Table of Contents

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

The Courting

Chapter 1

The sound of a body hitting the wall resounded in the alley.

“I win!”

A young omega with dark skin and tightly coiled hair smirked triumphantly. He held a small piece of moldy bread in his hands. The loser, an omega with brown skin and curly hair, glared up at him, “Don’t get so happy just ‘cause you beat me!”

The winning omega smiled harder. He took the bread and split it in half. He gave the bigger half to the other wolf in front of him. When the other omega looked at him in surprise, he waved them off, “I won, so I can do what I want.” He walked off – hand raised as a farewell.

He popped the bread in his mouth – shoving his hands in the pockets of his distressed shorts as he walked mindlessly letting his bare feet lead him wherever they wished. He took in the dim light coming from a few of the shack like buildings around him, breathed in the familiar scent of must and grime, allowed a smile to form on his face as he inspected the dirt in the streets. He looked up noticing that he had reached the city square. He was confused at the sound of commotion coming from around the city message board. Walking up to the crowd he began pushing through people until he got to the front. He glared when someone bumped into to him, but it quickly disappeared when he saw a familiar toothless smile, “Amin? What are you doing here?”

“Daza! I just saw it! On the board! You’ve been courted!”

Daza’s eyes widened. Even though it didn’t occur often, everyone knew about The Courting. A competition where thirty omegas are picked randomly to participate to become the mates for unmated members of the Wolf Council. Typically, it only happened when the Head Alpha’s son struggled to find a mate. He let Amin drag him to the list barely registering as his friend shouted for the omegas currently gathered around it to move. They glared at Amin while Daza viewed the list, and sure enough, his name was on it. He felt the urge to run but was grabbed by his friend, “Come on, Daza! This calls for celebration!”

Amin dragged Daza down the familiar streets to Area – one of the only bars in the slums that provided rations for free if you were willing to work for it. Amin practically lived there, but Daza only came if he was really struggling to scrounge up something or find a decent place to sleep at night. When they entered, Eve – the owner, smiled at them in greeting. Amin was practically vibrating as he held onto Daza’s arm. He showed off his toothless smile, “Hey, boss! I’ll work as many extra shifts as it takes, but tonight calls for celebration. Daza got courted!”

Eve grinned excitedly, “I’ll take you up on that offer.”

. . . .

The rest of the night went by in a blur. He fell asleep in the employee quarters upstairs with Amin draped over him as they shared a thin blanket. In the morning, he woke up alone and with a painful headache. He made his way downstairs. Amin was wiping down tables while Eve cleaned glasses in preparation for opening. When Eve spotted him, he smiled at him and waved him over. Daza made his way over saying good morning to Amin as he sat down. Eve placed a bowl of grass porridge in front of him, “Eat. It’ll help with the headache.”

Daza bit his lip, “Thank you for the party last night. I’ll definitely work to pay you back.”

Eve shook his head, “No need. Though, if you really want to pay me back, then win the courting and become the Head Alpha’s son’s mate.”

It was Daza’s turn to shake his head, “Just let me know how many days, and I’ll work them all.”

Eve sighed, “Fine, since you’re so insistent, two days. Work for me two days and that’ll be enough.”

Daza took a spoonful of porridge.

. . . .

He was helping to prepare for opening when he heard the windchime on the door sound, “Sorry, we’re not open yet.” He looked up from stocking shelves to see two betas in expensive suits standing in the doorway. They clearly didn’t look like they belonged in the Omega Slums. The beta on the right, a dark-skinned male with a shaved head, spoke first.

“Are you the omega called, Daza?”

Daza’s eyes narrowed, “Who’s asking?”

The beta gave a kind smile, “Greetings, omega, my name is Barhrain,” he gestured to the beta on his left, “This is my partner, Iman. We were sent here to retrieve the omega called Daza for the selection.”

Daza felt that same urge to run that he felt earlier, and this time Amin wasn’t there to stop him from acting on it. He bolted to the backroom surprising Amin who was just about to enter. He gave him an apologetic look as he ran to the back door passing Eve on his way out. Exiting the through the back door, he swiftly bolted left twisting and turning through alleyways. When he didn’t hear footsteps behind him, he thought he was home free and made his way to the main street. He bumped into a hard chest as soon as he got there. He looked up to see Barhrain giving him the same kind smile that he gave him at Area.

