The man stared at her, a distasteful look on his face. Evelyn wanted to crawl into a hole. It was obvious her mate wasn't happy with her.
She didn't blame him. How could anyone be happy with a girl like her? She was weak and uneducated. Evelyn didn't even know how to defend herself.
Her mate was evidently the alpha of his Pack. Evelyn knew how important the role of alpha and luna was to a Pack. How could she ever qualify for the responsibility?
"Take her to the pack doctor," the Alpha commanded, his face void of any emotion. Evelyn didn't dare make eye contact with him. Somehow, she knew in her heart he didn't want her looking at him directly.
Her mate then stalked out of the cabin, not even bothering to give the girl a second glance. Evelyn stared at her other half as he left, his scent disappearing with him.
Her head hung low, unable to hold back the tears in her eyes. But she didn't want to cry in front of strangers.
"Hey." The curly-haired man scratched the back of his neck. He didn't know how to handle a crying omega. "Um... You need to come with us. Don't worry, we won't hurt you." His voice was gentle.
Evelyn didn't know what to say. She had to stay with her mate. Staying apart from one's mate can cause serious physical and mental issues for both of them. But hurting her mate was the last thing she wanted.
The omega wiped her tears, trying to give the man a small smile as she stood up. Her legs were still shaking from the not-so-pleasant encounter with her mate. She sighed, collecting her bag from the floor.
"Come on." The man motioned for her to follow as he stepped out of the cabin. Evelyn slowly obliged, clutching the bag close to her chest.
No one spoke as they trekked through the woods. Evelyn was miserable.
After fifteen minutes of walking, they reached a clearing with a lot of houses dotting the area. Most of them were built similarly, and almost all of them were made out of wood.
The number of wooden houses increased as they walked ahead. Evelyn had to admit the place was clean and beautiful. Trees surrounded the area, and a strip of road connected all the houses. There were iron benches on each side of the road and strategically placed waste bins and flower pots. Even though Evelyn was sure this place was closer to the city, it still felt so close to nature.
They stopped in front of a house much larger than all the other ones.
"You guys go ahead and take her to Amelia. I'm going to look for the Alpha," Calvin said to the others before walking inside.
On the right of the house was a small cabin, though it was bigger than the one she slept in yesterday. Lots of bright flowers and plants lined the cabin porch.
One of the men entered the cabin, leaving the omega and his companion standing on the porch. Evelyn didn't even know any of their names, apart from Calvin. Her mate didn't even bother to introduce himself or ask about her. It pained her to even think about him at this point.
After a minute, the first guy emerged, a young lady beside him. She had ginger hair and green eyes. She was lovely.
'She must be the one Calvin was talking about,' Evelyn thought.
"Hello, dear, I'm Amelia." The lady beamed brightly at her. Her smile made Evelyn feel a certain warmth she hadn't felt in years. She felt brave enough to look into the woman's eyes, shining with brilliant kindness and... pity?
"I'm the pack doctor." The lady grabbed Evelyn's hands, giving them a reassuring squeeze. "I have to do some tests to see if you're healthy. You're so pale and your body temperature is too high to be normal! But don't worry! You can let me know if you're uncomfortable, okay?"
Evelyn nodded numbly, and the woman led her inside the cabin, helping her settle into one of the six beds.
There was a comfortable silence between them as Amelia checked her vitals. Being in her presence made Evelyn feel so calm. Maybe it was because she was another woman or because she was so gentle, but Evelyn's body relaxed and her shoulders sagged forward.
"You have a fever," Amelia announced. "But don't worry! It'll go away in a day." She opened a cabinet filled with medicines. She took two bottles from there before turning her attention back to the omega.
"What is your name, dear?" she asked Evelyn, who was fiddling with the hem of her sweater.
"E-Evelyn," the girl stammered, her voice hoarse from not talking for a long time. "W-what is this Pack called?" Evelyn needed answers. She knew she would have to stay here for as long as her mate needed her, but she knew next to nothing about all this. She didn't even know her mate's name.
"This is the Shadow Pack, dear. Have you ever heard about us?"
