✦ Chapter 04 ✦
"But you look like one."
The Alpha's words struck like a blade through silence. Elian's breath faltered, eyes widening before he forced himself to blink, to calm, to hide. The man's gaze was sharp—probing, heavy with calculation—and Elian knew if he slipped even once, the truth would bleed out of him.
The air between them seemed to hold its breath. Only the soft rustle of the forest moved around them, leaves whispering secrets the wind refused to keep.
"What are you doing here?" the Alpha asked, voice even but commanding.
Elian's lips parted, but no sound came. Panic scratched at the back of his throat. Then—like a flare in the dark—his father's voice echoed in his mind:
"If you ever need to lie… tell the truth, only twist it."
He swallowed hard. Back then, he'd never understood those words. Now, they were all he had.
"I—" his voice cracked. "I ran away from my pack."
The Alpha raised a brow, expression unreadable. "Should I ask why?"
Elian hesitated. He couldn't tell the truth—but he couldn't sound hollow either. "My pack was burned. I have nowhere else to go… so I ran," he whispered.
For a moment, the Alpha said nothing. Just studied him with those impossible golden eyes, weighing every syllable. Elian's pulse thudded against his throat.
Finally, the Alpha exhaled quietly. "Stand up."
His tone left no space for refusal. He turned, his cloak brushing against the earth as he started walking. The two Betas behind him exchanged a glance before one nodded for Elian to follow.
"You're coming with us," the Beta said, voice resigned. "You're already close to our pack's border."
Elian hesitated, but one look at the Alpha's broad back told him running wasn't an option. He followed silently, each step heavy with dread. His fingers found the pendant resting against his chest—the yin half of his mother's necklace. He held it tightly, whispering under his breath, "Please protect me."
The night softened into gray. Dawn crept across the sky, streaking it with gold and rose, but Elian felt no warmth from it. Beauty didn't exist in a world where hope burned to ash.
When they reached the border, guards were already stationed there. The Betas' expressions shifted as they noticed him—some curious, others pitying. Elian kept his gaze low, refusing to meet their eyes.
Then, a noise cut through the still morning—shouts. Angry, vicious.
The Alpha's jaw tightened instantly. His face darkened, expression turning to cold stone.
Elian turned toward the sound, confusion rising—and froze.
A man was being dragged through the clearing. Golden hair tangled around a pale face streaked with tears, his wrists bound in chains that clinked with each step. A metal collar circled his neck. The crowd's curses grew louder as they pulled him forward.
The man's scent reached Elian before the wind even shifted. Sweet. Gentle. Terrified.
An Omega.
Elian's breath hitched. The Betas beside him exchanged glances.
"Another male omega," one murmured. "Are they going to kill him today?"
The words hit Elian like a strike to the chest. His hands clenched until his nails bit skin.
Kill him?
He wanted to scream—to run into the crowd, to make them stop—but his body refused to move. The fear anchoring him was too heavy.
He could only watch as the crowd hurled their hatred.
"A curse that should've been erased."
"A mistake that shouldn't breathe."
Elian's eyes blurred. His heart twisted until he thought it might tear itself apart. His father had died trying to protect them from this very cruelty. His mother had vanished into danger for him. And for what?
For a curse that didn't deserve to exist.
The air trembled suddenly. Pheromones—strong, cold, intoxicating—filled the clearing. That familiar scent of winter and roses swirled around him, wrapping his body like a velvet chain.
He gasped softly.
When he lifted his head, the Alpha was already looking at him.
Those golden eyes glowed brighter in the morning light, unreadable but heavy enough to crush air from his lungs. The Alpha stepped closer, his shadow falling over Elian, until his breath ghosted against Elian's ear.
"If you are an omega," he murmured, voice deep and calm, "you'd better keep hiding it. Because if your scent slips…"
His lips were close enough for Elian to feel the warmth of each word.
"…you'll be next, little beta."
Elian's heart stopped.
✦ End of Chapter ✦