The Alphas chosen omega

Lilieth 

"Oh, my dear, isn't it wonderful?" my mother exclaims as she holds my letter of admission into the Noctem Lunae Academy. Her eyes are filled with tears, and she looks like she might get a heart attack. "My daughter, in the academy! You don't know how proud I am!"

"Mom, please calm down," I say to her as I place my hand over her shoulder. I'm worried about her health. Just last month, we had to take her to the healer because she fainted after raging at my older brother Corey for being out late drinking with his friends. It's all he does. All day. Drink, drink, drink. 

"I'm sure this is some kind of mistake, Mom," I tell her even though it hurts me to see the light in her eyes dim. "Remember, I'm an Omega. We don't get into Noctem Lunae. We don't compete to become Luna. That's only for the Alpha- and Beta-borns."

"That's right," my sister Anice quips from the other side of the room. She's stationed near the window, filing her nails for the dance tonight. A dance we're all meant to attend. It's the last Harvest Moon of the year, so we're celebrating. "That has to be some mistake. Lilieth, a Luna? She can't even kill a fly!"

"Don't be foolish, both of you," she says, turning the letter in her hand and reading the back. I've never seen her this agitated before. Even when she was yelling at Corey, she didn't look like this. "This is an official letter. Why would they make such a mistake? Do you think people in their position make mistakes? You took the aptitude test, Lilieth. Obviously, you passed it!"

"Everyone takes the aptitude test," I remind her. "Only, we Omegas never pass it because we're not strong enough. In comparison to the other shifters, we fail each and every time."

"But not you," she mentions, her eyes glittering with unshed tears. "You passed it. Don't you see, Lilieth? This is your chance! You can change your life!"

"Yeah," my sister adds sarcastically, "you can get us all out of this gutter. We'll move into the packhouse with you when you win the competition and Alpha Cadeon's heart! Then, we can set this shack on fire and never have to lay sights on it again!"

"Don't talk about our home like that!" I scold her. "Joke or not, it isn't nice!"

"Lilieth!" my mother exclaims, grabbing a hold of my arms. I look her way, and she searches my eyes. The tenderness in them melts my heart. "You have to be there tomorrow for orientation. Tomorrow morning. No partying for you."

"But Mom!" I exclaim. "I've been waiting for this festival all year! Is it fair for me to miss it for something that might be a mistake?"

"It's not a mistake!" she retorts, gesturing at the page in her hand. She's gripping it without wrinkling it. I don't know how she does that. "This is the truth. From tomorrow onward, you'll be known as the first Omega to ever make it into that place. Do you understand? There'll be competition. Bad looks. They'll try to sabotage you, especially the other girls. But you'll win, you know why?"

"Why?" Anice asks from the other side of the room, snickering. 

"Because you're you," my mother claims softly, tucking my reddish-brown bushy hair behind my ear. "You're you, and you're one of the best people I know. Of course, you could be Luna. You're generous. Kind. Since when did being Luna become all about being a fierce warrior? Women have always led with kindness."

"It's the new trend," I remind her gently. "It's what the Alphas are looking for in a bride now."

"Equality? Hello?" Anice says as she stares at her fingernails. Satisfied, she rises from her seat and makes her way toward us. Her bright red hair isn't very common, especially in our pack. I can still see the remnants of the black dye she uses to cover the red strands. 

"None of it will matter when they meet Lilieth," Mom insists, smiling. 

"Mom, don't give yourself a heart attack," Anice says somewhat cruelly. "It's clearly a mistake. We should just tear that page up and move on. Lilieth will get chewed up in that place. It's for the best."

Then, she walks past us and heads toward the door, leaving the shack. Mom steps closer to me and says in a low voice, "See? That's exactly what you're going to have to face. But you're strong. I know it. That's why you got in."

I sigh. When I took the test like everyone my age-twenty-one-it was never with any hope that I'd get in. Why would I hope? It's never happened before. Growing up, every girl would dream about becoming Luna. I was a part of those girls, too. But after realizing that our reality was different, of course, I had to abandon those hopes. These days, all I wish for is to complete my program to become a supervisor at the farm. It'll help me earn more than I am now as an intern, and help me support Mom.

She works alone to feed us, and it isn't fair. We're all adults now.