Chapter 5. The Beta and the Omega.

Ava McDonald.

I could smell it as soon as I got out of the water and the effects of the skunk elixir disappeared from my clothes. I knew the skunk elixir was the best way to nullify a wolf's sense of smell. I used it whenever I escaped the castle after discovering that one of my brother's men, especially his Beta, enjoyed playing with me as if I were a rabbit they wanted to hunt. Once they had me in their power, they committed countless atrocities against me. Every time I think about it, I start to tremble.

Being the despised daughter of the Alpha's lover was very degrading in my pack—or rather, my former pack. The moment I left the passageway and reached the edge of the pack's lands, I spoke the words that severed my ties to it. Thousands of times in the past, while in pain and suffering from my wounds in the castle dungeon and enduring the abuse of my brother's men, I had wanted to run away, but I was just an omega, the lowest wolf in the pack. Now, however, I had Irina. She was a wolf without a pack, and I was by her side—a weak omega but free.

I wasn't surprised when my sense of smell returned as I came out of the water, but I was surprised by the first smell I detected: a delicious scent of wood and freshly cut grass.

"Mate!" Elora's growl activated me. Without thinking, I ran to hide, contrary to my instincts.

"What are you doing, stupid? Run to him, not away from him," the angry wolf complained.

"We can't, Elora. Remember, we are no longer worthy of having a mate," I said, moaning as I remembered how our bodies had been mistreated, tortured, and abused. There was nothing pure left in us to give to our mate.

She said nothing. I knew that, during our suffering, she had tried to block out the memories, experiencing them herself, but I wouldn't let her. We were one, and we would protect each other.

I was so distracted that I didn't notice a huge wolf had cornered me. It was the biggest, most attractive wolf I had ever seen, almost the same size as my brother. Its eyes were honey-colored, and its fur was dark brown. It looked at me carefully, as if afraid I would move or get scared. Its scent was maddeningly delicious.

Elora's growl of desire said it all: "Mate." I was scared to death. I didn't need to be an omega to know I was standing in front of a beta—his scent told me so. My mate was a terrifying beta.

As I ran after my alpha, I suddenly felt it, like when you uncover a pot of delicious food. A scent hit me, leaving no doubt about what was happening. It was a scent similar to roses and the freshly baked strawberry cake my mother used to make when I was a child. It was totally edible, and I knew it was my mate. Although I didn't want to disobey the Alpha, Callum took control, and I couldn't help but want to run to where my mate was waiting for us.

"Go find her, now." That was the mental command from my Alpha, who had sensed my anxiety. It was like releasing a waxed bull. Without hesitation, I followed the delicious smell like a psychopath.

I soon located her. She was running away, and apart from that wonderful scent, her body was giving off others that, for a beta, are like adrenaline to a strong wolf: fear and nervousness.

"She's an omega!" I couldn't help but notice.

"So what if she is? Your mother is an omega too, and if your father cared about that, you and your little brothers wouldn't have been born. She's ours, and that's enough. We're already strong enough for them," Callum said, slowing down so as not to scare our mate.

When we had her in front of us, the fear in her eyes mixed with the scent of desire and happiness emanating from her.

"Talk to her wolf. I'm going to transform," I said. I transformed quickly while she looked at me, completely paralyzed and blushing.

I couldn't help but smile when I saw her trying not to look at my naked body, though sometimes she couldn't help it. She wasn't as indifferent as she seemed. Her scent of female desire was evident, though the fear hadn't disappeared yet. She lowered her head like a good omega before a beta.

I approached her, lifted her chin with one hand, and made her look at me. She trembled again, but this time, it was genuine terror.

"You are mine. You must never bow your head to me. I am also yours. We are one," I said calmly so as not to scare her.

"I... am not..." Her voice trembled, and a growl of fury from Callum inside me distracted me.

"She has been mistreated and abused. That's why she fears you. She thinks she is not worthy of being our mate; she feels dirty. My partner, Elora, told me," Callum said. My anger increased until I almost suffocated. I didn't realize I was scaring her.

"I'm sorry. You can reject me. If you tell me your name, I—" Without thinking, I pulled her toward me, hugging her affectionately and protectively.

"You can't reject me. I won't allow it. My name is Elijah Martin, beta of the Blue Moon pack. I'm sorry for not introducing myself properly. I'm excited that... It's simply unforgivable," I said, feeling her stiffen in my arms.

"I'm sorry, Elijah, but I don't think the moon has given you a good mate, so I set him free..." she said, paralyzing me. I didn't understand what she was saying until Callum spoke inside me.

"She intends to reject you. Don't let her. She has suffered so much and is so weak that she won't be able to bear the pain. She will die if she does,” he told me.

I separated her from my body, holding her in front of me, and looked at her. She was beautiful, an apparition, but the decision was still in her eyes. She was anything but a weak omega:

She was blonde with golden eyes. She was the strongest omega I had ever seen, and she had made a decision. I had to do something to stop her. "I, Ava McDonald, former member of the pack..." Without thinking, I kissed her, stopping her from continuing and imprinting all the passion I felt for her in that kiss.

I knew it was only temporary. I had to think of something—and fast. When the anesthesia of her senses wore off and the force of desire between mates subsided, that determined omega would try again. I didn't want to order her not to. She was my mate, not my subordinate. Besides, her lips were robbing me of my ability to think. I had to pull away, or I would take her right then and there.

"Mark her. Elora thinks it's the only thing you can do for now. Just mark her. She's not ready to be ours completely yet," Callum said as I pulled that maddening woman toward me and felt her moan with pleasure. The power of mates' desire is very strong. So strong, in fact, that it controlled us, like now.

"I can't do that to her. If I do, I won't be able to control myself. I'll want her all to myself. Right now, I can barely control myself," I said, leaving her lips to kiss her neck and bury my nose in it. I loved her scent. It was the hardest thing I had ever done, especially when I could hear her moaning uncontrollably. I was completely overcome by desire.

"Well, either you mark her, or when her desire passes, she rejects us and dies. Choose," Callum said to me as if passing sentence.

For a few seconds, I was paralyzed by desire, and I knew it. I didn't want to let her go. It was selfish, but I wanted to protect her and take revenge on those who had mistreated her. I wanted to see her laugh and be happy. I wanted to see her carry my puppies in her womb. I already loved her. The goddess Luna had given her to me, and I felt it was my duty to care for and protect her, even from herself.

"I'm sorry, my sweet Ava. It had to be this way. When you're ready, I promise to close the circle that binds us. I waited for you to accept me completely, but I can't let you go now that I've found you." I whispered in her ear as she was still overcome with desire. Without further ado, I uncovered her shoulder and gently sank my fangs into it, marking her as mine forever. She moaned with pleasure uncontrollably.