Her Hidden Identity: Make the Bullies Crumble

Skylar's POV

Today should have been a day of joy—a day to celebrate the end of the term before Christmas and the upcoming Mating Ball. But as I leaned against the door, my shoulders trembling with the weight of it all, I realized just how far I was from joy.

The Mating Ball was only ten days away. I’d been holding onto that hope—the idea that someone, somewhere, would finally show up as my mate so I could unleash my power without getting scared that I would be targeted.

The bullying had only intensified since the incident with Grayson. My packmates saw me as the cause of his disgrace—a convenient scapegoat for their rage and discontent. It was as if they’d forgotten I was one of them. But then again, perhaps they never truly believed it.

Leon, my only friend, endured torment just as I did, though he never let it show. He stood by me, unwavering and loyal, even when the others turned their backs. Yet even his steadfast friendship couldn't shield me from the venomous words and cruel pranks that had become a regular part of my life.

How much longer could I endure this? I kept telling myself: Just until the Mating Ball. Just a little longer. But even that promise felt thin, like a thread ready to snap.

As I sank onto the edge of my bed, the weight of my secret pressed heavily on my chest. Ever since my first shift, Alpha Amir has been my mentor, training me in secret and helping me hone my abilities. He alone understood what I truly was—a Nightshade Lycan, one of the most powerful and revered among werewolves. My inner power was a force to be reckoned with; it would take more than ten wolves to even pose a challenge. Yet, to keep that secret, I had to wear the mask of an Omega.

To them, I was just the weak girl who couldn't shift, the Omega with no real power. They didn’t know how I masked my scent, how I wore baggy clothes to hide my true form. How I deliberately kept myself low, enduring the jeers and bullying without so much as a word. When they injured me, I had to pretend the wounds lasted longer, even using makeup to fake injuries after they’d healed, because an Omega’s wounds didn’t mend quickly.

All these measures, all this suffering, just to stay hidden. The thought of it made my heart ache. Even as I sat there, tears staining my cheeks, I couldn’t help but question the Moon Goddess. Why? Why did she give me this power if all it did was condemn me to a life of secrecy and loneliness?

I wasn’t supposed to be like this. I was supposed to be a leader, like my parents. My father was a high-ranking member of the pack, and my mother’s wisdom was renowned. But for now, I was nothing more than an outcast with a secret so dangerous it could destroy us all if revealed.

How did it come to this? The memory surged up like a flood, washing over me until I couldn’t resist it anymore.

Flashback

It was my fourteenth birthday, a day that started like any other but ended in a way that changed my life forever. I had woken up with a sudden, splitting headache, a pain so intense that it brought me to my knees. I knew something was wrong—terribly wrong. My parents, sensing my distress, had immediately called Alpha Amir. They knew, even before I did, what was happening to me.

I could barely see through the haze of pain as they talked in the other room. My mother's voice was full of worry, my father's laced with tension. Then I heard Alpha Amir’s voice, calm but serious.

I could not understand anything, not even with the Alpha's power trying to control the surge in me. Until I groaned in so much agony, and the next thing I knew, my whole body was illuminated with light. The sensation was so foreign that I could feel bones cracking and muscles protruding.

I didn't know if I lost consciousness along the way or if I was merely delirious, but when I gained reasoning, my parents were talking with Alpha Amir.

"Yes, it is unmistakable," he said, his voice filled with a mix of pride and concern. "The signs are all there—the early shift, the greyish fur tinged with silver, the way her energy flares and pulses with power. She is a Nightshade Lycan, a being of extraordinary strength and speed with a long lifespan. Their power rivals, and in some cases, even surpasses that of the Royals. Her lifespan will be longer than most, and her blood…"

I could hear the hesitation in his voice as he continued, "Her blood can extend the lives of those who drink it. Nightshade Lycans are not just powerful; they are coveted and hunted. We must protect her. I will train her and help her harness her abilities. But until she finds her mate, we must keep this secret. Her identity must remain hidden, even from those in our pack."

My heart pounded in my chest as I listened, barely able to process what was being said. My parents were silent, but I could feel their fear. Alpha Amir went on, his tone growing even more grave.

"We will disguise her scent, mask her power. She must pretend to be an ordinary Omega who has not yet shifted. It will be hard—she will face ridicule, and her status will suffer. But it is necessary, for her safety and the safety of the pack. Once she finds her mate, her true power will be unlocked. Only then can she stand against those who would seek to harm her."

Those words had sealed my fate. I was only fourteen, barely more than a child, but that day I had to make a decision that would shape the rest of my life. I agreed to hide, to mask my true nature, because the alternative was too terrifying to consider.

End of Flashback

Now, four years later, I was still hiding, still pretending to be something I wasn’t. The weight of it all was crushing, and some days, I felt like I couldn’t go on. But then I thought of the Mating Ball, of the mate I might find there, someone who would see me, truly see me, and accept me for who I was.

Finally, there will be no more hiding. No more suffering.

I just need to find my mate in the mating ball.

Who will he be?