Betrayed by My Alpha Mate

The Omega quarters were located in the farthest corner of the packhouse—a damp, moldy basement space that smelled of mildew and despair. Two Delta warriors shoved me through the doorway, their hands rough against my shoulders.

"Home sweet home," one sneered before slamming the door behind me.

I stumbled forward, catching myself against a rickety table. The single bulb hanging from the ceiling flickered, casting eerie shadows across rows of narrow cots. Most were empty—it was midday, and the Omegas were working.

"Camille?"

I turned to find Elena approaching, her kind face creased with concern. She carried a small first aid kit.

"They actually did it," she muttered, guiding me to sit on the edge of a cot. "I never thought Jonas would go this far."

"I didn't either," I admitted as she gently dabbed antiseptic on the bruise forming on my cheek.

Elena's hands were warm and steady. "This isn't right," she whispered, her voice barely audible. "Everyone knows it's not right."

"What do you mean?"

She glanced toward the door before leaning closer. "Many of us know, Camille. We know who truly cares for this pack. Who works tirelessly without recognition."

My breath caught. "You know?"

"That you're more than what you pretend to be?" Elena's eyes held mine. "That you've been the one holding this pack together while Jonas takes the credit?"

I looked away, unsure how to respond.

"It's in the small things," she continued, applying a bandage to my knuckles. "The way you remember everyone's birthdays. How you stayed up three nights straight when Delta Ryan's pup was sick. The extra food that appears in the Omegas' pantry when winter gets tough."

Tears pricked my eyes. "It doesn't matter now."

"It matters to us." Elena squeezed my hand. "But we're too afraid to speak up. Jonas has become... unpredictable."

---

That night, I lay awake on the thin mattress, listening to the snores of the other Omegas. The damp chill seeped through the walls, making me pull the threadbare blanket tighter around my shoulders.

*Enough.*

Snow's voice echoed through my mind, stronger than it had been in years.

"We can't," I whispered back. "Not yet."

*We've given enough!* Snow thrashed against the mental barriers I'd constructed. *He's broken every promise. He's disgraced our bond.*

I pressed my palms against my temples, trying to calm her. "Just a little longer."

*No more!* The force of her rage shook me to my core. *He has broken the bond. We owe him nothing.*

For the first time in three years, I didn't try to silence her. Instead, I let her words wash over me, each one striking a chord of truth.

"He never deserved us," I whispered into the darkness.

*Never,* Snow agreed, her presence warming me from within. *We've sacrificed everything for a man who sees us as nothing.*

I sat up slowly, a strange calm settling over me. The silver glow of my eyes reflected in the small window across the room.

"You're right," I said softly. "It's time to go."

---

The main house was quiet as I slipped through the shadows the next morning. I needed just one thing—my mother's moon pendant, the only heirloom I'd brought from the Royal Territory.

I knew exactly where I'd hidden it—beneath the loose floorboard under my old bed in what had once been our shared bedroom.

The hallway stretched before me, empty and silent. Most of the pack was at morning training. I pressed myself against the wall, moving silently toward the Alpha's wing.

The door to Jonas's office was ajar. I paused, listening for any movement inside.

"—can't believe how much this cost." Leilani's voice drifted through the gap. "Fifty thousand just for a necklace?"

"Only the best for my Luna," Jonas replied, his tone smug.

I peered through the crack and froze.

Leilani stood before the mirror, my mother's silver moon pendant gleaming against her throat.

"That's not yours," I said, stepping into the room without thinking.

They both turned, startled by my intrusion.

"Camille!" Jonas recovered quickly, his expression hardening. "You're not allowed in this wing."

I ignored him, my eyes fixed on the pendant—the crescent moon with the tiny diamond stars that had been passed down through generations of Lycan royalty.

"Take it off," I said quietly.

Leilani's hand rose to touch the pendant, her lips curving into a cruel smile. "This? You mean this trinket Jonas gave me?"

"That's not a trinket. It's my mother's pendant. My heritage." My voice trembled with barely controlled rage.

"Finders keepers, you useless pet." Leilani turned back to the mirror, admiring her reflection. "Though I can't imagine why you'd want it back. It's not like you have any real power to pass down."

Jonas stepped between us, his eyes cold. "Get out, Camille. Before I make your punishment worse."

I stood my ground, something fierce and primal rising within me as I stared at the woman wearing my birthright around her neck.