My Mate Is An Omega
Chapter 34

Lancaster POV

The first light of day shone through the glass of the floor-to-ceiling windows of the Alpha suite, slowly illuminating the room. My mate insisted on keeping the blackout curtains open so she could rise with the sun, but she never did. It was one of the many details I found cute about her. She was sleeping peacefully in my arms as we spooned in bed, and it was impossible for me to resist the urge to taste her immaculate milky skin. When she shifted a little beside me, I realized I had succeeded to gently wake her up with my "Good morning, beautiful," I whispered in her ear, smiling as she melted under my hot breath.

kisses.

"Morning," she replied groggily, not bothering to turn around to face me. She seemed too pleased by my nose brushing against her neck. "Is it time to get up yet?"

"Just for me. I'm leaving for training now, okay?"

"Okay." She nodded, snuggling on her pillow as she went back to sleep.

This had become our morning ritual. I planted one last kiss on her forehead before finally rolling out of bed. One of the many advantages of living in a fancy room inside the pack house was that I was closer to the gym, which earned me a few more minutes in bed with my mate. I grabbed one of my old shorts from my new closet and put it on before heading out. One of my responsibilities was to be the first to arrive for training; after all, the Alpha had to lead by example.

Although Luke would only be formally introduced to the pack during the ceremony in a few days, he was already heading training as the new Beta. He was still my sparring partner, but now he had to pay extra attention to the other warriors. He would often take quick breaks to instruct the other men and women. Of course, Sasha continued to assist him. She had pretty much become a multitasker, helping head the warriors in the morning, guiding Jasper in his Gamma duties all afternoon, and fitting Caitlyn into her busy schedule whenever she could.

Seeing the she-wolf in action, I couldn't bring myself to understand why our laws forbade women from occupying ranked positions in a pack. As I started to adjust to my position of authority, I wondered how I could use it to make our society more equal to everyone. Of course, I had to take small steps first; for now, the best I could do was convince the former Gamma's daughter to accept the Delta position. That way, her skills could be put to use to help Diamond Tempest thrive.

Once I was done with training, I rushed back to my room. My beautiful mate was finally up; she greeted me with a quick kiss while I tried my best to keep my hands to myself so I wouldn't cover her in sweat and grime. I headed straight to the bathroom, coming out with only a towel wrapped around my waist. When Caitlyn's lustful gaze fell on my half-naked body, I wanted to let her tear off the fine fabric, but I couldn't. According to James, an Alpha should have great control over their feelings, and I knew if I took her here and now, we would be late for our duties.

We already took longer than usual to get ready. The new business clothes we ordered online had arrived the night before, which meant we had a lot of options to choose from. It was quite confusing, considering I used to have one or two outfits for each occasion, and I never had to worry about looking "presentable" at work. I scoured through the multiple suits, remembering how Dario would often use them, but I wasn't comfortable with the idea yet. Instead, I went for a long-sleeved striped blue T-shirt combined with dark gray jeans.

As soon as I turned around, I found my mate in a light green dress with half sleeves and a rounded skirt. She looked professional like the Luna she was without overshadowing her true personality. The piece also accentuated her subtle curves, which caused me to release a breath I didn't know I was holding as I shamelessly checked her out. When she shyly hugged herself, I couldn't contain myself any longer. I darted towards her, placing one of my hands on her lower back to pull her in for a kiss, while the other one slid to the side of her neck. Our tongues wrestled hungrily for blissful seconds before I forced myself to pull away.

"What was that for?" she asked in a low voice, exhibiting a cheerful smile.

"To remind you that you are the most perfect creature on this Earth..." I gently lifted her chin up, exposing her neck to allow my canines to graze over her mark. "And to remind you that you're mine."

"Forever and always," she agreed, staring into my eyes for a while longer before lacing our fingers to lead me out of our room.

Once we got to the office, we decided to order room service at the office so we could save time - there was a lot we still had to, so we were trying our best to optimize our busy schedule. It was our second time asking for meal delivery, and it still felt surreal. We discarded the option for as long as we could because neither of us was comfortable with the idea of being served, but I guess we would have to get used to it.

All of our discomfort vanished though as soon as we tasted the fresh bacon and eggs prepared by the cooks; they tasted ten times better than what was served at the cafeteria. The pancakes topped with blueberries and maple syrup were also just as delicious. With our stomachs filled, I moved on to re-reading Jasper's suggestions, which I still had to approve and sign. Meanwhile, Caitlyn focused on resolving pack members' concerns and requests, especially regarding those who had their houses damaged or destroyed during the latest attack. I sometimes took my eyes off the pages just to admire her concentration. I knew she never imagined herself as a Luna, but she fit the position perfectly. I hoped I could become as great of an Alpha some day; thankfully, I had amazing role-models. Before I noticed it, another day locked indoors went by in the blink of an eye. That was the part I had the most trouble adjusting to. As a lumberjack, I spent the entirety of my days outside, connecting with nature. It was essential for wolves to have room to roam freely, as we got quite agitated when caged within four walls. Aside from the neverending workload, I had to deal with the headaches Atlas was giving me by restlessly pacing around in my mind. He usually calmed down every time our mate touched us, so I tried to be as close to her as possible all the time.

