In the old cabin,

On the borders of Silver Moon Valley pack,

A teenage boy lay on his stomach atop a large, fluffy bed. His oversized, worn white shirt had ridden up, revealing a sliver of pale skin on his back. In the bright sunlight, bruises and faint love marks stood out against his skin, yet the boy seemed oblivious. He hummed an unfamiliar tune, his slender wrist gently holding a pen, which he absently nibbled at the tip.

His silver hair shimmered in the sunlight, and his sky-blue eyes sparkled with excitement.

"Oi, oi! Lowell, look—look! I wrote everything down! I remember it all, right?"

Ivor had discovered a few tattered notebooks and the pen inside an old wooden desk. Lowell had suggested he write down everything he remembered about wolves.

So, here they are—a pair of human and invisible wolf—brainstorming about wolf society.

Alpha. There are three bloodlines of Alphas present in the pack. Augustus' family bloodline is the purest and most powerful, as they are related to the first Alpha King. Their bloodline carries the blessings of the Moon Goddess. Out of the twelve elders in the pack, five of the most prominent positions are occupied by Alphas. Dominance runs in their blood, and they will only accept the leadership of someone stronger than them.

Sigma. They are usually gentle—maybe that's why most of them are fated to pair with Omegas. As the second rank, they also hold higher positions within the pack. Many are involved in business, and the principals of both the only high school and the only college are Sigmas. There are three Sigma leaders among the elders.

Beta. Third in rank, they are brave and proud. Some Betas even possess physical strength on par with Alphas—like Billy (Baston)'s brother, Valor, the future Beta leader of the pack and Augustus' best friend. Most Betas are warriors who defend the pack's borders. There are three Beta leaders among the elders.

Delta. Farmers, bankers, shopkeepers, and others who work under Alphas, Sigmas, and Betas are known as Deltas. They make up about 40% of the total pack population. Only one elder represents the Deltas.

Omega. They hold the lowest rank in the pack and are also the weakest of all. Most of the Omegas work in the pack canteens, preparing food for the more than 100,000 wolves in the pack. There are three canteens in total—one for the warriors at the border, one for students, and one for common pack members. Everyone except Alphas eats there, as kitchens are only permitted in Alpha family households. 

Although, many rich households have makeshift kitchens.

In the canteens, Omegas prepare breakfast, lunch, and dinner. They are also responsible for organizing parties, fairs, and celebrations within the pack. It may not seem like much, but keep in mind that there are no more than 500 to 600 Omegas in the entire pack. Many Omegas from well-off families avoid working in the kitchen, as household chores are seen as disgraceful by their families.

Omegas have no leader among the elders due to their lack of authority and voice within the pack.

"Well, everything seems to be right," Lowell commented as he scanned the paper.

"See? Told you, Lowell! I have a good memory," Ivor said, tilting his nose toward the ceiling with pride.

Lowell chuckled, these antiques of Ivor gave him a good and refreshing feeling. He likes how lively he is now, unlike how depressing and dull he was growing day by day.

As Lowell was checking on Ivor, Ivor was also observing Lowell.

A wolf's self—or wolf spirit—was attached to every owner, or human self, and was visible only to them. These spirits either lived inside their owner's body or occasionally roamed outside of it. When mated, the wolf spirit also became visible to the partner.

In certain cases, the wolf spirit could take control of the owner's body, transforming it into an actual wolf (Through magic, though Ivor wasn't exactly sure how it worked.) This process, known as shapeshifting, happened when the wolf allowed their spirit to take over and reshape their form.

On the other side of the Silver Moon Valley Pack...

Augustus walked back to the main hall, sighing, only to find a striking Alpha woman with amber eyes sitting gracefully, painting her nails.

"I heard you're rejecting your real match," she said without lifting her head.

Augustus grunted. "Not you too, Mom."

Luna Venessa finally looked up at her eldest son, raising a perfectly arched brow.

"My naive son, do you even know what a rejection ceremony means?"

"Of course, Mom."

Venessa refocused on her nails, the silence between them growing heavier by the second.

Augustus shifted uncomfortably, feeling an invisible pressure from the quiet.

Finally, Venessa—the current Luna—spoke, her voice calm but firm.

"Reason."

"Because he—"

"Not that, my son. I'm asking for the real reason."

Augustus sighed deeply. He knew he could lie to his father, but not to his mother. His father, Richard, might seem harsh, but he was easy to deal with. His mother, however, was different. Venessa rarely paid attention to anything other than her work and husband—not even her children.

For her to speak this much, it was clear she disapproved of his decision to reject a male Omega.

Augustus rubbed his temples. That damn Omega had now caused him to be scolded twice.

"Stop cursing that innocent boy. He's not at fault, and you know it."

Augustus blinked, startled by how accurately his mother read his thoughts.

