Chapter 2

Adrian's POV 

Milo clings to my side with a firm grip on my shirt. He nibbles on his lip, trying not to look any visitors in the eyes. 

Years of abuse from these assholes took a toll on this Innocent little Omega. It was so hard to pull him from his shell. I'm not sure how we did it, but the three of us somehow succeeded and earned his trust. Now, he's a permanent shadow to the three of us, which we happily accept. He's always with one of us during our free time, and 9 out of 10, the three of us are together, which gives him the comfort and security of his three favorite people.

It's rare for the three of us not to be together. Nikolai's father always said we're attached at the hip, which makes me wonder how Mr. Muscles ended up out here earlier without us. I look to my right and find Mr. Muscles in quite a predicament—the same one I always find him in at these events. 

Weston is what every Beta calls the dream catch. He's the biggest Delta one in our territory. He's not only the tallest, but even the man's muscles have muscles. 

His father is the best fighter in our Territory. His skills are unmatched, and he has never been defeated in our annual tournaments.

Having Leonard as his father is both a curse and a blessing. Weston's father is extremely strict and hard on him, but this has made Weston who he is today. Weston is the best fighter in our class, undefeated, just like his father. 

And, because he's tall, dark, handsome, and the best fighter in our territory, it makes him quite the catch for Beta's. 

I say Betas because Delta ones are the preferred mate for a Beta. It's the highest rank they can be mated to since no Alpha would want them. They think Alphas and Betas don't go together. They're too high up in the chain and bump heads with Alpha's. 

Unlike lower ranks, a submissive Beta still has dominant pheromones and dominant tendencies. The only way you would know they're submissive is in bed because they produce slick and can get pregnant. Other than that, you would never know that a Beta is submissive. 

Having dominant pheromones and dominant tendencies isn't a quality Alphas like. They want a submissive, someone who will submit to them not only in the bedroom but everywhere. They want someone they can control and dominate. It's kind of hard to do that with a Beta, especially one like myself. We're just as tall, and some are as strong as an Alpha. 

If an Alpha was lucky enough to receive a mate, and the mate was a Beta, they would reject them. For most Alphas, this is ideal because their mate can't be used against them. 

Chosen mates don't have a full connection like a fated mate. There are no tingles when you touch them; you can't feel each other's feelings, and you can't feel if the other is hurt. This makes a chosen mate ideal in the event an enemy tries to get to the Alpha by hurting their mate. That kind of pain is crippling and would make any Alpha an easy target. With a chosen mate, you don't have that, so an enemy can't get to you through your mate. 

Most Alphas are forced to take a chosen mate regardless since not everyone receives a fated mate. 

I couldn't care less. A mate is the last thing on my mind, but that's not the case for Nikolai. 

I look to the right a little further, and my eyes land on my future Alpha. My heart clenches. Nikolai has always dreamed of finding his mate. He was so sure the Goddess would give him one. 

After he turned 18, every day, he hoped the ability to sense his mate would kick in. After he turned 19, he was sure that would be the year it would happen. When that year neared its end, and he turned 20, just like the previous year, Nikolai was certain that would be the year for him. 

He turned 21 five months ago… each month that passes, I see his heart break a little more. 

Werewolves aren't born able to sense their mate. That gene doesn't turn on until between our 18th and 21st birthday. It's different for each person and doesn't happen on a specific day, which would be convenient. At least you wouldn't spend the rest of the year wondering if that was the year it would happen. It's random, and it could happen at any time.

Once Nikolai's 22nd birthday is here, and that gene he swears he will be able to feel never turns on, he'll know he's not receiving a mate.

Some claim they can feel the moment the gene turns on. Nikolai has been adamant that he would be able to feel it since he was eight years old. Unfortunately, he only has seven months for that gene to awaken, or it never will.

There are only a few instances where it will kick in after you're 22, and that's if your mate hasn't reached age yet. But the number of times it's documented of that happening is so small that it's highly unlikely it would happen for him. 

There hasn't been a documented case in over ten years. I don't see Nikolai having a small chance of being the first person in ten years to receive a mate after turning 22. 

I watch him walk through the crowd, his nose flaring, desperately trying to see if the scent of his mate will kick-start that gene.

I look away; I don't want to see the disappointment when he doesn't find him. 

As I look away, my eyes land on Weston, and I almost laugh when I see him surrounded by Betas, desperately trying to get his attention. 

