“Ouch,” I say as Zorin’s hand wraps tightly around my hip as we enter the mansion. I try not to cry out at how hard he’s gripping me, and I’m scared it might leave a bruise.
The grandeur of the mansion hosting the Omega-Alpha Ball takes my breath away.
I’ve never been to an event like this before, and I can’t believe my alphas finally allowed me to attend after keeping me at home for years. The high ceilings adorned with crystal chandeliers make the ballroom seem like it’s from a fairy tale.
“Stay here,” Zorin commands, his tone cold and unyielding as he, Aleks, Raul, and Thomas abandon me to get drinks.
I watch them walk away, laughing with each other, leaving me alone amid swirling colors and the soft rustle of silk.
Nervously, I adjust the mask on my face to make it more comfortable.
Everyone is wearing one, but mine feels like it’s suffocating me since my alphas have abandoned me on the sidelines of the dance floor.
I bite my lip and wring my gloved hands, feeling the weight of embarrassment settle in my chest.
My eyes dart around the room as I try to look like I belong there. I hadn’t belonged anywhere, especially since I had chosen to stay with Zorin and his pack instead of living on Howl’s Edge Island with my family. My sisters weren’t happy with my decision to stay with Zorin, but I assured them a million times that I was fine.
Suddenly, an alpha with curly red hair peeking out from beneath his mask approaches me with a smile.
“Beautiful event, isn’t it?” he says, his voice warm and inviting.
“Y-yes,” I stammer, relieved to have someone to talk to. Being alone was embarrassing for any omega. “It’s my first time being here. It’s amazing.”
“Well, let me tell you,” he says, smiling. “It’s the same old thing, over and over.”
I laugh, feeling more at ease in his company.
But my happiness is short-lived when Zorin’s sharp gaze falls on me from across the room—a silent reminder of his dominance over me.
My heart pounds faster with fear. The only reason I was still with him was the thought that he would change and love me again like he used to.
Every omega’s dream is to be marked by her pack, and everything would be a million times better. I just have to be patient with Zorin.
“Are you alright there?” the red-haired alpha asks, concern lacing his words when he sees my laughter die on my lips.
“Uh, yes,” I reply, forcing a smile and trying to remove myself from his presence, but he suddenly takes my hand.
“How about a dance?” he asks. His green eyes are sparkling from behind the mask, and I can’t help but feel the compulsion from the alpha that omegas were never immune to.
“Sure,” I say, not wanting to be rude, even though I don’t want my alpha to get even madder.
Confusion swirls through my mind as we dance. It’s my first time leaving the house after pleading with Zorin to accompany him. I should take advantage and have fun while I’m out.
But I can’t shake the feeling that Zorin is waiting for me to make a mistake.
The laughter and music of the ball fade into the background as my heart races in my chest while the red-haired alpha tries to converse with me.
After we dance, the stranger alpha pulls out his phone and shows me a funny video, our shoulders touching as we lean closer to watch. Being with a kind friend like him is like a balm to my frayed nerves, and for a moment, I forget about Zorin’s disapproving glare.
“Tell me about your pack,” he asks curiously, shooting me a smile. I can’t help but feel drawn to his calm demeanor—so different from the harshness I’ve grown accustomed to.
“Well,” I hesitate, unsure if I should reveal too much. But something about him makes me want to trust him. “My alphas…they haven’t bonded with me. None of them has marked me. I think it’s because I haven’t been able to get pregnant.”
It feels nice to finally talk to someone about this instead of spending endless days quietly doing chores and pleasing the alphas while getting stressed out thinking about not being able to get pregnant.
The words slip out before I can stop myself, and I instantly regret it when a low growl from behind catches me off guard.
Zorin’s towering figure looms over us, his steel-gray eyes burning angrily, and my heart jumps in my throat.
“Lena, what are you doing?”
“We were just talking,” I whisper, fear clawing at my insides.
“Omegas don’t disclose pack business,” he snarls, his voice cold and menacing. “It’s time to go home.”
He grips my forearm tightly, lifting me from the chair, and I wince in pain.
“You’re hurting her,” says the stranger alpha, standing up to defend me as he tries to intervene. My pulse is racing, knowing that fighting Zorin will only worsen things.
“Get out of my way. She is my omega,” Zorin warns, cutting him off with a deadly glare.
Just before I’m pulled away, I see Thomas step forward from the shadows behind Zorin. His expression is smooth, calm, but his voice is colder than all of theirs.
“Making friends now, Lena?” he murmurs, his tone like ice. “I suppose we left you alone too long. You always were a bit… attention-starved.”
My heart is pounding as Zorin practically drags me outside, my legs trembling beneath me as we approach the car. I try to keep my balance since he’s moving fast, and walking in heels isn’t easy. The night air is chilly against my skin, a stark contrast to the warmth inside the ballroom.
