I sit back, my arm draped casually over Jace’s shoulder, but my attention isn’t on him. Not really. It’s on the other side of the dining hall, where Tyler sits with Jacob and Noah. From here, it’s impossible to ignore the tension rolling off him in waves. Even with Noah right next to him, trying to talk him down from whatever’s brewing inside, Tyler looks like he’s barely keeping it together.And I don’t know why I’m still watching him.I should be focused on Jace. He’s leaning into me, his soft laughter filling the air every now and then when I whisper something in his ear. It’s easy, almost too easy, to get lost in this moment. But I’m not lost. I’m not even here, not really.My eyes flick back to Tyler, just as he glances up from his tray. For a split second, our eyes meet across the room, and it feels like the air is stolen from my lungs.Tyler’s green eyes flash that unmistakable Omega silver, cutting through whatever front he’s trying to put up. It’s only for a moment, just a b
I’m pacing my room, running my hands through my hair, my heart racing. It wasn’t supposed to happen. I wasn’t supposed to flash my silver—especially not to him. What the hell is wrong with me? Landon isn’t my Alpha. He’s not even supposed to matter anymore. So why did I do it? Why, out of nowhere, did my body betray me like that?I keep pacing, my chest tightening more with every second that passes. Jacob’s out for the night with the other Betas, and I have no one to talk to, no one to help me figure out why I’m feeling like this. I’m stuck alone with my thoughts, and they’re spiralling out of control. Every time I close my eyes, I see Landon looking at me, his eyes locked on mine, the shock in his expression clear as day.He saw it. He saw me flash my silver to him, there’s no way he didn’t. And now, he probably thinks I’m some needy, messed-up Omega who can’t even keep his emotions in check. I’ve always been so good at controlling myself, at keeping my distance from Alphas, but La
I’m walking back to my dorm, and I’m reeling. My mind is spinning, racing through everything that just happened. Tyler wants me. He actually wants me. I can still feel the warmth of his body pressed against mine, the way he trembled when I touched him, the way his scent filled the room, thick and intoxicating. That wasn’t something he could fake, wasn’t something he could control. He gave me his silver—his Omega instincts opened up to me, and he scented me. But as I walk, another thought creeps into my mind: Jace.Fuck.He’s a good guy. Sweet, soft, everything an Omega should be. But now, after tonight, it’s clear as day that I can’t keep stringing him along. There’s no way in hell I’m going to make Tyler doubt me, not after he gave me his silver and scented me like that. He was vulnerable with me, raw in a way I’ve never seen before, and I can’t fuck this up. I won’t.As much as I hate to admit it, Jace was always a distraction. He was easy. He didn’t push me, didn’t challenge me
I wake up to the uncomfortable feeling of being watched, and when I open my eyes, Jacob is standing over me, arms crossed, his face twisted into a deep frown.“What the hell?” I groan, rubbing my eyes and sitting up. “Why are you staring at me like that?”Jacob doesn’t answer right away. He just sniffs the air, his frown deepening, before finally speaking. “Why does this room smell like Landon Hayes?”My entire body goes rigid. Blood rushes to my face, and I know I’m blushing like a damn tomato. My mind races as I try to figure out what to say, how to explain why Landon’s scent is all over the room—and me.He raises an eyebrow, waiting for me to respond. “Well?”“I…” I stammer, pulling the blanket up to my chest like it’s some kind of shield. “I can explain.”“Yeah,” Jacob says dryly, still frowning. “You’d better.”I take a deep breath, trying to gather my thoughts, but it’s no use. My brain is still a mess after last night, and I can barely make sense of it myself, let alone explain
I spot Tyler the second I walk into the dining hall. He’s sitting with Jacob, looking flustered, glancing around like he knows something’s coming but doesn’t know what. I can’t help the smirk that pulls at my lips. The way he’s reacting just to the sight of me from across the room and it’s exactly the kind of reaction I crave. And it’s not just any reaction—it’s Tyler’s reaction.My eyes lock on him, and I can see the way his body tenses, his fingers gripping his fork a little too tightly. It’s that good kind of uncomfortable, the kind that makes him squirm but in a way that sends all his signals firing off. And then there’s that scent. That apple pie scent that’s already filling the room, making it impossible to think about anything else.Fuck, he smells good.I lean against the wall, watching him from a distance, enjoying the show. He’s trying so hard to act like I’m not getting to him, but I can see the cracks. The way his body responds to me, even when he’s doing everything he c
I’m still sitting there, completely frozen, trying to process what the hell just happened. My heart’s racing, my face is burning, and I can’t seem to catch my breath. Landon just… he just kissed me. In front of everyone.I can still feel the heat of his lips on mine, the way he growled “Mine” like he was branding me, like he was staking a claim on me for the entire world to see. And the worst part? I let him. I didn’t push him away, didn’t fight it. I… I gave in. I said it. I told him I was his.Jacob’s staring at me from across the table, his fork suspended in midair, his eyes wide with shock. “Dude,” he finally says, his voice low and almost disbelieving. “What just happened?”I blink, still feeling like I’m in a daze, and slowly shake my head. “I… I don’t know.”“Did he just…?”“Yeah.”“And you…?”“Yeah.”Jacob puts his fork down, leaning forward, his face a mixture of concern and disbelief. “Tyler, what the actual fuck? You just let Landon Hayes kiss you in front of the whole scho
