Chapter 4 – Dying at 25

Bernice’s POV

“You’ve returned home,” my father says as I walk through the front door of our Alpha home in Sunset Pack.

As he spoke, he sounded bored. Uninterested that I had returned.

I couldn’t remember the last time my father and his wife, my stepmother, cared about me. They only cared about what I could provide for them. I have been taking drugs since I was 12, which will kill me when I turn 25, per my father’s orders, just so I can be the Alpha of our pack until my brother is of age.

I was born out of wedlock between my father, an Alpha, and my mother, another lowly omega. Though I have noble white fur, I was born an Omega, destined to bring shame to my family. I grew up with several older Alpha brothers, all of whom have died in battle. My only brother left, is my little brother, Caleb. He is 15 years old, and in one year, he will be the right age to take over as Alpha.

That is the year I will die.

My purpose, according to my family, is to make sure Caleb is ready to become the leader of our pack.

“Yes, father,” I say to him, ignoring the ruthless stares of my stepmother, Lilith, from the couch.

Lilith never liked me because I looked too much like my mother. Any reminders of my mother she despised. Which was fine because I wasn’t too keen on her either. The only good thing that came from her was my brother, Caleb.

“Aren’t you going to say hello to your mother?” My father says, keeping his eyes locked on mine.

She wasn’t my mother. But I’m not in the mood to argue so I plaster a smile on my face and turn to Lilith.

“Hello, mother,” I say to her, trying not to gag at my own words.

She stares at me with a straight face, not even pretending to be pleased with my return. Most of the time I think they wish I would just die in battle already.

“Your brother is in the kitchen. Speak to him about your experiences with this battle and then you may leave.”

He says that I ‘may’ leave, but it’s an order. I say nothing more to them as I head into the kitchen.

I walk in, and just as I see a big puff of smoke coming from the stovetop. At first, I didn’t see Caleb. But then, I spot him rushing toward the fire extinguisher across the room. I shake my head as I grab a bucket off the counter, fill it with water, and splash it on the stove, burying the pan that had caught on fire, all before Caleb managed to get the fire extinguisher off the wall.

I frown at him and fold my arms across my chest.

“Oops…” he says, looking up at me sheepishly. “Sorry…”

“Caleb, seriously?” I ask, shaking my head in dismay. “How are you expecting to be the Alpha next year if you can’t even cook scrambled eggs without burning the entire house down.”

“Well…” he says as he puts the extinguisher back and gives me a lopsided grin. “I have you to help me. Don’t I?”

Nobody has mentioned to Caleb that the medication I have been taking since I was 12, the medication our father forces me to take to disguise me as an Alpha, was going to be the cause of my death when I am 25. It was something I never wanted Caleb to know. As far as he’s going to know, I’m dying in battle. I won’t burden him with this kind of information. Knowing Caleb, he would only blame himself.

“Yeah,” I say to him, sharing his smile. “You’ll have me to help you.” It doesn’t feel good to lie to my little brother. But it was for his own good. “But I won’t always be here to put out your fires. You have to be more careful.”

“I know…” he says, staring down at his feet. I give him a small smile before going over to the kitchen table.

“Now, come sit with me. I will tell you all about this recent battle,” I tell him, sitting down.

His eyes beam as he runs to the table, sitting across from me. Caleb loved when I told him battle stories. He looked forward to it every time I returned home. He only met Alpha King Landry a handful of times, so he especially loved when I told him how heroic Landry was when fighting against the vampires.

Of course, I left out the fact that Landry saved me from the rogues when I went into heat. I figured I would spare my brother those personal details.

“I can’t wait for my first battle,” Caleb breathed. “I hope one day we can fight side by side. You, Alpha King Landry, and me.”

I smile at my brother and stare down at my hands, unable to look him in the eyes as I say, “Yeah… me too.”

Landry’s POV

A week later

It is the time of the monthly Alpha meeting at the royal capital. Landry has thought of nothing since his encounter with the female Alpha —the Omega in disguise. He remembers how she begged for help as the heat took her, how her body looked in the moonlight, ripe for Landry’s taking.

His wolf is excited to lay eyes on her again and seeing her serious appearance next to him at the table does nothing to stop it. Bernice seemed so focused and strong with her Alpha persona; nothing like that weak omega that was laid out in front of him. But Landry knew they were the same. He wasn’t an idiot, and he wasn’t going to be taken for a fool.

His wolf growls deep within him as Bernice continues to stare stonily ahead at all the other Alpha speaking. She was taking them in and listening with intent. Per usual, Bernice brought a notebook with her and began scribbling notes about the meeting. It was almost like the other night didn’t happen at all.

Landry wasn’t sure why that bothered him so much. Maybe because he knew of the liar that lay beneath this Alpha. He was determined to expose her for what she truly is.

Under the table, the fake Alpha has her legs crossed properly. Her legs were out of sight from the other Alphas and Landry took his chance. He decides that he will torture this she-wolf. He will dominate her in a way that leaves her begging for mercy. He and he alone will own her.

Landry’s fingers slide up her thigh. She pauses in the middle of writing something, and her entire body stiffens. His fingers linger on her leg for a moment, until her legs fall apart and out of the crossed position. He smirks, knowing he has her right where he wants her. She reaches for his hand and tries to push it away. However, he’s not going to give up that easily.

She squirms in her seat while pretending to listen to the other Alpha drone on about their last battle. But Landry knows his touch is all she can think about.

His fingers gripped her thigh tightly. His wolf howled with delight picturing the fingerprint bruises he surely left on her milky skin. She presses her legs together to keep him from having full access. If he wasn’t trying to be discreet, he would have laughed out loud.

She will learn. No Omega refuses an Alpha King.

He forced her legs apart, causing her to make the smallest whimper. No one seemed to notice though and he takes that opportunity to push his luck a little further. He drags his fingers between her uniformed legs, pushing and playing with her sex through her pants. Feeling her impending wetness was enough to make his blood pound with desire. 

Her body shudders slightly as he continues to rub her core, she wasn’t even trying to push him away anymore. For some reason, this pleased Landry. Bernice was trying hard not to whimper in delight; tears were threatening the corner of her eyes as she held her breath. Her lips were growing red as she bites them.

Landry hardly notices the meeting end; he is so focused on his payback. The other Alphas rise and begin speaking to Landry, but he makes his excuses.

He will not be interrupted. He kept his hand where it was, Bernice’s face so red Landry was surprised no one mentioned it. He made the same excuse.

“I need to speak to Bernice, alone. If you gentlemen wouldn’t mind leaving us for a few moments.”

He repeats himself until it is just him and the Omega bitch in the room. 

“Now,” Landry says, voice low and dangerous. “I believe you owe me something.”