The guard shoved me in the shoulder blades, forcing me off the paved path and onto the trampled grass of the training sector. Iron in the air, sour sweat, and the smell of heated bodies—the garden no longer smelled of flowers.
"Look at that," Rein said, lowering his training sword and wiping his forehead with the back of his hand. "Cale let his favorite little pet out for some air."
I hunched my shoulders. The mark on my neck seemed to start pulsing in time with his mocking voice.
"Shut up, Rein."
Tom stepped forward, blocking his path. He smelled of mown hay—a strange, almost forgotten scent of peace amidst this concrete cage.
"What's wrong with that?" Rein spat on the ground. "An omega on a chain. Look at her, she can barely stay on her feet. Why are you defending her? Do you think she'll thank you for it? She can't even breathe without permission."
"She is a human being," Tom gripped the hilt of his sword so hard his knuckles turned white. "Or have you forgotten how to say that word?"
"She is a weak link," Rein stepped closer to Tom, ignoring the guards who were lazily watching the spat. "A nobody. A burden to the pack that our Alpha somehow decided to keep as a lapdog."
I felt a faint, uncontrollable tremor crawl down my legs. The teenagers' attention, their greedy, judging gazes, dug into my skin like claws.
"Stay put," the guard grumbled, jerking my elbow as I tried to retreat into the shade of the trees.
"Leave her alone," Tom's voice dropped lower. "Isn't it enough for you that she's already in hell?"
"In hell?" Rein burst out laughing, turning to the other students. "Did you hear that? Tommy thinks the Alpha's plaything is suffering. She should be kissing the floor just for being allowed here. A weak omega like her wouldn't last an hour in the wild."
"You know nothing about her," Tom didn't look away. "Or what she's been through."
"I only see what's in front of me." Rein jabbed his sword in my direction, not touching me but making me flinch. "A broken thing. Look, Tom, she's shaking. Hey, omega! Do you even understand what we're saying? Or did Cale burn out the rest of your brains along with your pride?"
"Rein, one more word, and I'll knock your teeth out right here on this field."
"Oh," Rein raised his eyebrows, feigning fear. "A protector has emerged. And what will you do? Report to the Alpha that I hurt his toy? Or maybe you want to take his place in her bed yourself?"
Tom lunged forward, closing the distance. His scent of hay turned sharp and anxious, but it remained my only anchor.
"Enough!" Tom threw out an elbow, blocking a potential strike. "The sparring is over. Leave."
"Don't tell me what to do," Rein didn't budge. "You're just a student like me. Only with a defect called excess pity. Cale won't like this. Do you know what he calls those who sympathize with the weak?"
"I don't care what he calls them."
"Traitors." Rein looked Tom in the eye. "He calls them traitors. You're sticking your neck out for one who won't even remember your name tomorrow when the Alpha orders her to crawl to him."
"Leave, before I forget the rules of training."
"Look at him!" Rein addressed the crowd again. "Tommy's fallen in love with a slave!"
"Shut your mouth!" Tom struck Rein's sword with his own, producing a sharp metallic clang. "Get out of here. Now."
Rein slowly lowered his weapon. His face twisted into a contemptuous grimace.
"Fine. Waste your time on this trash. But don't think this will go unnoticed."
He shifted his gaze to me, and in his eyes, I read a death sentence.
"This will cost you dearly, omega. And your loyal dog, too."
Rein turned on his heel and headed toward the main building. His gait was deliberately confident—the walk of a man going to file a report.
"Are you okay?" Tom took a step toward me, but the guard immediately put out an arm.
"Do not approach."
"I just wanted..." Tom broke off, looking at my shaking hands. "Don't listen to him. He's an idiot."
I wanted to nod. I wanted to say "thank you." I wanted to ask why he was doing this. But my throat tightened in a spasm. The air suddenly became heavy, like lead.
The mark on my neck flared up. It didn't just hurt—it exploded like red-hot iron.
"Alina?" Tom frowned, noticing me clutching my throat. "Are you alright?"
I couldn't answer. A dull heartbeat echoed in my skull. Cale.
It wasn't a voice. It was a yank of an invisible leash. Deep in my chest, where the bond was coiled into a tight knot, an unbearable pull emerged. Every cell of my body suddenly screamed out the need to be somewhere else. Near him.
"Hey," the guard grabbed my shoulder. "Where are you going?"
I didn't realize I was already moving. My legs moved on their own, turning me away from the garden, away from Tom, away from the ghostly scent of hay.
"Alina!" Tom shouted at my back.
I didn't turn around. I couldn't. My body no longer belonged to me. It had turned into a compliant mechanism, tuned to the master's frequency.
"The Call," the second guard muttered, adjusting the rifle on his shoulder. "The Alpha is summoning. Move it, girl."
I was almost running. Gravel flew from under my shoes. The pain in my chest intensified with every step I took in the "wrong" direction and eased slightly whenever I moved toward his chambers.
"Faster," the escort urged. "He doesn't like to wait."
I knew it. I knew it with every fiber of my broken will. Stairs, corridors, endless rows of doors—everything merged into a gray blur.
My legs carried me back. To the very cage I had just been led out of. Into the hands of the man who had burned out my identity and replaced it with this slave bond.
I hated this submission. I hated my compliant muscles. But when I stood before the massive oak door, my hands reached for the handle of their own accord.
I am an omega on a chain. And the chain had just been pulled taut.