I was nothing but a poor omega girl living in shame at the edge of our territory until the mighty Alpha King showed up at my door with his dying cub. What none of us knew then was that healing his son would expose a centuries old lie about power and force me to answer the most terrifying question of all.
What happens when a worthless omega becomes the most valuable wolf in the kingdom? The cold morning air bit at my skin as I hurried through the forest, trying not to trip on roots hidden under piles of fallen leaves. Winter was coming soon, and I needed to gather as many healing herbs as I could before the first frost killed them all.
“Herbs won’t feed you through winter, sage,” I muttered to myself, using the name my mother gave me before she left our pack. I filled my worn basket with bright red berries and green plants that could heal fevers and stop bleeding. My tiny cottage came into view. Smoke curling from the chimney where I’d left a small fire burning.
It wasn’t much, just one room with a bed, a table, and shelves full of jars. But it was mine. Far away from the whispers and mean looks of the pack. I wasn’t always alone. Once I lived in the village with everyone else, but that was before they found out I was different. Before they started calling me useless omega and strange one.
When they thought I couldn’t hear. My hands could make plants grow better than anyone else’s. I could mix herbs that eased pain when others remedies failed. But that didn’t matter to them. In our pack, omegas were meant to be quiet, to serve, to have babies, not to heal. And since I couldn’t do what other omegas did, I was pushed out little by little until the forest became more home than the village.

I set my basket on the table and began sorting through my findings. The sun was already getting low in the sky. The autumn gathering would start soon. And even though I dreaded going, I had no choice. It was the one time each season when the whole pack came together, and staying away would only make things worse for me. I washed my face in cold water from the bucket by the door. My reflection stared back at me.
Long brown hair that never stayed neat, green eyes too big for my face, and skin too pale from hiding in the shadows. Nothing special, nothing that would make the Alpha King or his warriors look at me twice. I put on my best dress, a faded blue thing that had once belonged to my mother. It was too big, but I’d sewn it to fit better.
It was still plain compared to what others would wear, but it was clean and whole. The walk to the great hall took longer than it should have. I kept stopping, finding reasons to delay a interesting plant here, a bird’s nest there, anything to put off the moment when I’d have to face them all again. Music and laughter spilled out of the great hall as I approached.
Lanterns hung from trees, casting golden light on wolves, arriving from all parts of our territory. Some came in fine clothes with shiny jewelry. Others wore leather and fur marked with symbols of their rank and family. I slipped in through a side door, hoping no one would notice me. Inside, the hall was warm and bright. Long tables filled with food lined the walls.
The smell of roasted meat and sweet cakes made my stomach growl. I hadn’t eaten since morning. Look who decided to join us. A voice smeared behind me. I didn’t need to turn to know it was Darra. The baker’s daughter who never missed a chance to remind me of my place.
Did you run out of bugs to eat in your little dirt hut? I kept my eyes down and moved away, clutching my small bag of dried herbs and tinctures. Each season I brought what I could to trade. Sometimes if someone was desperate enough, they’d buy from me despite who I was. I found an empty spot at the far end of the room and set out my small collection on a piece of cloth.
Five tiny bottles of sleep tincture, three packets of pain easing powder, and two jars of sal for burns. It had taken weeks to make them all. You still pretending to be a healer, sage? The pack’s official healer, an older beta named Rowan, looked down at my offerings. “How cute! When will you accept that your place is in the nursery, not playing with plants?” “These work,” I said quietly, my voice barely audible over the music. The sav stopped Widowchin’s burns from scarring last month, he snorted.

“Lucky accident. Now pack up before you embarrass yourself further.” I didn’t move. This was my right. Even omegas could trade at the gathering. He couldn’t make me leave. Rowan’s face darkened. If you were any use as a proper Omega, you’d His words cut off suddenly as the great doors at the front of the hall burst open.
A rush of cold air swept through the room, making the lanterns flicker. Everyone went quiet at once. The Alpha King of the Northern Territories entered, flanked by his warriors. I’d only seen him from afar before, a distant figure on a hill, giving orders during territory disputes. But now he was here, tall and powerful, wearing a black cloak lined with fur over leather armor that showed the scars of many battles.
Unlike our pax alpha, who smiled and joked to win favor, the northern alpha radiated cold power. His dark hair was pulled back, revealing a face that seemed carved from stone. A scar ran from his temple to his jaw, and his eyes even from across the room. I could see they were the color of storm clouds. The crowd parted for him like water breaking around a rock.
He nodded to our pack alpha, a curt greeting between equals, though everyone knew the northern alpha commanded three times as many wolves as ours. I shrank back against the wall, trying to become invisible. This was no place for me, especially not with him here.
Stories of the northern alpha’s temper were told to frighten pups. They said he’d killed a challenger with one blow, that he could shift faster than any wolf alive. As he moved through the crowd, people bowed their heads slightly, showing respect without meeting his eyes directly. Warriors in his party followed, carrying something between them, a bundle wrapped in rich furs.
I stood on tiptoe, curious despite my fear, trying to see what it was. That’s when it happened. As if feeling my stare, the alpha king turned his head. Our eyes met across the crowded hall, and everything else seemed to fade away. His gaze was not cruel as I’d expected, but filled with something I couldn’t name, a deep sadness, perhaps, or worry. for one breath.
Two, we stayed like that, locked in a moment that made no sense. Then someone bumped into me, breaking the spell. A bottle of my sleep tincture fell and shattered on the stone floor. The sound seemed to snap through the air like a branch breaking. Watch what you’re doing.
Useless, Dra hissed, though she had been the one to bump me. Heat rushed to my face. Without thinking, I gathered my remaining items and fled. Not caring that I was leaving behind any chance of trading. Not caring that running marked me as weak. I just needed to escape those storm gray eyes that had seemed to see through all my carefully built walls.

I ran until my lungs burned past the edge of the village into the darkness of the forest. The lights of the gathering faded behind me as branches caught at my hair and dress. When I finally reached my cottage, I slammed the door and leaned against it, heartpounding. Stupid, I whispered to myself, sliding down until I sat on the floor. So stupid.
I drawn attention to myself the very thing I tried never to do. The alpha king had looked at me. Really looked at me. And now others had noticed, too. Nothing good ever came from being noticed. Outside, an owl called into the night. Inside, I hugged my knees to my chest and tried to forget the strange connection I’d felt when our eyes met. It was nothing.
It had to be nothing. Tomorrow, I’d go back to being invisible. I’d gather my herbs, make my remedies, and stay far away from pack gatherings. Far away from powerful alphas with eyes like storms. far away from a world that had no place for an omega who didn’t fit.
But as I finally climbed into bed, pulling my thin blanket up to my chin, I couldn’t shake the feeling that something had changed, that somehow in that single moment of connection, a door had opened that I wouldn’t be able to close. I fell asleep to dreams of gray eyes watching me through a swirling snowstorm, calling me forward into the unknown. 3 days passed after the autumn gathering.
I stayed in my cottage, only stepping outside to check my garden or gather water from the stream. The memory of those storm gray eyes still haunted me, making my heart race whenever I thought of that moment in the great hall. Rain had been falling since morning, turning the forest floor into mud and filling the air with the smell of wet earth.
I sat by my small fire, grinding dried willow bark to make pain medicine, when a sound louder than thunder shook my door. At first, I thought a tree had fallen. Then it came again, a heavy pounding that made the wooden walls of my cottage tremble. “Open up!” a deep voice called through the rain.
“Please!” That last word, softer than the rest, made me put down my mortar and pestl. No one in our pack ever said please to me. I wrapped a shawl around my shoulders and crept to the door, pulling it open just enough to peek out. The sight before me stole my breath away. The Alpha King of the Northern Territories stood on my doorstep, soaked from the rain, his black cloak hanging heavy from his broad shoulders, his face, so cold and hard at the gathering, now showed naked fear.
In his arms, he cradled something small wrapped in furs. Behind him, four warriors stood at attention despite the downpour, their hands on their weapons, eyes scanning the forest for threats. Their presence made my tiny clearing seem even smaller. “You,” he said, recognizing me. “You’re the one from the gathering.” I couldn’t speak, just nodded.
My fingers white knuckled on the edge of the door. “My son is dying,” the alpha king said, pulling back the edge of the fur to reveal a small black wolf pup no bigger than a loaf of bread. “The pup’s breathing came quick and shallow, his little body trembling with fever. A thousand healers have failed. You’re my last hope.
