After My Mate Chose the Omega

Morning light filtered through the infirmary windows as I pushed open the familiar wooden door. The scent of antiseptic and healing herbs greeted me like old friends, a welcome relief after last night's calculated humiliation at the Welcome Run. This place, at least, couldn't be taken from me. I'd built the Black Moon Pack's medical program from the ground up, training healers and establishing protocols that had saved countless lives over the years. My fingers trailed over the neatly organized shelves—my organization, my system, my legacy.

Sable stirred within me, her presence a comforting warmth. *They can't erase what we've built here.*

'Elliot.'

I turned to find Maren Cole standing in the doorway, her silver-streaked hair pulled back in a practical bun. The senior healer's eyes held a mixture of relief and something else—caution. She closed the door quietly behind her.

'It's good to have you back,' she said, her voice deliberately low. 'Though I imagine you've noticed some... changes.'

I met her gaze steadily. 'I've noticed.'

Maren glanced toward the door, then moved closer. 'The supplies,' she whispered. 'All the medical equipment and funding you arranged during your time with the rogue rehabilitation programs. It's all gone.'

'Gone?' I repeated, though I already knew the answer.

'Rerouted,' Maren confirmed, her voice tight with anger. 'Ila and the Alpha have been using your resources for her so-called healing rituals. Vague treatments, undocumented procedures. Nothing that can be verified.'

My thumb pressed against my wrist, grounding me as the betrayal sank deeper. Three years of negotiations, of building relationships with suppliers, of securing funding that would have transformed our pack's medical capabilities—all diverted to cover Ila's lies.

'How long?' I asked, my voice steady despite the storm building inside me.

'Since you left,' Maren admitted. 'They started small, but it's grown. The records are... creative.'

I nodded, filing away this information. Evidence. Proof. The first pieces of what would become my counterattack.

'Thank you, Maren,' I said simply. 'For remembering what loyalty means.'

She squeezed my hand briefly before stepping back. 'Some of us never forgot.'

Later that afternoon, I found myself in the pack gardens, seeking a moment of peace among the wildflowers. The path wound between tall hedges, creating a maze of quiet corners where I could breathe without feeling the weight of curious stares.

I was examining a particularly vibrant patch of moonflowers when a familiar scent drifted on the breeze. Sweet, cloying, and entirely false.

'Elliot.'

Ila stood a few feet away, her white dress fluttering in the breeze. She looked every bit the innocent victim she was pretending to be, one hand resting protectively over her supposedly pregnant belly.

'Taking in some fresh air?' I asked pleasantly, as if we were merely acquaintances passing in a hallway.

'It's important for the baby,' she replied, her voice honey-sweet. 'The doctor says I need to stay active.'

I nodded, stepping closer under the pretense of examining a nearby bloom. As I leaned past her, I inhaled deeply, my enhanced werewolf senses capturing every nuance of her scent.

There it was—or rather, there it wasn't. The distinct hormonal markers of pregnancy were completely absent. Instead, I detected only the musky scent of a normal Omega, mixed with something else. A faint, unfamiliar note that didn't belong to anyone in our pack.

Rogue.

My eyes narrowed slightly as I processed this new information. Not only was Ila's pregnancy a lie, but she was also involved with someone outside the pack. Someone who left their scent on her skin.

'How wonderful,' I said, stepping back with a smile that didn't reach my eyes. 'You're positively glowing.'

Ila preened at the compliment, completely missing the calculation behind my words. She had no idea that with just one breath, I'd uncovered the first thread in the web of lies she and Tru had spun.

As I walked away, Sable's satisfaction rumbled through me. *The hunt has begun.*