An Idol for the Omega

Braden

Braden

There isn't a cliché about being a carefree, happy-go-lucky werewolf, but there should be. It's awesome.

My parents taught me that part of life is accepting that it will end and to live cheerfully, not creating regrets. They spread that message even before they passed. Werewolves are resistant to a lot of injuries and illnesses, but even we can't fight our own bodies.

My mom was diagnosed with cancer while I was in high school. She fought a long time, but ended up succumbing to the illness soon after I'd started university. I tried to be there for my dad as much as I could, but he refused to eat and take care of himself. He passed away peacefully, in his sleep, about six months later. I was an adult at the time, even if I was young, and I feel like they raised me well and gave me all the love I could ask for.

I miss my parents, but I'll always have the memory of their kindness and love for each other. Both of them were teachers and its where I get my love of children from. I was an only child, but raised alongside all the other children of the packs that they took care of. I even studied at university to help me take better care of children and families, hopefully my own someday too.

I've already been helping take care of pack pups for years and I don't intend to stop. I love them. I believe every child needs loving care and attention to grow. I like spending the time, and that pack always has a need for great caregivers. Werewolves like to reproduce.

Sometimes, though I think maybe I'm missing out on a great opportunity to find my mate. Every wolf has a destined soulmate, out in the world. Most, find theirs right in the same pack, even young children can detect their mate. Otherwise life, and fate, will have the pair cross paths.

I worry that I'm should be exploring more, to create opportunities to come across my mate's path. It's clear enough now, that my mate isn't within our pack. I wonder if I should get my teaching license and travel to other packs. For now, I've chosen to stay within the Shadow Ridge pack.

Besides, my mate could be a human, traveling through Shady Woods at any time, like Alpha Christopher's. The entire pack rejoiced when the Alpha found his mate, Luna Alec. He's a vet, adorable and isn't swayed by Alpha Christopher on any matter. He's perfect for all of us!

As for me addressing Alpha Christopher by his title, same with the Luna, Beta or other warriors, it's an omega thing, the whole pack doesn't do it. My small wolf feels strongly dependent on the larger wolves. It doesn't mean I don't earn my place in the pack, nor that I couldn't hunt and fight if I had, too. It just wouldn't be super successful, especially a fight against a larger wolf.

My wolf likes to submit. It's slightly uncomfortable, but I want to address dominant wolves respectively. I want to be the peacekeeper and avoid arguing, too. I willingly go out of my way to please others, it makes me happy. So, I can't wait to meet my mate and make them happy.

There is also something about my mate that I've been thinking about for the past several years, more so this last year when we met our male Luna. My mate might be a man, and I would totally be happy with that.

I haven't dated anyone, but I do know that I find women and men attractive. I'm more attracted to personality than anything. In that way, men are usually more dominating, which would be perfect for me. Not to mention, I'm pretty small for a guy as it is, which causes women to find me more 'cute' than 'attractive'.

I've seen a lot of the pack naked, while shifting into our wolf forms, and it isn't anything risqué. Nudity is always a part of the act and we're so accustomed to it that we don't really see each other's bodies that way. It's a little different if you've developed a crush. Which I have. A couple of times.

My first crush was Beta Lindsey, the current Beta's mother, who was second-in-command when I was thirteen. After Alpha Christopher hit puberty, and his muscles packed on, my focus quickly shifted. I wondered why I never had a crush on Beta Reed, because his looks are an extremely masculine version of his mom's, but it's probably because he gets so cranky.

I only had a slight thing for the Alpha, I mean, who wouldn't? In the end, he was more a leader and friend to me, than a kind of fantasy. That crush ended well before Luna Alec came into the picture, too. For now, I'll have to wait. I have lots to keep my happy and busy in the pack. Also, I think I'm still pretty young, there's no hurry. I'll meet my mate when it's time.

A/N: I received a comment about knowing more about the characters and it got me thinking that I might have sailed past some of Jae and Braden's individual pasts. Here is a prologue for Braden, which should probably be moved to the front of the story at a later time. It sort of takes place before the airport in chapter two, but it's basically just inner monologue. I will post the one for Jae next. Let me know if there are any questions about them that you'd like added to this.

Dedicated to RaquelRodriguez071, for the comments and questions, letting me see what I've written from a different perspective.