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Chapter 1

As sunlight danced through the wooden blinds on Alaya's bedroom window, she winced at the intrusion and groaned softly as she turned to face the wall. She was still desperately tired, having barely gotten to sleep in the first place, her body protesting at the mere thought of having to get up and out of her bed.

As the sunlight still plagued her, she pulled the soft rose pink duvet up over her head in a final attempt to go back to sleep. But the weight of the covers instead started to suffocate her, her breath surrounding her and making everything feel too close. As Alaya clawed at them, she finally pulled her face free and growled in frustration as she admitted defeat.

"If you don't stop huffing and puffing, I'll suffocate you myself," Lenara shouted from her bed opposite, her piercing violet gaze finding Alaya's with ease.

"Blame the stupid sun. Better yet, blame yourself for refusing my idea of blackout blinds," Alaya replied, as she sat herself up to perch on the edge of her bed. She pushed the rest of the duvet completely off her, annoyed at its inability to of helped her situation. Alaya rested her head in her hands, elbows on her knees as another groan escaped her.

"Children require blackout blinds. You require a muzzle," Lenara retorted as she rolled onto her side away from Alaya, movements heavy showing her annoyance. Alaya grabbed her pillow and threw it at Lenara's head with a mere flick of her wrist. The soft thump it made as it connected with its intended target made Alaya smile. If she had had the energy, she would have run out of their bedroom to escape Lenara's wrath but she did not.

"Acting like a child won't get you blackout blinds," Lenara continued, as she pushed the pillow onto the floor, refusing to engage.

"Oh whatever grandma. Do you want a coffee?" Alaya asked as she pushed herself up to standing. She could really use the company, especially if particular people were already awake. The air nipped at her legs once she fully left the warmth of her bed behind. Her black shorts had been a wise choice last night when the rose duvet enveloped her, but now in reverse Alaya regretted that choice.

"No. I want sleep Alaya. Sleeep," Lenara groaned, pulling her own pillow over her head, signalling an end to their discussion. Unfortunately it also signalled that she would be going downstairs alone.

She rolled her eyes as she shuffled sleepily out of the bedroom and pulled her green dressing gown off the back of the door and around her shoulders in one graceful motion. She ignored the memory the green pushed into her mind as she shook her head slightly to clear it.

As Alaya walked towards the stairs she took note of all of the bedroom doors that remained shut. Timothy and Mark's door was closed but she hadn't expected anything different. Pup's always needed sleep to recover, especially after the first few phases. Evelyn and Aria's door was again still closed but she was betting that was more Evelyn's attempt to disguise the fact Aria wasn't even in there. If Orion was back from the annual hunting trip already then she definitely wouldn't be.

As Alaya glanced over at the last door on the right she noted it was indeed open like she dreaded it would be. She hoped they were at work already, not laying in wait down in the kitchen. Alaris and Luther slept in that room and were the born to be Alpha and Beta, the packs reader having confirmed that fact last month at the Ascendant ceremony. The day everything had changed. And not for the better. Well not for Alaya anyway.

As memories of that day threatened to overwhelm her already tired mind, Alaya closed her eyes and stalled at the top of the stairs. 𝘞𝘦 𝘸𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘥𝘰 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘵𝘰𝘥𝘢𝘺. 𝘞𝘦 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘴𝘵𝘳𝘰𝘯𝘨𝘦𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴. The calming mantra flowed through Alaya's mind as if someone else had spoken. Before she could think anymore about it, a calm feeling seemed to seep from the words and sprinkled throughout the rest of her body till Alaya felt collected enough to continue downstairs.

The smell of bacon and eggs filled her nostrils and spurred her on, forgetting her earlier hesitation. Namby, their house master, was obviously cooking already and that realisation eased the knot in her stomach a bit as she pushed open the kitchen door.

The knot in her stomach constricted again instantly as Alaris' bright green eyes found her gaze. It knocked the wind right out of her and any calmness she felt right along with it. Alaya gripped the door handle to steady herself as she forced her eyes to break contact first. She watched as his eyes trailed over her body and ignited as he took in her bare legs and settled on the tiny slither of stomach her vest allowed to show. A burning started to grow in Alaya and it wasn't one of passion. Anger coursed through her veins and her grip on the handle threatened to break it. He didn't have the right to look at her like that anymore. She wasn't his to gaze upon. And that had been his choice.

"Morning Alaya. Breakfast?" Namby's hard voice pulled her away from his gaze fully and in turn her hand relaxed its death grip on the door, allowing her to come inside properly and take a seat at the breakfast table. She smiled softly and nodded her head.

"Yes please Nams. I have a long day ahead of me," Alaya replied as she focused on her hands in front of her, determined to not meet his gaze again.

"For now," growled Luther, his amber gaze zeroed in on her from across the table. She didn't need to look up to know that, she could feel the heaviness of his hatred.

"Luther that's enough. If you want breakfast yourself I suggest you stay quiet so you keep your tongue," Namby continued over her shoulder, not taking her attention away from her eggs and bacon.

"Well I don't see why she is even still living here. Omegas aren't supposed to be living here," he continued his rant, the disgust he felt towards her now palatable in the air. Before Alaya even had a chance to respond she heard the clatter of a spatula on the kitchen side, grease spraying everywhere in the process.

