"I don't care who you've been with. I don't care for your past. You're mine to love now, Arielle, and mine to protect. And whoever comes to take you from me, be it an Alpha or the Goddess herself, is going to regret it with their lives!" The last thing Arielle Starr expected was to get knocked up by the Alpha's son in a pack that considered Alpha-Omega relations inferior. Still, when David Aspen wooed her with honeyed words of love, the teenager couldn't help but fall for him. But as soon as David hears the happy news, he flips, and now Arielle has no choice but to run from the pack she called home her whole life. Striving to protect the child growing within her she flees, followed by the Alpha's henchmen, unsure of what her life would be from then on. Arielle's lucky star finally shows in her sky when she meets an Alpha that is so different from anyone else who had ever met before, and who just happens to be her fated mate. Will Arielle get to finally live happily ever after with peculiar Alpha Laken Hart, or will the enemies of her past come to take away her life of happiness?
"You're pregnant!"
Those two words ring in my ears, bringing the whole world to a halt. For a moment, I can't hear the whir of the small electric fan at the end of the doctor's desk, I can't hear the small noises that had been coming filtered through his thin carbon-fiber door. At that moment, I cannot feel the relatively cool air of the hospital room on my skin. My heart skips a beat and my eyes lock on the doctor's kind face.
"No," I breathe, "no, it cannot be."
The smile on the doctor's face falls, replaced by one of careful understanding.
"You and your partner had not been planning for this?" he asks, his voice low as he takes a seat on the doctor's chair.
I shake my head, "no, we weren't. We always used protection. He always wore a...a condom, and I took birth control. Neither of us slipped since we began this."
And oh, did I remember the beginning so clearly. It had been him that approached me, smiling at me when I thought had been invisible to the likes of him. I knew that I was not bad to look at, in fact, I know that I had a certain reputation amongst my designation, but until then I did not realize that my image could make men like him take a second look at me as well.
And he had done more than take a second look.
"Are you sure?" I ask the doctor again, just to be certain "I mean, there could have been a mistake in the test, right?"
The doctor shakes his head, "Arielle, you did a pregnancy test at home as well and it gave you a positive result. Now, we had done one here in the hospital too. Now, I could do another, just to alleviate your suspicions, but let me tell you now, it's just going to be a waste of money. It will render the same result. You are pregnant, coming along for 5 weeks. We need to do a scan to see the situation of the fetus, but so far, it all looks like a wealthy healthy pregnancy."
Then he asks me, "did you and your partner not want kids?"
"It's not that," I reply, "It's just that we never talked about it. We aren't married or anything and..." I gulp, "it was only meant to be a monogamous partnership. We can't marry, even if we wanted to."
The doctor's eyes widen, "Oh, it's like that, huh."
I nod.
"Well, in that case, I believe you are due to have a long and meaningful talk with this partner of yours," says the doctor, his tone one of finality, "and I wish you the best of luck, but in case that you don't find the option of keeping the child...unavailable, then know that we can help you. With adoption after the baby is born, or even abortion."
The very words send a jolt of shock through my being, and it's all I could do not to flinch. I nod mutely, thank him for his assistance, and stand to leave the hospital room.
"One more thing," the doctor chirps, and I turn back to him, feeling like I'm underwater.
"Yes?"
"The father," the doctor almost looks flustered to ask, "he is a Beta, right?"
I bite my lower lip and tamp down on the urge to nod. That would be a lie.
"No," I answer, and watch his eyes widen to the size of saucers.
I do not wait to witness more of his disbelief.
***
It's laughable how nice today is. The sun shines high up in the sky, there are barely any clouds dotting the cerulean blue. The pack town of Sataria is brimming with activity. It's the end of a school day for the kindergartners, hence there are mothers and fathers hand in hand with toddlers and young children, walking towards their homes or workplaces. I let my eyes linger on the children more than usual, and unknowingly, my hand migrates to my own stomach.
I can't believe this. There is a baby growing within me. A baby that was fathered by David.
It is an old-fashioned name, I have to admit, but it was a publicly known fact that our pack's former Alpha, David's father, is a very traditional man. That was why he'd kept the rules of his great-grandfather's time valid even in the present day, especially regarding the rules of matin and marriage. In the Sataria pack, free mating is not allowed unless it was within designations. One must only marry within one's designation. This meant that Alphas were only allowed to marry other Alphas, Betas were allowed to marry only Betas, and Omegas should marry only other omegas. No cross-designation relationships would be recognized within the pack, especially ones with omegas. Omegas are physically weak, both in human and wolf forms. In the case of battle, Omegas were practically useless unless they were being used as cannon fodder. Betas are more desirable, with their greater strength and endurance.
