The moon hung low over the alley, swollen and silver, casting a glow sharp enough to cut through the smoke and filth of the district. Noah's breath came in short bursts as he pressed his back against a rusted dumpster, one trembling hand clutching the edge of his oversized coat.
Footsteps. Heavy. Rhythmic. Alpha boots.
He swallowed down panic, praying they wouldn't hear the way his heart slammed against his ribs. Another patrol. Another hunt.
Noah closed his eyes. Just five seconds. Then run.
But before he could move, a voice whispered from the shadows behind him—
> "If you breathe any louder, they'll find you in two seconds."
Noah spun around, almost falling back onto the concrete. Someone was there. Someone tall. Dark. Lean.
A boy—no, a man—stood half-lit under the broken lamplight, tattoos snaking across his collarbone, visible where his black shirt hung open. His hair was tousled, a messy charcoal mop, and his gaze was razor sharp.
> "You're... not an Alpha," Noah breathed.
> "Neither are you," the stranger replied, tilting his head. "But you smell like fear. They'll sniff it from a mile away."
Noah flinched, instinctively pulling his coat tighter around him. "I didn't ask for help."
> "And I didn't offer any," the man replied coolly.
A scream echoed down the street—followed by the crack of a whip and harsh voices barking orders. The patrol was close.
The stranger stepped forward.
> "You want to survive tonight, little rabbit?" he asked. "Then move."
Noah hesitated. His whole life, Omegas had been told to stay hidden, stay silent, stay obedient. But this Omega—he was none of those things.
He was wild.
And Noah… followed him.
---
They ducked through side streets and down a narrow passage that smelled of wet stone and ash. Eventually, they reached a gate, hidden behind a boarded-up shop. The man tapped in a code on a rusted keypad. The door creaked open.
Inside: warmth. Light. Safety.
A place that shouldn't exist for Omegas.
Noah blinked.
> "Why… are you helping me?"
The man shrugged, leaning against the wall, arms crossed.
> "I'm Eun-Ha," he said. "I don't like rules."
Noah stared at him, the moonlight still lingering in Eun-Ha's eyes.
> "I'm Noah," he whispered. "I've been running for a long time."
Eun-Ha smirked.
> "Then maybe you finally stopped in the right place."