Craved by the Alpha

My heart was thundering in my chest and I could barely breathe. My chest heaved up and down and I felt like I was going to die.

Maybe death was going to be better; in that moment, that was how I felt. I hated it so much, I hated this feeling. My heart squeezed so tightly that I felt like I was going to pass out.

The full moon sat in the sky, bathing the orphanage in a cold, silvery light as I lay awake on the eve of my 18th birthday. Fear choked me and clung to me like a second skin, my throat dry, my heart pounding.

This was it. In mere hours, my life would change forever—and it terrified me.

Turning 18 was a cursed milestone, especially for omegas like us trapped in this hellhole. The clock ticked towards midnight, each second heavy with dread. No one ever made it out of here once they hit that age, and the very thought caused my heart to clench.

Tick. Tock.

At midnight, I whispered a hollow “Happy birthday to me,” tears burning my eyes. I knew nothing of my parents, except that they abandoned me the day I was born. They had left me on the orphanage’s doorstep like unwanted trash.

Tick. Tock.

The door slammed open, and my heart skipped a beat. Val, the cruel caretaker, stormed in. “Well, well, look who’s all grown up,” She sneered, reaching for me aggressively and dragging me from the bed.

Her grip was painful, her laughter echoed down the hallway like a twisted melody. I cried in pain but that was all I could really do. Cry.

She shoved me into the hallway, parading me like a spectacle for the other omegas, who looked as scared as I was feeling. “Rue’s 18 today!” She announced, her voice mocking me. Without warning, she grabbed a bucket of soapy, foul-smelling water and dumped it over my head.

“Happy birthday, you little bitch,” She laughed.

The water was cold. I clenched my fists, tears mixing with the filthy liquid, burning with the humiliation. I wanted to fight back, scream, and curse the Moon Goddess for cursing me with this life. But instead, like always, I stayed silent, my lips trembling.

She was not done, she wanted me to now clean up the mess she had made.

But that night, as I scrubbed the cold floor while everyone watched, I made a vow. This year would be different. No more cowering. No more being weak. No more letting them tear me apart.

After I was done cleaning the floor, I went back into my room with water dripping off me. More tears flowed from my eyes but all I could do was change and wear something different. It was cold tonight and I had not much so I curled into a ball on the very thin mattress and in a few minutes, I fell asleep.

When morning came, I knew. No one had to tell me. The loud blaring sound of bells ringing sounded and I was up in no time. The events before I fell asleep played on a loop in my mind, making me feel nauseous.

I peeled myself off the mattress and stood to my feet. I had barely slept, if I was being honest. My eyes were burning, my body aching from exhaustion, and sleep calling me, but I did not have the luxury to pay attention to any of that.

The bruises and whip marks on my back were reminders that I could not be late. I needed to be out of this room and in the courtyard very soon.

The corridor buzzed with activity as I made my way out. Everyone was moving, desperate to get to the bathroom. They all were scared too just like how I was. But for me, my fear was doubled.

I had reached the age that everyone in here was afraid of. 18…it was at this age that omegas would just be taken away to somewhere and never seen again.

The very thought sent a shiver down my spine. But right now, I had to focus on one thing, getting to the bathroom and showering. We were all expected to be clean and in the courtyard by six-twenty.

Rushing, I pushed my way past a few. And even though I received a few ‘happy birthdays’, it didn’t feel like any special day. After showering with almost thirty girls, I hurried to my room and put on my uniform.

Everyone here was assigned two sets of them. And honestly, I hated mine. They were now small, torn in so many ways and it just really looked like a rag. But I had no choice, it was not like I could get a new one, I was not allowed.

When I was in my uniform, I held my dark hair in a messy ponytail with an old rubberband and rushed out, making sure to be on time.

My stomach groaned as I stood in line in the huge courtyard. My body ached, like really bad. The sun was rising and the heat was revealing itself bit by bit.

Standing there, with the ragged uniform clinging to my frame, I felt the weight of their judgment. Why were they looking at me like that when we all had the same thing to wear, it was just that mine was older and looked a bit worse.

Suddenly, a stern voice echoed through the courtyard, “Rue Belmond, come to the front!

Hearing my full name called out like that caused my heart to race as I stepped forward, unsure of what awaited me. Little did I know, this would thrust me into a destiny I had never imagined, unraveling secrets that would change the course of my very existence.

The chilling gaze of Mother Teresa bore into me, a sinister smile playing on her lips, hinting at a twisted plot that would weave fate with threads of both despair and darkness. This was the start, this was the very beginning of my world crumbling down.