My room had plain white walls with simple furniture- a bed, a wooden desk, a cupboard, and a single chair, but it was clean. In fact, it had been a long time since I'd been able to sleep on an actual mattress instead of waking up hurting all over, lying on steel bed frames. I moved quickly and let myself sink into the soft cotton sheets.
There was even a mirror facing the bed and I looked at my clear reflection for the first time in forever. My dark brown eyes started back with defiance, my long raven hair framing my hollow cheeks. My eyes looked tired but a spark was growing and blossoming slowly.
"Don't get too used to it," a sound called out from the doorway and I looked up to see a girl who seemed to be in her early twenties, about my age, watching me. She had a short pixie cut of purple hair and striking dark features.
"Hello, I'm Teliff, in charge of everyone in this dorm sector. Just got word about the new omega, so I figured I should introduce myself."
She was already striding in with confidence and settled herself right beside me on my new bed.
Bed.
God, it felt so right to say that.
"Hi, I'm Maeve. But…you probably already knew that."
She nodded eagerly.
"I know you might be excited and hopeful about all of this, what with you coming from the periphery, but I wouldn't be if I were you. I used to be in the periphery too so I know how it feels. But really, if you want to have a good and decent life here, you have got to earn it first."
"What do you mean?" I asked, warily.
"Well for one," she said, ticking each one off on her fingers. "Don't piss off the Alphas. Follow all the rules and stay out of everyone's way, especially the higher-ranking Lycans. And if you're asked to do something, do it without any complaints or hesitation, and to the best of your ability. These are the basics, the rest of it, you'll learn…eventually."
Right. I pretty much figured all of that out by now.
I noticed that her eyes were a deep red. It was so deep that it couldn't be noticed very easily, like it was subtle for a reason, but I knew it was there.
"You're eyes…they're-"
"Red?" She said with a knowing smile. "Yeah, they used to be brown before I shifted, now the red keeps popping up now and then. Totally on its own."
"Shifted? To what?"
She frowned, expression darkening.
"Do you not know about that? You're an omega now. Which means you'll shift into your wolf very soon, likely on the night of the Green Moon."
Shit. I had completely forgotten about that.
I had forgotten that being an omega also came with the inevitable, the grotesque bones breaking, painful rite of passage to being a werewolf.
The Shift.
"It's nothing to be concerned about," Teliff said, idly examining her black fingernails. "Once you've shifted, you'll finally be eligible to attend the mating ceremony. All of us are allowed to attend as long as we've completed the shifting and have full control of our wolves."
"Wait…does that mean I'll have to mate with someone?"
"If you find your mate, then yes, I suppose so. But it's not that easy and if you do find the one that you're fated to, then that changes everything."
Valden's face flashed in my mind. Even after everything that happened today, I couldn't completely cleanse myself of all the longing I've had for him all this time. We were meant to be together, we had promised to do the mating ritual together and I was meant to be his omega. But now, I wasn't so sure.
The mating ceremony was sacred. I knew that much. It's where all the wolves, including the Alphas, attended to find mates or just to observe. And that was the one thing I'd been silently dreading. But I would most likely be lucky. I probably didn't have to think about it any time soon since most omegas took months or years to finally shift.
Teliff cleared her throat.
"I heard you met Captain Valden. Did he ask you to strip too?"
My mouth fell open.
I didn't realise he did this to all the new omegas.
Teliff burst out laughing at my expression but I didn't find it any more amusing than finding out I was just one of the many girls he wanted to see naked.
"Hey, it's not for the reasons you think it is. But you'll know all about that soon enough. And anyway, he's just a beta. Those are the good ones."
"Good ones?" I breathed. "You mean to say there's worse?"
She arched her brow. "Well, you haven't met the Alphas yet. And if you're lucky, you probably won't have to meet them for a very long time."
A shiver trailed down my spine.
"That's good to know…I guess."
"Anyway," she said briskly, straightening up. "The mist will start affecting you more and more each day. Don't fight it, the more you do, the longer it takes for you to adapt. Just obey it and go with your instincts. Who knows, maybe one day you'll end up being a delta."
A loud chime suddenly echoed through the walls.
Teliff jumped up from my bed.
"Oh, that's the summoning bell for cleaning duty. You might as well come now after putting on your uniform. We don't need to give them any excuse to get them on our backs."
Teliff flashed a smile and walked out waving her arms, her lavender perfume still lingering in the air.
That's when I noticed the black pieces of clothing neatly folded on my desk. I unfolded it to find the wolf insignia and the Omega lettering embroidered below it.
I would be lying if I said I wasn't terrified now. But I had to adapt, since this was going to be my life now and maybe forever.
I walked down the long corridor from my dorm to the central hall, finally clothed in my new assigned uniform. It wasn't sleek and fitted with leather and training gear like that of the other Lycans. Just loose fitting, simple and plain, probably made of cotton. Easier to do chores in or kneel in front of the elite.
I was scanning the digital signboards, trying to figure out where to check for my duty area, when a voice called out behind me.
"They've been letting anyone into this place it seems."
A girl sat casually leaning against a wall, arms folded and one boot propped on top of the other. Another omega male sat right next to her, with blue eyes and muscular arms. Both wore the same uniform as mine, but on them it looked more elegant and fitting.
The girl gave me a slow once-over, her lips curling. I wasn't sure if I had to respond. But they definitely didn't seem the warm or welcoming kind.
She pushed herself up and walked past me, shoulder brushing mine harder than necessary. As she did, her head dipped and she whispered in my ear.
"He asked me about you today, you know. If you're planning to suck his dick too I'll make sure you don't swallow again."