“I knew omegas were fast, but you have to be the fastest one that I’ve ever seen. Then again, usually omegas don’t run away from the selection.”

He grabbed Daza before he could shift fully, but that didn’t stop Daza from sinking his fangs into Barhrain’s arm while the claws on the hand of his free arm nearly clawed off his face. Daza knew he couldn’t win in a battle of strength, but he could win in with speed. He ducked under Barhrain’s injured arm attempting to use omega speed to his advantage, but he wasn’t fast enough. Barhrain caught his right arm, and Daza let out a howl of pain as Barhrain used his body weight to pin him to the ground. He still attempted to struggle futilely. Barhrain looked at his partner, “Inject him.”

The last things Daza heard and felt were the sound of footsteps and a prick in his neck before he was out like a light.

Chapter 2

Daza feels like he’s floating on clouds. He can feel the soft plush of the mattress, the silk of the sheets, and the heavy warmth of the blanket around him. This was his first time being in a bed this comfortable – in fact – this was his first time being in a bed at all. Wait. He shot up quickly ignoring the dizziness it caused him. The bedroom he was in was big enough to fit three or four Areas inside of it. It was modern; the color scheme made up of blacks, greys, and whites. The top to bottom glass windows to his right, let in light that brightened up the room significantly. The bed he was in was big enough to fit twenty people in it, and he felt small as he sat in the middle of the bed. There was a huge walk-in closet and a full body mirror near the windows, nightstands on both sides of the bed, a desk in a corner on the left, a vanity on the right, and a lounge area with a fireplace near what he assumed to be the bathroom.

He startled when the door to the room opened suddenly. In walked a beta in a white lab coat followed by an omega servant dressed in dress pants and shoes with a white dress shirt tucked under a black vest and bow tie. The beta was listing off orders towards the omega and the only sign that he was listening was the stiff nod he gave each time the beta asked him if he understood. The beta left never once looking at the servant and never acknowledging Daza’s presence. The omega stepped forward, bowed, and introduced himself, “Greetings, my name is Emyl. I am the servant assigned to you for the duration of the courting. Whatever you need, I am here to provide.”

Daza didn’t really know what to do, so he nodded and bowed slightly, “Nice to meet you. My name’s Daza. Do you mind me asking where we are?”

Emyl headed over to the walk-in closet pulling out a black dress shirt and long black wide-leg dress pants. He paired them with a pair of simple black loafers. He gestured towards the stool in front of the vanity, “Doctor Kamlah said that you might feel a bit woozy because of the sedative they were forced to administer. However, he said that it would be good for you to move around. I’ll explain things while I prepare you for the meeting with the Council.”

Daza didn’t appreciate his use of the word forced, and he could feel the annoyance arising at the other omega’s stiff attitude. He climbed out of bed anyway, steadying himself when a wave of dizziness followed by nausea hit him. He rested a hand on his stomach swallowing the bile he felt rising in his throat. Emyl gave him a look, “If you are feeling nauseous, then I can get you a cup of ginger lemon tea.”

Daza shook his head and sat down. He allowed Emyl to pull his hair back and tie it so that it was out of the way. He watched as Emyl picked up a puff and a brush which he dipped into a gold pigment. He closed his eyes at Emyl’s command and felt the strands of the brush run over his eyelid in one smooth stroke. When he opened his eyes, there was a golden line running over his lash line drawn to complement his eye shape. Next, Emyl applied mascara to his lashes and concealer matching his skin tone to cover the blemishes on his face. It was when he began applying lip gloss to his lips that he spoke, “As you already know, you were selected to participate in the selection for who is to become the mate to one of the unmated pups of the Wolf Council. Currently, you are located in the mansion serving as the dormitory for the thirty selected omegas. It is connected to another mansion next door that will temporarily house the pups. They are allowed to enter and exit this mansion as they please, but none of the thirty omegas are allowed inside their mansion without permission.”

