My Mate Is An Omega
Chapter 39

Lancaster POV

The morning following our return from the very successful trip to Ninebark, I left my mate sleeping in our room to attend training. I was back to my busy routine, although today wasn't just another day. Tonight, the entire pack would gather in the Event Hall for the Alpha and Luna Ceremony, during which we would officially become the new ranked members of Diamond Tempest. Despite not fully understanding the meaning of such formal events, I couldn't help but feel a little nervous. It was as if the weight on my shoulders would be doubled after I stepped off the stage.

"You have already accomplished a lot ever since you were given the position," Atlas reminded me as we walked into the gym. "In a single day, you managed to get an alliance against all odds, and you defeated the foolish Gamma who challenged you, proving you don't take disrespect lightly. Not to mention how you shut down that former warrior who was talking crap about you."

"I know, but... it's different." I shrugged. "Everything changes after tonight."

"Nothing changes after tonight," he insisted adamantly. "You need to let go of the habit of always putting yourself down. You used to think we were the scum of the society because of a stupid surname. But you're not a Stray anymore, Lance. You're a Stark," he recalled, truly catching my attention. "Dario saw your leadership skills, which you have shown in various situations throughout the past week. Everyone sees it, except for you. If anything should change once you officially become Alpha, it's how you view yourself." His words made something click inside my head. "Maybe you're right," I conceded, deciding to give it some thought later. After all, I would have a lot of time alone to think later.

As soon as my best friend entered the building accompanied by his Beta Female, all eyes turned to her. She stood out among the crowd with her peculiar ombre white hair and the confident look on her face. However, what intrigued me the most was the mark on her shoulder; Luke was wearing a similar one on his neck, only slightly smaller. They wasted no time, did they? I shook my head, but the happy smile never left my face. These two were definitely perfect for each other.

Before training started, the Beta introduced his mate to the warriors, pronouncing her as the new women's coach. He then thanked Sasha for all of her hard work thus far, and she forced a smile while the crowd applauded her. I knew she was happy for our relationships and our new positions, yet I couldn't help but notice how she held her head a little lower.

For the first time, I wondered how the situation must have been affecting her. First, she was prevented from taking her birthright because of our society's sexist laws, then she lost the one position she had been allowed to assume. She had been so supportive of us, yet she was constantly being left out. I wanted to talk to her to understand how she had been dealing with the recent events, but before I could, Luke approached me so we could start sparring.

With so much on my mind, I easily forgot about the former Gamma's daughter as the day went on.

***

Once training was over, we all had breakfast together at the dining hall. After that, we parted ways. The preparations for the event started quite early, consisting of a series of long, very monotonous rituals. Many times, I considered bending the rules and mindlinking my Luna to know how she was doing, but always decided against it. I had never been the most patient wolf, so the whole day was pretty much t*****e for me.

Roughly ten minutes before the beginning of the event, I was pacing around the Alpha suite. It had been more than eight hours since the last time I saw Caitlyn. It was part of the tradition for the Alpha couple to not see each other while they prepared for the ceremony, but it made me anxious to be without her for so long. She hadn't left my side for the past few days, and I had to admit I felt a little lost without her. Even Atlas, who was so assertive earlier, seemed quite distressed due to our mate's absence. In an attempt to calm my nerves down, I stopped in front of the mirror to look over my appearance. Some maids had come to help tame my wild light brown hair, which was glistening due to some special treatment they used. The boring bath I had to take with different kinds of salts made my usually rough skin unbelievably soft and shiny. I was wearing a navy suit that had been ordered specifically for the occasion, a white rose sticking out of the breast pocket. I truly looked like an important man, except for the silver tie around my neck. My worst mistake was sending the maids out, certain I would be able to get dressed on my own. However, growing up as an Omega, I had no idea how to tie a tie.

I was concentrating on trying to get the knot right when I noticed her reflection beside mine in the mirror. All of the air left my lungs as I took in her beauty.

My mate was extremely beautiful - hence the nickname I gave her. Never had I imagined she could look any prettier than she already was, but like I always said, she just kept on surprising me.

As she stood a few feet behind me, she looked drop-dead gorgeous in an entirely navy blue gown. It had a long satin rounded skirt that floated around her, completely hiding her feet. The V neck and back showed just enough skin to make Atlas purr in delight inside my head. The upper half of the dress had a delicate and sophisticated lace pattern, which continued onto the long, semi sheer sleeves. Her wavy chestnut hair had been styled in a simple low classic chignon, tied with a white rose ornament. A diamond necklace around her neck complemented her outfit.

I wanted to say something, but I was utterly speechless.

"You messed up your tie." She chuckled lightly, taking a few steps closer. "Here, let me help you."

