The Alpha's Decision

"A single event can awaken within us a stranger totally unknown to us. To live is to be slowly born."

― Antoine de Saint-Exuper

(Freya)

Numb, she had gone completely numb, frozen with a sort of fear that was almost unexplainable. Vaguely she watched as every member of her class received their mark from Alpha Tom, there were cheers, and celebration. The Rite of Passage was drawing to an end, yet still she felt nothing, nothing but the heavy thud of her heart against her ribs. As her turn approached, she felt warm hands of Sam push her awkward frame into motion, and Freya walked on deft feet towards her stepfather. Would the man even mark her now, would he still want her to be apart of his pack? There were so many unanswered questions floating through her mind, the fear of rejection being her primary concern, there had to be a reason that she had never heard of an Omega in a pack before. Were they all banished and created their own packs or maybe they were sent out and became rouge wolves? Tears started to form behind her eyes, she could not do it, she would not be able to survive on her own.

The silence hung thickly to the air, everyone was waiting to see what would become of her, the small glance she stole at her mother was not encouraging. The woman was dabbing her eyes, white as a ghost, and gripping the camera so hard her knuckles had lost all color. Snapping her attention back to their leader, Freya stared into the pitying face of her stepfather, he suddenly looked less confident. The man was unsure as to how to proceed, he swallowed a lump in his throat, and nervously glanced around.

"She deserves no special treatment!" Someone yelled from the sideline. Freya looked out into the crowed at Master Hagen, the oldest member of the Alpha's Council, he was the advisor to the Alpha. The man made his way over to her stepfather's side, his look was withering as his gaze landed on Freya. "You know what must be done." He stated harshly.

Freya's hands had grown ice cold and she gripped them in front of her weakly. So, she was right, they banished Omega's, she was to be sent out of the pack. Regret sunk in, maybe if she had tried harder to accept Tom as a part of her family, then he would have been more inclined to show her pity today. Freya's whole world was being turned upside down and all she wanted more than anything was to be at home in bed, with the covers drawn up over her head, to hide from the humiliation of this moment. Though it seemed that after this night she might not have a home to go to. All the blood rushed to her ears, what was going to happen to her on her own? This had been her home for her whole eighteen years of life, the only place she had ever known, and they were going to strip her of everything just like that. In a blink of an eye, she was going to become an outcast.

The Alpha stepped closer to her now, his face a mask of devoid emotion, the man had schooled his features into a hardened plain. "Tom please!" her mother cried out on a whimper. From the corner of her eye, she watched as Zander wrapped a strong arm around her, she buried her face into his chest. At least someone would be here to watch out for her mother, knowing her mother was safe, that dulled the ache in her chest slightly.

Reaching out, Alpha Tom cupped the side of her face, the warmth of his palm against her cool skin was comforting. "Freya Summers, you have received the Classification of Omega, and therefore in accordance with Pack sanction, you are to be banished." He stated loudly. Freya's heart sunk down into the pit of her stomach. "but against that said Sanction, I Alpha of The Crescent Blood Pack, will permit you to remain." He followed up. "If any of you have a problem with my decision, then take it up with me now, or forever hold your tongue." He announced the challenge against the wind.

"But Alpha- "Master Hagen started but Alpha Tom let loose a deep throat rattling growl, silencing him.

The quiet was almost too much to bear, Freya's knees were shaking so hard, she felt as if she were going to collapse at any minute. Nodding his head when no one said another word, he lifted Freya's weak wrist, and elongated his canines. Sinking his teeth into her flesh, Freya was overcome with a satisfying warmth, it stretched and twisted around even organ in her body. A sense of peace filled her bones, making the tension disappear, replacing it with a temporary feeling of security. Her mind was being invaded, it was a soft coax, like her stepfather was asking permission, before the barrier was snapped. It was not a horrible pain, though it did cause a slight headache, then her brain was flooded with another voice inside it.

"Do not fret Freya, everything will be alright." Tom's voice entered. It was a foreign thing, one that she would have to become accustomed to. "Things will definitely be different for you, but we will discuss everything back at the house." His voice faded away.

Tears of relief wanted to fall but she willed them back, her stepfather had defied his council to keep her, and she was so grateful at that moment that she hugged him without much thought. The moment that her arms wrapped around him, she realized that what she was doing was highly inappropriate, to hug the Alpha out in public like that. Touching another woman's mate, even though he happened to be her mothers, was still insulting. Tom was a little shocked by it also but instantly relaxed and gave a silent chuckle, that if she had not been pressed against his chest, she would have missed. "Alright, that concludes The Rite of Passage Ceremony, please continue on with the festivities and celebrate." He announced stepping back and smiling at Freya, who let out a long breath she had been holding for what felt like the entire time.