Emyl stepped back showing that he had finished. Daza looked at himself in awe. The look that Emyl created was simple but complemented his face well as it brought out his natural features. The final step of the process was getting into the clothes, and the cotton of the shirt and pants felt soft on his skin. A big jump from his patchwork t-shirt and shorts he wore before. It felt a bit weird wearing shoes with his feet used to being bare, but he thought that it was nice not having to worry about stepping on something dangerous unprotected. A thin silver chain necklace and a pair of simple clip-on stud earrings were the finishing touches to his outfit. His hair was left to cascade down his back freely, and as he looked at himself in the mirror, he felt like he was looking at a totally different person.

“I will lead you to the meeting hall now, so if you will follow me?” Emyl gestured towards the door, and it was in that moment he realized the situation he was in – or rather could get out of. For now, he obediently followed Emyl into the hall where he was immediately met with the scent of delta wolf. There were two guards dressed in suits outside the door to the bedroom, and they looked at him coldly as he passed. In that moment, he was glad that he didn’t try to escape from the bedroom.

. . . .

The halls Emyl led him through were all a dull grey. Daza was surprised that Emyl didn’t get lost walking considering that they all looked the same. Eventually, they stopped in front of a large black door outside of which stood two beta guards dressed the same as those two delta guards from earlier. They opened the doors as he and Emyl walked forward, revealing a wide room that was same minimalistic grey as everything else in the mansion. The room was set up like an auditorium with chairs set up 5x6 for the thirty omegas. In front of the chairs stood a stage with a podium in the center, behind it sat seven chairs likely for the Council members. They were much grander than the chairs for the thirty omegas with the grandest being the chair in the center definitely fit for a Head Alpha.

It seemed that most if not all of the omegas were already in the room, and Daza felt himself grow nervous. He tapped Emyl’s shoulder, “What if I don’t want to do this? What if I don’t want to be here?”

Emyl looked at Daza seriously, “You are not allowed to leave unless dismissed by one of the Council pups. Therefore, I suggest you take a seat.”

Daza spotted what he assumed were the Council members and their pups entering the stage. He felt that familiar nauseous feeling from earlier return. He smirked internally and patted Emyl on the shoulder, “Consider me dismissed then.”

He shifted into full wolf form sprinting quickly up and onto the stage before anyone could stop him. The rush of the sprint caught up with his stomach, and he felt the bile rise up and out of his throat to land on top of who he assumed was the Head Alpha’s son. Daza’s eyes locked onto a pair of dark green ones as gasps sounded throughout the room followed by angry shouts ordering him to be removed. Guards grabbed him and dragged him off of the stage, but Daza’s eyes remained glued to those deep, dark green eyes glaring a hole into his own.

Daza couldn’t stop the wolfish grin on his face even as he was forced into unconsciousness once again.

Chapter 3

This time he wasn’t floating on clouds. The ground was cold and hard, and the room was dark as he sat up taking in his surroundings. The only furniture in the room was a combined toilet and sink while the only light came from a small slit in the door. He was still dressed in the same fancy clothes from earlier which were covered in dust from the floor. He assumed he was still inside the mansion and grew sad. He’d hoped that they would kick him out. His thoughts were interrupted by voices coming from the hall.

“He has done nothing but humiliate you! Send that omega back to the slums immediately!”

“Do not speak for me, father. I decide whether or not to send him back.”

“You are my son! And you are in no position to speak back to me, you are not Head Alpha yet!”

“No, I am not. However, I am on my way, so why not think of this as a training opportunity for me? Allow me to put this disobedient omega in his place? Punish him so that he never steps out of line again?”

Daza heard silence followed by a sigh, “Fine. I will concede this time, but if you allow that omega to tarnish the reputation of the Wolf Council again, I will make sure that you will never succeed me.”

There was the sound of furious footsteps fading away then light flooded into the room from the hall. His eyes landed on the dark green-eyed alpha from earlier who stared at him sternly as he stood over the sitting omega. He watched the alpha’s eyes roam over him before his face crinkled in disgust. The dark green-eyed wolf sighed, “I don’t even want a mate.”

Daza scoffed, “I thought that I was making this easy for you. Just send me home.”