"Thank you, beautiful," I eventually said as she quickly redid the knot in my tie. "How do you know how to do this?"

"My mother taught me. Said it might be useful for when I found my mate."

"Claudette truly is a wise woman." I smiled, never taking my eyes off her. I gently brushed her cheek with the back of my fingers, careful not to ruin her makeup. "You are the most beautiful woman in the whole world. And I'm the luckiest man alive, because I have you."

I could literally hear her heart skip a beat as she looked down, a shy smile on her face. "I'm glad you like it. I was a little insecure about it."

"Don't be. Sasha did a wonderful job helping you pick your Luna dress. It reflects your best traits really well," I complimented, eyeing her from head to toe. "It's elegant, but not too flashy. It's perfect."

"Thank you." Her cheeks turned slightly rosy, and I had to fight my urge to kiss her. "Will you please hold my hand? I don't wear heels a lot. I'm afraid I might fall."

"I doubt it. But even if you do, I will be there to catch you," I reassured her, stretching my hand out for her. My eyes briefly clouded over when Luke linked me to let me know they were only waiting for us. "It looks like it's time. Shall we?"

Together, we made our way downstairs. It wasn't hard to replace our friends; they were all standing at the front of the Event Hall, which was just outside of the pack house. My best friend and his Beta Female were wearing matching silvery-gray outfits, following the Diamond Tempest's color scheme. Jasper was dressed in all black, while Sasha had chosen a turquoise blue dress. The girls wasted no time in complimenting my mate, while the boys didn't miss the opportunity to tease me about my shiny hair and skin. Exactly as I had expected.

"How was your princess day, Mr. Stark?" The Gamma snickered.

"Now, don't be salty because you didn't get any treatment, stray," I retorted playfully.

"Well, we did," Luke stated proudly as he pulled his mate closer, clearly referring to s*x.

"Too much information!" Jasper complained. "Let's go inside before any of you give me more details. I know enough already."

We laughed, but quickly obliged, knowing we shouldn't be late for the ceremony. In pairs, Caitlyn and I marched towards the entrance, followed by the Beta couple.

"Would you be my date for the night, Miss Stone?" I overheard the ginger boy say to the black-haired woman before we walked through the door. "I noticed you came here on your own, and I wouldn't mind keeping you company.

"You know what they say..." she replied in a sassy tone. "It's better to be alone than in bad company."

"Come on now, don't be so stubborn," he snorted. I turned around just in time to witness him wrap his arm around hers. She rolled her eyes, but didn't complain. In fact, she seemed thankful for his gesture, but of course she would never tell him.

A gasp coming out of my mate's mouth pulled my attention back. As my eyes scoured through the gigantic room, I subconsciously mouthed a wow. Growing up as a stray, I had never attended such big events - and the craziest part was, all of this had been organized for me. For us. The dozens of tables were decorated with dark blue and silver tablecloths, which were the same colors as the hundreds of balloons hanging from the tall ceiling. There were blue and white rose bouquets in light gray vases scattered around the room. "Was this really your first time organizing a formal event?" I turned to my mate in awe. "Cait, the decorations are amazing."

"Well, Sasha helped me choose most of it," she confessed shyly.

Before we could have a chance to admire the place, James appeared out of nowhere, surprising us. The former Gamma was right by his side. "Come on, it's time for you to step onto the stage. Everyone is waiting."

Only then I noticed how every single pack member inside of the structure had their eyes on us. It made me nervous, but I soon remembered my wolf's words from earlier, as well as my many conversations with the former Beta - I was prepared for this. I might not have chosen to become an Alpha, but it was my destiny, somehow. Dario was an incredibly smart and wise man, and he picked me to continue his legacy. I instinctively lifted my head towards the glass roof, locking my eyes on the full moon high up in the sky. My father was watching me from up there, and I was determined to make him proud.

James and Alden guided us towards the stage, where the pack's Elder was waiting for us. In front of him were three pedestals with silver chalices on top of them. Following our rehearsals for the event, Caitlyn and I walked to the middle of the stage. The former Beta, alongside his son and daughter-in-law, stood in front of the pedestal to our right, while the former Gamma and the stray stood on our left. Once we had all taken our respective spots, the old man stepped forward, easily catching the crowd's attention. "Wolves of Diamond Tempest, we are gathered here today to officially welcome a new generation of leaders," the Elder started, his voice loud and clear. I held my head high when he approached me. "Lancaster Stark, you must now pledge your allegiance to our pack before the Moon Goddess."

I took a deep breath, looking straight at the silver moon above. "I, Lancaster Stark, former stray and warrior of Diamond Tempest Pack, hereby swear to guide and protect these wolves with my own life. I fully accept my responsibilities as the Alpha of Diamond Tempest, and promise to serve it until the day I am sent to rest in the arms of the Goddess."

