MATED TO THE SECRET ALPHA

It hadn't been half an hour after the spectacle Reana had made of Beta Ryan when the gossip began to churn out whispers and speculation. The atmosphere in the pack was electric with tension, and it seemed that everyone had an opinion on what had really happened. But the pack's PhD gossip mongers hadn't given their cent yet. Rather, they stuck together, analyzing and compiling their rumor that would undoubtedly be thrown in the air before tomorrow.

"What are you asking me for? I'm just a servant like you. No, a dog under Beta Ryan's foot like he said we were." Mirian said, her voice laced with bitterness.

The girl had her own problems to deal with, but an opportunity to hint at her suspicion - her plan to open the Luna's eyes to Beta Ryan's deceit had presented itself and she couldn't resist taking advantage of this mess the Luna had created.

"Come on, Mirian, you're the closest to the Luna. Tell us what you know." One of the girls leaned in, her voice barely above a whisper, as the others nodded in encouragement.

But Mirian scoffed, unwilling to comment on the Luna and Ryder's relationship.

"Blair, forget about that for now. I'm so furious right now." Another girl fumed, "The nerve for the beta to call us dogs just because we're omegas. We didn't choose to be born omegas." Her voice trembled, and for a moment, it seemed like she was on the verge of tears.

"What's wrong with being an omega?" Blair asked, her voice thick with indignation. "We wash their clothes, cook their food, dress their bed, warm their beds, and do everything for them. If not because of us, the pack won't be in order."

She wasn't done. "They protect the pack from enemies and we make sure the pack runs smoothly. We're the backbone of this pack, yet, the beta had the audacity to call us dogs?"

"I know right? Even Luna Reana wouldn't call us dogs. The former Alphas didn't treat us like this. They valued our contributions to the pack. But Beta Ryan, who hasn't even become the Alpha yet, thinks we don't deserve to exist."

"Did you see how he killed that guard?" Another voice dropped to a whisper, her eyes darting around cautiously. "Perhaps, the Luna already sees him for who he is, reason she has been biding her time."

The other girls gasped as they came together, their faces reflecting a mix of shock and alarm at her bold words. They glanced around nervously, as if fearful of being overheard, before forming a tight circle around the girl, their voices barely above a whisper.

"Shh, Jessica, be careful what you say," Mirian cautioned, her eyes wide with worry. "If Beta Ryan finds out, he'll... he'll punish us for sure."

"Don't act like you don't think the same, Mirian. We all know why Luna Reana has not chosen him. She's even more willing to be with a servant than the beta. That says a lot about that man. Hmph."

Mirian cleared her throat, a deliberate pause before she dropped her bombshell. "Well, I actually think Beta Ryan is a good choice..." She raised a hand, stopping the protests of her gossip pals before they could begin. "Hear me out. He may have misspoken because he was going through a tough time. Three days in the dungeon can't have been easy for him. He was probably stressed, humiliated..." Her voice trailed off, inviting her friends to consider her words.

Mirian continued, her tone measured. "I don't blame the Luna for her choices. She doesn't seem to like him, despite his qualifications. And I think there's more to it. Something's off. Why would a smart and reasonable she-wolf like the Luna behave this way? One possibility is that he's cheating. Two, he's hiding something. Or three..." Mirian's eyes locked onto her friends, her gaze piercing as she let the implication hang in the air.

"Paah!" Jessica exclaimed, her hands meeting in a sharp clap of excitement. "I knew it!" Her voice dropped to a whisper, her eyes sparkling with intrigue as she leaned in closer to the group. "The way Vivian and Beta Ryan looked at each other was strange. Even Lillian seemed to still be interested in him, even though she was ruthlessly rejected three years ago."

"What are you talking about?" Mirian inquired, pretending not to know. Her interest piqued and so did others.

Jessica paused, then made a hand gesture, calling them to bring their heads forward. The group leaned in, their faces inches apart, their eyes locked onto Jessica's. She began, her voice barely above a whisper, "You all know Vivian was punished by the Luna recently, but here's the thing: Vivian didn't lift a finger to do her work. I and a few others were forced to cover for her, and she never left the dungeon either."

The group's eyes widened, their faces a picture of shock and intrigue. Jessica's words hung in the air, heavy with implication. What had really been going on in that dungeon?

"What was she doing in the dungeon? Who wants to stay in the dungeon?" Mirian pressed.

Jessica shook her head, "I was also curious so I volunteered to clean the dungeon, hoping to uncover what she was really doing in there, but Lilian swooped in all of a sudden, and took the job instead."

"Could something be fishy between them? Like, is Lilian covering up their tracks?" Mirian suggested, her voice laced with suspicion.

The group was lost in thought, everyone putting one and two together. The hint was all they needed as the gossip mongers cooked up different stories in less than five minutes.

"Now I see why he didn't go to war. He was inside the dungeon with Vivian, cheating on the Luna!" One of them sharply concluded.

"Then, he swiftly killed that guard to hide his secret! Arh!" she gasped, and so did others.

And just like that, a rumor was born, spreading like wildfire through the pack, fueled by speculation, intrigue, and a dash of malice.

Perhaps, if Beta Ryan hadn't already created a dent on his own image earlier on - calling omegas dogs beneath his feet, unwilling to work with the Luna to fortify their territories, and killing that guard in a heartbeat, the rumor might not have gained such traction. But with his reputation already dangling on a thread, the pack was primed to believe the worst about him.

The seeds of distrust had been sown, and now they were sprouting into a full-blown scandal.

But that wasn't all, because those guards who had their name cards taken away by Reana, blamed the beta...