
"I brought a few dresses with me."
I hadn't noticed the stack of clothes on the table until now. She selects a few and hands them to me.
"These are for me?"
"Yes."
Lily smiles, then turns and hands me a purple knee-length dress, a white gown, and a black crop top.
"You can't give me these."
She can't. They're so elegant I feel like I could taint them just by staring at them. Back at the Omega headquarters, the finest garments we had were worn-out dresses from the elites—reserved for the most deserving, usually the ones who worked themselves to death.
"Yes, I can. Alpha Josh is giving them to you."
"—"
I want to tell her she's lying. There's no way the same man who was on top of me a few minutes ago could gift me anything. I can still feel his hands all over me, hear his voice—so raspy, so enticing, and so forbidden.
"I can't keep these. I'm so sorry."
I clutch the floral green dress to my chest but decide otherwise. I can't keep what isn't mine. Frankly, just hours after meeting his father, I was determined to be the perfect Luna he wanted me to be. But after what happened a few minutes ago, I can't anymore.
"Okay, I won't stop you."
She takes the dress from me and pats the empty space beside her on the table. With shaky legs, I sit restlessly.
"When I met Allen, I was so scared I wouldn't fit in. I was the next heir to our Pack, MoonSpace. Being mated to another Elite was a dream come true. But it's hard, you know? The relationship he has with Josh and his dad—everything is just… too much. I—"
The slightest of ideas occurs to me—a way out. It crawls into my chest, extinguishing the fire.
I decide I don't need the clothes; they symbolize submission to his desires. What I need is to prove to everyone—including my mate—that ranks don't matter. Being an Omega doesn't stop me from being an amazing Luna.
Maya is the first person I think of. She deserves all the happiness in the world. Although we fell out, the perfect reconciliation gift would be freeing her from the shackles of the "Omega" title.
"Where is Josh?"
"He is—"
Lily is taken aback. Her mouth hangs open, and I can tell thoughts are racing through her by the way she chews on her lower lip, hands on her hips.
"I need you to take me to Josh."
He is no Alpha if I'm no Luna.