” I looked from the pup to the alpha, confusion making my thoughts slow. Why me? I’m just I know what you are, he cut in, his voice low but urgent, an omega healer. The elders speak of such wolves in old stories, but they’re rare now. When our eyes met at the gathering, I felt your power. One of his warriors shifted uncomfortably.
My king, perhaps we should seek help elsewhere. This person lives alone in the woods for a reason. The alpha king didn’t even turn to look at the warrior who had spoken. His eyes stayed fixed on mine, pleading in a way I never thought possible, from someone so powerful. “His name is Ran,” he said softly. “He’s all I have left.
” Rain dripped from the pup’s fur onto my doorstep. Lightning flashed, illuminating the desperation on the alpha’s face. In that moment, he wasn’t a king or a warrior. He was just a father watching his child slip away. Fear told me to close the door, to hide. To reject a king’s request would mean punishment in any pack, but to help and fail would be worse, especially with a king’s only heir. The pup whimpered.
A sound so small and pained it seemed to reach straight into my chest and squeeze. Something inside me answered that cry. Something deeper than fear. I stepped aside, opening the door wider. Bring him in, I said, my voice steadier than I expected. Put him by the fire. The Alpha King ducked through my low doorway, bringing with him the scent of rain and pine, and something else a clean, sharp smell, like the air before a storm.
He looked too big for my small home, his head nearly touching the ceiling beams, his shoulders twice as wide as mine. “My name is Dominic,” he said as he gently laid the pup on the bed of furs I quickly arranged near the hearth. It felt strange to hear the alpha king say his name to me as if we were equals.
“Sage,” I replied, already moving to gather what I might need. “How long has he been sick?” “10 days,” Dominic said, kneeling beside his son. “It started with a cough, then fever. Our healers tried everything. Herbs, magic, even human medicine.” I knelt beside the pup, putting my palm on his small head.
Heat radiated from him, far too hot for a wolf his age. His gums looked pale when I gently opened his mouth, and his little chest worked too hard for each breath. “He needs to shift to human form,” I said. “Pups heal better that way.” Dominic nodded and whispered words I couldn’t hear into the pup’s ear.
Slowly, with obvious effort, the black fur receded, revealing a small boy with dark hair and feverflushed cheeks. “Everyone out,” I said, not looking up from the child, “Except his father.” A shocked silence followed my words. “No one spoke to royal guards that way, especially not an Omega from another pack.
” “You heard her,” Dominic said after a moment. “Wait outside. Guard the perimeter.” The warriors exchanged glances but obeyed, filing out into the rain. The last one paused at the door. My king, the council will expect your return by nightfall. They don’t know you’ve come here. Dominic’s jaw tightened.
Tell them I’m following a new lead. I’ll return when my son is well. When we were alone, I began examining the boy more carefully, my hands moving with practiced ease despite my racing heart. His small chest rattled with each breath, and his pulse fluttered too fast under my fingers. “I need to know everything,” I said, reaching for my herbs.
“When he last ate, what treatments you’ve tried?” “Everything.” As Dominic began to speak, listing medicines and remedies that would have cost more than my cottage, I crushed herbs in my mortar, adding them one by one to a pot of water heating over the fire. Outside, thunder rolled across the sky.
Inside, a king watched an outcast omega with desperate hope as she fought to save what he loved most in the world. I didn’t know if I could save the boy. I didn’t know what would happen if I failed. But as I worked through the storm-filled night, one thing became clear. Nothing would ever be the same again.
Days passed in a blur of herbal steam, wet cloths, and whispered prayers. Little Ron’s fever burned so hot I feared it would consume him from within. I barely slept, dozing in short moments between checking his breathing and coaxing medicine down his throat. The alpha king Dominic never left his son’s side except to bring in firewood or fetch water when I asked.
On the third day, when the rain finally stopped, I sent Dominic outside to breathe fresh air while I changed Ron’s sweat- soaked clothes. His royal guards remained in the woods, keeping watch from a distance that let me pretend they weren’t there. “You’re fighting so hard, little wolf,” I whispered to the unconscious child as I wiped his small face with a cool cloth.
“Keep fighting,” I mixed a new batch of medicine, adding honey to mask the bitter taste. My hands worked from memory, measuring and stirring as my mother had taught me before she was driven from our pack for being different, just like me. When Dominic returned, his hair was damp from washing in the stream. Without his armor, dressed only in a simple tunic and pants I’d found for him.
He looked almost like any other wolf father worried about his pup. “Any change?” he asked, his voice rough from lack of sleep. I shook my head. His body is still fighting, but he’s strong like his father. Dominic sat beside Ron’s bed, his large hand dwarfing his sons. He gets his strength from his mother,” he said softly.
“She was fierce even when ill.” “The past tense wasn’t lost on me. I’d wondered about the boy’s mother, but hadn’t dared to ask.” “She died when he was born,” Dominic said, answering my unspoken question. “I’ve raised him alone. I’m sorry, I said, and meant it. Loss was something I understood too well.
That evening, as shadows grew long across my small cottage floor, Ron’s fever broke. One moment he was burning hot. The next, sweat poured from him like rain, soaking the bedding. His breathing eased, and his skin cooled under my palm. Dominic, I called softly, hope rising in my chest. feel his forehead. The Alpha King’s eyes widened as he touched his son’s face.
He looked up at me with wonder, as if I’d performed magic rather than simple healing. “How?” he asked. “What did you do that a thousand healers couldn’t?” I showed him the mixture I’d been giving Rome common herbs found in any forest, but combined in ways my mother had taught me, ways forgotten by most pack healers. Sometimes the cure isn’t rare or special, I explained.
Sometimes it’s right under our noses, but we’re too busy looking for something impressive to see it. Ran slept peacefully that night for the first time since they’d arrived. Dominic and I finally allowed ourselves to rest, too, each taking a spot on opposite sides of the hearth. Before sleep claimed me, I watched the fire light play across the Alpha King’s tired face, softening the hard lines of worry that had been there since he arrived.
Morning brought sunshine streaming through my windows and a small voice that made my heart leap. Papa, where are we? I opened my eyes to see Ran sitting up in bed, weak but awake. His gray eyes so like his father’s wide with curiosity as he looked around my humble home. Dominic woke instantly, crossing to his son in two long strides.
The joy on his face as he embraced Ran was almost too private to witness. So I busied myself making breakfast, a simple porridge with dried berries, the best I could offer. This is Sage, Dominic told his son as I brought them food. She made you better when no one else could. Ran studied me with surprising seriousness for one so young.
Are you a witch?” he asked plainly. I laughed, surprised by his directness. No, just a healer who knows old ways. “Why don’t you live with other people?” he asked, taking a small bite of porridge. “Roan,” Dominic warned. “That’s not polite.” “It’s all right,” I said, sitting on the edge of the bed. “I live here because some wolves don’t understand people who are different.
” Ran nodded as if this made perfect sense, like how Papa says, “Some wolves don’t understand why he lets me play with pups who aren’t royal.” Dominic looked embarrassed, but I smiled. Exactly like that. As Ran regained his strength over the next few days, my tiny cottage felt more alive than it had in years. The boy was curious about everything.
my jars of herbs, the pictures I’d drawn on the walls, the birds that came to my window. Dominic helped me gather supplies, his strength making easy work of tasks that usually took me hours. One evening, as Ran napped after a short walk outside, Dominic and I sat at my small table, drinking tea made from mint that grew beside my door.
“Your pack,” he said suddenly. They treat you poorly because you’re an omega who heals. It wasn’t a question, but I nodded anyway. They say it’s not natural that I should be. I trailed off, not wanting to speak of what they thought I should be, submissive, meek, concerned only with pups and keeping house. Dominic finished for me.
That’s what they believe omegas are for. And what do you believe? I asked, surprised by my own boldness. Dominic was quiet for a long moment, turning his cup in his hands. I believe wolves are more than the old way say. My father ruled by fear and strict pack hierarchy. When he died, I kept some traditions but changed others.
He looked up at me, his gray eyes serious. In my territory, wolves can be what their hearts tell them to be. We have alpha healers, omega warriors. Each serves where their talents lie. Something tight in my chest loosened at his words. That sounds like a dream. It’s not perfect, he admitted. Old ways die hard, but we’re trying.
We talked long into the night after that. I told him of growing up different, of learning healing from my mother before she was driven away, of the loneliness of living apart from the pack. He spoke of the weight of leadership, of raising a son alone while others watched for any sign of weakness, of his fears that he wasn’t the king his people needed.
It was strange this growing ease between us. He was an alpha king. I was an outcast omega. Yet in the quiet of my cottage, those differences seemed to matter less with each passing day. One week after their arrival, Ran was strong enough to run and play outside. I watched from my garden as Dominic chased his son through the tall grass, both of them laughing in a way I suspected they rarely did in their royal home.
