The workstations stretched across a vast, open field at the outskirts of the pack, a series of metal warehouses lined up in perfect rows. From the outside, they looked pristine—cold, industrial, their steel walls gleaming beneath the sun. To an outsider, it might seem orderly, efficient. A controlled system.But stepping inside was like entering another world entirely.The stench hit me first—a pungent mix of sweat, rot, and something metallic that lingered in the air. Blood. Feces. Maybe both.The interior was cramped, overcrowded with hunched, exhausted bodies moving sluggishly but unrelentingly. The floors were caked with grime, littered with discarded food crumbs and fabric scraps. Dirty clothes hung from rusted nails in the walls, the air thick with the suffocating heat of too many bodies packed together.Omegas.Men, women, children. Some barely older than ten, their small hands raw from hours of labor. Their clothes were tattered, hanging off their frail bodies like loose skin,
A small, pale-blue pill sat in the center of my palm. Smooth. Unassuming. It caught the dim light from my bedside lamp, a soft sheen glinting off its surface. If you didn’t know what it was, you’d think it was harmless—just another supplement, another dose of something ordinary.But Vellum wasn’t ordinary.I rolled it between my fingers, feeling the slight indent where the manufacturer’s symbol was pressed into its surface. The moment it dissolved on my tongue, the effects would start.First, a cooling sensation at the base of my skull. Then, the detachment—like a thread unraveling, separating me from my body, my mind, my emotions. My heart would slow, my limbs would feel weightless, and everything that made me me would drift just far enough away that I wouldn’t have to feel any of it.That was the promise of Vellum. It didn’t erase pain, not exactly. It just made it irrelevant.And before I was set to leave to execute a boy, I made sure to down at least a whole bottle of it.I’d fini
Anjelo was to be beheaded just beyond our pack’s borders. When it was done, his body would be left there for the animals to feast on.This bothered me—but not enough that I felt it, not enough that it showed. It was like I was outside myself, watching everything unfold from a distance. Detached. Removed. And honestly, I didn’t mind. Hiding back here, in this numb, unreachable place, was easier than facing what was happening.By the time I arrived with Izaak, a crowd had already gathered. News had spread, worming its way into every corner of the pack, dragging people out of their homes, their jobs, their routines, just to see a boy die.I recognized more faces than I wanted to. Warriors, enforcers, elders—but also students. People from the university. A few professors, even. The sight of them made my stomach tighten.They shouldn’t be here.My gaze swept the crowd instinctively, searching without meaning to. Looking for her.No sign of Lenora.At that, a breath I hadn’t realized I was
He took a step forward, shoes crunching against the dry grass and then… his fist met my face. I stumbled back, the full force of an Alpha’s blow wasn’t someone anyone could stand least of all me in my intoxicated state. I rubbed a hand over my jaw, I was half sure it was broken and I could taste a metallic tang of blood in my mouth—the only reason I wasn’t sure if my jaw was broken was because I was numb somewhat, pain didn’t make sense and I could barely pinpoint the sensations in my own body. “I apologise, Father,” I spoke, not because I was genuinely sorry, but because it was a reflex at this point. I looked up at him when he gave no reply and found him standing a few feet away, staring at me with absolutely no emotion on his face. I struggled to focus on his features, it was like when he’d hit me he shook about the fog that was clouding my thoughts. The world was still thick with Vellum’s haze, dulling the edges of my reality, but not enough, not enough that I couldn’t feel t
The entire school was in chaos.Whispers filled the halls, rippling through every corridor like an unstoppable current. Students huddled in small groups, heads bent close, murmuring in hushed, urgent tones. The energy in the air was restless, charged with something I couldn’t quite name—excitement, fear, maybe both.I noticed it first thing in the morning when I walked in and caught the way people turned toward each other, leaning in as if sharing a secret too heavy to speak aloud. Then again during my classes, where I practically had to raise my voice just to cut through the distraction. Even in the faculty lounge, tucked away in a corner with Morgan, I watched the professors speak in quick, animated bursts, their hands moving wildly as if the words alone weren’t enough.They couldn’t stop talking. And yet, I had no idea what they were talking about.I wouldn’t call myself nosy—I never cared much for gossip, not that I’d ever had anyone to gossip with before Morgan—but there was some
By the time lunch rolled around, I still hadn’t shaken the feeling.I sat in the cafeteria with Morgan, pushing my food around my plate, only half-listening as she talked about something that had happened in her morning class.Around us, the cafeteria was nearly deafening—louder than usual, especially on the students’ side. It was as if Elijah’s presence at school had amplified the gossip, and I still had no idea why.See, I wasn’t usually one to dwell on things, but for some reason, Elijah’s complete and utter dismissal of my presence refused to leave my mind.It shouldn’t have mattered. It was clear that something had happened to him this past week, something that had knocked him completely off his axis. I was the one who had insisted I was nothing but his professor. He didn’t owe me anything.And yet… I was hurt that he hadn’t even looked at me.I was a fool.“Good afternoon, Professor.”I looked up at the sound of Sophie’s voice.She stood with her tray in hand, an awkward smile p