Zorin yanks the car door open and shoves me inside like utter trash. My head collides with the seat in front of me, a sharp pain spreading across my forehead.
I let out a cry of pain as I clutched at the throbbing spot. The alphas never physically hurt me, and now I am in shock at how he is treating me right now.
“Please,” I whisper, tears streaming down my face. “I didn’t mean to tell him anything about us.”
But it’s no use. My door slams shut. He’s angry as hell as he stomps to the driver’s side, closing the door quietly as he enters.
Tears roll down my face as the car engine roars to life.
Raul, Aleks, and Thomas climb into the backseat. Zorin’s face is a mask of fury as he starts shouting at them about what I said at the ball and how I’ve embarrassed the entire pack.
My heart hammers in my chest, fear gripping me tightly, making it hard to breathe.
“Look at her,” Zorin spits, gesturing toward me with disgust. “Clueless and useless. She’s so deformed that even her eyes are a different color. No wonder he couldn’t stay away.”
“Don’t think for a second he was interested in you, Lena,” says Aleks coldly as I stare straight ahead at the street signs zooming past us, trying to hold back my tears as my arm throbs with lingering pain.
Thomas leans forward slightly, his voice low and emotionless. “If you had any real value, we would’ve marked you already.”
I shrink further into myself, wishing I could disappear.
I’ve never felt so humiliated or frightened with Zorin and his pack. As we drive through a dark road, I’m silently praying to just get to my room once we reach home without any of them knotting me.
Suddenly, the car screeches to a halt. Zorin yanks the door open and grabs me by my hair, dragging me out of the vehicle and into the cold air.
We weren’t at home but in an unfamiliar place.
The rain pelts against my face as I cry out in terror, forced onto the ground by his brutal strength.
“What are you doing?!” I shriek, tears streaming down my face. “I didn’t mean to talk to another alpha at all. You are the only alpha I care about.”
“Silence,” Zorin barks, his voice crackling like the thunder around us. “This will be the last time you ever embarrass the pack.”
Raul and Aleks step forward, towering over me ominously. Their expressions of cold, calculated cruelty send shivers down my spine.
Thomas stands behind them, arms crossed, raindrops dripping from his neatly styled hair.
“Maybe this will finally teach you not to talk without your pack leader’s permission,” he says flatly. “Omegas like you forget their place far too easily.”
I try to crawl away, but Zorin’s hand slaps me across the face with lightning speed. My face is burning as I try to pull away, but he’s gripping my hair so tightly.
“Zorin, please,” I whimper, pleading with my eyes, but all there is is hate behind his gaze. “You chose me as your omega for a reason. You said you loved me.”
I don’t remember him being such a monster as he’s acting right now. Granted, he was slowly turning more and more violent toward me, but I never forgot the dates, flowers, and the first time we met.
Suddenly, their fists rain down upon me, striking my face, my body, and my limbs. The pain is excruciating, each blow tearing through me like fire. Desperation claws at my insides, and I can’t do anything but curl up and try to protect myself from the onslaught.
I conjure up an image in my mind to get away from this brutality.
I try to remember my sisters, Carmen and Francine. But remembering their faces makes me cry even harder.
I wish I had listened to them.
“Remember this,” Zorin says quietly, his voice dripping with contempt after they are satisfied with the beating, and I’m hurting all over. “If you survive this, don’t you dare return to our home. You’re nothing to us.”
With that final threat, they leave me lying on the cold, unforgiving ground.
The sound of the car engine fades into the distance as darkness begins to claim me.
My bones feel like chipped ice.
I cling to consciousness for as long as I can, staring at the stream of blood on the cement ground—but eventually, the pain becomes too much, and I can’t stay awake any longer.
The sharp crack of thunder jolts me awake, my body trembling as I struggle to make sense of my surroundings.
Rain pours down, soaking me and chilling me to the bone. The taste of blood fills my mouth, but I notice strong arms around me. I can hear his harsh breathing as he runs with me in his arms.
There’s a scent, but it’s faint—like black pepper mixed with cedar.
“Don’t move,” he commands when I stir in his arms. Fear is rising within me, and I wonder if a different alpha pack will claim me now.
An omega is always vulnerable without a pack. But in my case, my pack tried to kill me.
“Where are you taking me?” I manage to croak out through bloody lips.
“To a hospital,” he says gruffly. “I don’t know who the fuck did this to you—but they’re going to pay.”
My breathing is harsh as I feel the pain from my broken rib. Zorin tried to kill me. He and his pack wanted me dead.
The realization hits me hard as the rain continues to pour down, drenching me and the mysterious alpha holding me.
Everyone cautioned me that they were bad news, but I believed the promises of the alphas. Their gifts and presents to woo me, just to destroy my life in the end.
My heart aches with betrayal, and I can’t help but wonder if there was ever any genuine affection between us. Were they just waiting for the perfect opportunity to get rid of me? Or did my actions at the party truly push them over the edge?