At around six in the evening, we decided to call it a day and go for a much needed walk along the town square. It was reinvigorating to breath in the fresh characteristic smell of pine trees. Hand in hand, we walked barefoot on the grass, just taking in our surroundings. After not interacting with a single soul for hours, it was nice watching other wolves enjoy the last rays of sun and embrace the arrival of the night. I was ready to bathe under the light of the moon, letting the Goddess wash my stress away and restore my energy for another day. As I strolled around with my Luna, I tried to concentrate on keeping a straight, respectful posture like the former Beta had instructed me to do.

Unfortunately, my few minutes of peace didn't last long. Due to my heightened senses, I couldn't help but overhear a conversation. A good fifty feet away from me, I spotted a group of warriors I knew very well; I had fought beside them many times. One of them, Charles, had to step away from training after he lost his hand in combat. He was the one speaking the loudest out of the three.

"Can you actually believe it? Our pack is being led by two Omegas who weren't even born here! Our "Luna" moved in only two months ago! How could they possibly know what's best for us?" There was true indignation in his tone.

"What do you mean, man?" Josh, another one of them, furrowed his brows at Charles. "Lance has been fighting by our side since we joined training. He's the strongest warrior of the pack. He even beat James!"

"So what?" Charles scoffed. "Strength isn't all it takes to be an Alpha. And James is an old wolf!"

The third one, Richard, turned his head in our direction. "Shut up! They're going to hear you!"

"I don't care! I'm not bowing down to a stray!"

His words made me stop dead in my tracks. Throughout my life, I had been insulted more times than I could count. In a society organized in ranks, where the strongest was always at the top, it was only natural for everyone to want to pick on the orphaned Omega. I never cared about it, and I probably still wouldn't if it weren't for the talk I had with James a couple of days ago. His speech echoed in my mind, reminding me I couldn't take the disrespect anymore. Not just for me, but for the sake of the pack. I felt my mate tug on my arm, noticing concern on her face as I looked at her.

"Let's just keep going, Lance," she begged, pulling me in the opposite direction. I knew she didn't want me to feel more insecure than I already did because of the whole situation. However, I was an Alpha now, and she was my Luna; I was supposed to protect her and make her feel safe. She shouldn't have to worry about me.

For a minute, I was torn between following her request or trusting James; I decided on the latter. I turned my head to look at the boys, watching all of them stiffen, except for Charles. There was distress in my mate's voice as she called my name a second time, but it was too late to turn around. When the warriors realized I was heading towards them, their eyes widened as they realized I had heard every word they said.

"Alpha!" Josh bowed curtly at me. "Please forgive Charles, he didn't mean it! He's just stupid!" He glared at the boy. "Just apologize already!"

I noticed Charles open his mouth to argue, but I was faster. "There's no need to. He shouldn't apologize for speaking the truth." My answer definitely caught them all by surprise. "You're right, Charles. I wasn't prepared to become Alpha. It was as much of a shock to me as it was to you." I looked straight into his eyes. I could see his braveness slowly fade away as my sincerity struck him. "However, Dario appointed me as his heir on his deathbed, and I know better than to question the Alpha. That's why all of my efforts are focused on improving as much as I can, as fast as I can."

The three boys were silent as they listened to me. I made a brief pause, carefully studying my next words. I hadn't prepared a proper speech, and my head was pounding after a long day of work. Still, I didn't have to think too hard; it all flowed naturally, almost as if part of me had been anxiously waiting to let it out.

"On the battlefield, I always put my partners first," I went on, holding my head high. "It won't be any different now. I was ready to give my life away in combat, and I'll still gladly sacrifice myself for the pack."

They remained quiet for a while before Richard nodded his head. "It's true. I've seen you risk your own pelt many times to save other warriors from being injured.

"I know. This is exactly what I was saying!" Josh glared at Charles.

The boy didn't utter a word, but he didn't need to; I could easily see the regret in his semblance. "I can't imagine what you're going through. It must be hard having to leave your old life behind," I continued, looking at his amputated hand. He widened his eyes as he realized we weren't all that different; both of our lives had been turned upside down overnight. "Diamond Tempest is thankful for your service. My Luna and I will make sure you'll have a dignified life here 'till the end of your days." I nodded at him, certain that I had been able to get the message through to him, before turning around to leave.

Caitlyn had been standing on the exact spot where I had left her, surprise written all over her face. After taking her arm in mine, we continued our stroll as if nothing had happened. She didn't say a word until we had distanced ourselves from the main part of the territory, but she never stopped smiling along the way.

"What?" I finally asked, her gesture so contagious I found myself mimicking it.

"Nothing." She shook her head before looking into my eyes. "I'm just really proud of how you handled the situation. You did good back there."

"I hope you didn't think I was about to hit him or something." I laughed.

"No, you're not violent unless you need to be. But I was afraid..."

"Of how I would feel?" I finished her sentence. Her silence let me know I had gotten it right. "Don't worry. Their words mean nothing to me when the most perfect woman is convinced I'm amazing." I turned her around abruptly, wrapping her in my arms. Our faces were mere inches away.

"You truly are amazing, Lance." Her eyes glistened with honesty, making my heart melt.

After sharing a passionate kiss, we laid under the stars to enjoy the beginning of our night, the moon as the only witness to our love.