From Omega’s Ashes

Celeste’s POV

The chicken’s shrill cry roused me from a deep sleep. Groggy and reluctant, I crawled out of bed and peered through the window. Without glancing at a clock, I knew it was roughly five o’clock in the morning. I’ve always possessed that uncanny internal clock—and the subtle ability to sense when rain or snow was on the horizon. The pack dismissed it as an unnecessary oddity, but I treasured this gift all the same.

“Come in,” I murmured, turning as the door opened. My best friend, Lira, slipped inside wearing an excited grin, then pounced on me like a wild cat. She wrapped me in a fierce hug.

“What’s gotten you so happy today?” I asked, stepping back and studying her face.

Lira pulled away, cheeks tinted with delight. “You haven’t heard yet?”

I narrowed my eyes in confusion. “Heard about what?”

With a conspiratorial whisper, she replied, “Leon returns to the pack today.”

Leon? My heart thumped in my chest. “Wait—that’s the Alpha’s son, right?”

Lira’s grin widened until she almost blushed like a child. Leon was the only son of our Alpha and the pack’s future leader. After Luna—Leon’s mother—died, he simply vanished without a trace. No one knew where he went, though I suspected the Alpha had theories. Seven years had passed since then, long enough that we almost forgot he existed.

Suddenly, Lira seized my hand, yanking me forward so sharply I staggered. “There’s going to be a party tonight to celebrate his homecoming. You have to help me become the most beautiful girl in the room,” she pleaded, eyes wide like a puppy begging for a treat.

“Don’t worry,” I reassured her, squeezing her hand. “When I’m finished, Leon won’t be able to take his eyes off you.”

Of course, Lira had been hopelessly in love with the Alpha’s son since they were children. He, however, never showed her any special attention—Leon treated every woman with the same cool formality, stoic and unmoved.

A worried frown marred Lira’s features. “But what if Leon’s destined mate was someone else?”

In truth, that was a very real possibility, but I couldn’t bear to dampen her spirits—not knowing how she might react. “You’ve got to stop overthinking it, Lira. What if it was you? Have you ever considered you might be the one?” I nudged her playfully, hoping to lift her mood, but her gloom lingered.

Lira’s lips trembled at the thought of another woman claiming her love. Tears pooled in her eyes, and I silently prayed for her happiness. Finally, she straightened her shoulders and forced a bright smile. “It doesn’t matter if Leon’s mate ends up being someone else,” she declared with determined cheer. “All I have to do is kill her, and then he’ll be mine.”

I clamped a hand over her mouth. “Shh—someone might hear you,” I hissed.

Lira’s eyes flashed with fierce resolve, and I knew she meant every word.

We spent the entire day preparing for the celebration. As you may recall, I was an omega. My parents died in a fire when I was small, and the pack took me in. Although being an omega was the lowest rank, as long as I fulfilled my duties, no one mistreated me. Having a best friend who was the Beta’s daughter granted me a fair measure of respect, too.

Lira, on the other hand, may have been a bit unhinged, but she was the world’s greatest friend. Without her, I might have ended my life years ago, when I turned eighteen and still couldn’t shift. Being an orphaned omega was one burden—I nearly drank poison in my despair—but Lira insisted the pack didn’t care, that they would support me. Her words brought me back from the brink, and though frustration sometimes nagged me, I learned to keep going.

By midafternoon, we were ready. Lira and I climbed into her carriage that would carry us to the town’s most fashionable salon. She emerged minutes later in a sweeping gown of deep emerald silk, her hair arranged in soft waves framing her face. Even though she begged me to match her, I refused. I’d rather stick with my threadbare clothes—I doubted anyone would turn their gaze toward me anyway. After two excruciating hours standing on tiptoe, my makeover was finally complete.

Lira stared at her reflection, mouth fallen open. “Oh my God, I look like a princess,” she breathed.

“You’re welcome, Celeste,” she corrected me, grabbing me by the shoulders. Then she pulled me into a tight embrace. “When I become Luna, I’ll free you of this omega title,” she promised solemnly.

Her vow warmed my heart. I gave her a grateful smile, trusting that she meant it. I only hoped everything went according to plan, despite the small, persistent voice in my head warning that something was bound to go wrong. I shrugged off the doubt.

As twilight fell, Lira departed for the party, her excitement brimming. I stayed behind to tidy up: I wiped down the salon chairs, folded her discarded wraps, and carefully tucked her makeup box into a hidden corner. When I finished, the salon was spotless once more. I slipped out to fetch dinner and then headed home, promising myself an early bedtime.

Later, I slipped into the grand hall where the party was in full swing. Lavishly dressed pack members laughed and danced beneath glittering lanterns. I stuck to the shadows, acutely aware that I didn’t belong here. I wondered, not for the first time, how different life would have been if my parents were still alive.

Suddenly, I heard it—a soft voice calling, Mate.

I froze. The single word echoed inside me, and then it came again, Mate. This time it felt like a caress on my skin. My heart pounded as I identified a sweet, intoxicating scent drifting toward me: fresh-baked bread, golden honey. With each inhale, the fragrance deepened, pulling me forward, urging me to seek its source.

“There he is,” the voice murmured so close I couldn’t tell if it was inside my head or just behind me.

I lifted my gaze—and my breath caught in my throat. Standing before me was a man whose presence knocked the air from my lungs. He met my eyes, expression calm, almost detached, yet something in those steady gray pupils made my heart clench.

No. This couldn’t be happening. My senses reeled, and unlike me—paralyzed with shock—he scanned me from head to toe, no flicker of surprise crossing his face.

A familiar voice called my name, jolting me back. “Celeste?” I turned and saw Lira hurrying toward me.

Shit.

“What’s wrong?” She brushed past me, oblivious to the stranger behind me. Even as she interrupted, he didn’t move a muscle.

Lira followed my gaze. Slowly, her eyes widened, and she took in the electric tension crackling between us. “Wait,” she whispered, voice trembling, “Is this what I think it is?”

My throat tightened. I couldn’t meet her gaze. “I’m sorry, Lira,” I managed, voice breaking. “But Leon was my mate.”