“I’m sorry.”I blink, surprised by the apology. Landon doesn’t do apologies, at least not the Landon I’m used to. But here he is, looking like he’s barely holding it together.“I wasn’t thinking,” he continues, his voice cracking a little. “I was so… worked up, and I saw you with Noah, and I just—fuck, Tyler, I lost control. I was way too aggressive, and I didn’t even give you a chance to think or say anything. I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have done that.”He finally looks up at me, his eyes full of something I’m not used to seeing in him—guilt. Genuine guilt.“I don’t know what the hell’s wrong with me,” he mutters, running a hand through his hair again. “I’ve never felt like this before, so possessive, so… out of control. And I know that’s not fair to you. You didn’t ask for any of this, and I shouldn’t have acted like I had some claim on you without even asking. I’m sorry, Tyler. I was an ass.”I stare at him for a moment, completely taken aback by how raw he’s being. This isn’t the Land
Jacob walks back into the dorm, whistling like nothing in the world is wrong. He throws his bag onto his bed and glances at me, sprawled out on my own bed, staring at the ceiling like it holds all the answers.“Hey, Ty. You good?” he asks, noticing the tension in the room. His eyebrows furrow as he looks at me more closely. “You look like you’ve seen a ghost.”I sit up, running my hands through my hair. I don’t even know where to start. All the emotions swirling inside me have been boiling over since Landon left earlier, and now it’s like I’m about to explode. Jacob’s become my best friend, and I’ve been holding all this in for too long.“No, Jacob. I’m not good,” I finally blurt out, and he freezes mid-step, clearly taken aback by my sudden outburst. “I’m really not good.”He raises an eyebrow and sits down on the edge of his bed, giving me his full attention. “Alright. Spill. What happened?”I take a deep breath, my heart pounding in my chest. “It’s Landon. He came by earlier. After
The second Jacob’s father steps into the garden, everything shifts.He doesn’t even have to speak. That man walks with the kind of presence that makes the air around him stand to attention. Jacob straightens in his seat immediately, and Landon tenses like he was waiting for this exact moment. I see the way Jacob’s brows pull slightly, how his thumb briefly brushes mine under the table—a silent apology before he even says anything.“Jacob. Landon,” Richard says, voice smooth but clipped. “May I have a moment?”There’s no question that it’s a command.Jacob stands, eyes flicking to me as he squeezes my hand once. “Won’t be long.”I nod, but it’s tight. My fingers feel a little colder once he’s gone.Now it’s just me. And Tyler.Awkward doesn’t even begin to cover it.I shift slightly in my seat, crossing my legs, then uncrossing them. My fingers toy with the edge of the linen napkin on my lap. The birds in the trees are too loud. The wind too quiet. Everything suddenly feels like it’s
Tyler looks like he’s been dipped in sunlight.It’s the first thing I notice as he steps out of the car, Landon beside him. He’s glowing, not in the literal sense—no supernatural aura or anything weird—but just glowing. His skin looks clearer, cheeks a little fuller, his whole face pulled into a grin that doesn’t seem to want to go anywhere.There’s something unshakably good about him today, like he finally figured out how to take a full breath again and doesn’t want to stop.I never knew him that well at the Academy, but I knew of him. Everyone did. Tyler Winchester was the kind of Omega that floated through the halls with a quiet confidence that didn’t feel manufactured.He was kind, but not soft. Sharp, but not cruel. Just… steady. Like he’d found the center of his own world and was unapologetically orbiting it.Seeing him now, I get it. I get why Jacob loved him back then, even if it wasn’t the kind of love that lasted forever.He and Landon walk up the path like they’ve done this
I find my father in his office, where he always is when the rest of the house feels like too much. Behind the glass desk, papers stacked with surgical precision, screens scrolling through live feeds from every AOB-affiliated site in the country, he looks like he belongs in a war room more than a home. It fits him. It always has.He looks up when I walk in without knocking. That’s allowed now, apparently. Since everything came to light, the rules are shifting beneath us. They’re still there, just less rigid. More silent understanding, less formal armor.“Jacob,” he says, setting aside the tablet in his hand. “Everything alright?”“No,” I say simply, and his posture straightens just enough for me to know I have his attention. He gestures for me to sit, but I don’t. I stay standing. The weight of what I’m carrying doesn’t want a chair under it.“I spoke to Tyler yesterday,” I start, watching his expression carefully. “We talked about a lot, but there’s one thing he said that stuck.”My f