Of course, none of us could top an Alpha. Superior stretch, superior senses, and superior speed, the ability to use their voice and their growl to command legions of wolves, and the ability to stand tall and strong in the wake of violence or tragedy, are the qualities of an Alpha. Alphas are leaders, and each pack only had one family of Alphas. The Alpha's spouse, also known as the Luna, the Alpha, and then the Alpha heir. Once the Alpha heir marries, the previous Alpha will step down to relinquish their mantle to their heir. Designation was hereditary, the higher designation always passing to the children no matter what the mother's designation is.
The Alpha heir could marry another Alpha. And in our pack, mating was not necessary for such bonding.
My name is Arielle Starr, and I am an Omega. Years ago, when I reached the majority age, David the Alpha heir approached me. One thing led to another, and I found myself falling head over heels in love with him. And I am certain that he loves me as well.
But the question I have now is, does he love me enough to claim the child growing within me as his?
She was a world-renowned divine doctor, the CEO of a publicly traded company, the most formidable female mercenary, and a top-tier tech genius. Marissa, a titan with a plethora of secret identities, had hidden her true stature to marry a seemingly impoverished young man. However, on the eve of their wedding, her fiance, who was actually the lost heir to a wealthy dynasty, called off the engagement and subjected her to degradation and mockery. Upon the revelation of her concealed identities, her ex-fiance was left stunned and desperately pleaded for her forgiveness. Standing protectively before Marissa, an incredibly influential and fearsome magnate declared, "This is my wife. Who would dare try to claim her?"
Sheila had her back against the wall when her family tried to force her to marry an awful old man. In a fit of rage, she hired a gigolo to act as her husband. She thought the gigolo needed money and did this for a living. Little did she know that he was nothing like that. One day, he pulled off his mask and revealed himself to be the world's top magnate. This marked the beginning of their love. He showered her with everything she could ever want. They were happy. However, unexpected circumstances soon posed a threat to their love. Would Sheila and her husband make it through the storm? Find out!
In order to fulfill her grandfather's last wish, Stella entered into a hasty marriage with an ordinary man she had never met before. However, even after becoming husband and wife on paper, they each led separate lives, barely crossing paths. A year later, Stella returned to Seamarsh City, hoping to finally meet her mysterious husband. To her astonishment, he sent her a text message, unexpectedly pleading for a divorce without ever having met her in person. Gritting her teeth, Stella replied, "So be it. Let’s get a divorce!" Following that, Stella made a bold move and joined the Prosperity Group, where she became a public relations officer that worked directly for the company’s CEO, Matthew. The handsome and enigmatic CEO was already bound in matrimony, and was known to be unwaveringly devoted to his wife in private. Unbeknownst to Stella, her mysterious husband was actually her boss, in his alternate identity! Determined to focus on her career, Stella deliberately kept her distance from the CEO, although she couldn't help but notice his deliberate attempts to get close to her. As time went on, her elusive husband had a change of heart. He suddenly refused to proceed with the divorce. When would his alternate identity be uncovered? Amidst a tumultuous blend of deception and profound love, what destiny awaited them?
It was supposed to be a marriage of convenience, but Carrie made the mistake of falling in love with Kristopher. When the time came that she needed him the most, her husband was in the company of another woman. Enough was enough. Carrie chose to divorce Kristopher and move on with her life. Only when she left did Kristopher realize how important she was to him. In the face of his ex-wife’s countless admirers, Kristopher offered her 20 million dollars and proposed a new deal. “Let’s get married again.”
Madisyn was stunned to discover that she was not her parents' biological child. Due to the real daughter's scheming, she was kicked out and became a laughingstock. Thought to be born to peasants, Madisyn was shocked to find that her real father was the richest man in the city, and her brothers were renowned figures in their respective fields. They showered her with love, only to learn that Madisyn had a thriving business of her own. "Stop pestering me!" said her ex-boyfriend. "My heart only belongs to Jenna." "How dare you think that my woman has feelings for you?" claimed a mysterious bigwig.
"Then let's get a divorce!" With courage, Leora left her husband's house, after being accused of poisoning his mistress. Her in-laws and sister-in-law had planned various ways to kick her out of Peter's house and in the end Leora gave in. However, no one expected that things would turn 180 degrees after the divorce. When everyone who had hurt her was happy with each other's lies, Leora returned. This time, she was no longer the poor orphan girl from the orphanage. She has changed and not only that, she also carries a big secret that will make everyone turn to worship her feet.