The omega who stole the alpha's power

Ivy Vale had always known she was nothing.

Not truly nothing  but close enough.

An omega.

The lowest rank in the pack hierarchy. Weak. Disposable. Silent.

From the day she could walk, she had learned to keep her head bowed, her eyes lowered, her scent muted. Omegas were not meant to attract attention. They existed to serve, to obey, to survive.

And Ivy had survived.

Barely.

She scrubbed the marble floors of the Alpha palace on her knees, her fingers raw from lye soap and cold water. The Great Hall loomed above her - towering pillars, silver chandeliers, wolf insignias carved into every wall. A place built for power.

A place she did not belong.

"Ivy!"

Her supervisor's sharp voice cracked through the hall.

"Yes, ma'am." Ivy rose quickly, lowering her head.

"The Alpha King returns tonight. Every surface must shine. If I see a single streak"

"I understand."

The woman sniffed. "You always do. Now hurry."

Ivy nodded and returned to her work, moving faster. Her heart pounded harder than her hands.

The Alpha King.

Rowan Blackwood.

Ruler of ten territories. Supreme Alpha. Descendant of one of the founding bloodlines. The most powerful werewolf alive.

And tonight, he was coming home.

Excitement buzzed through the entire pack. Warriors had been training for days. Omegas whispered excitedly in the kitchens. Even the elders moved with nervous anticipation.

For Ivy, though, the feeling clawing inside her chest was something else.

Unease.

She had felt strange all day  restless, breathless, her wolf pacing endlessly beneath her skin. Every sound seemed sharper. Every scent stronger. The air itself felt charged, thick with tension.

Something was coming.

She just didn't know what.

By sunset, the palace shimmered. Torches lined the marble walkways. Warriors formed ranks outside the massive iron gates. Drums began to thunder across the valley.

The Alpha King had arrived.

Ivy tried to remain invisible as servants gathered at the edges of the hall, waiting to serve. But the moment Rowan Blackwood stepped inside, the entire world seemed to tilt.

Power flooded the room.

His dominance slammed into her like a physical force, knocking the breath from her lungs.

Ivy gasped.

Her knees weakened.

She grabbed the edge of a column to stay upright, her pulse roaring in her ears.

What... is this?

Rowan stood tall and lethal beneath the crystal chandeliers. Dark hair, sharp jaw, storm-grey eyes that missed nothing. His presence commanded submission. Even seasoned warriors lowered their gazes.

But Ivy couldn't look away.

Because something else hit her next.

A pull.

Not gentle.

Not soft.

It yanked at her soul.

Her wolf howled.

Mate.

The word thundered through her entire being.

Her chest burned. Her veins felt like fire. Every instinct inside her surged toward him.

No.

No, no, no.

This wasn't possible.

She was an omega.

He was the Alpha King.

Their worlds did not touch.

Her breath came out in ragged bursts. Panic clawed up her throat as realization crashed into her.

Rowan Blackwood was her mate.