When they returned, cheeks flushed and eyes bright, ran tugged on my hand. Sage, Papa says you know stories about the woods. Will you tell me one, please? We sat by the fire that night, ran between us as I told tales my mother had shared about the spirits of the trees and the secrets of the stars. The boy fell asleep with his head in my lap, one small hand clutching my skirt.
“He’s never this comfortable with strangers,” Dominic said softly, watching his son sleep. He senses what I do. That you’re safe. That you’re He paused, seeming to search for the right word. Different, I supplied. Special, he corrected. Heat rushed to my face, and I looked down at Ran to hide my reaction. I wasn’t used to kind words, especially from an alpha.
As I gently tucked Ran into bed, Dominic went outside to speak with his guards. When he returned, his face was troubled. What’s wrong? I asked, keeping my voice low so as not to wake the boy. My absence has been noted, he said. There are questions about where I’ve gone and why. The council grows restless.
You’ll have to leave soon, I said, trying to keep the sadness from my voice. I’d grown too used to their presence, to not being alone. Dominic nodded slowly. Soon, but not yet. He moved to the window, looking out at the moon silvered forest. Sage, I’ve watched you these past days.
The way you heal, the way you see things others miss. Your gift is rare. It’s not a gift to most, I said. Just a reason to fear me. Fear comes from ignorance, he replied, turning back to me. Those who fear you don’t understand what you are. And what am I? I asked, my heart beating faster.
Dominic crossed the room until he stood before me, slowly, giving me time to move away if I wished. He took my hands in his. They looked so small against his, but not weak, never weak. You’re a true healer, he said. Not just of bodies, but of spirits. You healed my son when no one else could. And in these few days, you’ve begun to heal something in me I thought was broken forever.
I wanted to look away from the intensity in his eyes, but couldn’t. I’m just an omega, I whispered. No, he said gently. You’re sage, and that’s enough. He released my hands and stepped back, respecting the boundary between us that his words had just crossed. But something had changed, something that couldn’t be undone.
That night, I lay awake long after Dominic had fallen asleep, listening to the soft breathing of the wolf king and his cub. Tomorrow, they might leave, returning to their world of power and politics. But for now, in this small cottage hidden in the woods, we were just three souls finding unexpected comfort in each other’s company. And for the first time in years, I didn’t feel alone.
The morning sun warmed my garden as I showed Ran how to tell which berries were safe to eat. His small hands carefully copied my movements, picking only the bright red ones and leaving the similar looking purple berries that could make wolves sick. “These are for medicine,” I explained, pointing to the purple ones, not for eating.
But they look almost the same, Ran said, his brow furrowed in concentration. That’s why we have to look closely, I replied. Many things in life look the same on the outside, but are very different inside. Dominic watched us from the cottage doorway. A small smile softening his usually stern face.
In the 10 days since they had arrived, color had returned to Ron’s cheeks, and the haunted look had faded from Dominic’s eyes. I tried not to think about how empty my home would feel when they left. A sharp bird call broke the morning quiet. Three short whistles followed by a long one. Dominic’s head snapped up, his body suddenly tense. Inside, he said, his voice low but firm. Both of you now. I grabbed Ron’s hand and hurried toward the cottage.
The boy sensed the change in his father and didn’t question the order. What’s wrong?” I whispered once we were inside. That was the warning signal from my guards,” Dominic said, reaching for the sword he kept beside the door. “Someone’s coming.” He motioned for us to stay back as he peered through the window.
I held Rome close, feeling his small heart racing against mine. “Five wolves,” Dominic said. “Not from my pack,” his jaw tightened. “They’re from your pack.” Fear curled cold in my stomach. No one from the village ever came to my cottage. They left me alone as long as I stayed away from them. “Why would they come here?” I asked.
“Before Dominic could answer.” Voices carried through the open window. “This is where the Omega Witch lives,” a male voice said. “I recognized it as belonging to Thorne, one of our packs strongest fighters.” Beta Rowan was right. He caught the alpha king scent at the edge of our territory. The trail leads here.
What would the northern alpha want with her? Another voice asked. Who knows? Maybe he likes weird little omegas. Someone laughed. Or maybe she’s put a spell on him. Either way, the council of elders wants to know why he’s in our territory without permission. Dominic’s face darkened with each word, his hand tightened around his sword hilt.
Stay here, he whispered to us. Don’t come out no matter what you hear. Dominic, no, I pleaded, grabbing his arm. There are five of them, he looked down at me, something fierce and protective burning in his eyes. And I am one, he said simply. One is enough. Before I could stop him, he slipped out the front door, closing it firmly behind him.
I rushed to the window, ran still clutching my skirt, and watched as Dominic walked calmly toward the approaching wolves. They stopped when they saw him, surprise clear on their faces. “Thorne, the largest of them, stepped forward.” “Alpha King Dominic,” he said, trying to sound respectful while hiding his shock. “Our council didn’t know you were visiting our territory.
I wasn’t aware I needed permission to seek a healer for my son,” Dominic replied, his voice carrying easily in the still morning air. The wolves exchanged glances. “Your son is ill?” Thorne asked. “Our pack healer, Beta Rowan, could.” “Your healer failed?” Dominic cut in as did many others. “The Omega healer succeeded. Thorne’s face darkened. That Omega is not a true healer.
She’s just an outcast who plays with plants. “Watch your tongue!” Dominic said softly. The quiet way he spoke was somehow more frightening than if he had shouted. “You speak of the wolf who saved the northern air when a thousand others could not.” The five wolves shifted uncomfortably, but Thorne stood his ground. “We have orders to bring her to the council.
They have questions about her activities. Dominic took one step forward, just one. But the wolves all took a step back. “The Omega Healer is under my protection,” he said. “Anyone who wishes to question her will do so through me. She belongs to our pack,” Thorne argued. “Though his voice held less conviction now. She must obey our counsel.
” “Does she?” Dominic asked, his voice dangerously soft. When was the last time your pack treated her as one of your own? When was the last time you protected her, provided for her, valued her gift? The silence that followed told me everything I already knew. My pack had never seen me as truly theirs, just an oddity to be tolerated as long as I stayed out of sight. Go back to your council, Dominic said.
Tell them the northern alpha sends his thanks for the skilled healer in their territory. Tell them I will deal with any concerns they have when I choose to. Thorne’s face flushed with anger. You can’t just Whatever he was going to say died in his throat as Dominic’s form began to change.
Not a full shift to Wolf, just enough to show what awaited them if they pushed further. His eyes glowed amber, his teeth lengthened to sharp points, and his hands curved into claws that caught the morning light. “I can,” Dominic said, his voice deeper now, rumbling with power that made the air feel heavy.
“I do, and I will continue to do as I see fit, where the healer is concerned.” The display of dominance was so strong that even I felt the urge to bear my neck in submission, and the show wasn’t even directed at me. The five wolves backed away, heads lowered instinctively. Now, Dominic continued, “You have a choice. Leave peacefully with a message for your counsel, or stay and test whether the stories about me are true.
” The wolves didn’t need to discuss their decision. As one, they turned and hurried back the way they had come. Only Thorne paused to look back, his eyes meeting mine through the window. The mix of fear and hatred in his gaze sent a chill through me. When they were gone, Dominic returned to his fully human form and came back to the cottage.
His hands were shaking slightly, the only sign that the confrontation had affected him at all. “Are you okay?” I asked as he stepped inside. He nodded, putting his sword down. “I didn’t want to frighten Ran, but that was amazing, Papa.” Ran interrupted, bouncing with excitement. You scared them all away without even fighting.
A small smile touched Dominic’s lips. “Sometimes showing strength is enough. You don’t always have to use it.” While Ran went to get a drink of water, I moved closer to Dominic. “Thank you,” I said quietly. “No one has ever stood up for me like that.” His expression softened as he looked down at me. “They had no right to threaten you. Not while I’m here.
But you won’t always be here, I said, the truth of it aching in my chest. Dominic was quiet for a moment. No, he agreed finally. But neither will you if you don’t wish to be. I stared at him, trying to understand his meaning. What do you mean? When we leave, he said carefully, you could come with us to the Northern Territory.
your gifts would be valued there, not feared. My heart jumped at his words, but doubt quickly followed. I’m not of your pack. I’m just an omega. You saved my son when no one else could, Dominic said. That earns you a place in my pack if you wanted. He hesitated, then added. And you’re not just anything, Sage. Not to me.
