“Not since I first tasted,” the Sparing matches the Coach lined up for me were all Alpha’s older and more experienced than me. I haven’t won many matches but I stayed in the longest while the other matches were short. It also seems that my friends were in more Challenges recently, they were in different classes most of the time so I wasn’t sure how they were being trained.

It might also have something to do with my lack of Challenges or maybe they were protecting me from being Challenged because I’m Omega-Born. Do I really seem that weak to them? Justice growled and reminded me that thinking of these Alpha’s opinions was useless and I should continue to train.

I resumed patching them up and the Alpha’s continued to talk about their fights until Lake steered it to hunting instead. Mainly for my hunting experience as an Omega-Born.

“Huh? I get put with the Alpha’s often after catching one rabbit. It’s the reason why we have so much deer meat. The rabbit I keep for myself-” I said and Justice stopped me from talking anymore something about them using it against me.

“What?” Lake asked with a laugh and told me to be serious. I stared at him and wondered if what I said really was outrageous. I tilted my head a bit at him wondering if he was serious. “Omega-Born’s can’t be put on the same line as Alpha-Born’s.”

“We’re you Challenged recently Angelique? We were worried if you were because you’re... yeah.”

“How many sparing matches have you guys won?” I asked instead.

“Sparing?” Lake asked and the others looked at me if I was a beagle.

“Coach puts me up against Alpha’s daily, I win about 2 out of 5 matches. My shortest time in the match was ten minutes. Longest was about 25 minutes or above 30.”

They stared at me as I explained my daily matches. It was then that I realized that I had more fighting experience than any of them from the day I tasted, no before that.

“So no? I’m more qualified to be an Alpha than any of you it seems, so why haven’t I received any Challenges?” I asked wanting to know what was different.

“Sounds... well... uhh,” Lake tried to explained but fell short on words to use.

“Maybe you’ve shown that you are not weak as we make you out to be and those matches you’ve been going through earned the respect in the Alpha Den?” Knox tried. “Most Omega-Born’s would squeal and run from the sight of blood...”

I already knew that, my first experience with an Omega-Born was shocking. So gentle, soft and safe. I was always reluctant to let them touch me but after a few hunting trips with Omega-Born’s it’s become a guilty pleasure. I’m sure most Alpha’s see this as giving up on trying to push them away as I had done before and tolerated them. Quite the opposite, I miss their gentle touch.

But that wasn’t what these Alpha’s were saying.

“Am I really that weak to you?” I growled as I set the first-aid kit on my desk.

“No! You are not weak!” Salem quickly said waving his hands, this was a submissive gesture. I relaxed a bit not quite forgiving them for unintentionally calling me weak. “You are strong-willed, stubborn and far better than any Alpha we’ve ever crossed, Angel.”

“Right! We don’t care about your Gender!” Lake said. “You go out and keep us fed, you make sure we’re healthy and just now! You patch us up...”

“No Alpha would dare think of sharing their kill with the Alpha Den,” Salem said.

“Normally I wouldn’t associate myself with these Alpha’s, but you brought us together. We’re family now,” Knox said his usual growl was now soft.

‘Don’t be fooled by their words,’ Justice growled, ‘You are an Elite Omega who has sworn to protect them at all costs. You are training for a reason, Pup. We can’t get caught up in Alpha Lives, you should also deter from getting close to Omega-Born’s who won’t fight for the Pack.’

He’s right.

I’m an Elite Omega in training.

I’m sworn to protect the Pack and keep them Alive.

I will not let them down, I will not let them starve and I will not let them make me weak.

My Pack.

My Pups.

I will protect them with my life.

Still uneasy about the lack of Challenges over the past few days and the amount of wounds on my friends as they visit. I’ve also noticed that Salem initiates more Challenges he says it’s for my safety since the Alpha’s often spoke of putting Omega-Born’s in their place but the wolves that he Challenges are the ones that respect me the most.

