The hospital stay wasn't short.
But in that time I received countless visits from the alpha, my brother and his mate, and once even my father though he simply told me I wasn't welcome or allowed home anymore, my mother had died, and if I ever told anyone what he'd done, he'd kill me. If that didn't leave me shaken up then the ongoing trials for Dallas. I wasn't surprised that Jessie wouldn't come visit me. In fact I was glad he wasn't. Dallas was going to more than likely die for his crimes and it was all my fault. I shouldn't have told them but I had to say someone and it certainly couldn't have been my father's name.
There'd be no way in hell they'd mate me then. I wasn't even sure they would now.
But seeing the alpha so often was cool. I never imagined being so close to such a powerful wolf. And he was friendly toward me, despite the fact I was now practically useless to him. Jamie stopped by once a week too. He'd try and teach me verbally while giving me passing marks so I wouldn't fail my courses. Or rather, continue to fail my courses. But he said he would make my Poors into Acceptables due to my 'situation'. I was grateful of course, but the shame of it all was what weighed on me. I was dirty, unmatable, and pitied by those around me. And it sucked.
Once I was healed however, I was placed with an old widow. My room and board was exchanged for help tending her livestock (two old milking cows, a dozen chickens, and a fat sow), housekeeping, and assisting her baking. But she was kind and it was honestly the best part of my life. She loved me like a grandson and I loved her like a grandmother I never had.
Then the selections came. Jessie along with the rest of the omegas in my courses had ignored me up to this point. Around the time of the selections the Council reached their decision. They gave him an option: a honorable execution due to the 'heinous act against a fellow pack mate' or banishment. He chose the latter and his body turned up on the pack border no more than a day after him leaving. He'd been murdered in cold blood. No investigation was put toward his death. Jessie mourned for a good two weeks before he returned to Courses and for the first time actually spoke to me. Though his message was far from kind.
"My brother was a good man. You're a liar. He'd never do something like that. His blood is on your hands, Dawson."
Marcella, the widow, assured me it wasn't my fault but I couldn't shake the feeling that his death did hang over me in some way. Then the Selections came. My first time in line up I was with Jessie. I was positive I'd be passed over but I wasn't too upset about it. Marcella assured me I'd always have a place with her and when her time came, as she put it, her son, Jacob, would care for me. He was a kind man who came up with his pup on Sundays to have dinner. He was a rouge, living in the protected settlement outside of town. His one true love, his mate, had passed away with the birth of their daughter.
I was intimidated by the whole process. I'd slimmed down quite a bit since being removed from the situation at home but I was still so plain compared to the others and a bit chubby still too. I watched four handsome men, several years our senior step into the room, looking around. One stood out simply due to the power he radiated. There was no doubt in my mind he was a future alpha. Our alpha pointed that out immediately, telling him to step up and make his choice first. It would go by rank. It didn't shock me at all when he selected Jessie. Maybe it was his marks, his beauty or the fact he had the gene but he took the omega firmly by the wrist, pulling him to be inspected by his father. Once he had his father's okay, the next wolf stepped forward.
One by one those around me left and then I was left alone. "Oh Dawson," sighed the alpha approaching me. "I hope you're not terribly disappointed?"
"No Alpha." I said softly, eyes downcast. I ran a finger through my hair. Maybe it was messy today and that was why no one selected me?
"You were a part of a very attractive class, Dawson. It's not often we have more omegas than paying dominate wolves," continued the alpha. "But we'll find a use for you, yes?"
"Are you going to send me away to the...whore house?" I whispered, hardly able to handle the truth. Of course he would. Where else would he make money on me.
"No, Dawson. Of course not," sighed the alpha, patting my shoulder. "I couldn't do that to you. It's not your fault that this was the hand you were dealt. Come. Courtney has most likely prepared a wonderful lunch--I insist that you join us."
Dining with the Alpha and the Luna? Most wolves could only dream of such a thing but here I was, wanting to turn it down. I wanted to back to Marcella and have her hug me and tell me it was okay. I wanted to sit by the wood stove and cuddle with Nelson, the domesticated barn-cat. But denying the alpha was never an option. "Thank you, Alpha." I said softly. It was like my stomach had settled in my shoes I felt so deflated and disappointed.
