Omega's Exile

Owen Carpenter

My lungs burn with each ragged breath. Forty-eight hours. That's how long I've been running. Two days of looking over my shoulder, waiting for my father's scouts to drag me back to a pack where I no longer belong.

I duck into a narrow alley between two brick buildings, pressing my back against the cold wall. The city lights blur through my exhaustion as I check my phone—battery almost dead, just like my spirit. Three missed calls from my father. Seven texts. I power it off completely and shove it deep in my pocket.

"You can do this," I whisper to myself, but my wolf whimpers in protest. He still yearns to return, to crawl back to a mate who doesn't want us.

My wolf doesn't understand human pride. He only knows the primal pull toward Nolan Gray—the alpha's son and the source of my two years of silent suffering. The same Nolan who looked me in the eyes three days ago and announced his mating to Willow Parker in front of the entire pack.

I shake my head violently, trying to dislodge the memory. Focus on now. Focus on escape.

The bus terminal glows like a beacon two blocks ahead. Freedom waits inside—if I can just make it there without being detected. I adjust my backpack, pull my hood lower, and step back onto the sidewalk, mingling with late-night pedestrians who have no idea a desperate omega walks among them.

My wolf is restless beneath my skin. Go back. Our mate. Our home. But Nolan made his choice, and I've made mine. Owen Carpenter has no mate. Owen Carpenter has no pack. Owen Carpenter is just a human looking for a fresh start.

Owen died the moment I crossed the pack boundary.

— Ω —

The bus vibrates beneath me as I press my forehead against the cool window. Three hundred miles from my former life and counting. The ticket in my pocket says Ridgepoint, but honestly, I don't care where I end up as long as it's far from Twilight territory.

I clutch the small wooden wolf carving in my pocket—the only piece of my past I allowed myself to keep. My grandfather made it for me when I presented as an omega at thirteen. "Rare and precious," he'd said, "just like you." He never lived to see how the pack treated rare and precious things.

Sleep tugs at me, but I resist. I can't afford to miss my stop. Can't afford any mistakes. But as the highway lines blur and the gentle rocking of the bus continues, my eyelids grow heavier. Just five minutes, I tell myself. Just five minutes to rest...

— Ω —

"Young man? Sir? You need to wake up now."

A gentle hand on my shoulder startles me awake. I jolt upright, momentarily disoriented, my wolf instantly alert for danger.

An older man with salt-and-pepper hair and kind eyes stands in the aisle. His scent is... wait. I can't smell anything. My nostrils flare in confusion.

"End of the line, son," he says with a warm smile. "Everyone's gone. Been that way for about an hour now."

I blink rapidly, looking around the empty bus. "What? No, I was supposed to get off at—"

"Ridgepoint?" He chuckles. "We passed that about four hours ago. You were sleeping so soundly I didn't have the heart to wake you."

Panic rises in my throat. "But I—I had a plan. I don't even know where we are now."

"Pinehaven," he says, extending his hand. "I'm Percy Norton, driver of this fine chariot. And you look like someone who could use a hot meal and a proper bed."

I hesitate, studying his face. There's something about him—something I can't quite place. "I'm Owen," I reply, deliberately omitting my last name. "I don't have much money for hotels."

Percy's eyes crinkle at the corners. "Didn't mention hotels, did I?" He leans closer, lowering his voice. "Look, I know what you are. I can smell it, even though you've tried to mask it. An omega on the run isn't safe alone."

My blood freezes. "I don't know what you're talking about. I'm just a human who—"

"Son," Percy interrupts gently, "I've been around long enough to recognize one of our own. Don't worry, your secret's safe. But there's a reason you ended up here in Pinehaven. The Moon Goddess doesn't make mistakes."

My wolf perks up at the mention of the deity, though I try to silence him. "You're... like me?"

Percy nods. "Different pack, different story, but yes. And I think our alpha would very much like to meet you. We don't get many male omegas passing through."

I grip the edge of my seat. "How do I know this isn't a trap? How do I know you won't contact my old pack?"