"Out of my kitchen! Go on now, get out!" Namby shouted as she turned with the dripping spatula again in hand to point at him.

"You can't tell me to get out. Not because of an Omega. I am your Alpha!"

"You are nothing to me at the moment child. You are no more an Alpha here than she is. When your time comes then yes you shall be AN alpha but not if someone kills you first. HER name is Alaya. Call her anything else again in my company and I'll be the one to do it!" she yelled, spatula now pointed towards the door. Alaya watched as Luther rose slowly, scowl still fixed on her, his amber eyes glowing with fury.

"I didn't want any of your grease anyway," he seethed as he pulled his chair out hard from behind him, sending it clattering loudly towards the wall as he left. "Alaris," he commanded as he stormed out of the room. Alaris rose slowly and picked up the chair before he followed him out.

"Sorry Nams. I'll talk to him," he said, his rich velvety voice pouring over Alaya like chocolate. She fought the urge to find his gaze, knew it would be filled with apology and sadness at Luther's behaviour. And she couldn't get lost in it, feel sorry for him when he had broken her heart. She wasn't a big enough person to tell him it was all Ok when it wasn't.

"You best Alaris. Or it won't be Alaya leaving. It shall be him," Namby said once again before she turned her attention back to the eggs and bacon. "He is lucky his behaviour didn't make me burn my eggs," Namby muttered and Alaya smiled, relaxing a little more now Luther and the situation were finished with.

"Alaya I'm sorry," Alaris breathed before he left the room. Alaya wanted to look up and ask him what exactly he was sorry for. For Luther? For breaking her heart after her whole world had been shattered? Or for loving her in the first place?

Her dark brown almost black hair tumbled in a knotted mess over her left shoulder, she fiddled with the ends as she waited for her plate to be placed in front of her. Alaya loved her hair when it was behaving, slightly shorter curls framed her face as the rest of the waves tumbled down her back. She had a slight blush to her cheeks without the need for blusher and dusky rose pink lips. She wasn't anything special to look at, but not bad to look at either. Alaya had always been comfortable with her appearance, carrying an air about her when she moved. That air felt heavier now, more forced. Her eyes were what captivated people when they met her though, what held them. They were a gorgeous silver. Not grey, not a really light blue but pure silver, like liquid mercury. They sparkled like diamonds when she smiled and pulled people in causing them to smile along with her. Or so Alaris had told her. Back when he was the one gazing into them.

The sound of her plate being placed in front on her pulled Alaya out from that memory. She forced a smile up at Namby but from the look on her face she didn't buy it.

"Ignore him," Namby commanded, her tone short showing she was still angry at his behaviour. And Alaya wished she could, if what he had been saying wasn't true. He was right. She shouldn't be living here anymore. She wouldn't be if her father wasn't the Alpha. And wasn't that just ironic. The longest reining Alpha having an Omega for his eldest daughter.

"Luther, pfft. I barely register him breathing let alone him moaning," she lied, not wanting anyone to know this was getting to her. Because it was. It would get to anyone after a month of snide comments and not so subtle digs in her direction. But Alaya wouldn't allow the others in the pack to know that. Wasn't about to start acting like an Omega just because they told her she was one. It wasn't in her nature to back down. Apparently it was in Alaris' though.

"Thats my girl. Now eat up. Jeremiah said it was going to be a busy one today," Alaya took a moment to look at Namby before eating. She envied her strength, it shone out of her like a beacon. Namby wore her red hair short and choppy and despite her rather large frame it still suited her face. She always wore vibrant clothes, today's ensemble no different. She had purple and blue galaxy harems on and a purple vest top. Around her shoulders hung a black crochet shawl that had tassles all round the bottom. They moved in unison as Namby pottered around the kitchen, making coffees for them both. Her violet gaze reminded her of Lenara, her best friend since before she could even walk.

Alaya picked at her breakfast, her appetite not what it had been earlier. She finished her coffee though, savouring the velvety texture as it ran down her throat. When only the last few drops remained, Alaya thanked Namby before heading back upstairs to get sorted for her shift that now started in only 20 minutes. Luckily the pack hospital was a mere 5 minutes walk away.

Alaya made sure she remained as quiet as possible as she entered her bedroom, not wanting to awaken Lenara again. She was thankful when the door opened gracefully, not screaming in protest. The floor beneath her feet was solid wooden flooring, thick enough that it didn't creak either when it was expected to hold her weight.

She chanced a glance over at Lenara's sleeping form as she got dressed. Her blonde hair spilled out over the pillow that once again cradled her head. Her soft pink lips were slightly open and the yellow duvet rose and fell slowly telling Alaya she was indeed back asleep. Her violet eyes stayed hidden under her pale eyelids, fluttering slightly as she slumbered.

Alaya threw on her pink vest top and long grey shorts. She placed her grey chunky knit cardigan around her shoulders and allowed it to fall over her arms and took a brief glance in the mirror as she scraped her hair messily into a ponytail before making her way out the bedroom door. Alaya paused again briefly before leaving to check that she hadn't woken Lenara for definite, the rise and fall of the duvet reassuring her she had not. If only everything else was that easy to do.

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