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
I’m already furious before I even get to the infirmary. The second I got the call, everything inside me snapped. Tyler, hurt—unconscious, beaten? The words don’t make sense. None of this makes sense. The rage bubbling inside me is barely contained as I push open the door, my heart pounding so hard it feels like it’s going to explode out of my chest.When I walk in and see him lying there, my anger spikes. Tyler’s face is bruised, swollen, and he’s lying completely still, his eyes closed like he hasn’t moved since they found him. Jacob is sitting at his bedside, his face tight with worry, and the sight only makes me angrier.Whoever did this—whoever touched him—was going to pay.“Jacob,” I snap, storming up to Tyler’s bed, “what the hell happened?”Jacob glances up at me, his expression strained. “I don’t know, Landon. I don’t know what the fuck happened.”His words only stoke the fire inside me. How the hell could he not know? I look down at Tyler, the bruises on his cheek, the cut ne
I sit there, watching Tyler as his breathing steadies, his face still bruised but peaceful now that sleep has taken him. Every second I sit here, knowing who did this to him, knowing Jace is probably out there, smug, makes my skin crawl. I can’t let it slide. Not this time.Once I’m sure Tyler is fully asleep, I stand up, my hands still clenched into fists at my sides. Jacob looks up at me, his expression cautious. He knows me too well.“You’re not going after them, are you?” Jacob asks, his voice low, but there’s no point in pretending he doesn’t know the answer.I don’t bother lying. “I’m not letting them get away with this.”Jacob frowns, standing up as if to block my path. “Tyler told you not to go after them. He doesn’t want you to get in trouble.”I glance at Tyler, still unconscious and vulnerable in that bed. “This isn’t about getting into fucking trouble; I don't give a shit about me. This is about what they did to him. You expect me to just let that go?”He sighs, running a
I wake up slowly, blinking against the morning light streaming through the curtains. The bed is soft, warmer than I expected, and I’m surrounded by Landon’s scent. For a second, I’m disoriented, not sure where I am, but then I remember—Landon must’ve brought me to his bedroom after… after everything.I shift slightly and glance around the room. It’s huge, way bigger than our dorm. The walls are a deep navy, and there’s a sleek, modern design to everything—exactly what I’d expect from Landon. But what catches my eye isn’t the room. It’s Landon himself, sitting in a chair next to the bed, head tilted back awkwardly, fast asleep.He looks… uncomfortable. His neck is craned at an odd angle, and even though he’s out cold, I can tell he’s going to regret that chair when he wakes up. But the sight of him like this, sleeping beside me instead of in the bed, warms something deep in my chest. He didn’t want to make me uncomfortable, so he slept there. The Alpha who takes up so much space in ev
I stand by the bed, watching Tyler breathe softly, his chest rising and falling in a steady rhythm. He looks peaceful now, curled up in the blankets, but the bruises on his face remind me of everything that happened. My blood boils just thinking about it, and I know I can’t let it go.As much as I want to stay here with him, I need to make a call. I slip out of the room quietly, closing the door behind me as gently as I can. My fists are still clenched at my sides, the anger bubbling just under the surface as I pull out my phone and dial my father’s number.It doesn’t take long for him to pick up.“Landon,” he says, his voice sharp and alert. “What’s going on?”I take a deep breath, trying to steady myself. “Dad, something happened. To Tyler.”There’s a pause on the other end of the line, and when my father speaks again, his voice is icy. “What do you mean? What happened?”“He was attacked,” I say, my voice tight. “Out of jealousy by Jace, Omega I had something with before, and two Al
The past three days have been a rollercoaster. At first, it seemed like Tyler was getting better—physically, at least. The bruises are fading, and he’s not wincing with every move. But emotionally? Mentally? He’s been all over the place.He’s bratty, whining about the smallest things, picking fights over absolutely nothing, and it’s driving me insane. One minute he’s fine, the next he’s complaining about how I’m doing everything wrong. I try to stay patient, but it’s hard when he’s constantly pushing my buttons.Like right now.“I don’t get why you won’t just listen to me!” Tyler snaps, crossing his arms as he paces in front of me. “I told you I don’t want that stupid blanket, and you keep bringing it out like I’m some kind of child!”I rub my temples, feeling the frustration building. “Tyler, it’s just a blanket. You said you were cold, so I grabbed it. What’s the big deal?”He throws his hands in the air. “The big deal is that I don’t want it! I want something else, but you never li
I’m jittery the entire flight, staring out the window as the city comes into view beneath us. My excitement mixes with nerves, the weight of what we’re doing settling in. We’re looking for a home. For my nest. It’s still strange to me, the idea of nesting and building a space that feels like mine, something I never thought I’d want or need. And now, here I am, sitting next to an Alpha and planning a future I never imagined.Landon’s sitting beside me, his hand resting comfortably on my knee. He’s been so supportive, so patient through everything. I glance over at him, and he catches my eye, offering me a soft smile.“You okay?” he asks, his voice soft.I nod, even though my stomach’s doing flips. “Yeah. Just… a lot to take in.”“I get it,” he says, giving my knee a gentle squeeze. “No rush. We’ll find the right place.”His calmness helps, but there’s still something clawing at the back of my mind. I’ve been meaning to tell him about my mother, about why I was always so hesitant when
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