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Chapter 1
Bella
My heart was bursting with excitement as I skipped into the Omega House, waving at the security beta posted at the front door as he nodded at me. My latest date with Pack Silver went even better than I could have hoped for. They took me to a lovely dinner followed by a string quartet performance under the stars. The setting was beautiful and romantic, and each of them spent time getting to know me even better, our conversations lasting hours. We had been courting for months. They were kind and quick to praise me, and I had a good feeling about getting asked to be bitten into their pack soon. I made it up to my room, sighing in bliss as I flopped down onto my bed. I couldn’t wait to see their faces again. I wanted to look at their pack registry profile again, for what was probably the hundredth time. I grabbed my phone, not wanting to wait any longer. My fingers tapped on the screen rapidly as I logged into the Matching Service app and scrolled through their pictures, unable to think about anything else. They had normal jobs and their apartment wasn’t anything fancy, but I didn’t care. I looked at each of their photos, imagining what it would be like to move in and finally have a pack of my own. Deep into my daydream, my scrolling was interrupted by a text from Andrew, one of the Alphas in the pack. I popped up in my bed and opened it, my excitement slowly turning to dread as I read each word.
Bella, we really enjoyed getting to know you. You are such a wonderful and spirited omega, and every moment was a pleasure. Unfortunately, we do not feel that we would be the best fit for you, or you for us. We will be withdrawing our courtship and wish you all the best. - Pack Silver.
I tried not to hyperventilate as I set my phone down and squeezed my eyes shut. Not again! This had been happening to me for a year and a half now. Over and over, I would get interest from a pack, form an emotional connection and sometimes even go through a heat with them, only for the pack to pull away and choose someone else. What was wrong with me? What could I possibly have done this time? I grabbed at my hair, pulling out the clips that the Omega House stylist put in earlier when she did my updo. No matter what I did, I was never good enough. I was already the omega who had been in the house the longest, and I was probably going to be here forever.
Another text interrupted my pity party. I picked up my phone, dreading even looking at it. But luckily it was just a text from my friend Piper asking me how the date went. I frowned, thinking back on her time here. It was so easy for her - she didn’t even understand this world, having wandered in from who knows where and had a super late omega presentation. But she met the alpha who would later bite her into his pack on her very first day here. She practically fell into their laps. And she didn’t even want a pack at first. Now here she was, all loved up and living the life I always dreamed of. I silently laughed at the irony. But I couldn’t be mad at her. It wasn’t her fault that she scent matched with a pack before I did, and she had been one of my only true friends since I lived at the Omega House. Most of the other omegas avoided me over time, thinking I was bad luck or that something was wrong with me. Now I needed to stay positive. I straightened up, took a drink from the water on my side table and called her, making sure to smile so she could hear my normal cheerful voice through the phone. She picked up on the first ring.
“Bella? So how did it go?” She asked excitedly. It made me feel even worse. I had called her after each date to let her know how things were progressing with Pack Silver. She was my constant cheerleader and knew that they had been courting me the longest out of any pack so far.
“Oh, it was great! I had a lovely dinner and then I saw a string quartet under the stars!” I chirped, not looking forward to the next part.
“That’s so cool! I have a great feeling about them! I think they will ask you to join their pack soon!” I swallowed and kept the smile glued on my face.
“Actually, they said they didn’t think they were the right fit for me. But it’s okay, there are always more packs out there! I pretended not to be bothered while checking my nails. Piper’s voice changed to dismay as she realized what I just said.
“Oh Bella! What happened? It’s not okay! They should have broken it off sooner if they felt that way!” Piper didn’t get it - she was asked to join a pack almost as soon as they started courting her. It was an instant connection for them. But I started to wonder why so many packs would seem to like me, then just break it off. I always thought things were going well. I never heard any negative feedback, just that they didn’t feel a spark or that we weren’t a good fit.
“I’m fine, really Piper! Anyway, I want to know how your trip went!” Piper’s pack knew she liked to go out and explore the world, so they had been taking her on fantastic excursions all over. Recently, they went to a tropical island and stayed in a luxurious hotel on the beach. I saw her posts on social media and tried not to get too jealous.