The car ride back is quiet.Not the kind of awkward silence you get when people are mad or holding something back, but the kind that hangs in the air after too much emotion has passed through a room, leaving everything stripped bare in its wake. The kind of silence that fills your lungs and settles in your chest and makes your skin too tight for your bones.Jacob’s hand is on my knee the whole time, his thumb brushing slow circles through the fabric of my slacks, his pinky just barely brushing my thigh like he’s scared I’ll pull away if he touches me fully.I don’t, but I don’t say much either. I’m not mad, that’s not what this is. It’s not even jealousy anymore, not really. It’s something else. Something deeper. Something I don’t have a name for.Tyler cried when he saw Jacob. Crumpled, really. Fell into Jacob like the reunion broke something in him. And I wasn’t surprised by that—I knew they were close. I expected emotion. But what I didn’t expect was how personal it would feel. How
I let it go for now. I know better than to push Tyler when he’s still sorting through a million things at once. I can practically see the gears grinding in his head. I can see the way he’s holding everything in—questions, emotions, grief, betrayal. It’s all there in his posture. Tight. Guarded. Controlled.But I’m not done yet. Not even close.“I need to tell you the rest,” I say, and my voice sounds quieter now, like even I can feel how fragile this moment is.Tyler lifts his eyes to mine, and for the first time since we walked in, they don’t burn with hurt. Just exhaustion.“It’s about Xavier,” I say, my fingers tightening slightly around Xavier’s hand beneath the table. “What they did to him… the reason we’re here now… it’s bigger than what it looks like.”Xavier’s quiet next to me, but I feel him shift, feel the slight tremble in his fingers. He doesn’t look at Tyler—his gaze stays on the table, shoulders just a little hunched, like he’s bracing for impact even though he doesn’t n
I don’t remember the drive over. Not really.I remember the hum of the engine, the low rumble of tires on the road, and the way Xavier’s hand never left mine the whole way. I remember the way my heart sat like a stone in my chest, slow and sick with nerves. I remember trying to breathe around it. But the second we pulled up outside the little private meeting space arranged by my father’s team, all of that faded into one single, sharp thought:I’m about to lose him.Because no matter how many times I rehearsed this conversation in my head—no matter how many versions I tried to imagine—none of them ended with things going back to the way they were.Tyler was my first real friend. My anchor. The one person who made it feel okay to be small sometimes. And now I’m about to tell him that everything he thought he knew about me was a lie.The building is quiet when we step inside. Sleek and neutral, like the kind of place used for off-the-books meetings and private council visits. The securit
The moment Jacob starts pacing, I know it’s going to be one of those nights.He doesn’t even try to pretend otherwise. Doesn’t try to play it off with that lazy smirk he gives when he wants to pretend he’s got everything under control. Tonight, he doesn’t have it. He’s wearing a threadbare shirt I love on him—one of the few pieces in his wardrobe that doesn’t scream “Alpha heir of a powerful empire”—but the way he’s tugging at the hem, running his hand through his hair every few minutes, chewing the inside of his cheek like it’s a damn snack? It’s obvious.He’s nervous, and if he circles past the fireplace one more time, I’m going to throw a pillow at his head.He doesn’t even realize he’s doing it. He’s somewhere else entirely, lost in whatever spiraling train of thought his brain has decided to torture him with tonight. His brows are drawn tight, his jaw clenched, and he keeps raking a hand through his hair like it’ll magically produce answers if he does it enough.I’m curled up on
It’s been two hours since Jacob’s call, and I haven’t stopped thinking about it.He sounded… different. Tired, but not just physically. Not like he was exhausted from lack of sleep or overtraining like back at the Academy. This was deeper. Heavier. Like something had been sitting on him for a long time, and only now was he starting to come up for air.The Turner-Alcott family.It didn’t make sense at first. I couldn’t figure out why that name hit me the way it did, like something half-buried in my memory just got kicked loose. It wasn’t just the weight in Jacob’s voice—it was the way he told me to talk to Landon. Not a teacher. Not administration. Landon.Landon’s out on the patio behind our dorm, shirt sleeves rolled up, flipping through a stack of papers for one of his business classes. His legs are kicked up on the table, glasses perched on the edge of his nose—he only wears them when he’s reading for long stretches, and for some reason, the sight of him like that still makes somet
The kitchen smells like cinnamon and coffee and toasted bread, and Xavier’s still chattering behind me while I flip the last of the waffles onto a plate. He’s perched on the counter, legs swinging back and forth, his hair damp from a shower and face clean of makeup for once, not because he forgot it, but because I think today he just wanted to feel simple. Real.He looks good like this. He looks good all the time, but there’s something about this version—barefaced, in one of my oversized sweatshirts, ankles crossed, cheeks flushed with something that’s not stress for once—that just hits different.He’s talking about something he read on one of the gossip threads back at the Academy—some rumor about two bonded Alphas who got into a fight in the dining hall over protein powder or territory or something ridiculous. I’m only half-listening, smiling at the way his voice lifts when he gets worked up, how his hands move when he’s trying to paint the scene for me.Then my phone buzzes on the