02 Not In your Dreams
Emma.
Still clutching the wedding invitation, I sat frozen, my emotions a whirlwind of anger, sadness, and confusion. My eyes fixated on the elegant script that announced the marriage of Tomas Jefferson to Veronica Gibson. It wasn’t just news—it was cruelty. A direct, deliberate blow.
My heart screamed for answers. Why would Tomas do this to me? I had been nothing but loyal, nothing but kind. I had loved him wholly, faithfully. I never demanded too much, never crossed the boundaries imposed on me as an Omega. I had respected his family, his status, and his space. But now, he’d thrown it all away without so much as a word.
Did my love mean so little to him? Did I mean so little? Angry tears spilled down my cheeks, each one laced with betrayal. The ache in my chest was unbearable, as though my heart were being ripped apart piece by piece. I wanted to confront him, to demand answers. But the reality of my place in the pack hierarchy loomed over me. As an Omega, there were limits to what I could do, limits I hated but couldn’t escape.
I tried to make sense of it. Was Tomas being forced into this marriage, or had this been his plan all along? Veronica was everything I wasn’t—an Alpha, beautiful, with a powerful family name. By comparison, I was a pretty face with no status, no wealth, and a family burdened by my father’s gambling addiction. The truth was as stark as it was cruel: I was no match for Veronica.
I glanced at Tevin, my eldest brother. His face was etched with sadness, his shoulders slumped under the weight of helplessness. He wanted to protect me, I could see it, but there was nothing he could do. None of us could stand up against an Alpha or question Tomas’s decisions. We were Omegas. We had no power.
I wiped the tears from my face and retreated to my bedroom, slamming the door shut behind me. My mind was too shattered to focus on anything else, least of all the job interview I had planned for today. How could I present myself as confident and capable when my heart had just been shattered into a million pieces?
I lay back on my bed, staring at the ceiling. My thoughts churned, my emotions swinging wildly between despair and fury. I picked up my phone and scrolled through my call log, staring at the proof that I had spoken to Tomas just that morning. The call was real. His calm voice still lingered in my mind, making the betrayal all the more excruciating. Why hadn’t he told me? Why had he let me find out this way?
Then, my gaze fell back to the envelope. It wasn’t Tomas who sent it. Veronica had. She wanted me to know. She wanted me to feel this pain. Normally, an Omega like me would never receive an invitation to such a high-profile wedding. It wasn’t tradition; it wasn’t protocol. This was a message—a taunt. The wording was clear: All recipients must attend.There was no RSVP, no option to decline. It was a bully’s move, and I hated her for it.
Anger propelled me off the bed. Sitting in my room wouldn’t solve anything, wouldn’t give me closure. I needed to confront Tomas, no matter the consequences. Even if it was over between us—which, in my heart, I already knew it was—I deserved an explanation. Four years of love and loyalty couldn’t just evaporate into nothing.
Slipping into a pair of flat slippers, I stormed out of the house. My brothers shouted after me, their voices laced with concern and warning, but I ignored them. They knew exactly where I was going, and they knew the risk I was taking. But I didn’t care. I was done being the submissive, obedient Omega. Tomas owed me the truth, and I would get it.
As I walked, the weight of my emotions bore down on me. My tears had dried, but my chest still ached with betrayal. The thought of Tomas—of the way he used to look at me, hold me, tell me he loved me—warred with the image of him standing at the altar beside Veronica. I didn’t want to believe he’d chosen this willingly.
Maybe he’d been forced. Maybe his family had arranged the match to elevate their status. Marrying Veronica, the Alpha’s only daughter, would solidify their power. And Tomas…
Tomas was strong, capable, everything an Alpha needed in a successor. It all made sense.
I tried calling him again, but his phone was off. My frustration grew with every unanswered question. Halfway there, my courage wavered.
What if I didn’t like what I found? What if the truth was worse than I imagined? But I couldn’t stop now. I had already missed my interview; I couldn’t let this journey be for nothing.
When I arrived at the Jefferson estate, I hesitated at the gate.
My heart pounded in my chest as the guards noticed me. To my surprise, they opened the gate without question, their expressions solemn. They didn’t mock me, didn’t sneer as I expected. Instead, their eyes were filled with pity. It was as though they understood the depth of my pain. Their kindness felt like a cruel reminder of the humiliation I was about to face.
“Thank you,” I murmured, my voice trembling as I stepped through the gate. The sprawling estate loomed before me, grand and imposing. Every step I took toward the house felt heavier, the weight of my emotions threatening to crush me.
I had come for answers, but now that I was here, I wasn’t sure if I could handle the truth.
I approached the grand front door, my heart pounding so hard I thought it might burst. My sensitive ears picked up on the sounds of laughter and lively conversation inside. Tomas’s voice cut through the noise, unmistakable and infuriatingly carefree. He wasn’t busy. He wasn’t dealing with some pressing emergency. He was having a good time, surrounded by his friends, as if nothing in the world was wrong.
My anger flared, hot and consuming. He didn’t even have the decency to end things properly—to face me, to break up with me like a man. Was it cowardice? Cruelty? Either way, it was unforgivable. He was celebrating while I was left to pick up the shattered pieces of my heart.
I clenched my fists, steeling myself. My mind screamed at me to turn back, to leave before I embarrassed myself further, but my legs carried me forward. I couldn’t leave. Not without answers. I pushed the heavy door open and stepped inside. The laughter grew louder as I passed through the anteroom and entered the parlour.
There they were: Tomas and his friends, sprawled across the plush furniture like they owned the world. Raymond, Grover, and Tim. All from Delta and Gamma families. The room smelled faintly of alcohol, and a tray of half-eaten food sat on the low table between them. They were in a celebratory mood, the kind of mood that made my intrusion all the more jarring.