"Dear, I'm still your mother. You've got a long way to go before you can hide your thoughts from someone who's been Luna for 30 years."

Augustus sighed again and finally relented.

"I know it sounds absurd, but I don't want to accept him as my mate because I don't love him... and I don't want the mate bond to force me into lust."

Venessa stayed quiet for a moment before speaking.

"Why don't you give it a chance? Maybe you'll fall in love with him."

"Impossible. I could never fall for someone so weak."

"Oh... but if you do?"

"What?" Augustus frowned, surprised at how easily his mother seemed to let it go.

"You can punish me however you like."

Venessa raised an eyebrow, surprised by his boldness. Augustus noticed the flicker of curiosity in her eyes and continued.

"I never gave you a chance to scold me, Mother. So if I'm wrong, you can punish me."

Venessa's lips curled into a soft smile. "Very well. You can go now."

Augustus nodded and left the hall, his steps echoing down the corridor.

Venessa watched him disappear, her smile lingering.

'My silly boy,' she thought.

"At least he knows he's doing something worth being punished for. Many take their mates for granted," Venessa whispered under her breath, returning to her nails.

I hope he realizes that his mate has as much say in the rejection as he does. But he's so fixated on his decision...

She sighed, slumping back onto the sofa.

If I push that Omega boy into a life with Augustus, it will only lead to pain and suffering if he has feelings for him.

"A day of pain is better than the agony of a lifetime loveless marriage," she whispered softly, closing her eyes.

All she could do now was pray to the Moon Goddess for Ivor's safety and well-being.

Rejection is a painful process; she hoped Ivor could recover from it and not fall into despair.

Augustus sighed as he stepped out of his house.

"Hey, bro!"

A familiar voice called out just as he took a few steps forward.

"Hmm," Augustus grunted, turning back and giving a brief nod in response.

"What's wrong? Bad mood?" Valor, the future Beta of the pack and Augustus's friend, asked, noticing the tense look on his face.

Augustus paused for a moment, then decided to share what was troubling him.

"I decided to reject my mate," he said softly.

"What?!" Valor's eyes widened in disbelief.

He couldn't help it—he was genuinely shocked. He never expected Augustus to reject that small Omega.

The memory was still fresh in his mind—Augustus, visibly shaken, holding the unconscious boy at the pack hospital. Valor had been there early that morning to visit his hospitalized grandmother when he witnessed the scene. It had surprised him to learn Augustus had finally found his mate after two years—and that his mate was a male Omega.

As it turned out, Ivor (if Valor remembered correctly) had collapsed from overexertion. A fever had knocked him out. Valor had even cursed Augustus as a beast under his breath. But seeing Augustus's disheveled state, he chose to stay quiet.

The doctor had later explained that Ivor suffered from long-term malnutrition and bore numerous old injuries that hadn't healed properly. His wolf had patched him up as best as it could. Hearing that, Valor had felt a surge of pity for the petite Omega.

And now, Augustus was saying he was rejecting him.

Valor's temper flared.

"Augustus, are you serious?! You're really rejecting that boy? He's your mate, you damn scumbag! Do you realize what this will do to him? His reputation will be in shambles—he'll become a joke to the entire pack! Who's going to marry an already-mated Omega rejected by the true Alpha? Do you have any idea how people will look at him after this? Do you think a small boy like him can handle that kind of humiliation?!"

Valor gasped for air, then continued, rage pouring out.

"I knew you were cold-blooded, but this is too much!"

Augustus pressed his lips into a thin line, listening silently. He knew Valor was right. This was exactly why no one supported his decision. But why did no one ask him how he felt? He was an adult—shouldn't he have the right to decide who he married and who he loved?

"Valor... I don't love him," Augustus said at last. "I don't want to be bound by lust or the mate bond alone. Accepting him as my mate would be unfair to both of us."

Valor paused, his frustration easing as he stared at Augustus with conflicted eyes. He could see the resolve in Augustus's amber gaze.

After a long sigh, Valor muttered, "Fine. I get where you're coming from. But... just don't make a decision you'll regret later, Augustus. Seriously... I thought you actually cared about that little Omega, seeing how worried you were that day."

Augustus said nothing. He turned away and began walking forward again.

"Hey, where are you going?" Valor called after him.

But Augustus didn't stop. He kept moving, unwilling to let anyone see the unease flickering behind his amber eyes.

What do you think about Venessa 💭? 🤔

Note 2-

While I was editing, I found that while I wrote this scene of Augustus admitting that he doesn't have feeling for Ivor, in later drafts though, I was keep pushing both of them together. 

No wonder I was torn apart in comments :3 (They were in fact very polite, if it had been me then...)

Anyway, Let's see What I can do about the story from now on!

Peace, sweets!