The worse part was that I'd expected this and yet here I was feeling like this. I turned, following the alpha out when the beta appeared in front of us. "Sir. There's another."
"What?" the alpha said as my stomach clenched in a fear/excitement surge. "Who? Everyone who registered with me, came."
"They didn't register. But, they can pay."
"This has Eastern Pines written all over it," the alpha growled under his breath. I felt his eyes on me as I kept my eyes on the floor. I hated ease-dropping... "He'll take whoever is left?"
"I believe so, sir."
"You may be getting a mate after all, Dawson," said the alpha. I looked up at him with a scared smile.
He brushed my bangs out of my face. "Do try and make a good impression. This may be your last chance."
I bit my lip, nodding my head in determination. I could do this. I had to do this. "Alright, bring him in."
I couldn't help but stare at the door as my future mate stepped in. He had a sour look on his face, which was daunting and seemed upset about something. An older version of himself came following behind looking as though he'd just scolded him. "Ah, Alpha," the older man said. "Please excuse our late entrance. We hoped to arrive before everyone else so we could buy the best but--"
"Dad, I don't want this one. I'll just wait until next year and get a nicer one," cut in his son, looking at me in disdain.
I hated myself for being excited for this moment. Of course they'd see I was the last one--the reject. Why would he want me? "You have to have a mate to take the title as Delta tomorrow night, Austin. Enough. I'll give you fifty for him."
"Fifty dinj or fifty dollars?" asked the alpha with a brow raised then shook his head. "Either way, it's too low. This an omega, not a slab of meat."
"Is there a difference?" replied the older man dryly. "One fifty."
"The lowest one went today was twenty-one hundred. I'll take nineteen hundred for him." the alpha stated plainly. "Human or dinj doesn't matter to me. I do dealings in both."
"You're not seriously thinking I'd spent that much on him?" laughed the man. "Let me see his history. His Marks."
I watched the alpha falter and I felt horrible. I just wanted a mate to look at me and like me. "Fifteen hundred." the alpha tried next, ignoring his last request. "He's in a good condition."
"He's fat." barked Austin. Tears filled my eyes. I knew he was thinking it--they all must of been--but him saying it so plainly hurt a surprising amount. I should've considered that when I was stuffing my face with pie last week. "I'm not paying that much for him."
"One thousand." The alpha's voice was now pleading. He wasn't even trying to barter. He just wanted to try and make something off of me. "He's not perfect. I know that. But he has a wonderful personality--"
"And he's fat." cut in Austin. "Dad. I don't want him. Can't we just order one from overseas?"
"And have it at your side tomorrow evening? I think not. Three hundred dinj and not a cent more. He's a fucking expense. It's the best you'll get from him."
"I could get more selling him to a fucking whore house." snapped the alpha. "Five hundred."
"I told you I'm not going higher than three hundred." replied the man stubbornly. "The only reason we're here is because we're desperate. You'll never find anyone desperate enough to take him again."
"Sir?" the beta asked quietly when the alpha didn't speak for a few moments.
"Fine. Three hundred dinj."
Austin let out a growl of fury. "Dad!"
"Enough, Austin. He's yours. Get over it."
I jumped when I felt a hand grab my arm roughly. I glanced up at the large, young man. His dark eyes turned on mine with a chilling lack of emotion. "Let's go."
"N-now?" I stammered. The rest of the omegas mated off were given the night and most of tomorrow to pack and say their goodbyes. "But my things--?"
"I'll buy you new things. Besides, once I've got you slimmed down you'll need new clothes anyway."
I cranked my neck back, hopeful to see an encouraging smile from the alpha but he was already leaving, the beta collected money from Austin's father. My belly felt tight. I didn't know what kind of man he would be but I could only hope he'd be the kind, loving mate, I always imagined.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Wow."
Austin gave me an annoyed look, as if my comments weren't welcome. I noted that quickly and hated myself for even uttering the word. But this pack was so...lavish! The paths between buildings in the center of the pack-land was paved, not cobbled like at home. And the buildings didn't look like the structures built by the same wolves who built them back home.
They were big and full of brick, stone, and glass. Everything just looked so amazing. His father was in front of us, speaking into his cell phone. My brother had one and so did my father. But omegas weren't given things like that. Back at my pack at least. "Austin," snapped his father making me jump.
