Morning drills were dreaded by most omegas, but for Abigail they were sheer torment. While the pack trained on the open field, showing off their strength and endurance, omegas were made to stand at the edges cleaning weapons, fetching water, or tending to the ground like servants. It was a daily reminder of their place.
The training field was alive with energy that morning. Warriors shifted restlessly, eager for sparring, while younger wolves dashed back and forth under the watchful eye of the Beta. Abigail knelt at the far end of the field, scrubbing mud from a pile of spears. Her arms ached, her knees bruised from the hard ground, but she worked in silence.
From her spot, she had a clear view of the warriors. They moved with grace and power, their wolves near the surface. She watched them leap, strike, and recover with flawless precision. Jealousy gnawed at her heart again. She longed to move like that, to fight, to be seen as strong. But her wolf was weak, and she had never been allowed to train.
"Abigail!" a harsh voice barked.
She flinched and turned to find Lyra, the Beta's mate, glaring at her. Lyra tossed a bucket toward her feet, water sloshing onto Abigail's dress.
"Faster," Lyra snapped. "Do you think anyone wants to wait on a useless omega all day?"
"Yes, ma'am," Abigail murmured, bowing her head. She grabbed the bucket, her cheeks burning as laughter trickled from nearby pack members.
She tried to focus on her task, but her eyes betrayed her, drifting toward the center of the field. That was when she saw him.
Steve.
The Alpha moved among the warriors like he was born to lead them. His presence commanded silence, his voice deep and unyielding as he shouted instructions. Sunlight caught the edges of his dark hair, his muscles taut beneath his training shirt. Every movement radiated authority, confidence, and raw power.
Abigail's breath caught in her throat. She had seen him many times before, of course. He was the Alpha. But never like this. Never with her wolf stirring, pressing at the edges of her mind as though begging her to look again.
And then it happened.
His eyes flicked in her direction. For the briefest second, his gaze locked on hers.
The world seemed to pause. Abigail's heart thundered in her chest, so loud she was sure someone would hear it. A strange heat swept through her, filling her veins with a wild energy she didn't understand.
But just as quickly, the moment was gone. Steve's expression hardened, his gaze sharp and unreadable. He turned away, barking an order to the warriors as if nothing had happened.
Abigail's cheeks burned. She looked down at the spear in her hands, her thoughts a whirlwind.
Did he just… look at me?
No. It couldn't be. Why would he look at her? She was nothing, less than nothing. Whatever she thought she saw in his eyes was surely her imagination. It had to be scorn, disgust at seeing an omega stumble through work she could barely manage.
Selene's laugh broke through her thoughts. The she-wolf sauntered across the field, her golden hair gleaming in the sunlight. She approached Steve with easy confidence, touching his arm as she spoke. He didn't push her away.
Abigail's stomach knotted painfully. Selene belonged at his side powerful, beautiful, from a respected family. She, on the other hand, was a shadow crouched in the dirt, scrubbing weapons no one would thank her for cleaning.
Still, she couldn't shake the memory of his gaze. The weight of it lingered, pressing against her chest like a secret she wasn't meant to hold.
"Dreaming again?" a sharp voice hissed. Mira, Selene's friend, had crept up beside her. She snatched the spear from Abigail's hand, tossing it into the dirt. "Eyes down, omega. You don't deserve to even see the Alpha."
Abigail's face flushed as she scrambled to pick it up. Mira snickered and strutted off, joining Selene and Cassia.
Abigail returned to her task, her body trembling. She told herself Mira was right. She had no right to look at Steve, no right to think of him, no right to hope for anything more than scraps. And yet, deep inside, something restless stirred.
Something told her that moment the Alpha's gaze meant more than she could understand.
But Abigail silenced the thought. She was an omega, and omegas did not dream of Alphas.