The weight of his words hung between us, full of meaning neither of us was ready to name. Before I could reply, one of Dominic’s guards appeared at the door, his face grim. My king, he said with a quick bow. Urgent news from the capital. The Eastern Pack has used your absence to push at our borders. There are reports of fighting. Dominic’s expression hardened instantly.
The vulnerable moment between us gone. How bad? Bad enough that the council demands your return, the guard replied. They’ve sent messengers to find you. When? Dominic asked. They left 3 days ago. They could find your trail any moment. Dominic nodded sharply. Prepare to leave within the hour. We’ll travel fast.
The guard bowed again and left to relay the orders. I stood frozen, the sudden change leaving me cold despite the warm day. “You’re leaving,” I said, stating what was now obvious. I must, Dominic replied, not meeting my eyes. My absence has created an opportunity for enemies.
As king, I cannot hide away while my people fight. Ran came back into the room, his face falling as he sensed the changed mood. Are we going home, Papa? Dominic knelt to his son’s level. Yes, little one. There are problems I must fix. But what about Sage? Ran asked, looking at me with wide eyes.
Is she coming too? Dominic glanced up at me, something unreadable in his gaze. That’s for Sage to decide. Please come, Ran said, running to wrap his arms around my waist. You make the best berry cakes, and you know all the good stories. I smoothed his dark hair, fighting back tears. Your home is very far from here, Ran.
and I I looked at Dominic who watched us silently. I need time to think about such a big change. Dominic stood understanding in his eyes. Ran will stay with you a little longer, he said. I must return to deal with this threat, but he’s still recovering. He’ll be safer here away from any fighting. Hope and fear tangled in my chest.
You would trust me with your son, your heir, with my life, Dominic said simply. and his which is far more precious to me. The weight of his trust felt heavier than any burden I’d ever carried. I nodded slowly, unable to find words. As Dominic prepared to leave, gathering his weapons and speaking with his guards, I stood at the window, watching the forest.
The wolves from my pack would return. I was certain. Without Dominic here, what would stop them from taking me to their council? from taking ran. “I’ve left two of my most trusted guards,” Dominic said from behind me, as if reading my thoughts. “They’ll stay hidden, but close. No one will harm either of you,” I turned to face him, suddenly aware that this might be the last time I saw him.
“Be careful,” I said, the words feeling small against all I wanted to say. Dominic stepped closer, hesitated, then gently touched my cheek with calloused fingers. I’ll return as soon as I can, he promised. And then, if you’re willing, we’ll talk about your place in the north. With those words hanging between us, he kissed Ron’s forehead, nodded once more to me, and was gone, disappearing into the forest with his guards, leaving behind a silence that seemed to echo with all the things we hadn’t said.
The days after Dominic left stretched into a week, then two. Autumn deepened around my cottage, painting the forest in fiery reds and golds. Mornings brought frost that melted under the midday sun, and evenings came earlier with each passing day. Winter wasn’t far away. Ran filled my quiet life with noise and movement. His endless questions about plants and animals kept my mind busy.
And his delight in simple things, a spider’s web jeweled with dew, the perfect stone found in the stream, a bird’s feather carried on the wind, reminded me to see the beauty in my small corner of the world. When is papa coming back? He would ask each night as I tucked him into bed in the small space I had created for him.
Soon, I would answer, though, as days passed with no word. I wondered if that was true. Dominic’s guards remained hidden in the forest, appearing only briefly each day to check on us before melting back into the trees. Their presence gave me some comfort, but also served as a constant reminder that this arrangement was temporary.
Eventually, Dominic would return for his son, and then what would become of me? I tried not to think of the Northern Territory, of the life Dominic had hinted I might have there. Tried not to imagine a place where my healing gifts would be valued rather than feared. Tried most of all not to think of Dominic himself, the gentleness behind his strength, the way his eyes softened when they rested on me.
On the 15th day after his departure, as Ran and I picked the last of the fall berries, I felt a familiar prickling at the back of my neck. We were being watched. I casually moved closer to Ran, scanning the forest around us. One of Dominic’s guards stepped briefly into view from behind a large oak tree, signaling me with a quick gesture I had learned meant danger approaching. My heart jumped to my throat.
Ran,” I said quietly, keeping my voice calm. “We need to go inside now.” The boy looked up at me, his fingers and lips stained purple from the berries. “But we haven’t filled the basket yet. We can come back later,” I said, taking his hand. “I just remembered I left something cooking on the fire. He didn’t argue, just slipped his small hand into mine as we walked quickly toward the cottage.
Once inside, I locked the door and moved to the window, peering out through a small gap in the curtains. Seven wolves emerged from the trees into my clearing more than before, and this time, Beta Rowan was with them. My pack’s healer stood slightly ahead of the others.
His gray streaked hair pulled back tightly, his face set in lines of disapproval I knew well. A quick knock at the back door made me jump. When I opened it, one of Dominic’s guards slipped inside. “King Dominic is still dealing with the Eastern Pack,” he said quietly. “We can try to hold them off, but there are only two of us and seven of them.
What do they want?” I asked, though I already knew. “You,” the guard said. “And the boy.” Ran pressed against my side, his eyes wide with worry. “Are the bad wolves back?” I knelt to his level, brushing berry juice from his cheek. They’re not bad. Exactly. They’re just afraid of things they don’t understand. Like your healing? Like my healing? I agreed. And now they’re curious about you, too.
The guard looked between us, his expression grim. If they take you to their council, we will follow and report to King Dominic. He will come for you both. But how long would that take? And what might happen in the meantime? I had seen how my pack treated those they feared. A sharp knock at the front door cut through my thoughts.
Omega sage, Beta Rowan called, by order of the council of elders, you are to present yourself and the northern air for questioning. I took a deep breath, straightened my spine, and opened the door. Beta Rowan’s eyes widened slightly. He clearly hadn’t expected me to comply so easily.
Behind him, Thorne and the other warriors looked disappointed to be denied the chance to break down my door. “Why would I bring Ran to your council?” I asked, making my voice steady despite my racing heart. “He is the northern heir, under my care by order of his father.” “The Alpha King left our territory without formal notice,” Rowan said, and he left his heir behind with. He paused, his lip curling slightly.
With you? The council has questions about this unusual arrangement. My arrangement with the Northern Alpha is none of the council’s concern, I said, surprised by my own boldness. Ran stays with me until his father returns. Thorne pushed forward, his hand going to the knife at his belt. You don’t give orders, Omega. You take them now. Bring the pup and come with us.
Behind me, I felt Dominic’s guard tense, ready to fight. But violence would only put Ran in danger. “Wait,” I said, holding up my hand. “Let me gather some things for Ran. He’s still recovering from his illness.” Beta Rowan nodded curtly. “5 minutes. Then we come in and take you both, ready or not.” I closed the door and turned to the guard. You can’t fight them all.
Not without risking Ran. My orders are to protect you both, he insisted. And you will, I said, by following us and sending word to Dominic. Tell him where we’ve been taken. The guard didn’t like it, but he saw the sense in my plan. He slipped out the back door with a promise to stay close.
I knelt before Ran, who watched me with solemn eyes, far too understanding for one so young. We have to go with them for a little while, I explained, packing a small bag with his favorite toys and an extra sweater. But your papa will come for us soon. Are you scared? He asked, his small hand finding mine. I thought about lying, then decided against it. He deserved the truth. Yes, a little.
But being brave doesn’t mean you’re not scared. It means you do what’s right even when you are scared. Ran nodded, squeezing my hand. I’ll be brave, too. When we emerged from the cottage, Ron’s hand firmly in mine and his small bag over my shoulder, the wolves parted to let us pass.
The boy held his head high, his gray eyes so like his father’s taking in each face, with a directness that made several of the warriors look away. The walk to the village took nearly an hour with Ron’s short legs setting the pace. None of the wolves offered to carry him, and I was glad. I didn’t want their hands on Dominic’s son.
Villagers stopped and stared as our strange procession passed through the main street. I hadn’t walked openly through the village in years, and now I returned with warriors at my back and the northern air at my side. Women pulled their children closer. Men stepped in front of their families, all watching with suspicious eyes.
The great hall stood at the center of the village, its stone walls rising high above the wooden houses around it. Inside, the council of elders waited in their carved chairs on a raised platform. Five old wolves, three male and two female, who had led our pack for as long as I could remember.
So said Elder Thea, her white hair braided tightly around her head like a crown. This is the northern heir, and this is the Omega who thinks she can defy pack law. I kept my head up, though every instinct told me to lower my eyes in submission. I’ve broken no laws, Elder.
