7. Mila

Chapter seven

Mila

T he selection will be a formal ceremony.

All the Beta soldiers will stand in an orderly line, waiting for their names to be selected. I should be one of the first.

It took me four years just to get here, and I should be proud. I may have to leave my dad, but at least he will be taken care of.

I am dressed like a soldier. No ceremonial robes, no nothing.

Everyone in the room is dressed in military gear.

Well, apart from the packs.

When they enter the room, going to their designated seating areas, the crowd hushes.

No wonder the Betas are obsessed…

Alphas and Omegas are something else, and they make us mere mortals shrink in comparison.

I spy all those beautiful Omegas, women dressed in flowing gowns and shining jewels that catch the lights of the room.

Their Alphas protect them as if their very lives depend on it, and a heavy blanket weighs down upon me, dampening my mood.

No one has ever protected me in my life. I have always had to protect myself and my dad.

I have never even worn a dress…

I've never been allowed to.

My eyes scan the crowd as I hope to get a glimpse of my future pack. Governor Frederick said that I would be going to a pack with a male Omega, but all the Omegas in the room are female.

My attention falls on one Omega in question. She gives me a scornful look, throwing back her mane of glistening brown hair, and I spy that bite mark.

She is taken, and she wants me to know it.

Must be nice to be bonded…

That crescent-shaped mark shines brighter than any of her jewels, and I bite the inside of my cheek, my jealousy writhing deep inside me.

Here I am, dressed like a boring soldier while she gets to wear a pretty white gown.

She smirks, and it appears she knows exactly what I am thinking.

I'm not sure how long we stare at each other. But the moment the Alpha spots me looking at his Omega, he bares his teeth, and I avert my eyes.

He steps in front of her now, and the bitch vanishes from my eyes.

We are trained not to look Alphas directly in the eyes, especially when it comes to their Omegas.

They deem it as a challenge.

I am starting to think that these whole Beta Trials were a mistake, but Governor Lily was forced to sign a decree.

No Alpha will harm a Beta soldier during the trials. So at least I am safe.

I just wonder how long it will be until an Alpha breaks the rules of the decree.

No male Omega enters the room, and I am starting to think that Governor Fredrick was pulling my leg until they arrive…

Three of the most vicious-looking Alphas I have ever seen. The one in front has short auburn hair, and the one on the left has long hair of raven black. The third Alpha on the right has hair as light as the sun's rays, tied back in a loose ponytail.

It's them. It has to be. I just know it.

I spy the way every other Alpha backs away, keeping their own Omegas safe, but they only have eyes for the stage.

The Alpha with the short brown hair, the one I am assuming is their leader, looks straight at me at the front of the line, and my heart cleaves in two when I spy the loathing in his eyes.

He hates me. They all do. Well, except for the crazy, smiling blond maybe.

It almost seems as if they know who I am, and someone must have tipped them off, just like Governor Frederick advised me.

Finally, they take their seats, and I didn't even get to glimpse their Omega. They are keeping him hidden.

Hidden from me…

Silence bleeds through the room, but I keep my stony face ahead, preparing myself for the selection. This is the day I have been waiting for, and it feels as if I am going to war.

Governor Frederick takes the podium, Alpha Lily right by his side, and she dwarfs him in comparison.

Sometimes, I forget how big she truly is.

She is larger than life.

The Beta Governor smirks at me, a knowing expression on his bearded face, but I keep my gaze forward, careful not to look any Alpha in the eye.

There are no familiar faces in the crowd. My dad was too ill to make it today, but he promised he would watch the ceremony live on TV.

I hope he is proud.

Governor Lily speaks into the microphone, and I don't even dare look her way. Her reputation truly precedes her, and I am surprised that Governor Frederick has the gall to stand so close to her.

He knows he has the upper hand.

"Thank you all for coming," she says. "As you all know, today marks the first day of the highly anticipated Beta Trials. A new initiative created by Governor Frederick…"

There is no applause, and the tension becomes so thick, I can almost taste it. It's obvious that the Alpha governor doesn't agree with the Beta Trials, but unfortunately, she was outnumbered.

There are far more Betas than Alphas in this world.

They may be stronger, but we are smarter. Also, we have numbers on our side.

Governor Frederick smirks at Lily, and she passes the microphone to him now, her lips pressed tight.

She wears a pretty dress herself, but she looks far from feminine. That woman is not delicate in the slightest. The muscles of her arms and legs are proof of that, and I would hate to get on the wrong side of that Alpha.

"As Governor Lily just informed you, today marks a very special day in our history. It is the dawn of a new age. The day we finally create a bridge between the Beta and the Alpha populations…"

What about the Omegas?

"So, let the ceremony begin!"

Frederick turns his gaze to the row of Beta soldiers. We stand so still and formal. Just as we were trained to do.

The governor's eyes find mine, and I shudder when I spy that evil smirk.

That man does not have good intentions, and I don't believe for a second that he wants to build any bridges.

More like he wants to burn them.

"I would like to call forward the first candidate… Mila Stone. Please, step forward."

Just as I was forewarned, the first to be selected. I can feel my classmates' ire as I step forward, trying to make myself taller.

I have always been small, but no one has ever questioned my stature, and I would like to keep it that way.

Being short is perfectly normal.

I don't look at the pack. I can't. I'm too afraid to see their expressions.

"Pack Hart. Please step forward and accept your new Beta," Governor Lily speaks through clenched teeth.

Pack Hart comes closer, and again, I show respect, careful not to look any of them in the eye. They are still hiding their Omega, but sooner or later, they are going to have to let me see him.

After all, he is the one I have been trained to protect. Yet they don't trust me.

One by one, they all step out of the way to let their Omega pass.

The stage dissolves beneath my feet when I get a look at those perfect blue eyes.

The color of the ocean. And just as turbulent.

The sea is a place I have always wanted to see.

He has to be the most beautiful man I have ever seen, and I can't help but feel drawn to him.

No one has ever made me feel like this before. He's too far away for me to catch his scent, but the small hint that I can detect is enough to confirm my fears.

Fuck. This can't be happening. This is near impossible…

But there's no denying the way I am compelled by him. As if every instinct in my body is on fire, telling me to go to him, to sniff him, to claim him…

Those ocean-blue eyes are like magnets, pulling me closer, but I keep my wits about me, not daring to take another step.

The Alpha with the short brown hair bares his teeth at me, and the message is all too clear.

I am not allowed anywhere near his Omega.

It's just unfortunate that his Omega happens to be my scent match.

Fate is a cruel, twisted bitch.