The alpha glared, “Did I tell you to speak? Either way, I can’t send you home yet. Not without punishment.”

Daza rolled his eyes at the big-headed alpha, “I think that going back to live in the Omega Slums is punishment enough. Not that a spoiled brat like you would know anything about that.”

Daza barely registered the slap that crossed his face. He looked back in shock.

“I think that I have the perfect punishment for you,” he turned to walk away, “Also, do not worry about your participation in the courting, neither myself nor any of my friends would ever want to court a piece of trash like you.”

. . . .

The room was engulfed in dark, teary silence once the alpha left. Emyl came to pick him up from the dungeon, and Daza didn’t miss the small trace of disgust on his face from the sight of Daza’s gross state. The two went back to the bedroom where Emyl ordered him to wash the tears and snot from his face while he retrieved a new set of clothes for him. This time he was dressed in a simple white, long-sleeved t-shirt and black jeans and sneakers. No makeup was applied in case he cried again, or as Emyl put it, “In case you decide to cause trouble again.”

“Right now, it is 1:30. Lunch ends at 2 o’ clock, so you still have time to make it before everything is either eaten or put away. I will lead you to the dining hall, so follow me.”

Daza followed Emyl obediently out of the bedroom. The delta gaurds from earlier were back once again, staring at him more coldly than before. The two walked through the winding, wide gray hallways stopping at another large black door like one leading to the meeting hall. A pair of intimidating looking betas standing guard open the door for the two of them as Emyl led him inside. There were long tables set up in rows for the thirty contestants while the council members and their pups ate at a round table on top of a raised platform. Daza glanced to the left noticing the buffet style area setup for the contestants. His eyes shifted back to the platform where he could see servants coming and going for the council members.

Emyl gestured back to the buffet, “I suggest that you hurry and eat before time is up.”

Daza headed over to the buffet. There wasn’t much left as it was the end of lunch, but Daza grabbed a few of the leftover pieces of meat, some grass noodles, and hardening chewy bone cakes before heading to find a seat. He glanced around trying to find an empty seat amongst the crowd and spotted a seat in the corner. He was walking when he suddenly found himself face first in his food on the floor. He growled low trying to rein in his anger and frustrated tears as he pulled himself up intending to round on whoever it was that tripped him. Rubbing at his face, his dark brown eyes locked onto a pair of mischievous muted purple ones.

“Oh sorry, didn’t see you walking there.”

Laughter sounded throughout the room, and Daza flashed his fangs in annoyance. The purple eyed omega spoke up once more, “Ooo, scary! What are you going to do? Vomit on me? But then again, I guess that’s what you would expect from an omega from District 4.”

The laughter sounded again louder this time. Daza rolled his eyes refusing to play into the purpled eyed piece of crap’s game as he bent down to pick up his tray and tumbled food. He felt a kick to his back, “Hey! Don’t ignore me when I’m talking to you! It’s rude omegas like you that give us higher ranked omegas a bad name!”

Daza pushed the other omega’s foot from his back, stood, and attempted to make his way over to the dish disposal area when he was grabbed by the shoulder. He rounded on the other omega, “What the heck is your problem?!”

“You are! You’re an embarrassment to the courting, vomiting on the Head Alpha’s son! It’s a surprise that they even let you come back and show your face here much less enjoy their food. Most of the omegas here are from District 3 or higher. Trash like you doesn’t belong here!”

That’s it. Daza couldn’t take it anymore. He let out a loud growl and swung the tray across the other omega’s jaw with enough force to knock him to the ground. Gasps sounded throughout the dining hall along with another loud cry for the guards. Daza couldn’t hear any of it as he glared triumphantly at the blood running from the purple eyed omega’s nose and mouth who was staring at him in shock, “Not only are you from the slums, but you act like it, too!”

Daza let out a laugh as pairs of strong arms wrapped around each of his own, “I may be a violent piece of trash from the slums, but at least I’m not a prick!”

Daza took in the horrified faces of the other wolves around him as he was dragged from the hall. As the doors closed in front of him, dark brown locked once again on an intense dark green. Daza smirked, well at least I’m awake this time.