From Omega to Lycan Princess

The monthly pack gathering was always a special event for me. As an Omega in the Silverfang Pack, these nights were rare occasions when I could feel like I belonged. Tonight was extra special—I'd been planning to surprise Cristian with the news that I'd finally completed my thesis on ancient Lycan migration patterns, something that had taken months of research.

I smoothed down my simple blue dress—the nicest one I owned—and touched the silver ring on my finger for reassurance. It was my only heirloom, though few knew its true significance.

"You look beautiful tonight, Lexi," Elena, my roommate and closest friend, whispered as we entered the community hall. "Are you going to tell him how you feel?"

I nodded, clutching my folder of research papers tighter. "I think tonight's the perfect night."

The hall was already packed with pack members. Music played from somewhere in the corner, and the scent of food and excitement filled the air. I scanned the room for Cristian's tall figure, my heart racing at the thought of seeing him.

Then I saw him.

My breath caught in my throat. There he was—my mate, my future, the man I'd loved since I first felt our bond two years ago—lounging on the main couch with his arm draped casually around Sasha Berry's waist.

Sasha. The high-ranking Beta with her perfect blonde hair and designer clothes. The woman who always looked at me like I was dirt beneath her expensive shoes.

She was feeding him pieces of fruit from a silver platter, giggling as he leaned in to take each bite from her fingers. His eyes were half-closed in pleasure, his body language screaming intimacy.

"Lexi?" Elena's concerned voice pulled at me. "Do you want to leave?"

I couldn't move. Couldn't breathe. The folder in my hands suddenly felt heavy, ridiculous. My research. My love. My mate who couldn't even be bothered to acknowledge me.

*What are you doing with her?* I pushed through our mind-link, the connection that had always been there since the day we met. *Cristian, I'm here. Your mate is here.*

His head snapped up, eyes narrowing as they found mine across the crowded room. For a moment, something flickered in his gaze—guilt? Annoyance? But then his expression hardened.

*You're being dramatic again,* his voice echoed in my mind. *Sasha is just a friend. Stop making everything so possessive.*

"But I'm your mate," I whispered aloud, not realizing I'd spoken until Elena squeezed my arm.

Sasha's perfectly manicured hand slid up Cristian's chest, her red lips curving into a smile as she leaned closer to him. "Is that little Omega bothering you again?" she stage-whispered, loud enough for nearby pack members to hear.

"She's just confused about pack dynamics," Cristian replied, not bothering to lower his voice. "She'll learn."

Something inside me snapped. Two years of hiding my feelings, of being the perfect, understanding mate while he paraded around with her. Two years of excuses and broken promises.

I pushed through the crowd