ASHER
I didn't sleep.
How could I, when every time I closed my eyes I saw Reed's face inches from mine, felt his breath on my skin, and remembered the heat of his body pressed against me?
My roommate, a quiet Alpha named Marcus, who thankfully minded his own business, had come in around midnight, grunted a greeting, and passed out in his bed. Meanwhile, I lay awake, staring at the ceiling, my heart racing.
Tomorrow. Eight AM. Combat ring.
Reed was going to destroy me in front of the entire Academy.
I should have been terrified, I should have been planning an escape route or figuring out how to apologise without losing all my dignity.
Instead, I was… angry… furious, actually.
Who the hell did Reed Jackson think he was? So what if his father was some powerful Alpha? So what if he had been training since birth to be the "perfect" Alpha? That didn't give him the right to terrorise everyone around him.
I sat up in bed, careful not to wake Marvus, and grabbed my phone from the nightstand.
3:47 AM.
In a few hours, I would be facing Reed in the combat ring, and despite the fear, despite knowing I was outmatched, and despite the very real possibility that Reed would hospitalise me, I refused to back down.
I pulled out my drug case from its hiding spot and checked my supply.
Two vials left.
I would need to inject again before the fight. The last dose was already wearing thin and I could feel it in the way my senses were sharpening, the way certain scents were becoming more pronounced, and the way my body wanted to respond to Alpha pheromones
Especially Reed's.
'Don't think about him' I told myself while slapping myself to snap out of the damn thoughts, but I knew deep down that it was impossible not to think about it.
The way he had pinned me against the wall, the way his voice had dropped to that dark, possessive rumble and the way he had said "you're going to regret that" like it was a promise he fully intended to keep, and then the worst part was that I had been hard and aroused.
My body had responded to his dominance like it was exactly what I needed.
I am an Omega, Reed is an Alpha, and not just any Alpha but the most dangerous, and ruthless Alpha at Stone Claw Academy
The mate bond didn't exist yet because we had not scented each other properly. He didn't know what I was.
So, why did my body react to him as if he were already mine?
Slapping myself one more time to face reality. I shoved the thought away and focused on the immediate problem which is serving tomorrow's match.
By the time the sun rose, I'd managed maybe an hour of restless sleep, and I dragged myself out of bed, injected a fresh dose of the drug, wincing at the familiar burn before heading to the showers
The communal bathroom was mostly empty at this early hour, which was a relief. I didn't want to deal with other Alphas right now; I didn't want to face their judgment, their questions, or their barely concealed excitement about watching Reed destroy the new kid.
I stripped quickly and stepped under the hot spray, letting the water fall over my sore muscles. The drug was already working, suppressing my Omega nature and sharpening my Alpha edge, but I knew it wouldn't be enough to defeat Reed.
Reed was bigger, stronger, and more experienced. He'd been training his entire life for combat while I'd been training to hide, to run, and to survive by staying invisible.
This fight was going to be a bloodbath and to my death.
"Big day, Graham." A voice snapped me out of my thoughts, and I spun around, instinctively covering myself, and found three Alphas leaning against the tile wall, watching me with predatory interest.
I recognised one of them from yesterday, a massive guy with a shaved head and a cruel smile. His friend flanked him, all of them radiating the kind of casual violence that made my skin crawl.
"Heard you're fighting Reed Jackson this morning," the leader continued, his eyes raking over my body, "that true?" He asked, and I nodded, forcing myself to meet his gaze.
"Yeah, it's true."
"Brave." His smile widened. "Or stupid, I haven't decided which yet."
"Why don't you fuck off and let me shower in peace?" I said, my voice harder than I thought.
The Alpha's smile disappeared. "You got a mouth on you, newbie. Reed's gonna enjoy shutting it."
"We'll see," I said, even though my heart was pounding.
The three of them exchanged glances, and for a moment I thought they might jump on me right here in the showers, but then the leader shrugged.
"Guess we'll find out soon enough. See you in the ring, Graham, that's if you survive that long."
They left, their laughter echoing off the tile walls. My back sank against the nearest wall the moment their voices faded. My heart won't stop beating fast.
I knew I was roasted already without being reminded about it. Part of me wanted to quit, while the other part wanted to prove something to myself, even if it was worth my death. I would rather die smiling than keep hiding in fear.
I finished my shower quickly, got dressed, and headed to the cafeteria for breakfast. My stomach was in knots, but I forced myself to eat, I'd need the energy.
Scott found me sitting alone at a corner table, pushing eggs around my plate
"Hey," he said quietly, sliding into the seat across from me. His split lip from yesterday had already healed, Alpha healing fact, but he still looked worried, "You okay?" He asked.
"Peachy," I muttered.
"Asher… about today, I mean about the fight." Scott leaned forward. "You don't have to do this, you could just apologise to Reed and tell him you were out of line, he might accept it."
"He won't accept it," I said, "and even if he did, I'm not apologising."
"Why not?" Scott's voice was almost pleading. "Your pride isn't worth dying for."
"It's not about pride." I met his eyes. "It's about… if I apologise now, if I back down, I'll spend the rest of my time here as everyone's punching bag. Reed will make sure of it."
"But he is going to make you his punching bag anyway," Scott pointed out.
"Maybe, but at least this way, I go down fighting."
Scott sighed, "You really are insane." He exclaimed, and I smiled.
"So I have been told."
We ate in silence for a few minutes. The cafeteria was filling up, and I could feel all eyes were on me. Word has spread fast, and everyone knows about the fight. Everyone wanted to watch the new kid get destroyed.
"For what it's worth," Scott said quietly, "I think you're brave… well partly stupid, but brave."
"Thanks," I said sarcastically. "That's very comforting."
"I will be there in the audience in case… If things get really bad, I will try to get the instructors to stop it." He told me and I nodded.
I appreciated the thoughts, but we both knew the truth. At Stone Claw Academy, fights were only stopped when one person couldn't continue, or when someone died, and Reed didn't seem like the type to show mercy.