From the corner of my eye, I watched him gesture for my mate to go on. Not a second later, she joined me. "I, Caitlyn De Bruin, former Omega of Ninebark Pack, swear to lead by my Alpha's side, always striving to make sure our pack will thrive. I fully accept my responsibilities as the Luna of Diamond Tempest, as well as my duties towards my mate and Alpha."

"Per sanguinem ligaberis novis titulis tuis." The Elder repeated the ancient Latin phrase twice as he sliced his palm open.

He let his blood drip onto the chalice placed over the pedestal. Once his cut had healed, he proceeded to do the same to Caitlyn and I. We held our bleeding hands together, watching the red liquid mix as it fell onto the silver vessel, which was then lifted towards the sky by the older man. In a matter of seconds, a bright light radiated from the metallic goblet, as if the moon herself was blessing our new titles. My mate and I exchanged smiles, watching as the Elder moved on to performing a similar ritual with my Beta and his father. Lastly, he did the same to Alden and Jasper.

"Diamond Tempest, please welcome your new ranked members!" The crowd erupted in cheers and howls as we climbed off the stage.

Although nothing had physically changed, I strangely felt slightly different. The weight of a great responsibility was still there, yet it wasn't as overwhelming anymore. As if my shoulders had become stronger, it was suddenly easier to carry the expectations I had to meet. I felt powerful, confident. And judging by the look my mate flashed at me, I understood she was feeling the same way.

For the next hour, pack members approached us both to congratulate and swear their loyalty to us. The amount of attention I was receiving felt weird at first, but I soon adjusted to it. Throughout the night, we chatted and drank until our group slowly started to disperse. Megan and Luke were the first to disappear; we had no idea where they went, but we could imagine what they were doing. Not too long after, Jasper got up to grab a drink. He never came back, so I assumed some random girl decided to personally thank him for his dedication as a Gamma. In the end, Sasha also left to fetch her father, offering Caitlyn and I the perfect opportunity to sneak out.

"Are you sure it's okay for us to just leave? I mean, this is our party," my mate whispered as soon as we reached my office on the top floor of the pack house.

"Exactly. We should be the ones to decide when it starts and when it ends," I replied in mock arrogance. She squealed in surprise when I scooped her into my arms. "I don't know about you, but I think it's time for our after party."

Her hazel eyes grew wide the second I pulled a bottle of Patrón out of the bottom drawer of my desk. "Where did you get that?"

"Turns out Dario had a liquor room, which is now mine apparently." I shrugged. "You said tequila is your favorite, so I took a bottle and placed it here earlier in case the ceremony got too boring."

"You're crazy!" She laughed, turning to the black bureau in the corner of the room to grab two glasses. "But since you already went through the trouble of getting this tequila just for me, I suppose it would be rude to turn down your offer."

We had opened a few bottles of cheap wine in the past during our simple date nights, but this was definitely a first for us. As the minutes went by, our minds got blurrier as we kept refilling our glasses. I was surprised to see a side of my mate she hadn't showed me before, which became visible the moment she let go of her timidness to allow herself to really loosen up. She was more vulnerable, and it made me so happy to know she was comfortable with being drunk around me.

Things started to heat up between us by the time the bottle was half-empty. The alcohol was burning our insides, ridding us of our barriers. It made it harder for us to control our beasts, as well as their primal instincts. At some point, I lifted her up from her seat, helping her sit on the desk so I could have easier access to her marvelous body. While my tongue explored her mouth, my hands traveled leisurely along her back in search of the zipper of her dress - which wasn't exactly an easy task after a few glasses of tequila. "Tear it off," Caitlyn breathed out, pulling away from me for a second. Her voice was so low I wondered if I had just imagined it. But then, she went on, "You don't have to be so gentle all the time, Lance."

Once my surprise was gone, I smiled against her lips, opening my eyes to stare into hers. "Is that the tequila talking?"

"Maybe." She shrugged, quickly hopping off the desk.

I held my breath when she put her hands on my chest, slowly pushing me backwards until my back hit the wall. She easily slipped the navy suit off my shoulders, but she wasn't as careful with my shirt. I only realized her claws had come out when she used them to easily shred the thin fabric to pieces, exposing my chest.

"Though you were really hot in this suit, you look better without it."

A ferocious growl echoed in my throat as I tried to hold onto my last bit of sanity.

"I really like mate's drunk side," Atlas pointed out with a wolfish grin on his face.

"Me too," I promptly replied.

In a swift movement, I switched our positions, turning her back to me as I pushed her against the wall. I didn't hesitate before tearing off her dress, exactly how she asked. Once I easily got rid of her underwear, she was standing completely naked before me. I took a few minutes to appreciate her wonderful body before I placed my hands on both sides of her hips, leaning closer to her ear.