I’ve lived quietly where you told me to live, bothered no one, and helped those who came to me for healing. You’ve been practicing medicine without pack approval, Beta Rowan said from behind me. That is against our ways. Your ways, I corrected softly. Not mine. A murmur ran through the gathered wolves. No one spoke to the elders that way, especially not an Omega. Elder Thea’s eyes narrowed. You forget your place.
My place? I asked, feeling a strange calm settle over me. My place was decided by fear, not by justice. I was pushed to the edge of our territory because I was different. Because I could heal in ways your approved healer cannot. Beta Rowan made a noise of outrage. But Elder Thea silenced him with a raised hand.
And now you’ve involved us with the northern pack. She said, “The Alpha King came here without permission. stayed in our territory without presenting himself to the council and left his heir in the hands of an untrained omega. This creates complications. Complications you created by driving me out, I said.
If you had accepted my gift instead of fearing it, the northern alpha would have come to you first. Elder Thea leaned forward, her ancient eyes sharp. Why did he come to you? Why did he trust his heir to you? What power do you hold over the Alpha King? The question hung in the air between us. I thought of Dominic’s face in the firelight, of his gentle hands as he helped me prepare medicines, of his fierce protection when my pack threatened me. I healed his son when no one else could, I said simply.
There is no magic in that just knowledge passed from my mother to me. And where did she get this knowledge? asked Elder Greor, the oldest of the council. From what source did these unusual methods come? From her mother and her mother before her, I replied. The old ways from before Pax decided omegas couldn’t be healers.
The elders exchanged glances I couldn’t read. Ron’s hand tightened in mine, and I realized he was tired and frightened, though trying hard not to show it. “May I ask where we will stay while you discuss these matters?” I said. Rome needs rest and food. He’s still recovering. Elder Thea studied the boy who stared back at her without flinching.
Something like respect flickered across her face. “You will stay in the healer’s cottage,” she decided. Under guard, the council will decide your fate tomorrow. As we were led from the great hall, whispers followed us like fallen leaves blown by the wind. I kept my head high and my hand firm around. Whatever came tomorrow, we would face it together.
But that night, as Ran slept in the small bed Rowan had grudgingly prepared for him, I stood at the window of our prison, staring north. Somewhere beyond the forest, Dominic fought for his territory. Did he know we had been taken? Would he come for us? as he had promised. And if he did, what would happen when an alpha king faced my packs elders over an omega they all believed they owned? The moon rose cold and bright over the silent village.
I pressed my hand to the glass, feeling the chill seep into my skin. For the first time since Dominic had left, I allowed myself to cry. Silent tears sliding down my cheeks as the stars wheeled overhead, indifferent to the small sorrows of those below. Morning came with heavy gray clouds that promised snow before nightfall.
I woke to find Ran already up, his small face pressed against the window of Beta Rowan’s cottage. “Is it going to snow?” he asked without turning around. Papa says, “The first snow is magic because it covers all the ugly things and makes the world clean again. I joined him at the window, placing a gentle hand on his shoulder.
Your papa is very wise, and yes, I think we’ll see snow today.” Beta Rowan entered without knocking, carrying a tray with bread and a thin porridge. He set it down harder than necessary, some of the porridge slashing over the side of the bowls. The council will see you at midday, he said, his eyes fixed somewhere over my head. Eat and make yourselves presentable.
When he left, I helped Ran wash his face and hands in the small basin provided. We ate in silence, the bland food, nothing like the berry sweetened porridge we enjoyed at my cottage. “Are we in trouble?” Ran asked finally, pushing his halfeaten bowl away. I chose my words carefully. The wolves here don’t understand why your father trusted me with you.
They think omegas like me shouldn’t be healers or take care of important pups like you. That’s silly, Ran said with a child’s perfect logic. You made me better when I was sick. And you tell the best stories. Why wouldn’t Papa trust you? Before I could answer, the door opened again. This time it was Thorne, his broad shoulders nearly filling the doorframe.
The elders are ready, he said. Come now. Outside the village was unusually quiet. No children played in the spaces between houses. No women hung washing on lines. No men repaired tools and doorways. Everyone was at the great hall waiting to see what would happen to the strange omega and the northern air.
The first snowflakes began to fall as we crossed the village square. fat white flakes that melted as soon as they touched the ground. Ran tilted his face up to catch them on his tongue, seemingly unconcerned by the serious faces around us. Inside, the great hall was packed with wolves. They parted silently to let us pass, their eyes following our every move.
The council sat on their platform as before, but now our pack alpha Kalin sat with them a lean wolf with silver threading his dark hair and hard eyes that had never shown me kindness. Omega sage, Alpha Kalin said, my name sounding like something distasteful in his mouth.
And Prince Ran of the Northern Territories, the council has considered your situation. I said nothing, keeping Ran close to my side. Whatever they had decided, arguing would only make things worse. It is the judgment of this council and your alpha that you have overstepped your place, Elder Thea said, her voice carrying to every corner of the hall.
by practicing healing without authorization, by harboring the northern alpha without notification, and by taking responsibility for the northern air without permission. Murmurss rippled through the crowd. I felt Ran press closer to my leg, sensing the tension. Furthermore, Elder Greger continued, “We believe these actions endanger our pack by creating potential conflict with the Northern Territory.
Therefore, we have made the following decision.” He unfurled a scroll and read aloud, “The wolf pup ran, heir to the Northern Territory, will be placed in the care of respectable beta foster parents until such time as his father returns or sends proper representatives to claim him.” My heart dropped like a stone.
I tightened my grip on Ron’s hand. The Omega Sage will be relocated to the Omega quarters in the eastern part of our village, where she will be properly supervised and trained in appropriate Omega duties. The eastern quarters were little more than a prison, a place where troublesome omegas were sent to be retrained in proper submission. No one who entered those quarters came out the same.
Furthermore, she is forbidden from practicing any form of healing or medicine and will surrender all herbs, tinctures, and healing texts to betan immediately. The final words fell like a death sentence. They would separate me from ran and take away the only thing that gave my life, meaning my healing. Do you understand these terms? Alpha Calm asked.
I looked around the great hall at the faces of wolves who had rejected me my entire life. At Betan, whose jealousy of my gift had driven me to the forest’s edge, at the elders, whose fear of anything different had created the very situation they now blamed me for. Then I looked down at Ran, who stared up at me with complete trust in his gray eyes.
I had promised Dominic I would keep his son safe and I would no matter the cost. “No,” I said, my voice stronger than I expected. A shocked silence fell over the hall. Even the elders seemed stunned. “What did you say?” Alpha Kalin asked, his voice dangerously quiet. I took a deep breath. I said, “No, I will not surrender Ran to strangers.
I will not give up my healing and I will not submit to retraining when I have done nothing wrong. Alpha Kalin stood slowly, power radiating from him in waves that made several nearby wolves bow their heads instinctively. You dare defy your alpha and counsel. I dare protect what is mine, I said, echoing Dominic’s words from weeks ago. Ran was placed in my care by his father, the Alpha King of the Northern Territories.
No one but Dominic can change that. You speak his name so casually, Elder Thea noted, her eyes narrowing. What exactly is your relationship with the Northern Alpha? Heat rushed to my face, but I kept my voice steady. My relationship with Alpha Dominic is not the council’s concern.
What matters is that he entrusted his son to me, and I will not break that trust. Alpha Kalin stepped down from the platform, moving toward us with deliberate slowness. You have no choice, Omega. You belong to this pack. You will obey. Ran pressed against me, trembling slightly, but still standing tall.
I put my arm around his shoulders, drawing strength from his courage. I belonged to this pack until you pushed me out. I said, “You can’t reject me for years and then claim ownership when it suits you.” The alpha stopped a few feet away, close enough that I could smell his anger, sharp and metallic like blood.
“Guards,” he said without looking away from me. “Take the northern pup to the beta quarters. Take the Omega to the eastern house. Use force if needed.” Four guards moved forward, two reaching for Ron, two for me. I pushed the boy behind me, backing up until we hit a wall. There was nowhere to run. Don’t touch him, I warned.
Though I had no way to enforce the threat, one guard laughed. Or what, little Omega? You’ll mix herbs at us. He reached Ferrron, his fingers just brushing the boy’s shoulder. What happened next shocked everyone, including me, I growled. Not the small warning sound an omega might make, but a deep rumbling growl that seemed to rise from somewhere ancient and powerful inside me. The guard jerked his hand back as if burned.
The hall went completely silent. Omegas didn’t growl like that. Couldn’t growl like that. It was physically impossible, according to everything our pack believed about wolf dynamics. Alpha Kalin’s eyes widened, then narrowed dangerously. Take them, he ordered. Now the guards hesitated, then moved forward again. I pressed Ran against the wall, shielding him with my body.
