The border was visible. I could see the ancient oak tree. Wiping the sweat off my hairline, I looked over my shoulder. Loud thunderous claws slapped against the ground, crunching the leaves beneath as they chased me. A groan escaped my lips. The pack won't go further than the border, and I knew that the tree would be my shelter if only I could get to it in time.

Just as one of the wolves was closing in, I made a hard turn, jumping over a fallen tree.

My attackers were faster and stronger, being Alphas and Betas, but I was agile and experienced. Being on the smaller side had some advantage. I knew how to dodge, take sharp turns and hop over obstacles faster than Alphas and Betas.

Just then, a scarier wolf almost took a bite off my leg, claws sinking deep, which made me fall on my face.

"Ahh!" A sharp pain took over my right leg.

My step faltered for a second while I glanced down at my calf. Blood poured out of a deep gash created by lacerated nails. The burn made my eyes water. I could sense the wolves closing in with no intention of slowing down.

Taking a deep breath, I closed my eyes. Adrenaline coursed through my body which I used to get on my feet, and sprinted.

I barely made it.

Almost running against the gigantic trunk, I turned around and stopped dead in my tracks. If the wolves crossed the border, then I would be dead within seconds. There was no way I could power through the pain in my leg and the fire burning in my lungs any longer.

I almost cried from a weird mix of joy, relief and exhaustion when I saw the menacing wolves stop abruptly, so much so that they piled onto each other in a mess of limbs and confused barks.

I fell to the floor and clutched my leg with both my hands, leaning on the sheltering tree, desperately trying to catch my breath. The pile of Alphas and Betas slowly disentangled themselves, allowing the leader to walk through.

"If I catch you lurking on our territory again, I'll rip your head off, is that clear?" His voice boomed around, so deep and intense it made the ground underneath me vibrate.

With a jolt, I woke up and looked around only to realize that I was in my room. My chest heaved, breaths coming out in a gasp as I tried to swallow. Closing my eyes, I allowed myself a few seconds to breathe, basking in the morning sun. A few strands of hair clung to my sweaty forehead.

It was that damned dream again.

I don't even remember why I can't stop having the same dream. Who are those people? And why do they keep chasing me?

People in this world are classified into three classes—Alphas, Betas and Omegas. The Alphas are on top of the chain and are considered a superior breed in every aspect. Betas are second in command. Then comes my weak race—Omegas. We are only seen and not heard, treated like breeding machines and sex slaves to Alphas. Only high-class elite Omegas are given respect. Alphas and Omegas have a higher chance of producing a Pure Alpha (someone who inherits all the dominant genes from Alpha); they mate with omegas. Mostly Betas and Alphas get married.

No one cares for a pathetic weak omega like me. It's not my fault I'm an omega; I mean, what's so wrong about it?

A sigh left my lips the more I thought about it.

Nothing good ever comes out of thinking about it. Pulling the sheets away from my body, I stood on my feet. My morning bed has to be made before I step out. Or else my mother will starve me for the entire day.

Once my room was spotless, I closed the door behind me and descended the stairs.

"What about this one?" My father's voice echoed in my ears as I stood on the edge of the stairs. I held my breath, trying not to get caught.

My sister is twenty one, and she's going to need to get married, following the tradition.

"No, he's nearly thirty, Frank" My mother chastised. "That's a bit too old for my daughter. Cara needs an attractive, rich Pack Alpha. This guy doesn't fit any of it. He looks rough."

"Well, he's an alpha, dear. We're all a bit rough," My father's tired sigh could be heard.

They have been going at it for a few months now, trying to find a suitable Alpha for my sister.

"Oh, come on! You wouldn't hurt a fly," My mother snorted. "You're not as tough as you want people to believe. Cara is a bit sensitive. I don't want some tough alpha to scare her away. She needs someone a bit gentler."

"And what about our Rose? She needs a mate to settle down as well."

My cheeks flushed at the mention of finding a mate to settle down. How do I tell them that I already found the one? The one who treats me right and distracts me from all the sorrows and pains in my life. Before I could show myself out, my mother's sharp voice pierced my ears.

"You had to ruin my mood! I don't care about her," my mother huffed. "Besides, who will do our work if she is married off to someone? Think Alpha!"

Tears pooled in my eyes. How can she be so cruel? I almost thought of sharing my news with them.

"Mary, that's enough! She's our daughter too. We should think about her after all; she's only a year younger than Cara."

I roughly wiped the tears dribbling down my cheeks, sniffing softly. Blinking back the tears, I purposely made a sound with my feet and coughed before stepping out. Two pairs of eyes watched me as I silently made my way to the kitchen. A lump was lodged in my throat, so I didn't even bother to greet them.

"Good morning, Rose." My father's gruff voice made me halt.

I looked over my shoulder and nodded at him.

My mother twisted her lips. "Look at her attitude! She doesn't even bother to greet us anymore."

"Mary, can you please not start? It's early in the morning. She just woke up."

"Whatever" My mother rolled her eyes before diverting her attention to the stacks of files laid out on the table.

They continued talking as I slipped past them into the kitchen. Hunched over the counter, I washed my face with cold water and sucked a sharp breath. I won't cry again. Keeping that in mind, I turned to carry on with my daily routine—making breakfast for everyone.