Namely Alpha Oscar and his Beta Snoopy.

Salem never won those fights and Alpha Oscar asked me if the guy was alright. My answer was that I didn’t know anymore, it felt as if he was fighting ghosts most of the time. 

“Do you think it could be the fact that he hasn’t found his Wolf yet?” Oscar asked me, “It’s not uncommon for kids your age to feel the need to rush to their Wolf. Especially when you’ve already found yours at such a young age.”

“Who knows, most of the Pack is Beta-Born. Wouldn’t be surprised that the Alpha’s son is also one,” Snoopy cut in.

“Nothing really wrong with that,” I said and started to think that it might have been what caused the spike in Challenges. “Being Beta-Born means a normal life out there. Who would want to get mixed in with a bunch of Alpha’s competing for the top?”

“We’ll you don’t really have to worry about it because you are an Alpha in the top spot. In the short amount of time here you’ve changed the Alpha Den into such a peaceful place. Where as I couldn’t even settle a simple Challenge without spilling blood.”

“Alpha is someone worth following, I mean take a look at how he treats his friends and everyone he mets.” Snoopy ruffled my hair as we walked into the Cafeteria and the Alpha’s there greeted me warmly. I walked up to some of them and asked how their day was.

“He treats everyone like a Pack,” I heard Oscar say.

“Alpha,” Jayden dragged me away from some Alpha-Born’s to our usual table. “We’ve got something to talk about and we got something to deliver to the Omega District.”

“Oh yeah?” I asked and was given a paper, I was going to read it but was stopped.

“It has to go to the Omega District’s School,” Lake put a hand on the paper. “You can’t read it and it must go to the Instructor there.”

“So aside from this important paper what is there to discuss?”

“We’ll talk about it if- uh when you get back,” Lake said but was hit by Jayden half way through the words.

It turned out to be a trick.

I sat in the class filled with young Omega-Born’s with a gentle speaking Omega Instructor. This setting was way too soft for me, to much touching too. Can’t these Omega-Born’s go without touching every five seconds?

A week leave by order of the Alpha and the Alpha of the Alpha Den to come here.

Rules I’ve learned here:

Don’t growl at anyone. I growled at some Omega-Born’s for touching too much, got sent to the Naughty-Corner.

Don’t push. It was actually ‘Don’t play rough’ but I felt that I accidentally pushed one of them while I was forced to play tag.

Don’t make a mad face. Omega-Born’s like to look into each other’s eyes, it was uncomfortable since in an Alpha’s sense it’s a Challenge.

Eat slowly. We have to compete for food most of the time and it became a habit of eating quickly.

Must remain seated while learning. Since Coach’s lessons I haven’t been able to sit quietly without exercising.

There were more rules but I’ve forgotten them as my IQ dropped with the Omega-Born’s learning the Alphabet and Counting to 10. It was frustrating and humiliating when the Omega Instructor called on me on what number came next. It was also insulting when the Omega-Born’s and Instructor clapped when I got it right.

It took everything I had to not growl at the Omega Instructor.

“Stop growling! If you do that again you’re going back into the Naughty-Corner!” Omega Instructor shook her finger at me. I failed to keep my growls to myself.

They soon moved to Show and Tell. It was mostly of what the Omega-Born’s made earlier in the day. They talked of how they felt when they were making it and what it meant to them. I was going to get up and leave the class when the Omega Instructor told me how brave I was for volunteering to go next.

I stood at the front nothing in hand and wondered why I was there.

“What do you want to show us?” Omega Instructor asked with a smile.

“I’m in Alpha Training, I don’t keep or make things like these,” I stated.

“There must be something you want to share with us, please share whatever is on your mind. What makes you happy?”

“Happy?” I wondered and was brought to hunting rabbits, I was about to say but quickly remembered where I was. “It’s not rated for Omega-Born’s.”

“What do you mean? Does it make you... feel things?” Shocked I looked at her wondering where she was going with that comment.