And then, without another word, he turned sharply on his heel and stormed out of the cafeteria. No one moved. No one spoke. I didn’t realize I had already made my decision until I was already on my feet. Morgan shot me a look, but she didn’t say anything as I grabbed my bag and followed. — “Elijah!” My voice rang through the empty hallway, but he didn’t stop. If anything, he picked up his pace. I hurried after him, weaving past stray students lingering near their lockers, my heartbeat quickening as the distance between us grew. He was fast—too fast. It was like he didn’t even hear me, or maybe he just didn’t care. “Elijah, wait!” I nearly tripped as I rounded a corner, my breath coming in short bursts. My pulse pounded in my ears as I caught sight of him again, but then— He was gone. I skidded to a stop, scanning the empty corridor. Silence pressed down around me, thick and suffocating. For a moment, I thought I’d lost him completely. And then I felt it—something subtle, a
“Alright, that’s it for today,” I announced, closing my textbook with a decisive snap. The room filled with the familiar sounds of rustling papers and scraping chairs as students gathered their things. I let out a small breath of relief, it was a miracle in and of itself that I’d managed to complete today’s class without passing out in fatigue. I didn’t get a wink of sleep last night, my thoughts had been occupied by a certain golden-eyed Alpha Prince and the bruises that marred his body. I let my gaze sweep across the room and found him in the same place he sat in yesterday. A front seat, tucked away in the corner of the class, like the others he was shoving his materials back into his book bag. Unlike the others, his movements were just a little bit jerky, a small indicator of the horrifying wounds hidden beneath his sweater. I gave myself a moment this time, trying to figure out what my actions would look like to him. But no matter how I tried to push it aside, my actions s
I gasped and Victor stirred with a slow, rasping breath. His eyelids twitched before opening, dull whites streaked with red. Then he smiled—slow and cruel, as if he’d been expecting me all along.“You didn’t expect to see me like this,” he rasped, his voice scraping against the air like gravel against stone. Even like that he managed to sound amused. I didn’t respond.I couldn’t.My stomach churned, and something cold and slick crawled up my spine. Seeing Victor like this—pale, shirtless, and fragile-looking—should have made me feel powerful. It didn’t. It made me feel sick.My eyes dipped to the center of his chest, to the blackened, gaping wound that sat there like a festering brand. The skin around it was veined with sickly green and gray, pulsing ever so slightly like it breathed on its own.I swallowed hard. “What kind of magic could possibly hide something like that?” I whispered.He leaned forward slightly, wincing with the motion. “That’s not for you to know.”Before I could
I dreamt of Elijah that night.And I didn’t want that dream to end.It had just been us, wrapped in the stillness of that wildflower field. The warmth of his skin pressed against mine, the sunlight in his smile, the way his golden eyes had softened just for me—it had all felt so real. So safe… he’d leaned forward, hand ghosting against my upper arm, our lips were so close, barely a hairs breath away from each other…But then the sound of my phone ringing jolted me right out of that dream. I groaned, flinging my hand toward my bedside table. My fingers scraped uselessly against the surface until, finally, I found the phone and dragged it to my chest, squinting blearily at the screen in the early morning gloom.Izaak.The name alone was enough to chase away any trace of comfort. My stomach twisted as I sat up and answered before the next ring.“Professor Monroe,” Izaak’s lifeless voice drawled. “So nice of you to respond so quickly.”My face went pale with fear, then flushed red with a
As awed as I was by the sight before me—the sea of wildflowers stretching into the horizon, catching the golden light like something out of a dream—I couldn’t help but notice that Elijah had gone still. Not with wonder, but with a strange, distant vacancy. His body was here, but something in his eyes… wasn’t. I looked down at him from where he held me. “Are you okay?” He didn’t answer right away. His gaze remained fixed on the field, his features emptied of the emotion that had softened it ever since we left the library. There was a beat of silence, then, slowly, he nodded and bent to set me down. The flowers swayed gently beneath my feet, brushing my shins like whispers. The earth was soft—unlike the sharp stones and hard paths I’d expected. I glanced down at the delicate blooms, admiring the colour and fragileness of them. I looked up to say something to Elijah, but when I turned back to look for him—he was gone. Not entirely. Just… walking away. “Elijah!” I called out, hea
