3 - Things An Omega Can't Be

Silence fell over the ballroom like the mist of the morning dew. All watched for Belinda's reaction, but the latter remained calm and unmoving. She gazed steadily at Derek, her eyes revealing none of her thoughts. At a point, Derek grew very uncomfortable. He looked away awkwardly, his hand moving to rub the back of his neck.

"Please say something, Belinda." He finally turned back to her, his hazel eyes twinkling with what appeared to be remorse. "Please. I don't want to hurt you... or break your heart. I just—there's no easy way to break off an engagement, is there?"

"So... You're rejecting me?" Belinda asked, her voice lacking any emotion.

Stunned by her directness, Derek blinked stupidly. "What? No—I mean—yes! I'm really sorry, Belinda."

His apology was ignored. Snapping her head to face her brother, Belinda fixed a vicious glare at the alpha of the Chicago Pack. Her countenance remained cold, but the venom in her eyes made up for the hostility her facial expression lacked. "This is your doing, isn't it?"

Paul's lips spread into an evil grin. "It was a mutual decision. This is a matter of pack prosperity. The Female Beta's duty is to assist the Luna, or Luna Mother in our case, in the running of the pack. Imagine an omega in that role. It would be our downfall."

"The moon goddess chose me for that role!" Belinda spat. Her head felt too heavy for her neck, and her vision had begun to spot red with fury. "Are you saying you know more than her?"

"Never. But while she controls our fate, she lets us make our own decisions. She might have ordained you the mate of a beta, but it is up to him whether he accepts such an unfortunate fate or not."

"Bullshit! You just hate to see any good come to me. Does my happiness threaten you that much?"

"Why are you blaming your miserable existence on me?" The grin fell from Paul's features, as his eyes narrowed and he folded his arms across his chest. "It's hardly my fault you were born the very weakest of the pack. Even your inner wolf is against you, which must be why it's dormant till now. My god, you barely have the scent of a werewolf! How did you expect the pack to ever accept you as its Female Beta?"

"You—" Belinda made to give Paul a piece of her mind, but she was cut off by an overwhelming pain erupting in her chest. She fell to her knees, clutching the bust of her gown, because all strength was immediately drained from within her.

"What's happening?" Cecily's eyes widened.

"It's the rejection. It's causing her pain." Georgina readily replied.

None attempted to help Belinda, excluding Derek, who made to squat beside her, but Cecily pulled him back. Batting her eyelashes up at him and sulking adorably, she successfully distracted him from any worries he felt towards his ex-fiancée.

"It'll pass, big sis." Cecily directed her attention to her suffering stepsister. Her tone was so sympathetic, it would have fooled anyone who didn't know better. "Then you'll realize that this was the right thing to do. You and Derek aren't a very good match, anyway. You're cold and boring, you wouldn't make a good wife. Don't worry, I'll take good care of him for you."

Even through her pain, Belinda listened. She'd heard every word that was said, even as her clothes were drenched in her sweat and her entire body shook. She looked up at Derek and Cecily and caught sight of their hands intertwined together. She knew then—those two had been seeing each other behind her back. How hilarious was that? The one thing she'd held on to for the hope of a happier future was cheating on her with her stepsister. How long had they been at it?

Belinda studied the two, Cecily in her expensive wedding dress and Derek in his smart black suit. God, they were perfect for each other. One was straight-up evil while the other was laughably clueless. But it still hurt. Belinda wanted to cry—so badly. Then why couldn't she? Was she really that past saving?

"Since we've already finalized preparations and the guests will be arriving any minute now, the wedding will continue as planned. But with a different bride." Paul declared. "Cecily is a much better choice for the position of Female Beta. She's smart, loyal to the pack, and most importantly, a strong werewolf."

"Oh thank you, brother. I won't let you down." Cecily squealed, mostly to rub in her excitement in a certain someone's face.

Out of the blue, Georgina appeared in Belinda's front, bending to offer a hand to help her up. "You should rest for now. I'll get the doctor to attend to you once the event is over."

Belinda stared into her mother's face. As far as she could tell, the concern in Georgina's eyes was genuine. That only enraged her the more. If her mother truly gave a damn about her, why did she let her daughter suffer this much? It made no sense. Belinda ignored Georgina, standing up on her own. The process was tedious and painful, but she was determined not to take the helping hand she'd been offered.

"There's no need." Belinda's face hardened with stubborn determination. "I'm Cecily's elder sister, what will people say if I don't attend her wedding?"

Without assistance from a single soul, Belinda returned to her room, got out of her wedding gown, and changed into a simple party dress. By the time she was done, she was so exhausted, she could barely stand on her own. Still, she walked down the hallway towards the ballroom, leaning onto the wall for support, taking her steps one at a time. Her body ached all over, but she continued. She wondered if she could really make it through the wedding. There was only so much pain she could endure. Could she really watch as her mate was being joined in holy matrimony with another?

Voices pierced through Belinda's consciousness, and she instinctively listened in. She recognized the voices, they belonged to her stepbrother and mother. Belinda stood at the door to Paul's study, which had been left ajar, so she clearly heard the conversation they had inside.

"Did you really have to mandate Dexter to reject her? You would have been marrying her off. Isn't that what you've always wanted, to get her out of your hair?" Georgina questioned, her tone frantic.

"Except, she wouldn't be out of my hair." Paul sounded annoyed. "She would be married to my beta. This really is a case of concern for my pack. An omega simply can't be the Chicago Pack's beta."

"But she is already so pitiable! You could have let her have this small victory. Denying her the Female Beta position could have easily solved her incompetency problem."

"Why are you acting all righteous now? You haven't been very kind to her either. Have you forgotten, you were the one that poisoned and killed her brother, your own son?"

Her palm flying to her mouth, A shocked gasp escaped Belinda's lips.