If they wanted to take him, they would have to go through me first. I wouldn’t do that if I were you. A new voice called from the entrance of the hall. Every head turned. A female wolf stood in the doorway, snow dusting her dark cloak. Though I had never seen her before, something about her was strangely familiar.
The set of her shoulders perhaps, or the confident tilt of her chin. “Who dares interrupt pack business?” Alpha Kalin demanded. The woman stepped forward, pulling back her hood to reveal a face lined with age but striking in its beauty. Her hair, once dark, but now stre with silver, was braided like mine. Her eyes green as summer leaves found mine across the crowded room. “I dare,” she said simply.
“I am Helena, once of this pack, now healer to the Eastern territories, and I have come for my daughter, mother.” The words stuck in my throat as shock rendered me speechless. 20 years had passed since I’d last seen her, since the pack had driven her out for the same gift I had inherited. Alpha Kalin recovered from his surprise first. Helena was banished for practicing forbidden arts. She has no right to enter our territory or this hall.
My mother smiled, a small dangerous curve of her lips. I enter under the protection of the eastern alpha who sends me as his emissary. She held up a scroll bearing a seal I didn’t recognize. And I come with news you might find interesting. She walked forward, the crowd parting before her as if pushed by an invisible force.
When she reached me, she placed a gentle hand on my cheek, her eyes shining with tears and pride. “You’ve grown so strong,” she whispered. Then, louder. “The northern and eastern territories have formed an alliance. Any action against the northern heir or those under his father’s protection will be considered an act of war against both packs. Murmurss erupted through the hall.
Our pack was small compared to either the northern or eastern territories. Against both, we wouldn’t stand a chance. You expect us to believe you speak for two alpha kings? Beta Rowan scoffed. She doesn’t. Another voice called I do. A tall, lean wolf entered the hall, wearing the formal emblems of the Eastern Alpha’s second in command.
He stroed to my mother’s side and bowed slightly to the council. I am Vin, Beta to Alpha Seriel of the Eastern Territories. My alpha sends his regards to your council and a warning. The Northern Heir and his caretaker are to be released immediately into our custody. Alpha Kalin’s face darkened with rage. This is pack business.
Outside interference will not be tolerated. It’s not interference, my mother said calmly. It’s protection. My daughter and the boy will come with us to the eastern territory where Alpha Dominic will meet us once his battle with the rebels in his lands is concluded. I found my voice at last. Mother, I said the word strange on my tongue after so many years.
How did you find us? She smiled again, warmer this time. Dominic’s guards are loyal. When you were taken, one rode straight to the eastern territory, knowing I served as healer there, knowing I would come for you. I looked from my mother to the beta who stood beside her.
Then to the council who had tried to separate me from ran. For the first time in my life, I had powerful allies. For the first time, I wasn’t alone against the pack. “We’re leaving,” I said, taking Ron’s hand firmly in mind. “And we’re not coming back.” “You can’t just take the boy,” Elder Thea protested. But her voice lacked conviction now. “I’m not taking him,” I replied.
“I’m keeping him safe, as his father asked me to do. If you want to challenge that, you’ll have to explain to the northern alpha why you interfered with his direct orders. No one moved to stop us as I walked with Ran toward my mother and the eastern beta. Outside, snow fell more heavily now, beginning to stick to the ground in white patches.
As we left the village, Ran looked back at the great hall one last time. “Are we going to see my papa now?” he asked. “Soon,” I promised, squeezing his hand. Very soon behind us, the first snow of winter began to cover our footprints, erasing all traces of our passage, just as it erased the boundaries between territories, at least for a little while.
Snow fell steadily as we traveled east, blanketing the forest in pristine white. My mother led our small group, moving with the confidence of someone who knew these paths well. Ran rode on the eastern beta’s shoulders. his small face bright with excitement despite the cold. I followed behind them, my mind still reeling from everything that had happened.
“We’ll reach the eastern territory by nightfall,” my mother called back to me. “There’s a way station at the border where we can rest.” I nodded, though questions burned inside me like fire. “Where had she been all these years? How had she become healer to an entire territory? And most pressing of all, what did she know of Dominic? As if reading my thoughts, she dropped back to walk beside me, matching her pace to mine.
“You have questions,” she said simply. “20 years worth,” I replied. She smiled, the lines around her eyes deepening. “And I will answer them all. But first, tell me about you and the Northern Alpha.” Heat rushed to my cheeks despite the cold air. There is no me and the northern alpha. He brought his son to me for healing.
And when he had to leave, he trusted me with Ron’s care. That’s all. My mother’s knowing look said she didn’t believe me for a second. Dominic of the Northern Territories doesn’t trust easily, especially with his only child, and he doesn’t form alliances with other territories over small matters. What do you mean alliances? Why would the Eastern territory help us? She was quiet for a moment, watching Rome laugh as Beta Vin showed him how to catch snowflakes on his tongue.
There has been unrest in the Northern Territory for months. She finally said, “A faction of wolves led by members of Dominic’s own council believes he is too progressive in his treatment of omegas and other traditional pack structures. They rebelled against him? I asked, remembering the urgent message that had called him away.
They waited until he left his territory to seek healing for his son. My mother confirmed. Then they made their move, claiming he was unfit to rule because he placed too much value on an omega healer, rather than following traditional pack medicine. The knowledge settled like a stone in my stomach. So, it’s my fault he’s fighting right now. No, my mother said firmly.
It’s the fault of those who fear change, who can’t accept that the old ways aren’t always the best ways. She touched my arm gently. Dominic knew the risk when he came to you. He chose his son’s life over politics. But how did he even know about me? I’ve lived alone in those woods for years. My mother smiled.
Word of a gifted Omega healer spread beyond your pack’s borders. Wolves who couldn’t find help elsewhere came to you in secret. And when they were healed, they spoke of your gifts. Dominic heard those stories when his son fell ill, and no traditional healer could help him. The snow grew heavier as afternoon faded toward evening.
Ran began to tire, his excitement giving way to the weariness of a child who had seen too much upheaval in too short a time. I carried him on my back for the last hour of our journey, his small arms wrapped around my neck, his cheek resting against my shoulder. Just as the last light left the sky, we reached a small stone building nestled where three territories met our former packs, the eastern and the northern. Smoke rose from its chimney, promising warmth within.
“Where expected,” Beta Varon explained as he pushed open the heavy wooden door. Inside, a fire blazed in a large hearth. Thick rugs covered the stone floor, and simple but comfortable furniture filled the single room.
A woman stirred something that smelled wonderfully of herbs and meat in a pot hanging over the fire. “Welcome, healers,” she said, bowing her head slightly to my mother. “And welcome, young prince. Your father’s representatives arrived earlier today.” My heart jumped at her words. Had Dominic sent someone to meet us, to take Ran home? Two wolves rose from where they had been sitting near the fire? I recognized them instantly as Dominic’s personal guards, the same ones who had watched over us from the forest.
Sage, the taller one said, relief evident in his voice. And Prince Ran, we feared we were too late when we found your cottage empty. Ran, suddenly awake and excited, squirmed to be put down. I set him on his feet, and he ran to the guards, who knelt to receive him with obvious affection. “Is Papa coming?” he asked eagerly.
“The guards exchanged a glance that made my stomach tighten with worry.” “Your father sent us to bring you home,” the shorter guard said carefully. “He is occupied with matters at the palace. Is he hurt?” I asked before I could stop myself. Again, that loaded glance between them. The king is strong, the taller one said, which wasn’t an answer at all.
We ate a simple but hearty stew while snow continued to fall outside, piling against the windows in white drifts. Ran fell asleep almost as soon as he’d eaten, curled up on a pallet near the fire. The woman who had greeted us an Omega from the Eastern Pack, I learned, took Beta Von to see to the horses, leaving me alone with my mother and Dominic’s guards.
Tell me the truth, I said quietly, so as not to wake Ran. What’s happening in the Northern Territory? The guards looked to my mother, who nodded. She needs to know. The taller guard, Mikel, he had introduced himself, leaned forward, his voice low. The rebellion was worse than we feared.
Half the council turned against the king, claiming he had been bewitched by an omega healer and was unfit to rule. Bewitched? I repeated the word bitter on my tongue. I only healed his son. That was enough, Mikuel said grimly. The old guard believes omegas should know their place. Certainly not healing alpha heirs when traditional methods fail. When the king openly praised your skills and suggested changes to how healers are trained and selected, they saw their chance to move against him. Is he safe? I asked.