I laugh as I place my hand on the small of Milo's back and guide him away from that mess. I feel Weston pushing against the link and laugh harder as I hold it closed. 

I roll my eyes when I see an Omega walking through the crowd, balancing a tray of drinks. He's thin and clearly hasn't been fed enough. As he walks past, I lean in and take a deep breath. His scent fills my nose, and I immediately know which pack he's from. It doesn't take me long to find the jerk that landed me in jail last year. I let go of Milo and began storming toward him. Apparently, this asshole didn't learn how to treat his omegas after I kindly explained with my fist. 

A firm hand caught me by the chest, stopping me in my tracks. 

“Don't even think about it! I will throw you in jail before you even make it to him. Turn around and walk away!” My Alpha said firmly in my ear. 

I groan before I turn my head and look at him. 

“Just one little hit?... Please?” I said, holding my hands together as I sarcastically begged. 

“You're ridiculous!” The Alpha said as he turned me in the opposite direction of my target and pushed me.

“Go have some fun! See if your mate's here,” He yelled as I walked away. 

“ I don't have a mate!” I hollered back.

“Well, go flirt and get laid! Your attitude needs it!” He yelled, and I choked on my spit. I looked at the Alpha in shock as he laughed while walking away. 

When I turned forward, I came to an abrupt stop when my eyes landed on the asshole I hate above all others, Alaric. 

I growled in frustration. Nikolai promised he wouldn't be here! He said his father convinced Alaric's father to leave him home this year. Either Nikolai lied to me, or that asshole's father lied to my Alpha. 

My jaw clenched, and my hands curled into fists. 

I got the best of this asshole at last year's event, but he got the best of me four months ago and knocked me out cold. I would have won if I had seen it coming, but this asshole sucker punched me as I turned around. I gave him a run for his money, but in the end, he won, and I woke up later that evening in the hospital with a broken jaw. 

Our Alphas had us on a tight leash after that fight because we tried going after each other again. 

I snuck out of the pack one night and quickly found that asshole doing patrols. I only got a few hits in before their guards pried us apart. 

Not even a week later, I ran into him in the human town and caused quite the scene, not to mention scaring the shit out of my Alpha. I was so close to shifting, which would have been a disaster for me. 

I would have been tried for exposing the supernatural world and sentenced to death. 

Thankfully, that didn't happen. It only took one hit from Weston's father, and I was lying on the ground out cold. 

I just got off probation 3 weeks ago. I stare at the asshole and contemplate if he's worth spending the next 2 weeks in jail, and 3 months on probation. When the asshole smirks at me, I decide it's worth every second, and my lips curl up as I step forward. Unfortunately, It's like the goddess is throwing everything she has at me, trying to keep my dumbass out of trouble. A hand firmly grabs the back of my shirt and pulls me to a stop.

I slowly turn around and groan when I find my father glaring at me while shaking his head. 

“Fine!” I said as I held my hands up. 

My father released my shirt but didn't step back. I knew what he was waiting for, which frustrated me beyond belief. He wasn't walking away until I went in the opposite direction of Alaric. I didn't care that I looked like a pouting child when I stomped my foot and stormed away.

I mumbled under my breath as I walked away. My anger disappeared when I saw Milo giggling at me. I knew he saw my little tantrum and found it amusing.

I narrow my eyes at the little pipsqueak, and his hand slaps over his mouth to stop his laughter. My eyes flickered as my wolf pushed forward with me, ready for a game of chase. 

Milo's eyes widened, shrieking as he turned on his heels and ran off. My lips tugged up, and I stretched my neck before I gave chase. 

The little Omega isn't fast, but he's swift on his feet. He weaves in and out of the crowd much easier than I can, which gives him an advantage. 

The Omega giggles as he races through the crowd. My eyes widened when a large Alpha stepped out in front of him, causing Milo to bounce off his body and fall backward. 

Milo shrieked in fear as the asshole that owned him previously grabbed him by the throat and held him in the air. His feet dangled, and his hands frantically clawed at his hand, desperately trying to free himself. 

My canines elongated as my hands curled into fists, growling as I ran faster. The asshole turned his head just in time to receive my fist to his face. 

His head jerked to the side, and Milo dropped to the ground. He sucked a breath in before coughing while scrambling backward.

I quickly scooped the Omega into my arms, and he nearly tried to crawl around my body like a spider and climb on my back. 

