Ezra
Everything hurt. Every single part of my body hurt.
My head felt like someone had cracked it open and poured boiling water inside. My chest was burning so bad I thought it was going to rip out. My arms felt so heavy. For a second, I couldn't even tell if I was awake or dreaming.
Then I heard their voices again.
The three alphas were still around me. One of them stepped forward, cracking his knuckles like he was warming up for a basketball game and something about their guts infuriated me. What gave them that level of confidence to think that I was some easy target they could antagonize and easily get their way?
My shirt was still half torn. My cloak was lying somewhere behind me. Cold air brushed my skin, and the heat in my body turned into something else—something I couldn't quite grasp.
Everything came back in pieces as I tried to get myself. With one last effort, I tried to push myself up from the ground, but one of them shoved me back with his boot.
"Stay down," he said, almost laughing. "It'll be easier that way."
I tried to speak, but my throat couldn't take it.
I thought I was done for, I thought this was it. And then—
OMEGA SYSTEM FULLY ACTIVATED.
The words sliced through my vision, and I struggled to understand if this was the part where I was between the afterlife and the present.
FULL BIOLOGICAL SAFEGUARD ENGAGED
My vision darkened and something inside me awakened.
The alley around me stretched and suddenly, I became dangerously aware of my surroundings. I could hear their heartbeats. I could hear the crack in the wall behind me. I could even hear the flickering lights in the background.
FERAL OMEGA RESPONSE ACTIVE
A cold rush shot down my spine—it felt like something was seeping through my bloodstream.
"What the—?" one alpha muttered, stepping back.
They all felt it. I could tell.
Something inside me was changing.
My hands trembled, but I didn't feel the slightest bit afraid. It felt like my bones were heating up from the inside. It felt like I was conscious but I wasn't in charge of my body.
You know those moments where it feels like you and your body are separate entities? Yeah, that's how it felt.
The tallest alpha frowned.
"What is happening to him?"
He moved closer, reaching for me.
The moment his hand got near my face—
My body moved on its own.
Something else took control of my senses, and it was sharp and extremely fast. One moment I was on the ground and the next, I was about to do something that seconds ago, I wouldn't have thought of trying.
I shot forward, grabbed his wrist, and twisted it so hard. A black smoke rose out from my eyes and covered my entire body. Electric sparks blazed through me.
His scream broke through the alley. I felt the bone give way under my grip. I was sure I had broken his bone but instead of feeling scared, it only pumped more energy into me.
It felt normal.
The other alphas lunged at me, but my brain wasn't dazed anymore. My body dodged before I even realized I had moved. My feet slid across the broken ground with a speed I didn't recognize.
One alpha swung his arm at me.
Something snapped inside me and suddenly, a burst of power rolled out of my chest.
They staggered down and the entire alley shook.
My heartbeat pounded so loud I could feel it in my skull, it all synced with the surge rushing through me and then I curled my fingers.
One alpha tried to grab me again and I slammed my hand into his stomach.
He flew back, crashing into the wall so hard dust rained down around him.
"Oh… shit," I whispered—but the voice didn't sound like me. It sounded so deep and detached like punching someone in the stomach and causing them to fly off was child's play.
The last alpha looked at me—his expression was terrified, but he still attacked, like his instinct overpowered sense. He rushed at me, claws extended, his eyes were bright and wolfish.
"How dare you? You useless Omega." He growled.
My body shifted.
I ducked under his arm, spun, and kicked his leg out from under him. Before he could fall forward, I grabbed the back of his neck and slammed him face-first into the ground.
His blood stained the dirt.
I blinked.
The strength was unreal—like my muscles weren't my own anymore. I felt taller. And suddenly filled with so much energy.
The alpha on the wall groaned, pushing himself up, but somehow, I was already in front of him.
He didn't even see me move.
I grabbed him by the throat and lifted him off the ground with one hand.
He clawed at my fingers, choking, his eyes were wide. His legs kicked like a child begging to be put down.
"Don't… kill… me," he rasped.
Kill?
I felt my fingers tighten.
A sharp ringing sound cracked through my skull like that word had activated something even more dangerous.
WARNING: USER UNSTABLE
FERAL OMEGA PROTOCOL EXCEEDING SAFETY LIMIT.
My hand trembled.
The alpha slipped from my grip and fell to the ground, gasping. My vision felt blurry and a part of me—the seemingly normal part of me could tell that whatever entity that possessed me was about to have a full on take over.
My knees buckled.
The third alpha tried to run.
I didn't let him. My hand shot out and grabbed the back of his collar, slamming him against the opposite wall. He went limp, sliding down to the ground.
The power still surged through me, the force within me felt like it wanted to break through a cage.
My breathing became uneven. I clutched my chest.
"Stop," I whispered, but it wasn't clear if I was begging myself or the thing inside me.
My vision flickered again.
Black lines suddenly appeared on my skin like someone had used ink to draw on them.
SYSTEM NOTICE: EMERGENCY SYNC AT 43%
Cognitive Overload Imminent
The power vanished all at once.
Like someone yanked a plug out of a socket.
My legs gave out. I hit the ground hard, barely catching myself on my elbows. My whole body felt so heavy.
The alphas were unconscious, scattered around the alley like over stretched dolls.
I tried to stand, but my limbs refused to cooperate.
I saw a shadow move in the alley.
My blurry eyes strained to catch who or what it was.
Boots.
A long coat.
A familiar scent. Lysandras.
She stepped into the alley, looking between me and the injured alphas. She walked straight to me.
"Ezra."
I tried to answer, but my mouth wouldn't cooperate.
I wanted to say something but the heaviness had taken full effect and I passed out.
She caught me before I hit the ground.
And then everything went dark again.