The Alpha King's Lost Mate

Ch. 17

Seven

"My Lady?" the bright-eyed Omega asked. "Are you alright, My Lady?"

"Yes," I breathed out, shoving the whirlwind of thoughts in my mind to the back. "Sorry. What were you saying, Mara?"

That was something I was struggling to wrap my head around—all the Omegas in the Royal Pack had names and weren't just called by a number like I had been my whole life back in the Blood Moon Pack.

"I was asking how you liked it here in the Royal Pack compared to your old one," Mara repeated, pinning another carefully done braid to the crown of my head.

Every morning since we had arrived at the Royal Pack, Mara was waiting outside my bedroom door with a hot cup of tea, a silver platter of fresh fruit, and an eager smile on her face to help me get ready.

"It's beautiful here," I answered honestly. "Nothing compared to my old pack."

I was careful with the words I used whenever I talked about the Blood Moon Pack, always making sure to never use the pack's name or hint at the fact that I am—was—an Omega.

"Really?" Mara hummed as she pinned up another braid to the top of my head. "What was your old pack like? I've never left the borders of the Royal Pack before, but I've always dreamed of exploring outwards since I was a young pup."

Mara's question was innocent. But nonetheless, I my heart dropped to the bottom of my stomach at her words.

"I'd never left beyond the borders of my old pack either," I said. "I truly never thought that I would. I was happy with my life there."

The words felt bitter on my tongue as I spoke.

I was happy in the Blood Moon pack until I met Ambrose and found out the truth.

"Until His Highness finally found you," Mara giggled.

She barely looked any older than me. It made my heart clench to think of her being an Omega in the Blood Moon pack, to be punished by Gamma Thomas and cornered by the pack warriors when the sun was barely up.

"Yes." I smiled softly at the mention of Ambrose. "I can't even begin to imagine where I would be if he hadn't found me."

My mate was my everything.

"There." Mara placed one final pin in my hair before clapping her hands together happily. "All finished. What do you think, My Lady?"

As always, Mara made me look beautiful. She had carefully braided and pinned up my hair around the crown of my head, softly tucking fresh flowers into the small openings at the top. She had kept the other half of my hair down, loosely curling the now silky strands and letting them hang low around my back and down my shoulders.

"You'll have to teach me how to do this one day." I twisted my head around to look at Mara. "I still have no idea how you do it."

Mara blushed furiously at my words, her pale cheeks turning bright red.

"It's nothing." She waved a hand through the air. "My mother used to do my hair every single morning before she left for work. She's the one who taught me how—she's the true sorceress."

I could feel the corners of my lips turn downward at Mara's words.

Would I ever get to find out who my mother was? Would I ever know her name? Or learn why she left me at the Blood Moon pack?

I shoved the thoughts about my mom to the back of my mind, locking them behind an iron door for a later date.

"Well, I'd love to meet her one day." I forced my lips upwards into a bigger, brighter smile. "She must be a truly beautiful person if she raised you to be so amazing, Mara."