“The trip was great! It’s crazy how similar this place is to my old world, but yet there are so many differences! We did a lot of exploring on the island, but each night we all watched the sunset together.” Her pack was so loving. I wanted a pack that would do even half as much for me as they did for her. “But Bella, I’m worried about you. I know you say you’re okay, but I want to be there for you. I know rejection hurts and I don’t want you to feel like you need to keep it bottled in.” I closed my eyes, swallowing back a sob. I didn’t want to be open about how I felt. If I did that, I’d probably never smile again.
“I told you, I’m fine! There are a lot of fun events going on tomorrow at the Omega House, so I’ll be keeping myself busy!” I heard her sigh on the other end of the line.
“Alright. But I want to take you out for coffee soon. Are you free this weekend?” I broke out into a genuine smile when she asked that. I loved hanging out with her, and it was time to just get a break from the Omega House in general. It had started to feel like a cage at this point.
“Absolutely! You know I’m always up for coffee and gossip.” We set a time and date before ending the call. I tried not to doom scroll through my messages, but it was nagging at me. I couldn’t see anything wrong in my communication, and I’d always done my best to look good and talk about my omega interests with each pack. I didn’t know what else I could possibly do to prove that I’d be a good omega. My thoughts wandered back to each pack that courted me, backwards through time as I over analyzed everything. When I went too far back in my memories, the dark cloud of anxiety and depression threatened to bubble up from my past, so I forced myself to stop and watch tv to take my mind off of things. The Masked Designation was on, so I sat up for a bit and watched, trying to figure out who the mystery designation of each masked character was. I would worry about a pack tomorrow. After all, true love existed for me out there somewhere. I was sure of it. At least, I hoped I was right.
Chapter 2
Bella
I woke up feeling a little better the next day. Anyway, I had been through rejection before. So often in fact that I felt my heart grow used to it and almost expect it. And really, nothing has ever hurt me worse than the first rejection. The one that landed me here in the Omega House. I shook off the memory and forced myself out of bed and into the shower. Self-care was one of the best ways to stay in my routine after experiencing something disappointing. If I didn’t follow a routine, I’d end up laying in bed for weeks slowly wasting away and losing my will to ever get up again. Been there, done that.
I washed my hair, styled it and put on some light makeup. The Omega House gave us a small allowance for personal items, and I picked out some of the few cute clothes I had bought and looked at myself in the mirror. I practiced a big smile, making sure my face didn’t show any of the disappointment I felt inside. Once I was ready, I headed downstairs for breakfast. The Omega House was the least fancy of all our local omega institutions. Most omegas my age went to finishing school, where the classes included horseback riding, wine tasting and other upscale hobbies along with the usual omega cooking, cleaning and nesting classes. The other houses were far more prestigious, throwing omega balls where high society alpha packs could come and mingle with the available omegas, giving the attendees a chance to meet the best of the best. The Omega House was a state sponsored facility for omegas without means, which meant we didn’t get anything too nice. But I still loved it - it was better than anything I had before by far. The breakfasts were always fresh, with pancakes, waffles, bacon, eggs, and a variety of fruit and pastries to pick from. They also had fresh juice and coffee each morning. Even though we were technically in a house for impoverished omegas, they kept us healthy and safe.
I picked through the food on the buffet table, filling my plate and walking over to the activity board to see what was going on in the house this weekend. I had planned on having more dates with Pack Silver before they dropped me, so I hadn’t bothered to pencil in any of the Omega House events. I glanced through the schedule, hoping to fill my day. Socializing usually kept my mind off of overthinking and disappointments. Luckily, there were a few things that caught my eye. This afternoon there would be a floral arrangement class with a tea and cookie social afterward. I always wanted to learn how to make a bouquet, so I signed my name on the sheet as I popped a strawberry in my mouth.
