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
I’m sitting outside, trying to enjoy a rare moment of peace between classes when I see Noah approaching. My stomach tightens a little. I knew this conversation was coming—it had to—but I’ve been dreading it. Noah’s always been a good guy, and what happened between me and Landon isn’t exactly easy to explain.He stops in front of me, hands shoved into his pockets, looking down at me with a calm but serious expression. “Mind if I sit?”I nod, scooting over a bit on the bench. “Yeah, of course.”Noah takes a seat next to me, and for a few moments, neither of us say anything. The air between us feels heavy, and I can’t help but feel a little guilty. Noah never pushed me, never made me feel uncomfortable. He was always kind, always there when I needed someone to talk to. And now…“I owe you an apology,” I say quietly, staring down at my hands. “About what happened with Landon… in the dining hall. I never meant for any of this to happen. I didn’t want to hurt you.”Noah shakes his head, his
I sit at the table, waiting for my father to arrive, the clatter of dishes and low murmur of voices around me blending into the background. It’s strange being outside the academy, away from the constant noise and eyes of Ridgecrest. Normally, I’d be on edge, but today… Today feels different. The weight of what I’m about to tell my father is hanging over me, and I’m still trying to wrap my head around it myself.I never thought I’d get here. I always told myself I wasn’t going to rush into anything. I’ve been picky about Omegas my whole life, never wanting to settle, never feeling that pull everyone talked about. I knew I had to choose carefully, and until now, I hadn’t found anyone who made me want to choose.But Tyler changed that.As soon as my father walks in, I see him scanning the room, his eyes landing on me with that familiar smile. He looks the same as always—strong, confident, with the kind of presence that makes people take notice. He waves and makes his way over to the tab
From across the courtyard, I catch sight of him. He’s standing with Jacob, laughing at something, and for a second, everything else fades into the background. His curly brown hair catches the sunlight, and his green eyes are bright, even from where I’m standing. And fuck, the way he looks—stronger than most Omegas, with that stubborn glint in his eyes—it gets me every time.My heart tightens in my chest as I watch him, warmth spreading through me. My Omega. Even though he hasn’t fully accepted it yet, I know he’s chosen me. He might still be hesitant, still trying to figure it all out, but I see the way he looks at me. I can feel it.Like now, when he glances up, his gaze locking on mine. There’s that spark in his eyes, the way his lips curl up slightly. It makes me want to cross the distance between us and pull him into my arms, kiss him until everyone knows he’s mine.But I keep myself in check. I can’t be too possessive, not yet. Tyler’s still figuring things out, still coming to
I smirk and draw my hand to his neck, running my thumb over his scent gland. “Do you want to come to my room with me?” I ask, my voice rough with need, and I watch as his eyes widen. He bites his bottom lip and I watch as the wheels turn in his head. I know he’s scared; scared I’ll take advantage, but that’s the last thing I want to do to him.I lean toward his ear. “You don’t have to do anything you don’t want to do, but I would love to show you just how much I want to worship you, my perfect Omega.”Tyler sucks in a breath, and his scent overwhelms me so much that I feel the desk splinter as I hold onto it. He turns his head to face me and I watch as his green gives way to silver; not just a flash, but pure fucking Omega silver.“Will you take care of me, Alpha?” he murmurs and my heart fucking twists.I cup his face with both my hands and bite back a growl. “With my life. I’m yours, Tyler. You’ve ruined me for anyone else. Please allow me to show you just how ruined I am for you.”
I’m practically floating through the day, everything feeling lighter and easier than it ever has. Even the usually dull classes seem tolerable, and I can’t help the grin that keeps tugging at my lips. It’s not like me to feel this way, this… happy.Jacob notices, of course. He’s been side-eyeing me all morning, clearly freaked out by how calm and relaxed I am.“You good?” he asks as we walk to lunch, his voice full of suspicion.“Yeah, why wouldn’t I be?” I reply, trying—and failing—to keep the smile off my face.Jacob stops in his tracks, grabbing my arm to pull me to a halt. “Okay, spill. What the hell happened? You’ve been smiling like a lunatic all day. It’s weird.”I chuckle, shaking my head as I continue walking. “Nothing. I’m just… in a good mood.”Jacob snorts, falling into step beside me. “Bullshit. You’ve been floating around like someone hit you with a bliss pheromone bomb. Did you and Landon…?”I glance at him, raising an eyebrow. “And what if we did?”Jacob’s eyes go wide
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