***

As soon as I was sure that my parents left for their evening tea with the neighbors, I sneaked out. My sister was not home yet. Cara was currently studying Economics at the most prestigious university in our town. Her classes went up too late, seven in the evening. I had no idea how that worked because my parents thought a high school education was all I needed.

"Rose!" someone yelled my name from afar.

Turning around, my lips curved in a wide smile as I spotted him. My Alpha—Zain. He waved around, his eyes radiant and glistening against the street lights. The reason we didn't meet at my home was my parents didn't like Zain at all. In high school, we were friends, but they detested his family.

It became challenging for us to meet after finding that out, but Zain found a way. We have been meeting at the same spot for the last four years, sitting on the same bench till it was late for both of us.

"Hi." I shyly smiled, sitting on the empty bench and making space for him.

His eyes traveled to my face, gaze narrowing before he exhaled. "Did you cry again?"

My mouth dropped open, and my hands immediately flew towards my face. How did he find out? I made sure to wash my eyes as well.

"Your eyes." He licked his lips. "They tell the truth even if you don't."

I averted my gaze instead of focusing on my old sneakers resting on the grill. Sometimes I hated when he did that. Then again, Zain knew me too well, and it was impossible to hide anything from him.

He tilted my head in his direction, his thumb lightly tracing my cheek. "One day. I'll take you away from all of this"

Hope bloomed in my chest. The only reason we were not telling anyone was my age. At twenty-one, I would find out if Zain was indeed my Alpha or not. Sometimes people get lucky and end up with their boyfriends. Other times they have to go on with their mate.

Zain was waiting for the same thing. We decided that even if we were not each other's mate, we would stay together. That's why he was working double shifts to take me away from my family.

"And I'm counting on that."

From the corner of my eye, I noticed my mother, who kept smiling anxiously, as though trying to reassure herself.

Cara, my sister, on the other hand, was furiously texting on her phone. She had no interest in accompanying us even though we were going for her. The Pack Alpha Aiden was interested to see my sister and possibly ask her hand in marriage if everything went well.

My father rubbed his hands together. "I can't believe they agreed to see us."

"Why not?" my mother snorted. "After all, Cara is the prettiest beta. Of course, the Alpha would want her for himself."

Cara rolled her eyes, still not paying attention to our parents. She's not usually rude, but in this matter, she didn't agree with our parents. My sister wanted to study for a while. At least that's what she said to me the night before as I packed our bags.

"True," my father hummed.

Silence stretched in our compartment as we all focused out of the window. We had one more hour to pass before reaching the Moonlight Pack. They lived away from the main areas, which was why we had to take a train.

Unlike others, Moonlight Pack wasn't progressive and adaptive to human technology. My mother was still not settled with that fact, but they were the wealthiest pack of all. The Pack leader's father used to be a council head.

"Rose", A sharp voice interrupted me.

I turned around. "Yes, Mom?"

"I hope you have packed enough suppressants. We don't want any scandal."

My cheeks flushed as everyone around us stared at me. Why couldn't she have asked that when we were alone? The two males snickered in my direction before looking away. Releasing a breath, I nodded my head.

"Use your words for moon's sake!"

My father was quick to interrupt. "Mary, will you stop? She already gave her answer."

"And I didn't hear it, Frank. She can very well respond to me, but no!"

My mother added. "She loves to be a brat."

Drowning out their voices, I looked out of the window. Cara threw me a sympathetic smile which I ignored. If I meet her eyes, I may break down in tears. Why did my mother hate me so much? She has been doing that for as long as I can remember—taunting and chastising my every move. Cara doesn't get that kind of treatment from her. My sister's treated like a glass doll while she treats me like a rag doll. All because I'm an omega?

***

"Hey...Rose, wake up. Come on, we gotta get going," A familiar voice urged, shaking and patting at my shoulder.

Then it dawned on me. I woke with a start, sitting up in alarming tension. Meeting my father's eyes, I was regarded with a heavy dose of apprehension.

"Sorry! I'm up—"

"It's okay. Let's go. Your mother and sister already got out of the train."

Of course, they did. I thought to myself.

We were greeted by a pack of two tall Alphas in uniform who narrowed their eyes. My father immediately stepped further and greeted them, introducing us.

"I am John, pack soldier." The one with brunette hair bowed down to us before nudging his companion. "And this is Leo; he's my brother and pack soldier."

"Hello. Nice to meet you."

"We are here to take you to our pack."

"Oh," my mother gushed. "That's fantastic! We can't wait to see our future son in law."

They both shared a weird look but led us to the packhouse. My composure faltered at my mother's pointed stare, but I took a few breaths and followed regardless.

The further we ventured into the village, the more pairs of watchful eyes followed us. I decided to ignore the pack members, but it didn't work for long. Curiosity got the best of me, and I glanced up, cringing as the wolves dropped whatever they'd been occupied with and heatedly whispered to each other.

It made me incredibly self-conscious, but instead of meeting wary and unwelcoming gazes, I made a point to stare at the breathtaking village. Several tents lined up to the packhouse, selling everything you would ever want to survive. My mother couldn't stop fawning over the color of freshly picked fruits and vegetables.

"Our Cara is so lucky" Mary, my mother added.

"Save something for when we meet the Alpha, dear."

We hid our smiles at that.

Leo talked with the guards outside the pack-house, and we were allowed in. The moment I stepped in, my heart started beating faster, hands clammy and breathing elevated. Heat pooled in my stomach. What was happening?

"Alpha Aiden is waiting inside."