Rejected by the Beta, Claimed by the Alpha

It was rare for an Omega to be an early bloomer, but that was Rowena's story. While she enjoyed her first shift, she also blushed when she realized that Beta Charles was her mate. He was eighteen: tall, handsome, and the second son of Alpha Clinton, the Alpha of the Snow Mountain Pack and the most powerful Alpha in North America.

It was rumored that Alpha Clinton's first son, Jaxon, had neglected his pack and chosen to live among humans, so Charles, who had been the Beta since fifteen, was going to take over the mantle of the Alpha. Rowena's heart leaped. Charles was very kind and treated everyone well. What a blessing the moon goddess had given her! As the Omega from the family of Omegas, she went to clean the Packhouse again in the hopes that Charles would recognize and accept her.

When they met yesterday, it was brief, but before they could utter a word, Charles's girlfriend, Clara, came to pull him away. This was Rowena's only chance to claim her mate.

"Good morning, Alpha," Rowena greeted with a warm smile while cleaning the luxury sofas in the living room of the pack house. It was her daily chore, together with other she-wolf Omegas, but due to her desire to see Beta Charles, she told them to take a rest for her to do it all.

"Good morning, Rowena. Is your mother alright?" Alpha Clinton beamed and asked her. Ever since her father died, the man had been nice to her and even reduced her chores, which allowed her the time to train in secret. Rowena had profound respect and honor for her Alpha.

"Mom is well, Alpha. Thank you for asking," she smiled and spoke. Alpha Clinton smiled but did not say any more. He was a man of few words and looked very strong.

It was difficult to tell that he was a man nearing his sixties because he looked like forty and still carried handsome features for his age. So sad his Luna died 10 years ago from a rare heart condition. Rowena went about her duties. The only room she was not allowed to enter was Charles's room, and she was sure it was going to change soon. Charles only allowed his girlfriend there and even cleaned his room by himself.

Swiftly, her heart began beating fast as she sensed the anxiety in the atmosphere, followed by footsteps. 'Our mate, our mate,' Row, her wolf, kept screaming in her head. They only got acquainted yesterday when she shifted.

Rowena was sixteen and one of the early bloomers of her pack but the first among Omegas. Those who found their mates early were never allowed to mate until they were eighteen, but it was a good feeling to know your mate before time.

Rowena's heart was filled with anticipation when she lifted her head, but she froze when she was met with the darkness in Charles's dark brown eyes. 'Our mate doesn't like us,' Row said with distress and shrunk away.

Rowena wanted to run, but her feet felt too heavy as the tapping of the soles of Charles's shoe drew closer. He was formally dressed, which meant that he was going somewhere very important. He scoffed at the sight of Rowena, who kept gawking awkwardly.

"Mate my foot. The moon goddess must be crazy."

Rowena's heart was heavy, and tears began to fall from her eyes like rain. Charles was always polite and nice towards her, but upon discovering she was his mate, his attitude changed. "I'm sorry, Beta Charles..."

"Shut up. You only talk when I give you the chance, do you understand?" He asked rudely, glaring at her with a gaze coated with disgust. Rowena's heart was pained, and she wondered why the moon goddess would do this to her, pairing her with a man who loathed and despised her because of her rank in the pack. Something she had no control over since she was born as an Omega.

Rowena nodded her head helplessly. When he kept stepping forward, she kept backing away until her back touched the wall. His cold gaze froze her, and she feared the worst. Well, who knew that his utterance would even hurt him more?

"I am the Beta and soon-to-be Alpha of the Snow Mountain Pack. I cannot have an Omega as my mate, Rowena. I, Beta Charles Clinton, reject you, Rowena Stone as my destined mate."

As soon as he said the words, he groaned, his eyes becoming darker. Rowena saw him in pain, but he was holding it in quite well. It did not take forever before he returned to normal and began to laugh hysterically,

"It's your turn. Accept it, or do you want me to force you?" He snarled. Rowena bit her lower lip. He was so close, and she felt hot and uncomfortable. After showing her this side of him, Rowena did not want him either, but she was just afraid because of his closeness.

She was an Omega, but Charles protected her before and stopped people from bullying her. Whereas, what he did today was more painful than the times he saved her. With her tears falling like a fountain, she said in a shaky voice,

"I, Rowena Stone, accept your rejection." As soon as the words left her mouth, it was as if every air was drained from her lungs. She could not breathe, but there was also the stabbing pain in her heart that sent her to the floor. She was not as tough as Beta Charles and could not hold it in as he did.

He watched her without any form of remorse or pity, but for some reason, he was unable to move, his eyes glazed over her petite form on the floor while she struggled to catch her breath.

"Babe, what are you doing?" A soft voice forced him to peel his gaze from the woman on the floor. The cold melted from his eyes, and all around him, he emitted warmth that matched his handsome features. "Clara, it's good you are here. The moon goddess played a prank on me, giving me this lowlife she-wolf as a mate," Beta Charles said with disdain. Clara's eyes were teary. Even as such, she still looked stunning. She loved to wear high heels if she was not going for training, which matched her model figure perfectly. Her blue eyes shone like the sky, and when she smiled, it was as if she carried the heavens with her.

"You mean you are leaving me for her?" She asked with dismay, her heart sinking at the revelation. Charles' two hands rested on her shoulders to calm her as he pulled her into his embrace. "No. I just rejected her," he pursed his lips and said truthfully. Her fears dissipated.

"You made me so happy," Clara said with relief as she hugged him tightly, right in front of Rowena, who at the moment, was a crying mess. Clara was just seventeen, so she had never been intimate with Charles. However, her clinginess was enough to push other she-wolves away from him. Knowing that Charles was going to be the Alpha soon, she had already announced to everyone in the pack that she was the Luna, for which reason the news did not sit well with her. It was good that Charles rejected the repulsive omega the moon goddess paired him with. Omegas should be paired with their level omegas, that way, they would not climb the social ladder.

"Let's go," Clara finally said and led Charles away. From the way she was dressed, they might be headed in the same direction or even going on a date. It was not unusual for them. Rowena watched everything unfold. She did not have the right to be upset or jealous.

This was how Omegas were treated everywhere around the packs. She should even be thankful that Clara came to take Charles away. Who knew what he would have done next?

No matter how Rowena tried, it was hard to control her tears in spite of the fact that the bond was broken between them. How could she have even thought that Beta Charles would accept her?

The pain receded slowly before Rowena rose to her feet, feeling empty and sad. Her tears had dried on her face when she grew tired of wiping them. She did not have friends because of her life as an Omega. Even among themselves, Omegas did not want to associate with one another. Each one saw him or herself as better than the other and wished to marry into a higher rank to lift their status.

Rowena's mother trained her secretly when she was not busy with chores at the packhouse, and she never ate or slept there, even when she did all the work. She would walk a long distance to their small house to join her mother.

Her dream had been to lift her mother's status, but that had died with the rejection she just faced. Somehow, she managed to finish up her duties in the packhouse, but just as she stepped out of the packhouse, a nasty surprise was waiting for her.