After My Mate Chose the Omega

I sat on the edge of the narrow bed in my guest room, staring at my hands. They were steady, but inside, everything was shaking. The mate bond pulsed with each heartbeat, a constant reminder of what I'd lost—what had been taken from me. Three years of sacrifice, of building alliances, of healing rogues who would one day become pack assets... all for him. For us. And this was how it ended.

Sable stirred within me, her anger a low, rumbling presence. *We won't be erased quietly,* she growled.

*No,* I agreed, pressing my thumb against my wrist to ground myself. *We won't.*

I closed my eyes and reached for the pack's mind-link network—that sacred, intimate connection that bound us all together. As Luna-in-waiting, I still had access, even if Tru thought he'd stripped me of everything else.

With deliberate calm, I crafted my message. No accusations, no hysteria. Just the truth, wrapped in perfect politeness.

*'Pack of Black Moon,* I began, my mental voice clear and steady, *'I, Elliot Parker, wish to extend a formal welcome to Ila Ford, who appears to have found comfort in the Luna suite during my absence. May she find all the happiness there that I once did.'*

I released the link and waited. One breath. Two. Then the network erupted.

Shock rippled through the pack bonds like a stone dropped in still water. I could feel the whispers blooming, the questions forming. *The Luna suite? With the Alpha? But what about Elliot?*

My phone buzzed with messages. I ignored them all, but I could imagine what they said. The pack was talking, and that was exactly what I wanted.

I was still sitting there, a small, satisfied smile playing on my lips, when my door burst open. Tru stood there, his face contorted with rage.

'What the hell do you think you're doing?' he snarled, his Alpha aura flaring.

I met his gaze steadily. 'Welcoming your pregnant Omega to her new home. Isn't that what you wanted?'

His eyes narrowed dangerously. 'You think you're clever, don't you? Making trouble the moment you return.'

'I'm simply being a good Luna,' I replied softly. 'Though it seems I'm the only one who remembers what that means.'

Tru's jaw clenched. 'We'll see about that. I've organized a Welcome Run for tonight. Followed by a pack dinner. You will attend, and you will behave.'

'Of course,' I said, my voice honey-sweet. 'I wouldn't miss it.'

He stalked away, and I knew the real battle was just beginning.

Hours later, I stood at the edge of the gathering clearing as the pack assembled for the run. The sun was setting, painting the sky in shades of amber and blood. I wore a simple black dress—understated, elegant, nothing like the garish display Ila had made of my things.

Tru took his place at the head of the gathering, Ila at his side. She wore a flowing white dress that seemed designed to emphasize a pregnancy that, to my healer's eyes, looked suspiciously flat. Her hand rested possessively on his arm as she looked out at the pack with a triumphant smile.

'I've asked Ila to organize tonight's celebration,' Tru announced, his voice carrying across the clearing. 'She's put together something special to welcome Elliot back to the pack.'

The emphasis on 'welcome' was subtle but unmistakable. This wasn't a celebration—it was a setup.

As if on cue, Ila stepped forward, her voice sweet and cloying. 'I hope everyone enjoys the evening I've planned. It's so important we all come together as one family.'

The run itself was mercifully brief. I kept to the edges, watching as Ila stayed close to Tru, playing the role of the fragile, pregnant mate-to-be. I marked how some pack members avoided looking at me, while others cast curious, assessing glances my way.

Afterward, we gathered in the great hall for dinner. Long tables had been arranged in a U-shape, with the head table raised slightly above the rest. Tru took his place at the center, and I watched with cold amusement as Ila automatically moved to sit at his right—the Luna's chair.

'Elliot,' Tru called, his voice carrying just enough Alpha command to make it an order, 'you'll sit there.'

He pointed to a place at the far end of the hall, among the unranked wolves—the lowest position at the table. A deliberate insult.

I walked the length of the hall, feeling every eye on me. As I passed Dania Edwards, she leaned toward her companion, loud enough for me to hear: 'Three years away, and she comes back a failure. No wonder he replaced her.'

I took my seat with perfect grace, my face a mask of calm. Inside, Sable was snarling, but I kept her contained. This dinner wasn't about surviving humiliation—it was about gathering intelligence. And as I watched the pack's shifting loyalties play out across the room, I realized just how much I had to work with.