“You’re driving?” I heard Lenora ask from behind me. I only turned my head to the side slightly as I replied, “Yeah, it’s kinda far.” I heard her mumble something under her breath, and a smile almost graced my lips—almost. There was silence for a moment… then, “Should I be worried?” This time, I chuckled and turned around fully, regretting the action almost immediately. I could still feel the heat of her palm cradled in mine, and with her looking like that—her dark hair loose and curly, falling all over her shoulders—it was taking the little self-control I had left not to grab that hand again, yank her to me, and make a mess of what was left of her lipstick. It was such a fucking ridiculous idea to hold her hand. Lenora’s eyebrow jumped up, and she reached up to push back the errant strands of her hair that fell across her face. In the process, the collar of her shirt shifted, and I caught sight of her mark again. Irritation filled my throat. “I’m not going to hu
With the gala drawing closer and closer, I had less and less time to do anything other than sit through faculty ‘meetings’ that were really just a congregation of Evelyn’s most devout followers swapping basic ideas and acting like it was groundbreaking. Anytime someone other than her dared to speak, they were shut down explicitly—but none more so than me.Though I was silenced rather rudely most of the time, I was also the one forced to run most of the errands and do all the actual planning. When I asked why, an older professor looked me dead in the eyes and said it was because I was the newest addition to the faculty, therefore it was only right.And who was I to argue?I did as asked—made calls, ran around campus, juggled my classes and sessions with Elijah—all while enduring every backhanded comment with gritted teeth. And yet, as expected, there was no gratitude. Not from the faculty members, and certainly not from the Dean, who nitpicked everything I did.In short, I was tired. T
I was out of pills again. I pulled out the top drawer in my room and yanked out the pill bottle, scowling when I found it empty. With a curse, I threw it atop the many other bottles and took a step back, falling onto my bed. Luka had come an hour ago to grab his things. I’d considered using that time to talk to him and take Burke’s advice to “fix” it, but I’d ended up just hiding in my room while he and Neil packed. When they were done, Luka left immediately, and Neil stopped by my room to tell me in a small voice that they were leaving. He also told me about Luka’s recent issues with his father. When Neil left, I’d walked out to see what was left of Luka’s room—and it was almost nothing. A few of his clothes were still there. A few t-shirts, a pair of sneakers, a watch, a couple empty notebooks. But none of the things that really made the space his. Not the weird cactus-shaped lamp, not the horror movie posters he used to tape onto the wall with surgical precision, not the worn-o
Burke didn’t keep me in his office for much longer. Since I’d skipped previous practices and team meetings, he gave me a basic rundown for the next month—information I should’ve already known as captain. Information he’d already shared with the others.The faculty gala was coming up and, as usual, on the final day there would be a football game between our school and another college from our pack. Burke handed me the papers detailing the plays, then gave me the kind of scolding that didn’t raise his voice but somehow still made me feel ten inches tall.I took it. Quietly.After everything, I deserved worse. Any other coach would have had me kicked off the team given how often I missed practice. Before letting me go, he handed me a bottle of iced coffee—cold enough that condensation slid over my fingers—and muttered, “Fix things with Luka. Whatever the hell’s going on, it’s not helping either of you to be at odds.”I didn’t say anything in response, mostly because I didn’t know if I c
And deal with it, I did. Football practice was over, and after a short speech, Coach Burke dismissed us… or, well—everyone except me. I stayed behind, dragging my feet across the dew-damp grass as the others dispersed with laughter and shoulder bumps. I could hear Hunter’s voice somewhere in the distance, too loud and too smug. I ignored it. Coach Burke’s office was the only place on campus that felt remotely like a safe space. Cluttered with the smell of sweat, old wood, and varnished leather, it was messy in a way that didn’t ask anything of me. I stepped inside and took a long breath. The shelves were still lined with trophies from generations before me, with faded photographs of former players pinned up like aging ghosts. Medals, ribbons, a cracked hockey puck with someone’s initials carved into it—everything was packed in there. The couch was more of a suggestion than an actual seat. I opted for the chair in front of his desk, nudging aside a stray basketball with the toe
By the time the last student left my class, I was ready to fall apart.I didn’t let myself. I smiled, stacked the graded assignments with aching precision, and turned off my laptop and projector as properly as I could. I took my time. I stayed long after the lecture had ended, alone in the classroom with the fluorescent lights buzzing overhead like bees inside my skull. The silence should have helped. It didn’t.The day had started badly and snowballed into something worse. I’d barely made it to class on time, and the moment I stepped into the lecture hall, I knew the rumors hadn’t died.They’d grown teeth.Someone near the back had whistled under their breath when I walked in. Another muttered something about parties and princes, loud enough for half the room to hear. A third leaned toward me and interrupted during an explanation, just to ask with a smirk if I’d be willing to pick him up from the next party too—or was that service reserved for royalty only?The entire room had snicke