Instead my mate just lifted his head giving his father a moody look. "What?"
"Mark him already."
Anticipation made the hairs on the back of my neck stand up. I was so nervous! I had never really imagined something like this to ever happen to me and here I was, about to be bitten by my mate! "Do I have to?" complained Austin.
Or maybe not, I thought growing deflated. My mate did not seem to like me at all. "I'm sick of hearing you bitch," countered the older man. "Do it before they side step you and pick someone mature enough to be a Delta!"
Swearing under his breath, Austin caught my arm hard, giving me a meaningful tug backward. "Ow," I found myself hissing before catching myself.
"That hurt you? God omegas are pathetic," sighed Austin, shaking his head. "Tilt your head to the side."
Was this it? Was I going to finally wear the Mark of someone who loved me? I obedied excitedly, feeling Austin lowering his face to my neck. "This may hurt," he warned me before I felt piercing pain in my neck.
I gasped out in pain before the pain quickly seeped away leaving behind a nice, tingly feeling. Austin withdrew almost immediately, looking very upset about the whole thing. "Thank you," I breathed, fingers moving to touch the slightly raised bite mark.
"Stop," snapped Austin, swatting my hand away. "Give it time to heal. Follow me."
I followed him for quite a while. The buildings got more sparse and homes started to appear more and more. "Where are we going?" I finally inquired, hoping it wouldn't anger my tempermental mate.
"You're going to my house. I'm going to meet up with some friends tonight and celebrate."
"Celebrate what?" I asked hopefully. Could he be happy that he found me too?
"Not you," snorted Austin. "My position. I'm a Delta, you know."
"Oh." I felt tears sting my eyes. "I see."
The house was large--too large for a single wolf. "My parents bought it when I was nineteen. I moved in here after I moved out of there place. It was nice to have it to myself."
I felt Austin's eyes burning into me meaningfully. I understood. I wasn't exactly welcome. I was a technicality--nothing for him to rejoice in. "Oh."
"Yeah. It's pretty trashed right now so you can clean up while I'm gone."
He pulled a key out of his pocket, fitting it into the keyhole. He pushed the door open showing a very gloomy and dirty foyer. Dirty clothes of all assortment were cast everywhere. Muddy boots were festering in the corner and it just generally smelled bad. "This should keep you busy, yes?"
I looked around at Austin. I wanted to please him so badly. I nodded my head happily. "Of course! Will you be back soon?"
"Not even my mate for ten fucking minutes and you're down my throat about when I'll be home?" He grabbed my arm giving me a shake. I was startled: I didn't think this would set him off! "You better listen good, omega. I ask the questions and I make the demands. You just stay pretty and keep me happy. Understood?"
I nodded my head quickly, hoping he'd stop his painful grip on my arm. He let go of my arm with a huff. "I want this place clean, omega." he stated before stepping out of the house and slamming the door.
I began to clean with an earnest. I piled dirty laundry, sorted shoes that needed to washed or aired out, swept, mopped, dusted, and freshened. I washed dishes that made me heave, scrubbed a floor caked in who knows what, cleaned the grossest tub I'd ever seen, and changed sheets I questioned had been changed since he had originally moved in. All in all I was pretty impressed with what I'd done when I looked around the bright house. It looked completely different now the shades were open, everything was organized and the disarray and filth of the house was gone.
I just hoped that Austin would like it.
I ended up sitting up, waiting for him at the kitchen table. I didn't want to just climb into his bed and I didn't even have night clothes to wear which complicated things further. By the time Austin came strolling through the door, the stove clock said it was past two in the morning. He looked surprised when he looked around, as if this wasn't really his home, which made me smile. He looked much more shocked to see me sitting at the table. "The hell are you up? You better not have been waiting up!" he growled, taking a meaningful step toward me.
I cringed. "No," I said quickly. "I didn't know what to do--where to sleep or what to wear, I mean."
"Oh." Austin leaned against the counter. "You could have just worn one of my t-shirts and gotten into our bed."
"Our?" I couldn't help but repeat hopefully.
Austin's eyes narrowed. "I meant mine, omega. Go upstairs."
Feeling heartbroken and useless I nodded my head, slowly moving toward the freshly dusted staircase. I glanced back seeing him staring at me. "I'm sorry," I said quietly. "I wish I could please you."