The dorm was quiet, too quiet. Rika sat on the edge of her bed, shoulders hunched, staring at the floor as though it held the answers she needed. Every noise....every squeak of a floorboard, every distant laugh in the hallway...felt magnified, like the world had conspired to remind her that nothing was private anymore. Not her secret. Not her scent. Not the way Daika made her pulse race with a single look.
Her fingers twitched over the blankets. The memory of the previous night was burned into her mind, the weight of Daika's presence, the heat of her breath, the subtle, possessive press against her body. And Kana… the look on Kana's face when she'd caught them, the hurt, the betrayal, the silent plea.
Rika hated herself for not stopping Daika sooner, for letting her alpha take control, for letting her own body betray her over and over. Her Omega instincts wanted to submit, to yield, to melt into the Alpha's shadow, but her heart, her stubborn, defiant heart, screamed for autonomy. She wasn't just Daika's toy. She wasn't just the girl whose scent made Alphas lose their control.
But standing there, in the emptiness of the dorm, that control felt like it was slipping through her fingers. She pressed her palms to her face, wishing she could erase every lingering trace of pheromones, every memory of Daika's touch.
The knock at the door was soft but deliberate, and Rika's heart leapt into her throat. She didn't answer immediately, hoping whoever it was would leave. But the knock came again, sharper this time.
"Rika, it's me," a voice whispered. Kana. Relief and panic collided in Rika's chest. She jumped up, fumbling to hide the blanket, and opened the door cautiously. Kana's eyes met hers, softened now, but still wary.
"I—" Rika started, but Kana raised a hand. "Don't. Not yet. I just… I wanted to make sure you're okay."
Rika swallowed. "I… I don't know if I am."
Kana stepped inside, closing the door gently behind her. She kept her distance, sitting on the edge of the desk across the room. "Rika, you can't let her control you. Not like this. Not if you want to stay… you."
Rika's throat tightened. "I try," she whispered. "I really try, but she's… she's everywhere, Kana. On stage, in my mind, in my sleep… I can't escape her."
Kana's lips pressed together. "Then we fight. Together."
Rika's chest swelled with an odd mix of hope and fear. "Together?" she asked, almost disbelieving.
"Yes," Kana said firmly. "I won't let her take you. Not if I can help it."
The next day at rehearsal, Rika's nerves were shredded to pieces. Every beat of the music, every flash of the stage lights, every smile and step of Daika pressed like a weight against her chest. She moved through the choreography mechanically, muscles memorizing the motions while her mind raced.
Daika noticed. Of course she noticed. She moved closer during every formation, her gaze tracking Rika like a predator following prey. She whispered teasing comments under her breath, brushed fingertips along Rika's waist in passing, and let her scent wash over Rika whenever she leaned in too close.
"Rika," Daika murmured one time, when no one else was near, "you're even more distracting today. I hope you're ready to keep up."
Rika's stomach churned. "I… I can," she stammered, forcing herself to focus on her steps.
But Kana had arrived early that morning, sitting just offstage and observing. Her presence was a lifeline. Every time Daika tried to corner Rika, Kana's eyes were there, sharp and vigilant, giving Rika a quiet courage.
By the middle of rehearsal, Rika felt a shift inside her. She wasn't ready to submit to Daika anymore. Not fully. Not today. Not while Kana was here to remind her who she could be without fear.
When the music changed to a slower, more sensual section, Daika slid up beside her. Their bodies almost touched, and Rika felt that familiar heat spike, but this time she forced herself to step slightly aside. Daika's smirk faltered for the briefest moment.
"You're… resisting," Daika whispered, voice low and amused. "That's new."
Rika's fingers tightened into fists at her sides. "I'm not yours," she said, voice shaking but loud enough that Kana, standing near the wings, caught it.
Daika's eyes darkened. "Bold words, kitten. Let's see if you can keep them when the cameras roll."
The cameras started, and the rehearsal turned into a mock performance. Rika moved with precision, every step fueled by defiance. She could feel Daika pressing, but she refused to yield. The energy between them was electric, almost painful, but Rika found a strange thrill in resisting.
By the end of the sequence, sweat and exhaustion dripped down her body, but she had survived without collapsing into submission.
The rehearsal ended, and the room scattered into laughter, chatter, and the sound of water bottles snapping open. Trainees collapsed into stretches, sprawling across the floor like ragdolls after war.