Alpha Jeffrey rubbed his face as he rotated his jaw, glaring at me. 

I held the Omega tight in my arms, rubbing his back to calm him down and let him know he was safe. 

“How dare you lay your hands on an Alpha!” Jeffrey's voice boomed. 

I felt his pathetic excuse in an attempt to force his Alpha command over me. 

I turned Milo away from him, placing myself between the two in hopes Milo wouldn't feel much of it as each wave of his aura rushed over me. 

I smirked, and he looked at me in shock. His eyes rapidly move as he looks me up and down, trying to figure out how his command did not affect me. 

What he doesn't know is that I was trained for this. My father isn't Beta blood; he's Alpha blood. He began training me to withstand the Alpha command when I was young. 

By the time I was a cocky 14-year-old, not even my own Alpha's command had an effect on me. As impressed as Victor was, that put my father in the dog house. 

The image of my father forming an “O” with his lips before whistling as he tried to sneak away from Victor is forever burned in my head. Whenever I looked at my father, I laughed for almost two weeks. 

“That's what happens to someone who comes into my pack and lays their hands on a fellow member of my pack!” I said.

“A fellow pack member?” Jeffrey asks, raising an eyebrow.

“If I recall, I sold you this used Omega as a breeder, not to be added to your stupid little pack!” 

My chest vibrates as I growl. I desperately wanted to shred him to pieces for talking about my pack and Milo like that. 

“What I do with the Omega after we purchase him is none of your business!” I said through gritted teeth. 

“Oh, but on the contrary, it is my business! If you free the Omega instead of using him as agreed upon, I have the right to take him back.” Jeffrey said with a smirk that I wanted to knock off his face. 

Milo buried his face in my neck and whimpered, his fingers digging into my skin, terrified as he clung to me for protection.

My heart sank. I had forgotten about that little detail. Looking at Milo, I knew what I had to do. It was the only way to stop the Alpha from taking him. 

“I am not using him as a breeder because I am taking him as a chosen mate!” I said, and the smirk on the asshole's face disappeared. 

“W-what?... Him?” Jeffrey asked in shock as he pointed to Milo. 

I pulled him closer as I rubbed his back. To drive my point home, I kissed the side of Milo's face while staring at the Alpha. 

“Yes! I choose Milo as my chosen mate! He's beautiful and has great birthing hips to carry my pup. My feelings for him have changed. I love him and was planning to mate and mark him tonight.” I said, and Milo pulled his head back and looked at me in shock.

His shocked face was adorable, especially with his mouth hanging wide open. I reached up, placed my finger under his chin, and closed his mouth while chuckling.

“I-you-he-really?” Jeffrey stumbled over his words, and my lips curled up. 

“Really. Now, if you'll excuse me, I plan to spend as much time with my mate this evening as possible. This night is special for him,” I said as I reached up and trailed my finger down the side of Milo's face affectionately. 

The Omega blinked as he stared at me with big doe eyes. I bit the inside of my cheek to stop myself from laughing. Goddess, he was adorable! I thought as I turned and walked away from Jeffrey. 

“Y-your… Um…what?!!!” Milo stammered. The expression on his face turned from shock to wanting to throw something at me. 

My composure broke, and a smile spread across my face before I laughed. 

Milo pressed his lips together as he slapped my shoulder. 

“You scared me! For a minute, I thought you were really into me!” Milo said angrily. 

I raised an eyebrow at the little Omega. For a moment, I could have sworn he turned green at the thought of being with me. 

“Do I disgust you that much?” I asked, and unfortunately, that only landed me with another slap to the shoulder 

“Yes! You're like my brother! That's gross!” Milo said, and my shoulders shook as I laughed. 

Milo squirmed in my tight grasp, and I hugged him and kissed the side of his face. 

“I love you too! Now go and stay out of trouble, or I'll claim you as my mate!” I said jokingly, and Milo sucked a sharp breath in before turning and running away from me. 

I watched Milo disappear into the crowd as he ran to Weston. Once he was in Weston's arms, I turned, intending to grab a drink. Unfortunately, when I turned, I saw dipshit leaning against the drink stand with an amused look on his face, staring at me. 

My jaw clenched before relaxing. I blew out a breath while dragging my hand down my face. 

“This is going to be a long night!” I mumbled before lifting my head and walking toward the drink stand. If I'm going to last, I will need a stiff drink.