Ezra
I waited until the entire house went quiet. I needed to be careful if I was going to do this successfully.
Lysandra had gone to her room without saying another word to me and while I genuinely didn't want to stay here any longer, I still felt bad for her. Maerin had left food on my table and gently reminded me to lock my windows.
I sat on the edge of the bed and stared at the untouched food. My stomach was twisting and turning, and I knew it wasn't because I was hungry. Whatever explanation Lysandra gave me didn't help at all—because what the hell is even this place?
If you don't go to the royal house, they'll come for you.
You owe them your life.
Omegas exist to give birth.
It's the only way to save Alden.
I dropped my face into my hands.
"Yeah, no," I muttered to myself. "Absolutely not. I'm not doing any of that."
I needed to run.
I didn't know where.
I didn't even know how this world worked.
But staying meant being dragged to that royal house like I was some sacrificial goat and I would not consciously let that happen.
I waited.
Five minutes.
Ten.
Twenty.
Eventually, the footsteps in the hallway grew faint and I waited a bit more until I was sure they had gone to sleep.
I stood, grabbed the cloak Maerin left on a chair, and wrapped it around myself. The house was dim. I watched my steps very carefully, praying elves didn't have super hearing or night vision or some other ridiculous advantage I hadn't been told about.
I reached the stairs and stopped when I heard a sound, it was just a small creak. My heart started racing. I stood completely still until I realized it was just the wood shifting.
I kept going.
The front door felt miles away. When I finally reached the door, I paused for a moment.
One last deep breath.
I looked around and couldn't stop the weird feeling of nostalgia that enveloped me but I had made up my mind.
Then I slipped out.
The air outside was cold. Everywhere felt so strange like I'd been pushed into a weird universe without a manual to help. The streets of our estate were lit by floating lanterns—one look at them and you could tell it was all magic.
I tightened the cloak and hurried down the road. I didn't know where the city began or ended, but anything was better than staying where four alphas could sniff me out like a scented candle.
I made sure to stay in the shadows, avoiding the guards at the gates. Thank God they were half-asleep. I crouched behind a carriage, waited for one of them to yawn so loudly and took it as my cue to run as fast as my legs could carry me.
My legs burned.
My chest felt like it was going to burst from all the tension.
But I didn't stop.
By the time I made it out of the estate, I relaxed a bit and took a deep breath. The city itself was huge—tall buildings, wooden stalls which were closed for the night, the city felt alive in a way that made the hairs on my skin stand.
I didn't see anyone at first.
Then I felt something.
A tingle at the back of my neck.
Heat sliding under my skin like I was about to have a fever.
My pulse suddenly quickened.
"Oh no," I whispered, grabbing my cloak tighter. "Not now. Please, not now."
My pheromones.
The thing I apparently didn't know how to control.
The air around me suddenly felt suffocating. Not good. This is so not good.
I rushed down a narrow lane, focusing on putting as much distance between myself and the estate as possible. The buildings here leaned dangerously close together. I kept running and made sure to not look back.
A few seconds later, I realized something else.
Someone was watching me.
I slowed my footsteps. At the end of the alley, three figures stepped forward.
Fuck!
They weren't just regular people, I could tell from the intimidating scent coming from them, they were Alphas.
Big ones. Rough-looking. Their clothes were a mess. The look in their eyes was so scary and I could see the hunger in them.
My stomach dropped.
They didn't say anything at first. They just stared at me. One of them inhaled sharply, and the sound alone made my heart stop.
"The hell…" the tallest muttered under his breath, his voice low and rough. "…that scent."
I took a step back.
He stepped forward.
Another one tilted his head at me, almost amused. "Who let an omega wander out here this late?"
"I'm not—" My voice cracked. "I'm not anything. I'm just leaving. I don't want any trouble."
"Oh, you smell like trouble," the third one said, laughing softly. He wasn't joking. None of them were.
I turned and ran.
I didn't think. I just ran.
But I wasn't fast enough.
A hand grabbed my cloak, yanking me back so hard I slammed into a chest that felt like a wall. I choked on a breath and tried to twist away, but another hand gripped my shoulder.
"Don't run," one of them murmured behind me. His breath hit my neck and made the heat under my skin explode.
My whole body reacted on instinct—fear mixed with something else I didn't understand. My knees felt weak. My vision blurred.
Their scents hit me next. Like fire and earth and something else I couldn't pinpoint.
Heat rolled off them and my body was starting to react.
Oh God.
I shoved at the one holding me, but he didn't budge. Not even an inch.
The one blocking my path reached out, grabbed the edge of my cloak, and ripped it clean down the side. The fabric tore like paper.
"Please, wait—" I stammered, trying to pull away.
One of them pressed closer, trapping me between their bodies and the narrow wall. His fingers brushed my waist and it made every nerve in me panic. "You're fresh," he muttered.
"Newly awakened, untouched and most likely, still a virgin. What are the chances that the gods rewarded us with such a delicious looking omega."
"Good thing we found him first." One of them said and I didn't need a prophet to tell me what was about to happen to me.
The one behind me lowered his head, inhaling near my shoulder.
"So sweet," he whispered.
My legs almost gave out.
I tried to think. Tried to shove them off. But they were too strong, and my own body felt like it was betraying me, reacting to their heat, their scent, everything.
One of them grabbed the front of my shirt and tore it open halfway. Threads snapped and I could feel the cold air against my skin.
"Stop, please—" I said, gripping his wrist.
He didn't stop.
None of them stopped.
They closed in, blocking the exit. I finally understood.
I wasn't getting away tonight.
Not from them.
Not from this world.
Not from whatever my body had turned into.
The tallest leaned close enough that his breath brushed my cheek. His eyes were dark and hungry.
"Little omega," he murmured, "you shouldn't have run out here alone."
And then everything went black.
SYSTEM ALERT: OMEGA CODE RED DETECTED
Status: Omega under imminent alpha assault.
Biological Safeguards: OVERRIDE ENGAGED.
Trigger: Uncontrolled pheromone surge + physical threat.
Deploying Defensive Subsystem: FERAL OMEGA RESPONSE (F.O.R.)
Weapon of Choice Unlocked: "Aetheric Howl — Anti-Alpha Suppression Burst"
Emits a shockwave of concentrated omega pheromones designed to paralyze hostile alphas within a 10-meter radius.
WARNING: Using this ability before full synchronization may cause temporary unconsciousness.
Proceeding…