Chapter 4

Zarek’s POV 

I had been at Ryker's pack house for over a month now, and today... Today my preheat hit. I had been so careful for the past few weeks, trying to keep myself in check, but I couldn't control the raging fire inside me anymore. I had no idea how my wolf would react during my heat, especially in the presence of an Alpha like Ryker.

My wolf, he despised me. I could feel his frustration, his anger, his desperation. Unlike me, he hadn't given up hope. He still wanted to escape, still dreamed of finding our true mate. And then there was me, broken, resigned. I had accepted my fate as Ryker’s. I hated it, but I had no other choice. 

I couldn’t blame my wolf, though. If I could, I’d leave in a heartbeat. But the truth was, I didn’t know how my body would react. The heat always forced me into submission, and now, with Ryker around, the danger felt even more real. I didn’t want him near me, but I couldn’t escape the pull of his dominance. My wolf wanted to fight back, but I was too scared to even let him.

I shook my head, trying to clear the thoughts as I wandered to Ryker’s closet. I needed to build my nest, something to make me feel safe. But nothing in here smelled right. Everything was tainted with his scent, overpowering and suffocating. 

I grabbed a few old T-shirts, the ones Ryker rarely wore, hoping they’d be enough to calm my nerves. They didn’t smell like him, at least not strongly enough to make my wolf want to tear them to shreds. It was the best I could do. 

I jumped when I heard a knock on the door. My heart raced, and I hissed instinctively, unable to stop it. I was on edge, irritated, and desperately trying to hold myself together. 

The door creaked open, and there she was, Akiri. My one bright spot in this entire wretched place. 

"You're hissing at me, Zarek?" she said, her voice teasing, but there was something soft in her gaze. “Pretty aggressive of you.”

I stopped hissing, embarrassed, and gave her a tired smile. “I missed you,” I admitted, my voice barely above a whisper as I watched her sit down beside me on the bed. 

“I missed you too.” Her voice was warm as she handed me a tray of fruit, but I wasn’t hungry. Not really. 

I shook my head, pushing the tray aside. “I’m not hungry.” The words came out more forcefully than I intended, and I regretted them immediately. But the frustration inside me... it felt impossible to contain.

Tali let out a soft sigh. “You need to eat, Zarek.”

“I don’t want to,” I growled, my voice raw with emotion. "I want to build my nest. I want a scent I actually like.” My wolf stirred inside me, urging me to tear everything apart, but I didn’t.

Akiri looked at me, sadness in her eyes. She understood. She knew the depths of my pain, even when I couldn’t put it into words. I could see how badly it hurt her to watch me struggle. 

"Why do you do this to yourself, Zarek?" she asked softly, brushing a stray lock of hair from my face.

I sank into the nest, my body trembling as I tried to find some comfort in the chaos of my emotions. "I don't want to give my heat to the Alpha,” I whispered, my voice breaking. “I want to wait for my mate.”

Akiri’s expression softened, and she brushed the tears from my face. “Zarek, you can’t control everything. You’ll get through this.”

I shook my head, the words tasting bitter on my tongue. "No, I won't. My mate... they’ll never want me. I’m just a tool for breeding." My heart shattered as the words left me. I didn’t want to believe them, but it was the only truth I had.

Akiri’s voice hardened, sharp with authority. “Don’t you dare talk about yourself like that. Ever.” Her words were a command, and they shook me to my core. 

I shivered under her gaze, lowering my head in quiet apology. “Sorry,” I whispered, afraid to upset the only person who had ever shown me kindness here.

She softened, brushing the hair from my face again. "It’s okay, Zarek. I didn’t mean to scare you. I just don’t want you to think so lowly of yourself. You deserve more than this." She grabbed the bowl of fruit and nudged it toward me. “Now, eat.”

I didn’t want to, but I did. I picked up a piece of melon and ate it slowly, trying to please her. Akiri was the only one in this whole house whoever made me feel... seen. 

"Good boy, Zarek," she said with a smile, and my heart twisted in my chest. I swallowed another piece of fruit, forcing a smile. She always told me I deserved better, that nothing that had happened to me was my fault. It was strange, she didn’t fit in with the pack’s culture, but I never questioned her. She was my friend. The only one.

"Akiri?" I asked quietly, wanting to understand more about her. 

She turned to me, her expression softening. “Yeah?”

“Why don’t you have a scent?” I asked, curiosity gnawing at me. If she had one, I would have asked her for something, anything, to help me feel safe. But she didn’t. Not that I could detect.

Akiri smiled sadly, shaking her head. "I don’t have one... not right now, at least. You’ll understand soon enough, okay?" 

I didn’t push her. I just nodded, accepting the mystery. “Okay.”

She smiled again, her warmth a small comfort in the coldness of the room. “I’ll see you later.” 

She left, and I was alone again, the silence pressing in on me. I needed to rest; the pain of my preheat was already starting to set in. It would only get worse from here. 

I closed my eyes, the darkness of my thoughts wrapping around me, and tried to sleep. I had a few days left before my heat would fully take over, and I wasn’t ready for it. I wasn’t ready for Ryker. But what choice did I have?

*******

I woke to Ryker’s presence, his scent overwhelming me as he climbed into my space, rubbing his nose along my neck. 

"You smell so good," he whispered, nibbling at my skin, his hands tugging at my pants. I froze. 

I wanted to scream, to push him off, but my wolf was stirring, urging me to submit, to accept what was happening. 

I growled, unable to stop it, my fear rising. “You’re in my space.” I said weakly, my voice shaky. “I don’t feel safe.”

Ryker’s growl rumbled in his chest, his breath hot against my skin. “You’re mine. You’ll feel safe, just trust me.” 

I fought back, pushing him away. “I’m not in heat yet. Get off!” I whimpered, my wolf lashing out in frustration.

Ryker snarled, grabbing my hair and forcing me to bare my neck. “It’s not your place to tell me what to do,” he spat. “I want this to be good for you, but it won’t be if you keep fighting me!” 

I could feel the strength of his grip, the weight of his dominance pressing down on me. 

Something inside me snapped. My wolf surged to the forefront, and before I could think, I lashed out, punching him in the throat. 

Ryker stumbled back, gasping for air. I ran, my heart pounding as I dove into the closet and locked the door behind me. 

“Open the door, Omega!” Ryker’s voice boomed from the other side, fury lacing his words. “You’d better open it or I’ll come in there, and you won’t like it.”

“I’m not happy right now!” I spat, finally finding my voice. 

The door shook under the force of his pounding. “I’m not your property!” I screamed, my chest tightening with the weight of my defiance.

Ryker roared, the sound shaking the room. But before he could tear down the door, I heard another voice.

“Alpha!” It was Blackwood, Ryker’s Beta, calling out in desperation.

“Blackwood! You better have a good reason for being here!” Ryker growled.

“We’re under attack, Alpha. Another pack... they’re raiding us!” Blackwood's voice was laced with panic.

Ryker’s rage intensified. “A pack? What do they want?”

“They want your Omega,” Blackwood said, his voice uncertain.

Ryker snarled. “I’ll kill anyone who tries to take what’s mine!”

But I could feel it, the shift in the air. Things were about to change.

*****

I waited in the closet, heart racing, as the sounds of battle echoed from outside. I had no idea what was coming next, but I couldn’t help the strange pull I felt. The danger... it made me feel more alive than I’d ever been. 

And then, the door was ripped from its hinges.

A new Alpha stood in front of me, his icy blue eyes locking with mine. For the first time in twenty years, I heard my wolf’s voice: “That’s him.”