I wake up slowly, my body heavy and sore, but there’s a warmth that wraps around me like a safety net. It takes a second for the haze to clear, and when it does, I realize exactly where I am.Pressed up against Landon in the nest we built together. His arms are snug around me, his chest rising and falling in a steady rhythm, and the heat of his body is all-encompassing.My heart beats a little faster, and embarrassment washes over me. I never thought I’d be in this position—after a heat, in the arms of an Alpha, marked and claimed. But as I lay there, taking in the quiet intimacy of the moment, I know there’s no one else I would have wanted to be here with.I reach up to touch the mark on my neck. It’s tender, still raw from where Landon’s teeth sank into my skin, but the sensation of it sends a ripple of warmth through me. He’s mine now, and I’m his. That’s what this means. As much as I thought I’d hate the idea of being claimed, something about it feels right. It feels... safe.I sm
Tyler doesn’t notice me watching him.He’s stretched out on a blanket in the grass, one arm tucked behind his head, the other holding his book open, completely lost in whatever world he’s reading about. The sunlight filters through the trees, casting a warm glow over his skin, and his curls catch in the breeze, shifting slightly with every soft gust of wind.His glasses slip down his nose.I wait, holding my breath, knowing what’s coming. And sure enough, he pushes them back up with his knuckle without even looking away from the page.Fuck.Something in my chest clenches so hard it’s almost painful. I'm so down fucking bad for him.It’s been two days since his first heat passed, and he’s been soft ever since—softer than I’ve ever seen him. Still tired, still a little clingy in a way that makes my Alpha instincts hum in satisfaction. But mostly, he just seems content.I’ve never seen him like this before. Relaxed, happy, safe. And knowing I’m the reason for it? It does something to me.
I can’t stop smiling.The dinner went better than I ever could have imagined. Landon’s parents—his beautiful Omega mother—were nothing like I expected, and for the first time in my life, meeting someone’s family didn’t feel like stepping onto a battlefield. It felt… good. Easy.And now, back in our nest, wrapped in the quiet safety of our space, I feel light. Content in a way I didn’t think was possible for someone like me. The warmth from earlier is still buzzing under my skin as we step into our nest, and I know I should probably be winding down for the night, but there’s this ache inside me—this need to do something for him.Landon stretches out on the bed, his tie already loosened, the top buttons of his shirt undone, watching me with a lazy smirk as I crawl toward him. “You’ve been grinning since we left the restaurant.”I shrug, reaching for his tie and tugging it free completely. “Can’t help it.”He raises a brow. “Should I be concerned?”I don’t answer right away. Instead, I
Tyler kisses Landon, and I feel it like a punch to the ribs. Not because it surprises me, not because I don’t know how this works—because I do. It’s the natural order of things, the way society functions, the way we’re all meant to fit into the carefully structured hierarchy that keeps everything running smoothly. Omegas belong to Alphas. Omegas bond Alphas. Omegas surrender to Alphas. That’s just the way it is, and it’s never bothered me before. I’ve seen it a hundred times, a thousand times, hell, my father practically built his empire on it. But right now, watching him, it’s different. It’s like something inside my chest has been hollowed out, like I’ve been scraped clean and left raw, bleeding and empty, but I don’t let it show. I never do.Instead, I smirk.I lean back against the wall, arms crossed, perfectly at ease, perfectly unaffected, like I’m watching something mildly entertaining instead of something that’s making me want to tear my own fucking skin off. Tyler stands o
The next day is the same as every other. I wake up, shower, throw on my uniform, and move through the motions like I always do—like I don’t have the weight of my father’s empire pressing down on my shoulders, like I didn’t spend last night drinking alone in a room no one knows I have. Like I didn’t stare at the ceiling for hours thinking about an Omega that doesn’t belong to me.The hallways are already packed when I step out, the usual clusters of students lingering near their lockers, posturing, laughing too loud, trying too hard. I move through them easily, nodding at a few familiar faces, keeping my expression lazy as I make my way to my first class. I don’t have to fake the ease—it comes naturally after this long. But beneath it, my mind is already running through the day, cataloging the details, considering the angles. The routine is second nature. Show up. Watch. Report. Repeat.By the time I’m on my way to my third class, I need to stop by the administration office to turn i
The Alpha walks away without looking back, and I frown, my mind scrambling to make sense of what just happened.Why is he masking his scent with Beta musk?I know what I smelled. I know what my instincts screamed the moment I looked up at him. That was an Alpha. A strong one, but the second he got close, that overwhelming scent, the one that made something deep inside me lock onto him, was… dulled. The chemical undertone of Beta musk is unmistakable, a synthetic layer meant to cover up something more potent. But why? Why would an Alpha hide what he is?Is this the one they told me about?I shake my head, pushing the thought away for now, but my fingers twitch at my sides, my body still wired from whatever just happened. I didn’t mean to flash my silver, but the moment my eyes locked onto his, the moment I felt the weight of his attention, something in me reacted on instinct. I’ve been raised better than that. Omegas don’t flash silver to just anyone. It’s a call, a signal meant for t
