Chapter 122 - 121. I'll Hope [Bonus ]

"You can punish him as you want."

Cyrus' fist clenched. Green Lake's Alpha turned away and left without a glance back. Winnie's eyes widened in fear as the door closed after Eden walked into the room.

"Okay, then… Let's get started?"

Winnie's body was trembling. He had seen the menacing twinkle in the omega's eyes. He had no way out of it. Even if his pheromones worked, Eden was also an omega, he could never react to his scent.

His uncle and Alpha had abandoned him to his fate as soon as the blond had mentioned the possibility of a confrontation between their two packs. On the other side, Bloodhood annihilated another pack a few days ago because they tried to hurt Eden.

Why? Why was he always less well treated than this omega even though he had a darker fur?

Winnie's body was still shaking and he felt that Eden was now close to him. He pressed his eyelids together. He didn't want to see what was about to happen to him. It didn't matter what he just said, the blond omega wouldn't let him get away without taking revenge. Why did his potion have to lose its effect? Why?

The question echoed over and over in his head and suddenly he heard a voice other than his own say the word.

"Why?" The voice asked again and Winnie realized it was Eden's voice.

He opened his eyes in fear and looked up at the omega. Far from the menacing fury he had witnessed earlier, the expression he now saw on the young man's face was one of grief.

"Why did you try to steal my mate? It's not like you can't have whoever you want and I know for sure that I never did anything wrong to you. That's why I want a fucking damn good reason for you to try to screw my life."

Winnie gritted his teeth. He didn't want to tell the reason, because it was only out of the jealousy he felt for Eden Bloodhood. He who was pure white omega, it wasn't his name that was on everyone's lips, it wasn't his marking that made the gossip of the Werewolves' world. Everyone had their attention on Eden Bloodhood and it was getting on his nerves.

"Did I ever do something that deserves death in your eyes?"

At that moment, the reality of what he had done hit him. Winnie had attempted to take the mate of a marked omega. If he had succeeded, the omega would have been in distress to the point of possibly losing his life.

Winnie opened his mouth and closed it. A long silence followed and he felt the pressure of Eden's gaze on him, making him uncomfortable.

"Why do you have everything that I want? They keep talking about you. Everything everywhere is all about you and only you!"

Winnie turned his head away. He had revealed the hideous and superficial reason why he had acted like this. He waited for the first blow and just hoped that at some point he would pass out so he wouldn't have to endure the pain all along. But instead of a kick, he heard Eden plop down next to him and a moment later, the blonde started talking.

"I don't know what gave you the idea that there was something in my life that deserved your jealousy. Whatever you think of it, I can assure you that it's not the truth.

Moreover, even if it was true, you think you would have conquered the dream life you want by stealing another omega's mate. What relationship would you have built with him? That of a puppet and its owner? You would have spent your life making him breathe your pheromones, fear in your stomach that he would leave you the day they would no longer have had any effect? Is this the kind of life you dream of?"

The eyes of the Green Lake's omega widened. It hadn't crossed his mind for a second. He averted his eyes, ashamed.

"You can't understand," Winnie muttered.

"Then help me to understand. Shove the meaning of this nonsense inside my head because I don't see what was so amazing about my life that you want to screw it up, along with yours by doing something so insane.

I'll tell you again. You can have whoever you want. And by that I mean you can win easily over a heart because you will never have to fight some hurtful and unfair discrimination that tells you that you're not good enough, that who the fucking hell you are is not good enough just because of a stupid color!

Nobody will ever look down on you. They will accept you, covet you, pursue you and you will always have the chance to choose love over duty. You want to give it up on that because of what? Your shitty ego that wants you to be the center of everyone's gossip?

Before Glen came into my life, I couldn't even dream of a mate who loves me. No matter how pretty they said I was, how brilliant, no matter what I was. They didn't want me! Do you know what it feels like? It's the worst!

On the evening of the banquet, I was ready to accept any candidate my father would have found worthy. Then he came."

The slight tremor in his voice caught Winnie's attention. He turned his head to Eden.

Head lowered to the ground, his eyes were teary but glowing with a mix of many feelings. All of them were so intense. Joy, gratitude, amazement, and love. He saw them all swirling in the golden irises.

"So, what? Are you trying to make me believe that he is truly your fated mate and not something your pack set-up?"

Eden's expression changed and his blond hair moved when he shook his head before getting up. The omega thought back to the announcement made by his father and his hidden purpose.

"We survived the Omega's mark trial. You know what it means right? Before anyone opens their mouth, I want them to show me a mark of approval as strong as this one."

"This ancient ritual? Nobody believes in this anymore!"

"You think so? Then mark my words! Remember them when you'll hear about the first alpha who will try his luck and fail the ritual. Glen and I have been chosen by the Moon Goddess and this blessing is only the beginning of something bigger."

Eden started to walk away and Winnie called out to him.

"Are you really not going to do anything to me? Aren't you mad?"

"I am mad. But hurting you won't change anything. Thus, yes, I'll do something. I'll hope you will learn to love yourself, Winnie. I fucking wish you start to love, cherish, and value yourself because when you do, you won't be miserable to the point to do things that make people around you miserable."

The door closed behind Eden and Winnie took off his shoe which he threw against the door. He glared at the wooden panel and the next moment tears were welling up at the corners of his eyes.

"Fuck you, Bloodhood! What was that?" Tears started to stream down his cheeks.. "Now you make me feel like shit."