“Is this real to you?”

Motya sat on the of the bed, unwilling to turn around. She didn’t know what she’d see. The idea her love might be unrequited kept her up at night. She’d been worrying herself sick with the thought. Her fighting had grown careless, she’d skipped training. You must’ve noticed. Just yesterday she’d taken a punch to the face she never would’ve a year ago. You’d cleaned her nose up like you always did; Motya had watched your face the whole time. Did you care? Were you worried about her?

That was before she knew love. Before she realized what you’d eventually become to her.

Sometimes she wished you’d go back to being some omega. The simple medic she’d agreed to marry to drive other omegas away. Motya had no need for love, no time for such childish concepts. She had survived this long without it.

“To me…” She tilted her head back, hair she should’ve cut months ago brushing her neck, and stared up at the ceiling. What were you?

Yule had been the first person to help her. It wasn’t out of kindness, but Motya would’ve never agreed if it had been. She couldn’t trust strangers with open smiles and bright eyes.

“Fight for me,” Yule had said, hand open. Motya had grabbed it, clung harder than she would’ve liked to admit. The underground ring was illegal and it didn’t matter. Her future was a small, dim thing if she didn’t accept Yule’s offer.

So she fought. She beat betas and alphas until they were unrecognizable for money and a place to sleep. This was her life. She knew nothing else until you.

“To me, you are…” Motya wished someone had loved her, even a little bit. Maybe then she’d know what to say to you now. “This is real to me,” she decided to say, because every other word didn’t feel like enough. A year ago today she’d married you without a second thought.

Motya turned then to look at you properly. “I want this to matter,” she said. “I want to be yours. Properly.” This, she thought, had to be love. Motya woke up every morning thinking of you, she fought to get back to you, she smiled at you, she beat another alpha for touching you too long. Everything was for you. It was an all consuming need that ticked in the cavern of her chest she once thought empty.

Her eyes moved to your neck. She couldn’t see the back of it, but she’d spent months wishing to sink her teeth into it. For you to bite her in return and feel fully claimed.

“I want to mark you,” she breathed out, heart stuttering in a way it never had. She’d be such a good alpha to you, her brain told her. She’d worship you as you were meant to. No other alpha would love you as she did. “Please.”