Prologue

HAN JIHAN

"Jihan!" I lift my head at the shouting of my name. It still didn't fail to reach my ears through the clucking noise of the chickens. The wind blew hash on my skin, from where I stood in the backyard, flushing my cheeks. I look at the backdoor of my small home to find my mom there, motioning me to come home, urgently.

I lower the vase slowly down on the ground, and the hens flap their wings noisily as they paddle their way toward their food. I take careful steps toward my home, I can see my mom still standing there watching me.

That makes sure of one thing— somebody's home. My parents need me to present myself to them. Don't get me wrong, I do love my parents, dearly. They're my everything but I think they are being a little too eager to find me an alpha. That thought made me huff out a puff of air in dismay. I'm only seventeen for fuck's sake!

My mom, Jia, yanks me into the house urgently.

"He's here, honey. Your father is calling you. Wash your hands, real quick." She says in a hushed whisper, nudging me off to the bathroom.

"You guys are ridiculous!" I say with a roll of my eyes.

"Yes, we are, for making our son's future secure," mom says as a matter of fact. She put out her hand for me to take the towel when I am done washing my poultry feed cramped hands.

"It's only the father now so you don't need to put on new clothes, he was at the village for the fair and came here because he wanted to see you." I wonder if her mouth was hurting by how wide she smiled.

I hum, looking at the small mirror hanging on the bathroom wall. My golden hair fell disheveled on my pale forehead. Cheeks tinted red from the cold. I ran my hand through the unruly hair to make it look decent. The worn puffer jacket I wore made me look much healthier. I watch my lips tuck into a small smile in the reflection.

I know who this man my mom is talking about. It's my father's friend from childhood, they have practically grown together. As the years go by, they move to the city, started businesses, grew stronger, and made a pack, which now is the strongest and most prestigious pack in this whole country.

And I feel so small and embarrassed to see my parents thinking I still stood a chance when the said heir had a big line of men and women wanting to be his mate. He could get everything and anything he wants. But me? A mere omega from a lower-class family. I would be surprised if this man's son didn't swat me away with a mocking laugh.

An unhappy sigh leaves past my dry lips, I drag my tongue over them. I lift my gaze to meet my mom's, moving forward to rest a hand over her shoulder, I said: "This ain't mean anything, keep that in your mind."

Mom opens her mouth to speak, but nothing slips past it as she watches me walk off the door. She is fast to stroll behind me, though.

I stand in the courtyard, where I met with my dad and a man in his late forties— I assume because I think this man is my dad's age. They don't look like that, though. Dad looked a little bit older than the newcomer— Sengyun Jeon, the prestigious leader of the Great Aleria.

I feel a nudge on my back, my eyes round in their size as I made a ninety-degree bow, almost touching the wooden floor. The man sitting on the newly made wooden chair—by my dad— smiles really wide and I can tell now and here, it's all genuine. Something in my heart loosens up.

Maybe they were good people.

Maybe it was all just me.

"Jih, this is Jeon sengyun, my friend. He's here to see you." Dad is smiling just as wide. I can see and feel how happy he is. I can't believe them, are they that much of a fool? Can't they see themselves? My facial muscles tighten up, but still, I do a great job at putting on the best smile I could afford.

A real, big fake one.

"You're seventeen, yea?" Sengyun asks.

"I am, alpha." We call the leaders by their rank, fueling up their egos. This village has a leader but he's a beta. So it goes by his name. Only alphas are called by their class.

"Jungho just turned twenty this month." He says with a hint of a smile. I nod. Not quite sure of what to say.

"Are you still studying or..?" Sengyun goes on with his query.

"He's not, he's already well educated for an omega." It's dad, I don't feel anything, he's telling the truth after all. I'm an omega and omegas here are not really into studying pack ruling or anything.

Why do it, when no omega can rule a pack?

Ever since I could remember, I was taught how to be a good omega for my future alpha husband.

Omegas are raised to be a good mate to their alphas, to be by their side and to take care of them, to help them be successful and powerful, and be their strength.

When they have kids, they dedicate their life to them.

I love being an omega, I never thought there was something wrong with it, I'm taught since I was a child that being an obedient omega and standing by my alpha mate's side was the most honorable thing I could ever do.

Apart from regular education, omegas were taught how to clean up properly, and they had family lessons, often playing and helping with the pack's pups so they'd be used to children from a very young age.

I always knew mine would be a marriage arranged by my parents. But with someone equal to me, not someone who's much more socially above me or my family.

Never Aleria's heir.

I did nothing to deserve it.

Nothing.