The only question that really mattered to me. He lives. The other guard, Tomas said. He put down the main rebellion 3 days ago, but there are still pockets of resistance. The king sent us to find you and Prince Ran as soon as the palace was secured. My mother reached across the table to take my hand.
There’s more you should know, Sage, about Dominic and about yourself. I looked at her, suddenly afraid of what she might say. You’re not just an omega healer, she said gently. You’re something much rarer, something the old Pax tried to erase from our history. What do you mean? You’re what the ancients called a true omega one with the power to heal not just bodies but pack bonds.
One who can stand as equal to an alpha balancing their power with a different kind of strength. She squeezed my hand. That’s why you could growl in defense of ran. That’s why your scent calls to Dominic in a way he can’t ignore. I pulled my hand away overwhelmed. That’s not possible. I’m just me. You are just you, my mother agreed. But who you are is special, Sage.
More special than our old pack could understand or accept. Dominic recognized it the moment he met you. It’s why he trusted you with his son. Why didn’t you tell me this before? Before you left, I asked, the old hurt rising despite my efforts to keep it buried. Sadness filled my mother’s eyes. I was trying to protect you.
I thought if I left, if I drew the pack’s fear and hatred with me, you might be able to live a normal life. She shook her head. I was wrong. Your gift was too strong to hide. I stared into the fire, watching the flames dance and trying to make sense of everything. If what my mother said was true, then Dominic hadn’t come to me just for my healing skills.
He had sensed something in me that called to something in him. We leave for the northern territory at first light. Mikail said, breaking the silence. The king was explicit. Prince Ran is to be brought home immediately along with he glanced at me. Along with you, if you’re willing to come, and if I’m not, I asked. Though the thought of not seeing Dominic again made my chest ache in a way I didn’t want to examine too closely. Then we are to ensure your safe passage to wherever you wish to go.
Tomas answered, “The king said, “Your service to his son has earned you the right to choose your own path.” My own path. After years of having my choices made for me, of being pushed to the margins because of what I was. The idea of choosing freely was almost too much to comprehend.
My mother watched me with understanding in her eyes. You need time to think,” she said, rising from her chair. “Rest now. Morning will bring clarity.” I lay awake long into the night, listening to the soft breathing of the others and the occasional crack of the fire. Outside, the snow continued to fall, covering the world in clean white that would make everything look new.
Come morning, just before dawn, the door of the way station burst open, letting in a blast of cold air and the unmistakable scent of pine and storm. A tall figure stood silhouetted against the pale light of early morning. Snowdusting broad shoulders and dark hair. I sat up, my heart suddenly pounding so hard I could barely breathe. Dominic.
He stepped inside, shaking snow from his cloak. His eyes swept the room, passing over the guards who had risen to their feet, over my mother, who watched with quiet interest. Over Ran, who still slept peacefully near the fire. When his gaze found me, he went utterly still. “Sage,” he said, my name a prayer on his lips. I rose slowly, suddenly conscious of my rumpled clothes and tangled hair.
“You’re here,” was all I could manage to say. In three long strides, he crossed the room to stand before me. Up close, I could see the new scar that ran along his jaw, the shadows of exhaustion under his eyes, the tension that still held his body rigid.
“He had been fighting for his life, for his territory, for his right to rule as he saw fit. “I came as soon as I could,” he said, his voice low and rough. When I heard your pack had taken you and ran, “We’re safe,” I assured him. “My mother found us.” His eyes flickered to where my mother stood, and he nodded to her with respect. “Helena, the Eastern Alpha told me of your connection to Sage.
” “I owe you a debt. You owe me nothing,” my mother replied. “But perhaps we could give you and my daughter a moment alone.” With quiet efficiency, she ushered the guards outside and gathered the still sleeping ran in her arms, carrying him to a small side room I hadn’t noticed before.
Within moments, Dominic and I were alone. Your rebellion, I said. Is it over? Nearly, he replied. The main instigators have been dealt with. Others will take time to bring back into the fold. He paused, then added. They rose against me because of you. I know, I said, unable to meet his eyes. Your guard told me, because you trusted an Omega healer. No, Dominic said firmly.
He stepped closer, close enough that I could feel the heat radiating from his body. Smell the scent of him that had haunted my dreams for weeks. They rose against me because they fear what you represent, a return to the old ways. when alphas and true omegas ruled together as equals. I looked up at him then searching his face.
You knew about what I am? I suspected, he said, “From the moment our eyes met at the gathering. When you healed Ran, I was certain.” His hand rose, hesitated, then gently touched my cheek. True omegas were thought to be gone from our bloodlines. Finding you, it changes everything, Sage. I don’t want to change everything, I whispered.
I just want to heal, to be allowed to use my gift without fear. Dominic’s expression softened. And you will in my territory if you choose to come with us. As Ron’s healer, I asked, needing to understand exactly what he was offering. Something flashed in his eyes. uncertainty perhaps or vulnerability.
It was strange to see such an emotion on the face of an alpha king. As much more than that, he said quietly. If you wish it. Before I could respond, he reached inside his cloak and withdrew something small that glinted in the firelight. A pendant on a silver chain carved with symbols I didn’t recognize.
This belonged to the last true omega of the Northern Territory. He said, “She was my great-g grandandmother, and she ruled beside my great-grandfather as his equal, his partner in all things.” He held it out to me, his hand perfectly steady, though I sensed the effort it cost him. “I would offer you the same place at my side, sage, not as a subject, but as my equal, my true mate.
” The words hung in the air between us, heavy with meaning and possibility. Outside, the first rays of sun broke through the clouds, sending shafts of golden light through the windows to dance across the floor. “Why me?” I asked, the question that had burned inside me since the moment he’d appeared at my door with his sick son. “Of all the wolves in all the territories, why would an alpha king choose me?” Dominic smiled.
Then a real smile that transformed his serious face. Because when a thousand healers failed, you succeeded. Because when my son was dying, you fought death itself to save him. Because when the world told you that you couldn’t be what your heart knew you were, you did it anyway. His voice dropped lower, almost a whisper.
And because from the moment I saw you, something in me recognized something in you, like the moon calling to the tide. He opened his hand, offering me the pendant, offering me a choice. Come with me, sage. Help me build a pack where no one is pushed aside for being different. Where your gift is honored, not feared. I looked at the pendant, gleaming in his palm.
Then up into his eyes, storm gay eyes that had haunted my dreams since that first moment in the great hall. In them I saw not just power but possibility. Not just an alpha but a man who had risked everything to save his son and who now risked his heart by offering it to me. Yes, I said the word rising from somewhere deep and true inside me. Yes, I will come with you.
As he placed the pendant around my neck, his fingers brushing my skin. The first light of morning filled the room, turning the snow outside to diamonds and promising a new day, a new beginning, a new life, where I would no longer walk alone. One year later, I stood on the balcony of the northern palace, watching the valley below come alive with the colors of spring.
The long winter had finally released its grip, revealing tender green shoots and early blooms that dotted the meadows like scattered jewels. The pendant Dominic had given me that snowy morning rested against my collarbone, warm from my skin and familiar now as my own heartbeat. My fingers rose to touch it, a habit I developed over the past year whenever I needed strength or reassurance.
Always touching that thing, a teasing voice said behind me. I turned to see my mother approaching, her healing basket over her arm. The year had been kind to her. The worry lines that had marked her face when we reunited had softened, and her step was lighter now that she no longer lived in exile.
It reminds me how far I’ve come, I replied, smiling at her. And it had been a journey indeed. My arrival at the Northern Territory had caused quite a stir. an unknown Omega from a small pack, wearing the ancient pendant of the true Omega bloodline, walking beside the Alpha King as if she belonged there. Not everyone had welcomed me. The old guard, who had remained loyal to Dominic during the rebellion, still watched me with suspicious eyes.
Some questioned what spell I had cast over their alpha, while others whispered that I was merely a passing fancy who would be discarded when Dominic tired of novelty. But Dominic never wavered. He had introduced me to his pack as his chosen mate, and when challenged, he had simply said, “She healed my son when a thousand others failed.
She protected him at risk to herself, and she carries the gift that once made our pack the strongest in all territories. Question her again, and you question me.” Gradually, with each passing month, I had proven myself. First through my healing, establishing a new healing center where wolves of all ranks could learn the old ways alongside the new.
Then through my care of Ran, who had thrived under the combined attention of his father and me, and finally through the simple daily work of standing beside Dominic, offering counsel when asked, support when needed, and balance always. “Are you ready for the spring gathering?” my mother asked, interrupting my thoughts. The other territories will be arriving soon.