“Excuse me, last I checked speaking of Relations with the Opposite gender was forbidden with younger ears.” She looked relieved when I said that but then turned away quickly. “I may as well speak of my first hunting experience, minus a few Alpha-Born details. First steps out of the Den were amazing, the soft forest ground, warm sun through the green leaves, the strong scent of pine. The wolves I meet with were very nice especially to those just coming out of the Den. They were understanding, patient and were excellent teachers.”

“Why were you out of the Den?” one of the Omega-Born’s asked.

“I was out hunting for the Pack, we brought back rabbits and a deer when we finished our hunting trip. I was taught how to sk- uh... uhm... I was taught many things while out there.” I couldn’t tell them that I was taught how to skin a deer or rabbit or how to get the meat off the bones of the said game. My hand went to my bracelet and I remembered something. “Beading! I made this while out hunting. I was given a piece of hide to practice on while we sat by the campfire.”

“Wonderful!” the Omega Instructor clapped and quickly went to scolding me for growling at her. I was no longer to sit in the Naughty-Corner but to stand.

“Omega Crowther,” the Omega Instructor walked over to me when my time was up. She knelt down, “Omega Crowther! You will refrain from such naughty behavior while in my class!”

“Stop treating me like I’m two! Besides, I’ve stated countless times that I’m in Alpha Training. I know an Omega-Born like you wouldn’t understand what that means but in Training I’m learning about Survival and Hunting. As well as defending the Pack,” I said staring at her, not caring if she flinched or not. This was something she had to know, “I spar with Alpha’s two years or more my age and I’ve won matches after match. I can’t stay in one spot because we are always moving, my mind is constantly on hunting rabbits and deer and Challenges.”

“You are not in Alpha Training now,” it was the first time I heard her growl or even raise her voice. The look she gave me was the same as a Challenge look.

“Are you Challenging me?” I growled a loud noise was heard and I quickly stood between her and the noise.

“Alpha Angel!” Coach growled, the Omega-Born’s quickly went to the Omega Instructor and I stood out further to keep them safe from the Alpha. “You are here to learn proper manners on how to treat an Omega-Born. The Hunting Party often stated that you don’t get along with other Omega’s.”

“Coach,” I growled, “Lower your voice. You are in the presence of an Omega-Born and scaring them.”

“What?” Coach growled then stopped when the Omega-Born’s whimpered. I kept my gaze lowered so as not to initiate a Challenge and my arms out to protect those behind me. Coach relaxed and took a few deep breaths. “Alpha Angel is an Alpha worthy of Challenges, he’ll be treated with respect as he has yet to take the Alpha Labyrinth.”

“With all due respect Coach, I do not need to be here. I get along fine with the Omega-Born’s during hunting. I do my best to keep to their rules they had set and if I see that they are uncomfortable I remove myself.”

“Clearly not if the reports I’ve received were negative towards you.”

“Now see here!” Omega Instructor stood up and whacked the Coach a few times with a rolled up paper. “Alpha Angel has been a good boy while in my class. You will not disregard his efforts in understanding Omega-Born’s!”

“I’m sorry,” Coach said staring at the Omega Instructor before leaving quietly.

“Teacher!”

“That was an Alpha!”

“You shouldn’t hit!” The Omega-Born’s surrounded the Omega Instructor.

“Oh I know, but we can do that. Omega’s are always right after all and he needed a strong correction. Not like our well behaved Alpha here,” I moved away from the group and sat at my assigned wall seeing as I was no longer allowed to sit at the tables.

“Our Alpha is brave!” the Omega-Born’s started on me now with their silly compliments and praises.

“Lets give our Alpha a bit of space, he’s here for a few days we’ll have lots of time to play with him. Now back to learning,” I tuned them out as I did a fair bit of stretching along the wall. At least now I can get away with this much.

“Ooo Oooh Mega, Ooo Oooh Mega,” looking up at a familiar song I stared at the lyrics on the white board.