Rika, however, stood frozen. Her chest heaved as though she had sprinted a marathon, but her eyes were sharp, focused on Daika. The Alpha had noticed. Of course she had. She stalked toward Rika like a lioness circling prey, every step deliberate, calculated.
"Interesting performance today," Daika purred, voice dripping with amusement. "I almost thought you were trying to defy me."
Rika forced her trembling hands to her sides. "Maybe I was."
Daika tilted her head, eyes narrowing.
"Careful, kitten. Alphas don't like being denied. Especially not me."
Before Rika could respond, Kana appeared at her side, stepping between them so smoothly it almost looked rehearsed. "Back off, Daika," Kana said, her voice deceptively calm, but her shoulders squared like a soldier's.
The entire room stilled. A challenge between Alpha and Beta was rare enough, but this wasn't just a challenge—it was a warning.
Daika smirked, unfazed. "Ah… so that's how it is. You think you can protect her?" She leaned closer, her breath ghosting against Kana's cheek. "You're brave, Beta. I'll give you that. But bravery doesn't make you strong."
Kana didn't flinch. "Strength isn't the only thing that matters." She stepped even closer, enough to block Daika's view of Rika entirely. "What matters is that she's not yours to toy with."
The tension crackled so thick in the air it was suffocating. Rika's heart slammed in her chest, fear and gratitude swirling together like storm clouds. She wanted to grab Kana, to pull her back before Daika snapped, but she couldn't move.
The instructor clapped sharply, breaking the moment. "Enough. Save the dramatics for the stage. We're done for today."
Daika's eyes lingered on Kana, then slid past her to Rika. That wicked smile returned. "This isn't over." She turned and strutted out of the room, leaving behind an atmosphere so heavy it felt like gravity itself had doubled.
Kana exhaled slowly, shoulders dropping as the tension bled away. She turned to Rika, her eyes softening instantly. "Are you okay?"
Rika's throat burned. "I… I think so."
Kana's hand brushed against hers, just briefly, but it grounded her more than any words could.
That night, Rika lay awake, staring at the ceiling while the dorm went quiet around her. She replayed the scene again and again, Daika's smirk, Kana's defiance, the way the entire room had held its breath.
Her body still trembled from the confrontation, but underneath the fear was something else. A spark. A possibility. For the first time, she hadn't faced Daika alone. Kana had stood there like a shield, and Rika had felt… safe.
But safety was fragile.
The creak of her door made her stomach drop.
Rika bolted upright, her heart hammering, and of course—it was Daika. She leaned casually against the doorframe, wearing a tank top and sweatpants, her hair damp from a shower. Even in her most unguarded state, she looked lethal.
"Still awake, kitten?" Daika asked, her tone far too soft, almost intimate. It was the kind of softness that terrified Rika more than shouting ever could.
"Get out," Rika whispered, clutching her blanket to her chest.
Daika's eyes glinted. "No welcome? I'm hurt." She stepped inside, closing the door behind her with a click. The sound echoed like a lock on a cage.
Rika's breath quickened. "If Kana finds you here—"
"She won't," Daika cut in smoothly. "She's fast asleep, dreaming Beta dreams. You, though…" She approached the bed, slow and deliberate, until she loomed over Rika. "You're wide awake. Because of me."
Rika shook her head, desperate to deny it, but her scent betrayed her. She could feel it, the slick warmth pooling again, the pheromones she couldn't contain leaking into the room. Daika inhaled, her eyes rolling back briefly, before she caged Rika against the headboard with her arms.
"Do you know what you do to me?" Daika whispered, her voice low and ragged now, stripped of its mocking edge. "Do you know how hard it is to stay in control when you smell like this?"
Rika squeezed her eyes shut. "Stop. Please."
Daika's lips brushed against her ear, her breath hot and trembling. "Say it like you mean it. Tell me to stop… and I'll try."
Rika's whole body shook. The words tangled on her tongue, torn between reason and instinct. A whimper escaped instead, small and broken.
Daika groaned, pressing her forehead against Rika's shoulder. "Fuck… you're killing me, kitten."
The door burst open.
"Kana?!"
Kana stood there, eyes blazing, her fists clenched so tight her knuckles turned white.
Daika turned slowly, her smirk sliding back into place. "Well, well. Looks like the Beta isn't sleeping after all."
Kana stepped inside, her voice like steel. "Get away from her."
For the first time, Rika saw it clearly: this wasn't just a rivalry. This was war.