The spring gathering, the first time representatives from all territories would gather at the Northern Palace since the rebellion. A test in many ways of the new order Dominic and I had been building. As ready as I’ll ever be, I said, smoothing down the front of my dress, a simple but elegant garment of deep green that complimented the silver pendant at my throat. So different from the faded blue dress I’d worn to that fateful autumn gathering a year ago.
My mother squeezed my hand. You’ll do beautifully, just as you have with everything else. From the courtyard below came the sound of children laughing. I leaned over the balcony rail to see Ran leading a group of young wolves in some complicated game that involved much running and shouting. At 6 years old, he had grown taller and stronger, all traces of his illness gone.
His dark hair, so like his father’s, fell across his forehead as he darted between the other children. Among them were pups from all ranks, alpha, beta, and omega, playing together without the strict separations I had grown up with. This was perhaps the change that made me proudest the children of the Northern Territory would grow up knowing their worth came from their hearts and minds, not from the accident of their birth rank. Sage.
Ran spotted me and waved enthusiastically. Watch this. He executed a perfect somersault, popping back to his feet with his arms raised triumphantly. I clapped and cheered, making him beam with pride before he raced off again with his friends. “He adores you,” my mother observed. “As if you had been in his life from the beginning, “Children are wiser than adults,” I replied.
“They see with clearer eyes. The sound of approaching hoofbeats drew our attention to the main road leading to the palace. A procession of riders appeared, banners fluttering in the spring breeze, the first of the visiting packs arriving for the gathering. That’s the eastern delegation, my mother said, recognizing the colors. I should go help with the welcoming preparations.
As she hurried off, I remained at the balcony, watching the visitors approach. Dominic would be waiting to greet them formally in the great hall, dressed in the traditional garb of the Northern Alpha. Later, we would stand together to welcome all the territories to our home, our home. The thought still sometimes caught me by surprise that this grand palace with its soaring towers and ancient stone walls was now where I belonged.
Thinking deep thoughts? A familiar voice asked as strong arms slipped around my waist from behind. I leaned back against Dominic’s chest, feeling the steady beat of his heart, just watching spring arrive and remembering winter. He rested his chin on my shoulder, following my gaze to the valley below.
“A lot can change in a year, and a lot can stay exactly as it should be,” I replied, turning in his arms to face him. The new scar along his jaw had faded to a thin silver line, but otherwise he looked much as he had the day he’d appeared at my cottage door, tall and powerful, his gray eyes serious, but now often warmed with smiles that had once been rare.
The crown of the northern alpha rested on his dark hair, a simple band of silver set with a single blue stone that matched the one in my pendant. The Eastern Alpha has arrived, he said. The others will be here by sundown. Are you nervous? I considered the question honestly. A little. Some of them still think I bewitched you. Dominic smiled. The private smile he kept just for me.
Let them think what they will. We know the truth. The truth was both simpler and more complex than the rumors suggested. I had not bewitched the alpha king. I had simply healed his son when others couldn’t. But in doing so, I had awakened something ancient and powerful between us.
A bond that the old stories called soul recognition when a true alpha and true omega found each other after generations apart. Our mating ceremony 3 months after my arrival had been a blend of traditional ritual and new beginnings. I had worn a crown of spring flowers rather than jewels, and we had spoken our vows beneath the open sky rather than in the formal great hall.
Some of the older wolves had grumbled at the changes, but most had embraced the return to older, more natural ways. “We should join the welcoming party,” I said reluctantly, not wanting to leave the peaceful balcony and the warmth of his embrace. Dominic nodded, but didn’t release me. Instead, he touched the pendant at my throat, his fingers gentle against my skin. “Do you ever regret it?” he asked quietly.
“Leaving your cottage in the woods, taking on all this?” His gesture encompassed the palace, the valley, the weight of leadership we now shared. I covered his hand with mine, holding it against my heart, not for a single moment. My cottage was a hiding place, not a home. This I looked into his eyes. This is where I was meant to be.
He kissed me then, a tender touch that still held the power to make my breath catch. When we parted, the look in his eyes told me he felt the same wonder I did. That somehow, against all odds, we had found each other. Hand in hand, we walked through the palace halls toward the great hall where visitors were gathering.
Servants bowed respectfully as we passed, no longer surprised to see their alpha walking beside an omega as an equal. Guards nodded from their posts, their eyes showing the respect I had earned during the past year by standing firm through challenges both internal and external. At the entrance to the great hall, we paused. Inside, representatives from all territories waited, some friendly, some merely curious, some still hostile to the changes we represented.
This gathering would determine much about the future of all packs, not just our own. Together, Dominic asked, giving my hand a gentle squeeze. Together, I agreed. We entered the hall side by side, neither before nor behind the other. A hush fell over the assembled wolves as we walked to the deis where two thrones waited equal in height and craftsmanship.
One bearing the symbols of the alpha, the other the ancient markings of the true omega. As we took our places, I saw Rome slip into the hall with his friends, clean now and dressed for the formal occasion. He waved excitedly, then remembered his manners and gave a proper bow that made several of the visiting dignitaries smile despite themselves.
My mother stood with the healers from all territories, her face shining with pride. Dominic raised his hand for silence, though the hall was already quiet with anticipation. “Welcome to the Northern Territory,” he said, his voice strong and clear. For generations, we have gathered in spring to renew our bonds and settle our differences. Today, we continue that tradition.
But we also begin a new chapter in our shared history. He looked at me, an invitation in his eyes. This part had been discussed and debated for weeks, whether I should speak at all, whether the other territories would accept my voice alongside the alphas. I stood, feeling the weight of every gaze in the room. A year ago, I had been an outcast omega, living alone in the woods.
Now I stood before representatives of all territories as mate to the northern alpha. The journey between those two points had not been easy. But it had been right. As the seasons change, so too must we, I said, my voice steady despite the fluttering of nerves in my stomach.
The old ways taught that strength came only from dominance, that power flowed only one way. But the ancient wisdom, which we have rediscovered, shows a different path, one where true strength comes from balance. I touched the pendant at my throat, drawing courage from its connection to those who had come before me. In the Northern Territory, we are building that balance.
Healers of all ranks now work together, sharing knowledge that was once hidden or forgotten. Children grow up knowing they can become whatever their gifts allow, not just what their birth rank dictates. Murmurss ran through the crowd, some approving, some uncertain, some clearly disapproving. I continued anyway, my voice growing stronger with each word. Change is never easy, but neither is illness or hunger or the loneliness of being cast out for being different. These are the real enemies we should fight, not each other.
I held out my hand and Dominic took it, rising to stand beside me. Together, we faced the assembled territories, a living symbol of the balance we sought to restore. The Northern Territory offers its hand in friendship to all who wish to explore this new path with us, Dominic said. And to those who prefer their own ways, we offer respect and peaceful borders.
The choice is yours. For a long moment, silence held the hall in its grip. Then, from the eastern delegation, Alpha Seriel stood. The eastern territory stands with the north, he declared, as it did during the rebellion, as it will in peace.
One by one, other alphas and representatives rose, not all, but many, more than I had dared hope for. As the formal greetings gave way to the feast that would begin the week-long gathering, I found myself surrounded by wolves, eager to speak with the true Omega, who had changed the north. Some came from curiosity, some from genuine interest in our healing methods, some perhaps just to say they had met me.
Through it all, Dominic remained nearby, not hovering protectively as an alpha might once have done, but simply present, a steady strength I could feel even across a crowded room. Later, as the moon rose over the valley, we stood once more on the balcony where I had greeted the morning. Below us, the gathering continued with music and dancing in the courtyard.
Ran had been allowed to stay up late for the occasion and was teaching some visiting pups a game he had invented. “Happy?” Dominic asked, his arm warm around my shoulders as we watched the celebration. I leaned into his embrace, feeling the brightness of it down to my bones, more than I knew was possible.
The pendant at my throat caught the moonlight, glinting like a fallen star. Once I had believed my gift was a curse that marked me for a life of loneliness. Now I understood it had been leading me home all along to this pack, this place. This wolf who saw me not as just an omega but as his equal, his balance, his true mate. What happens now? I asked.
Though I already knew the answer, Dominic smiled, pressing a kiss to my temple. Now we build the world we want Ran to inherit. One step at a time, one heart at a time, one season at a time. Below us, spring flowers nodded in the gentle night breeze, their sweet scent rising on the air.
Above, stars wield in ancient patterns, constant yet everchanging. And here in this moment between earth and sky, I stood exactly where I was meant to be. No longer an outcast, but home at last.