Evelyn shook her head. Admittedly, she didn't know anything about packs aside from her previous one, which she had to leave at the age of ten.
She looked down at her feet. "What's the Alpha's name?"
"His name? It's Keiran. He took charge as the Alpha two years ago—"
"Amelia!" There was a knock on the door, making Amelia stop halfway. She rushed to the door and opened it. One of the men who was with Evelyn earlier stood at the entrance.
"Alpha wants you to bring the omega to her new room and give her something to eat," he said. "Also, he wants to see her in two hours." After his announcement, he promptly left.
Evelyn heard every word. Her mate wanted to meet her. This alone made her heart pound wildly.
Was he planning to reject her?
Her eyes welled up as every single possibility ran through her mind. What was he going to tell her?
"Let's go to the pack-house, shall we?" Amelia gently squeezed her shoulder, cutting through Evelyn's depressing thoughts. Evelyn had a feeling the doctor was aware of her situation and knew she was worrying about being Alpha Keiran's mate. She nodded, and they set off.
Amelia took her to the pack-house. A few people who were passing by stopped and stared at the new omega, confused. It was rare for Packs to welcome rogues into their communities, especially their own. Becoming a part of the Pack required a great deal of time and testing, meticulously crafted to ensure spies from other Packs would not worm their way into their ranks. The presence of a new omega was a surprise to everyone, and even a bit suspicious.
"This is your room... for now." Amelia opened the door. "Go in and freshen up. I'll get you some clothes, okay?"
The room was an average one, with a bed, a small bedside table, and a closet. Though it was not at all big or fancy, it seemed so comfortable and spacious to the young omega. It was her first time staying somewhere like this.
Evelyn crept into the room, taking it in with almost awestruck wonder. Amelia chuckled. "There's the bathroom," she said, pointing to the door on the right side of the room. "Come down after you wash up, okay? I'll give you something to eat. You must be so hungry, poor thing." She patted Evelyn on her head, who flinched in response. She wasn't used to this kind of treatment. "The kitchen is downstairs, on the left. I don't want you getting lost." Amelia chuckled once more before sailing out of the room.
There was a sweater and a pair of jeans on the bed waiting for her when Evelyn stepped out of the shower. They looked new and expensive, unlike the clothes she was wearing.
Evelyn went down, following Amelia's instructions. Searching for the kitchen wasn't a hard task because a mouth-watering smell wafted into her nose as soon as she reached the first floor. She followed the scent to the kitchen to find Amelia and two other ladies busy cooking.
"Oh, you're here." Amelia put down the knife she was holding and flitted towards Evelyn.
"Your hair looks so smooth and silky. Did you use the shampoo?" she asked, stroking a lock of the omega's hair.
"I-I'm sorry, was I not supposed to?" Evelyn looked down, fiddling with the hem of her sweater.
Amelia cooed, cocking her head to the side. "You cutie. You're free to use everything, dear. Come sit down, I'll give you something to eat." She took Evelyn by the arm and led her to the table.
It was the most Evelyn had eaten in ten years. Craftily, Amelia urged Evelyn to eat as much as she could, even serving her extra helpings of food.
After all, she pointed out, the food was healthy and Evelyn had to take care of her health. The food was delicious as it smelled.
After Evelyn finished eating, Amelia gave her two pills. "Here, take this. It will help with your fever. I made you a cup of herbal tea as well. It's good for your throat." She slid a china cup towards the omega.
Evelyn smiled as she took the pills and drank a sip of tea. The tangy, steaming liquid made her sigh in relief. This was all so new to her, so many new feelings and experiences.
"Alpha said he's waiting for you on the third floor." She whipped around to see a girl standing behind her. "You're the new omega, right?" Evelyn nodded. "You should go there soon. He's not a patient man." The girl gave her a friendly nod before walking off.
Nerves rising, Evelyn turned back to Amelia, who took her hand and rubbed it comfortingly. "Go talk to him, it will be alright," she said gently.
Evelyn took a deep breath. No matter how long she tries to avoid it, fate will catch up with her one way or another. Might as well face it now.