A few of the other omegas greeted me in the breakfast hall, but I took my plate upstairs and finish my food at my desk. I didn’t want anyone to ask me about my date last night. I had been telling everyone about my courtship, and being the one omega who had been here the longest, I really didn’t want anyone gossiping about why I couldn’t seem to land a pack. After I got back to my room, I finished my food and fired up my laptop. I logged into the Omega Registry site and started scrolling through packs. My bio had been up there for ages now, and that in itself was probably a red flag. Only the packs who couldn't get one of the in-demand omegas would want to court me. I scoured through the pack profiles, thinking of which ones looked decent so I could ask for a scent sample. Most of them were ones I had already seen, and a few were also walking red flags. There was Pack Wilson, for example. All their members looked like they could be retired already. Maybe they were. I scrolled past them to the next pack. They weren’t too bad, except that a few of them were unemployed and the background in all their photos was messy. I didn’t want to spend my life picking up after men who didn’t work. A few of them were packs I had looked at before, but their scent card made me gag. I definitely couldn't live with a pack whose scent nauseated me. After an hour, I gave up and laid on my bed for a while, trying not to re-read the messages from Pack Silver. They had all been so kind and attentive before the final dismissal. It gnawed at me until I decided to delete every message from their pack. It was best not to dwell on the past and instead try to focus on the future. After all, the best was always yet to come.
I was scrolling through social media when my alarm went off. The hours had flown by and it was already time for the floral arrangement class. I raced downstairs, finding a seat at the table next to Brent, one of the few male omegas at the house, and Olivia, a beautiful omega who had been here since Piper left. “Hi everyone! I’m so excited for this class! I've always wanted to know how to make a bouquet.” Brent smiled politely and Olivia reached for the freshly cut flowers.
“Me too. But I would prefer to get the bouquet directly from my partners. Having to make a bouquet means they just found the flowers from a park or something.” She was right, in a way. Many of the packs that came to the Omega House were not as wealthy as the ones that frequented the more prestigious omega institutions. But there were still plenty of packs who were well off that came here to court, if the omega was pretty enough or had the right scent. I didn’t let Olivia’s comment squash my excitement.
“Either way, now we get to have a pretty bouquet for our rooms!” I responded as I reached for the materials. Using a bundle of flowers and filler, I began putting together my bouquet as the instructor gave us directions. I added a variety of colors, putting filler in between the flowers to balance out the texture and color.
“Wow, you’re a natural!” Brent commented as he saw my finished piece. He was a gorgeous omega, and I could tell from looking at his big green eyes and soft lips that he would get scooped up by a pack in no time. The knowledge that he’d probably be out of here before I left made me feel the familiar pang of jealousy. But it wasn’t his fault or anyone else’s that no packs wanted me.
“Thanks, Brent! Yours is coming along beautifully as well.” I wanted to take a photo of my bouquet to send to Piper, but realized I’d forgotten my phone in my room. “Shoot! I need to go grab something.” I ran upstairs to my room. On my way back, I turned a corner and froze as I heard two voices.
“She’s so weird. It’s like she doesn’t even care that no one will pick her. Can you believe she’s been here almost two years?” I recognized Olivia’s voice - she was coming down the hall and I quickly turned into a corner where the bathroom was. “Oh, wow - she’s been here for that long? What’s wrong with her?” Brent asked, his voice giving away the awe he felt at what he was hearing. I plastered my back against the wall, hoping they wouldn’t turn down this corner.
“Yeah, longer than anyone else. Apparently her family’s broke and sent her off here after a wealthy pack didn’t want her. After that, no one else wanted her either. But see how she isn’t even affected? It’s like she’s a robot!” I heard her mock my voice, acting fake chipper as they passed by. Luck was on my side today, as they passed right by without seeing me. I peered around the corner, hearing their laughter as I saw their backs, arms linked as they gossiped. I swallowed and looked down at my bouquet. The memory of sitting there with them thinking I was accepted, only to hear what they really thought would forever be linked with my flowers. I didn’t need a picture of my bouquet to remind me of this ugly moment. I turned, throwing the bundle of flowers in the trash bin and watched the petals fall apart at the impact, looking at the once beautiful object that was now tarnished. No one would want it now. No one will want you now. I waited until the hallway was clear before heading back to my room. I passed another omega on the way up.
“Hi Bella! Are you going to join the tea party?” I kept my voice steady when I answered as I rushed by her, trying not to let it betray the emotion I felt.
