The cloth in Elora's hand was completely soaked, its thin fabric was heavy with dirt and spilled beer. She squeezed it over the bucket, watching the murky liquid fall with her tired eyes. The bar's smell stuck to her skin, the smell of sweat, ale, and smoke, and no matter how much she cleaned, nothing seemed to get clean. Her back hurt, and her fingers were bruised at the ends, but the day wasn't over, Not just yet.
"Hey, Omega," a man mumbled from behind the bar, while slamming his mug on the wooden surface with a loud noise, "Been waiting for that refill for a long time, Are you deaf or just stupid?"
Elora signed but turned without a word, getting the jug with quiet obedience, It wasn't worth arguing, Words would only make things worse. She poured him another drink, and her hands steady despite the insult, but he reached out and grabbed her wrist before she could move away.
"Do you think being pretty makes you better than the rest of your kind?" he said arrogantly, with his breath smelling strongly of sour mead, "You Omegas are all the same, Pretty little nobodies."
She pulled her arm back and moved away quickly, but her heart beating fast. The bar owner,who pretended not to see anything when money was involved, didnt say a word, None of the customers seemed to care, The insult was normal, it was Expected.
But today, more than any other day, it hurt her more deeply.
She finished her shift quietly, hearing each tick of the wall clock getting her closer to the moment she'd waited for all year,the mating ritual, And When the bell finally rang for the end of her shift, she took off her apron and went straight to the back room, Her small locker held a folded package, wrapped tightly and kept safe from the bar's filth.
It was a dress,
She'd bought it with every saved coin, it was simple, dark blue, and a little worn along the bottom, but it was beautiful. To her, it was a promise, it gave her A bit of hope.
Elora changed quickly, smoothing the material over her hips, then let her hair down from its braid, She didn't wear any makeup, but her eyes shone with a quiet strength as she looked in the cracked mirror. Tonight, she might find her mate, she might find her Her real start, Someone who would see her beyond the status forced onto her life, Someone who would choose her for her.
The evening air touched her skin as she left the bar and stepped onto the worn out path leading to the pack's open square. Her heart fluttered like a bird in her chest, The sky above was dark with twilight, and stars were just starting to appear, The fire pits were already glowing ahead, and music was floating in soft waves, and Laughter echoed in the distance.
Many pack members were gathered, dressed in their best clothes, Some were already dancing, and others waiting nervously for their turn. The Elders moved among them, lighting incense and whispering silent blessings into the night air.
Elora remained at the boundary, tightly holding her hands, She hadn't spotted Dar, who was the Alpha's son, It wasn't that she believed, more like wished and hoped, he might be her destined partner, Yet, a little piece of her was still curious, a little piece of her imagined.
She moved nearer to where everyone gathered, and the smells of trees and animal coats were strong in the air, Some wolves noticed her presence, so she bowed slightly to show respect and looked down. Her heart raced faster as she got close to where the mating ritual was going to take place.
And then, it appeared, she felt a pull,
Her chest felt tight,
Her partner was somewhere in the group,
The pull was very clear.
It pulled at a spot deep inside Elora, it pulled lightly at first, like he warmth you feel when stepping into sunlight, but then it grew stronger, it was warm and real, like her body knew it before her mind could understand. Her eyes moved quickly through the crowd, looking for who it was, Each breath she took was harder than the last.
Then she saw him,
Dar.
The Alpha's son stood under the main light, laughing as a group of female wolves tried to get his attention, He looked the same as always, a strong jawline, tall body, that easy confidence that only people born into power have, But now, something was different, His head turned fast and He looked right at her,
And Elora understood,
He was hers,
And she was his,
Mates.
Her breath seized in her throat, and For a moment, everything froze. The connection clicked into place like an easy lock between them, Her lips opened a little, and heart beating fast in her chest. She waited, for him to realize, for some kind of happiness to show on his face,
Instead, his face changed to a bad look,
Disgust.
She blinked, not sure if she was seeing things, But then he moved forward, the crowd stepping aside for him like always, He moved with purpose, each step closing the distance between them, until he was standing tight in front of her, His smell reached her, it was earthy, manly, with power mixed in, but it wasn't warm, It felt cold and Distant.
"You?" he said, almost too quietly, "You're my partner?"
Elora swallowed hard, "I… I think so."
He laughed in a mean way and looked her up and down, slowly, like he was figuring out how bad she was.
"You really thought I'd take someone as unimportant as you?" he asked, his voice became louder now, making nearby wolves look over, "I don't want you, Go find some poor Omega like yourself."
Her mouth dropped open, The words felt like ice on her skin, A few gasps could be heard close by and Someone laughed in a cruel way.
The partner connection didn't just get weak, it broke apart.
Pain shot through her chest, hurting her a lot and making her feel shame, She turned, moving back through the crowd, blinking while trying to stop the tears. She wouldn't cry, Not here, Not where they could all see.
She didn't remember how she got to the bar,
Only that she was suddenly back inside, her dress was messy, and her boots were dirty. Her hands shook as she pushed through the crowd and went to the bar, The bartender, who was used to her being quiet, raised an eyebrow but gave her a glass of something strong without saying a word.
Then another,
And another,
The burn of the drink made the pain less intense, and her mind felt warm and cloudy, What was around her became unclear, the laughter seemed far away, The feeling of being embarrassed, turned down, and not good being enough, it all faded.
After a while, she wasn't there alone,
A tall man and who she didn't know was next to her, He didn't say a lot, He just paid attention to her and smilled.
His fingers touched hers lightly,
She stayed still,
She wished to not remember, Only for one evening.
Everything else fell apart like smoke, A bedroom door opening slowly, The feeling of the bedcovers and His body next to her, The heat of their skin, Her clothing falling off her arms, and The excited feeling in her blood telling her it was okay, nothing was important now.
Sleep took her before she could feel bad, and When morning showed up, it came as a shock.
Her head hurt badly as she opened her eyes, and light came in through the thin window covers. Her arms and legs hurt, and the sheets were wrapped around her bare legs, She sat up bit by bit,
The other side of the bed was empty,
No identity,
No farewell,
Only silence.