Four

Kira

Sitting on the edge of the hospital bed with my head wrapped in a bandage, I waited patiently for the doctor to discharge me.

Three days of staying in this hellish clinic, and I was more than glad to leave. The doctor and his nurses treated my mom and I like filthy pigs.

My mom was still mad at me but relieved that I survived. I knew she was not going to trust me for a long time, and she was angry that I was the only one caught up in this mess.

The doctor walked in indifferent as usual and acted as if I carried a contagious disease.

"It's up to you to take them or not."

I bit the inside of my lip to keep my mouth shut because this old man was pushing my buttons. If my mom weren't here, I would have given him a piece of my mind.

"Thank you, doctor," my mom replied politely. "I appreciate your help and all your efforts in taking care of my daughter."

The doctor shrugged, clearly not interested in the gratitude, and turned to leave the room.

My mom began packing our threadbare quilt and blanket into a tote bag that had seen better days. I watched her while my mind replayed the conversation I had with her the previous day. She wanted to know everything and the events that led to my accident.

"I...I don't know, Mom. It was a mistake. I didn't mean to end up there," I stammered, my voice trembling with fear.

"You didn't indeed. You know we don't have a male figure to speak for us, and as females, the elders don't respect us. Do you realize the consequences of this?"

My eyes welled up with tears. "I'll do anything, accept any punishment they give me. Please, you're the only one I have, and I can't bear to see you disappointed in me."

"It's okay," her voice crooked while she placed a gentle kiss on my forehead above the bandage. "We'll figure things out."

In the deepest part of my heart, I felt guilty for hiding the truth about the alpha and our mating bond.

That relationship carried a heavy and forbidding weight that I couldn't bring myself to share with anyone. Instead, I chose to carry this secret to my grave, sacrificing my happiness for the sake of my safety.

We headed out. I held onto her for support on my good hand, while the injured one was on a sling and bandage. Feeling weak and uncomfortable, I felt like throwing up and begged my mom that we take it slow. She tightened her grip on me and made me lean into her.

I stopped moving completely when the sweet and unmistakable mating scent filled my nostrils. Alpha D'Angelo was here.

I looked around hoping to catch a glimpse of him, my heart racing fast in my chest like a marathon runner.

"Kira, honey, are you okay?" my mom asked, concerned. "You seem distracted."

Forcing a smile, I nodded. "Just a little lightheaded. It's nothing to worry about."

Before we left the building, I kept searching around for any sign of dark hair and hazel eyes. No luck. Deep inside, I wondered if Alpha D'Angelo cared about me.

Of course, from our previous encounter, he was disgusted. After all, the forbidden dynamic between alphas and omegas could bring severe consequences to both of us.

If there was a portion to drink that would clear my memory, I would use it because the faster I moved on, the better.

Back at the Omega camp, I clung tightly to my mom. People went about their day, but when they saw us, there was a hushed silence around us, and the judgmental looks in the women's eyes were like daggers piercing through my skin.

Then the whispers began when my mom and I headed to our tent. Some women, including those my mom was cool with, gossiped about us in hushed tones and mocked us.

"Look at her," one of them said. "What a foolish girl. I've always known she was just a beautiful airhead. Imagine going naked on the alpha's terrace to seduce him."

The most painful part was my best friend's mom's response. "She's nothing but trouble. I have warned my child to stay far from her so she does not pollute her."

"That's not fair, Grace," my mom said to Amari's mum. "You have known Kira all her life that she's not a troublemaker. If your daughter and the rest hadn't invited her..."

"Keep my daughter away from this," Amari's mom flared up.

"You should do the same because my daughter has just been discharged from the hospital. She's already distressed, so keep your opinions to yourself."

I kept my gaze lowered and felt so bad for causing this struggle for my mom.

"It's your fault, Irene," Elder Logan scoffed, coming closer to us. Behind him was Elder Omar. "You clearly didn't raise her properly, and she's become a problem for all of us."