"Because we don't exist on any pack registry," Percy says simply. "Vernon—our alpha—made sure of that years ago. We're ghosts to the werewolf world. And we've perfected the art of hiding in plain sight." He taps his nose. "Notice anything?"

That's when it hits me—I can't smell his wolf. At all. Just the faint scent of aftershave and coffee.

"How?" I whisper.

"That's for Vernon to explain," Percy says, gesturing toward the door. "Your bag's already outside. Come on, my wife's making her famous pot roast tonight, and if we're late, those hungry pups will leave nothing but scraps."

I hesitate, weighing my options. I have nowhere else to go. No plan beyond running. And if what Percy says is true—if this pack truly lives off the grid—it could be exactly what I need.

"Is your alpha... is he accepting of omegas?" I ask cautiously.

Percy's laugh is warm and genuine. "Vernon Pierce was born an omega himself. Became an alpha after his mate died protecting the pack. He knows better than most what it means to be underestimated."

An omega who became an alpha? I've never heard of such a thing. My curiosity outweighs my caution as I stand on shaky legs.

"I don't want anyone to know my real name or where I came from," I say firmly.

Percy nods. "Your past is your business. But I should warn you—we're a family at Moon Petal pack. Secrets have a way of coming to light when you're surrounded by people who care."

People who care. The concept feels foreign after years of hiding my true self, years of watching Nolan from afar, hoping he'd notice me when he came of age.

As we exit the bus, the crisp evening air fills my lungs. Percy leads me to an old station wagon in the nearly empty parking lot.

"What happened to you?" Percy asks quietly as we drive away from the station. "If you don't mind my asking."

I stare out the window at the unfamiliar town. Small shops line the main street, their windows dark except for the occasional neon sign. It looks peaceful. Normal.

"My mate rejected me," I say finally, the words like glass in my throat. "He's the future alpha. I'm just... me. When he turned eighteen last week, I thought maybe he'd feel the bond, but..." I swallow hard. "He announced his mating to someone else instead. In front of everyone."

Percy's knuckles whiten on the steering wheel. "Some wolves don't deserve the mates the Goddess gives them."

"It doesn't matter now," I say, though my wolf whines in disagreement. "I just need somewhere to start over. Somewhere they can't find me."

"Well, you've certainly found that," Percy says as we turn onto a winding road leading into dense woods. "Vernon's grandfather established this territory sixty years ago after breaking from his original pack. He developed a way to mask our scent, changed all our identities. We've been invisible ever since."

As the trees thicken around us, I feel something I haven't experienced in days—hope. Maybe this is where I'm meant to be. Maybe the Goddess hasn't abandoned me after all.

"We're a small pack," Percy continues, "but tight-knit. Everyone contributes. What skills do you have?"

I think about my two years of college, my art classes, the part-time job I had at the campus bookstore. "I'm a decent artist. I was studying graphic design before..." I trail off.

"Perfect!" Percy exclaims. "We've been looking for someone to help with our online business. Can't rely solely on local commerce when you're trying to stay under the radar."

The road opens to reveal a large clearing with several cabins arranged in a semicircle around a central building. Warm light spills from windows, and I can see figures moving inside.

"Welcome to Moon Petal pack," Percy says proudly. "Your new home, if you want it."

Home. The word catches in my chest. I haven't had a real home since I realized who my mate was—since I began living in fear of rejection.

As Percy parks the car, a tall man emerges from the main building. Even from a distance, I can sense his authority. His power. But there's something else—something in the way he carries himself that speaks of understanding rather than dominance.

"That's Vernon," Percy says. "He's been expecting you."

"Expecting me? But how could he—"

"The Goddess works in mysterious ways," Percy says with a wink. "Come on. Dinner's waiting, and so is your future."

I step out of the car, clutching my backpack like a shield. My wolf, so resistant to leaving our territory days ago, now urges me forward with curious excitement.

Is this where the Moon Goddess wants me to be? As Vernon Pierce approaches with a welcoming smile, I think perhaps it is.

For the first time since I ran away, I take a step forward instead of looking back.