"If you want it rough, I'll gladly give it to you, my Luna," I whispered, noticing the shadow of a satisfied smile on her face.

With that last warning, I shoved my entire length inside of her in a single movement, causing her to release a loud moan of surprise and pleasure. It only added to my pleasure as I started moving, not bothering to go slow. My d**k stroked her insides, exploring them thoroughly. Her screams became louder every time my tip reached her womb. One of my hands traveled down her stomach, stopping right between her legs, while the other cupped her b****t.

I continued to roughly thrust in and out of her from behind as my fingers rubbed circles around her clit and her n****e. We were both sweating; our bodies burned from the inside out, and I couldn't wait to put out her fire. Her walls tightened around my c**k in a clear sign that she was close. As I picked up the pace, I traced the mark on her shoulder with my tongue before I sucked on the spot, making her shiver.

"Come for me, beautiful," I commanded, finally sinking my teeth into her skin.

She cried out one last time as she started shaking. It was extremely hard to fight back my own o****m while her walls squeezed my d**k in her waves of pleasure, so I abruptly pulled out of her; I still wanted to take her one last time before we called it a night. I pulled her into my arms and carefully laid her on her back over my desk. As she came back down from her high, I allowed myself to admire her beauty again, my hand instinctively wrapping around my member to lightly stroke it. Just looking at her drove me insane. Pulling her legs apart, I slowly bent over her, trailing kisses along her neck and shoulder. Each time my lips touched her skin, she quivered.

She had just started to regain her senses when I entered her again, making her gasp in a delicious surprise. Her p***y was still so hot, so wet, so ready. I could feel my pleasure building up as she swirled her hips to meet my movements, leading me to madness. So close... I was getting so f*****g close.

"Lance!" The way she screamed my name as she reached her release for the second time did it for me.

"f**k, Cait!" I groaned, letting my head fall backwards as I coated her walls with my seed, spurt after spurt. The room started spinning when I closed my eyes, both because of the alcohol and my climax. It took me a few minutes to stabilize my breathing. "Is this how you wanted it, beautiful?" I asked at last.

However, I never got a response.

When I opened my eyes again, I realized my exquisite mate had passed out over the table. Whether it was due to her tiredness after yet another long day, the alcohol in her veins, or the exhaustion of two o*****s, I couldn't help but smile. I gently picked her in my arms, planting a soft kiss on my forehead. There was nothing I could use to cover our naked bodies, but thankfully, the Alpha suite wasn't too far away from the office.

"Good night, beautiful," I whispered as I carried her to our bed.

***

Sasha POV

When I returned to our table at the Event Hall after talking to my father, I realized Lance and Caitlyn were gone, much like the rest of my friends. The party was almost over anyway, and the wolves were starting to head back to their homes so they could rest before a new day. Since I wasn't feeling tired yet, I decided to stay and help the Omegas clean the place.

As I walked around on my own, picking up empty bottles of champagne, I was flooded by the same old sadness that had been visiting me for the past week. There was no one around me other than the cleaning staff, so I let my fake smile fade. It felt so selfish of me to feel sorry for myself when all of my friends were having the times of their lives, but I couldn't help it anymore.

Since I was a pup, I worked hard to be the perfect daughter. I had good grades in school, I helped my father with his work and studied to be a Gamma even though I knew our laws would never allow me to occupy any of the highest positions. Many times I had given up on my dreams, aware that they would never come true. I fantasized about replaceing my mate even before I turned eighteen, hoping he would be open-minded like Luke or Lance and let me prove my worth despite having been born a female in a male dominated world. I wanted to have that chance, like Caitlyn, or even Megan. They were both living the life of my dreams, while I was just in the background.

Why was I still alone while everyone got to be happy with their mates? Why could someone as unprepared as Jasper become Gamma instead of me, after I had trained my whole life for it? And most importantly, why was I jealous of my friends? It seemed so wrong, and it only made me feel worse.

"It's not wrong, hun," Topaz chimed in, ready to cheer me up as always. "These feelings are natural; you shouldn't be ashamed of them. You have been very supportive of your friends, and you have done a lot for your pack. You deserve recognition. Your time will come, but maybe you just have to wait a little longer."

"That's the problem, Topaz. I don't know how much longer I can wait," I confessed, fighting back my tears.

My attention was diverted from our conversation when I surprisingly came across a bottle that was heavier than the others. Upon closer inspection, I realized it was almost completely full. As I thought about what I should do with it, an idea crossed my mind. It felt wrong, but then again, nothing seemed right for me these days. Looking around to make sure no one was watching me, I pressed the neck of the bottle against my lips, taking my first sip. Maybe the wine would help me drown my sorrows.