My mum lowered her gaze, and I saw the flash of wild grief rippling between her eyes. I wish I could take her away from here and disappear forever. Everyone was pointing fingers at me, forgetting that their kids were worse. They'd never caught me stealing or lying or messing around, but now my head was on the chopping block, and I was suddenly the worst child on earth.

"Her punishment will be to make sure water is abundant in the bathrooms," Elder Omar said with all seriousness.

"With all due respect, elders, don't you think that punishment seems too harsh?" My mum's voice trembled. "She has stitches on her head and left-"

"We've made our decision. She needs to learn her lesson," Elder Logan said with a stern tone. "Maybe this will keep her busy so she doesn't run into trouble."

"It's okay, Mom. I can handle it."

As night fell, no single friend came to my tent, not because they didn't want to, but because I knew their mothers had threatened them not to come anywhere near me. My mum was with me diligently driving away mosquitoes and making sure I was comfortable.

If only I hadn't gone to that alpha's coronation party, I wouldn't have brought disgrace upon myself, and maybe I wouldn't have met that devilishly handsome alpha whom I couldn't stop thinking about, infiltrating my spirit, soul, and body.

At the crack of dawn around four AM, I tiptoed out of my tent making sure not to wake my mom up. The Omega camp lay still with everyone asleep.

I made my way to the bathroom, which was worn by time and heavily used. A strong stench of urine hit my nose, and the dripping faucets made my skin crawl.

Grumbling to myself, I began the heavy task of fetching water. One by one, I went to the nearby stream and filled a twenty-five-liter gallon with water, and after several trips, the first drum filled up. One down, seven more to go.

The weight of the water was causing a strain on my body, but I didn't need pity. I could do this on my own. Tirelessly, I continued until the crack of dawn when a noisy crowd crawled, and people began coming out of their rooms for their morning duty.

I was pouring water into the sixth drum when I spotted Zion and Amari sneaking towards me. They had to be careful because their parents would never approve of them talking to me.

Amari rushed into my arms with an apologetic look on her face. "Kira, I'm so sorry. This is all my fault for convincing you to go to that alpha's party."

"It's okay," I managed a smile. "We can't change the past."

Amari looked around uneasy because it was an open place, and anyone could spot us. When her mom called out for her, she hurriedly said goodbye and disappeared into the distance.

Left alone with Zion, he grabbed a gallon of water and helped me fill up the drum.

"Are you doing alright?"

I didn't understand why, but Zion's question made me growl inside, and I felt the need to unleash my anger. Instead, I kept my response minimal and closed my eyes briefly to take a deep breath.

"Did the doctor give you any pain relief?"

"This is all your fault," I lashed out at him, and he took a step back, clearly surprised.

"How?"

"How? Really? you left me alone on the alpha's terrace. You think the mess couldn't have been avoided if you didn't take me along while escaping?"

"Come on, Kira," he began to say, but I cut him off.

"You made me drink and left me vulnerable and almost naked. For someone so eager to get into my pants, I expected you to at least be decent enough to have stayed with me."

An angry frown formed on his forehead. "Can you even listen to yourself? Do you know how this would have been worse if I stayed back? The alpha would be irritated to know that we almost planned to have sex on his terrace."

"You planned it," I snapped. "I never wanted to. You were forcing yourself on me, and you did the cowardly thing by zipping off and running away."

He tossed the gallon aside, breathing heavily. "Fine, I'm sorry. I messed up. Is that enough?"

"No, it's not. Sorry cannot clear my name, neither can sorry deal with the consequences of your actions."

Zion came closer with a bitter laugh escaping his lips. "Why are you so angry? The alpha doesn't give two fucks about you."

"That's what you think, isn't it?" I exploded, rage consuming me. "If he didn't give two fucks about me, why then did he take me to the clinic, you dumbass? Haven't you told me over a thousand times that the alpha is ruthless and does not care whether we live or die?"

Zion scratched at his temple, his gaze growing distant. "Well, maybe he did it to save face."

"No, he didn't. The alpha and I are mates.”