WORD GOES AROUND

He was still asleep when I left early the next morning.

What gave me the nerve to go was the realisation that he didn't even know that the woman in the room with him was not Karen. How would he know that he was even in the room with somebody before going to bed?

I return to the harem-to the condemnation of solitude that Alpha Grey has imposed on women for his pleasure- and the moment I walk in, all eyes turn in my direction. It does not help that many of them follow me so much that I feel them watching my back as I walk through the spaces in the room.

My bed- unattended for two nights and left alone- is the only thing waiting to welcome me and I sit on it, pulling the cover over myself. No one says a word to me, and I say nothing to no one until Dara comes to talk to me.

"Gemma... where have you been?" She asks, sitting on the edge of my bed.

I sit up to talk to her, grateful to have someone who I can speak with, at least to take my mind off Alpha Grey's theatrics. So I sit up and talk to her.

 "I was on a bit of a funny journey."

"With Alpha Grey."

The accuracy of her reply causes me to jerk in surprise, looking at her, while a smile appears on her lips as she catches my reaction.

"How did you know?"

"How do I know? Everybody knows."

"Everybody knows what?"

"That you've spent the last two nights with Alpha Grey. The senior concubines, in particular, are pissed over it, especially since he sent Karen away in favour of you. They're starting to see you as a problem."

"But I didn't even sleep with him."

Dara chuckles, her eyes fixing a curious stare at me. "Alpha Grey never not sleeps with a concubine, and neither does he keep one close for as long as he has kept you. Maybe he is in love with you."

Yes. I know. It's all a misunderstanding.

It's a big misunderstanding.

**

The reason why this is a problem soon shows itself.

I'm still speaking with Dara when Karen, the woman from the previous day comes with two other concubines from behind. She has a poisonous look on her face, and one look at her alerts me that she's here to spell doom. I know how bad it is when Dara disappears, leaving me with them.

"You are the new Luna, are you not?" She asks me. "I wonder what spell has made him fall for an Omega like you."

So that's the problem...

I'm an Omega.

"Nothing really happened-" I start to explain, but she shuts me down.

"But you spent three nights with him and watched as he sent me off for you."

This outburst of hers puts the rage into me. I know that nothing much happened between myself and Alpha Grey in all that time, except him confusing me for Karen, but if she's going to try to fight me for it, then I might as well claim him for myself and accept all they're saying.

"He likes me more than you do. Get over it."

With an angry yell, she darts forward with her hand stretched out, and I jump out of her reach just in time to send her sprawling across the floor in her wolf form, all the fur on her back standing on edge. All the women in the harem gather about, making deafening noises in the name of cheering, and I realise how against me they are when I hear them say her name.

Determined to prove them wrong-to prove everybody wrong, I'm just about to morph into the best wolf my Omega self can be when someone grabs me from behind, and I turn to find myself staring into the eyes of one of the eunuch guards Alpha Grey has set over his harem. 

"Come with us," he barks, to the joy of the women, who seem to be happy to see me so shamed before them.

And yet again, I will see Alpha Grey.

Or will he see me... 

**

The dismay on his face,, as they lead me before him in his courtroom can hardly be misinterpreted. When I turn and notice that the guards are taking me to him without even laying a hand on Karen, I heave a sigh.

We meet. Again.

His golden eyes are burning with rage, and the guards withdraw as soon as I stand before him, still bowing my head.

"Fighting with a senior concubine? How dare you?"

I hold my tongue, afraid of saying something that will displease him and ruin my hard work. At the same time, he descends the stairs leading up to his throne, where he comes to tower over me.

"There is also a rumour that I find distasteful," he snarls, his voice burning into my ears. "The fools I have under this roof say I'm in love with you. What nonsense... That I, Alpha Grey should be joined to a common Omega. WHO BRINGS OUT THESE RUMOURS!"

His words are yelled so loud that they echo around the courtroom, etching themselves into my brain.

A common Omega. 

That's all I am to him. 

"You will return, apologize to Karen for the fight, and do all you can to debunk the rumour of anything happening between us. And don't let me see you again unless I summon you. Now go..."

My legs feel as heavy as lead as I walk off, broken by his words, while one of the guards comes to my side to lead me to the harem again. The concubine's eyes follow me as I walk past all of them to my bed, where I fight the tears that threaten to fall down my cheeks just to feel strong myself.

This mission is getting harder than I thought it ever would.

It's literally breaking me apart...

The only person who comes to console me is Dara.