The morning starts with a pill on my tongue, bitter as hell but necessary.I swallow it dry, my fingers lingering against my throat for a second longer than necessary, as if making sure it goes down. My scent was everywhere yesterday, lingering in the halls, probably still clinging to the administration office, curling around him when he got close. That won’t happen again. I can’t afford for it to happen again.Once my scent is locked down, I get ready. My uniform isn’t technically regulation, but no one’s going to say anything unless they want to admit they have a problem with an Omega dressing how he wants to instead of how they expect him to. The skirt fits perfectly, pleated and short but not too short, brushing mid-thigh when I move. The blouse is crisp, tucked neatly, and I add just a touch of makeup—mascara to darken my lashes, a hint of gloss on my lips, a little shimmer on my cheekbones because, well, why the hell not?My hair is hanging in loose waves down my back with a h
By the time I make it to my dorm, my head is a fucking mess.I slam the door shut behind me and exhale hard, dragging a hand through my hair before pacing the length of the room. My muscles are tight, my instincts still firing off in ways I don’t like, my skin buzzing with something I don’t want to acknowledge.That Omega.That fucking Omega.He’s trouble. He’s a temptation. He’s everything I don’t need wrapped up in a short fucking skirt and a knowing little smirk, like he already figured me out before I even opened my mouth.I’d felt fine this morning. I had everything under control. The second he walked up to me outside that building, that went to hell.The way he looked at me, those big, pretty eyes flicking over my face like he was studying something interesting, like he was filing me away for later. And then the way his mouth curled, that tiny hint of amusement when I called him Princess—fuck, it took everything in me not to react.And I couldn’t react.Because he thinks I’m a B
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
Xavier’s practically melted across me, one leg hooked over my thigh, his face buried in my neck. His curls are everywhere, and I swear half of them are in my mouth. He’s still breathing slow, deep and even, but the moment I shift just a little, his fingers twitch against my chest.“I know you’re awake,” I murmur, voice still rough with sleep.He groans dramatically but doesn’t move. “M’not.”“You just responded.”“No I didn’t.”A laugh rumbles low in my throat. “You’re not very good at this.”“I’m amazing at this,” he says, voice muffled in my neck. “I’m playing dead so my Alpha doesn’t get up and leave me.”“I wasn’t planning on leaving.”He lifts his head slowly, finally, eyes still half-lidded and hazy with sleep. But there’s a spark there now, a light that wasn’t always present before. That playful glint I’ve been seeing more and more of—the one that tells me he’s starting to feel safe enough to be himself around me, not just the version he was forced to perform for years.“You al
Xavier’s asleep in my arms. Or at least, I think he is. He’s breathing like it, soft and steady against my chest, one hand curled near his face, the other resting over my ribs like I’ll vanish if he lets go. His cheek is pressed to the space just above my heart, and I swear to god, every time he exhales, something in me settles a little more.The sheets are still damp from when we fell into bed after the bath—too tired to dry off all the way, too tangled up in each other to care. We hadn’t planned it. That wasn’t what the bath was supposed to be. I ran it for him because he needed comfort, and I needed to give it to him. Needed to do something to remind him that the world could still be kind. That he was still loved. But somewhere between the water and the steam and the quiet way he looked at me—something shifted.And it was him. He was the one who let his scent roll out first, thick and heavy and laced with need so strong I could barely think. No hesitation, no fear. Just instinct a
The scent changes before either of us says another word.It’s subtle at first—sweet and familiar, like ripe peaches hanging heavy on the branch, but then it shifts. Grows thicker, headier. There’s heat behind it now, and it hits me all at once, coating my lungs and curling around my instincts like a damn vice.“Xavier,” I murmur, voice low and full of warning. My hand tightens where it’s resting on his hip. “That scent. You need to pull it back.”His eyes flick up to mine, steady and calm. That perfect omega calm that hides all the fire underneath. “Why?” he asks simply, like it’s nothing. Like the sudden ache in my gut and the hard press of my cock against his back is something we can just ignore.My grip tightens again, and I fight to keep my voice level. “Because I’m not gonna be able to stop myself if you don’t.”He turns in my arms slowly, his skin sliding against mine under the water, every brush of his body lighting me up like a fucking fuse. His hands find my chest, sliding ov
Jacob doesn’t speak as we walk through the estate. Doesn’t comment when I hesitate slightly near the front foyer, my body remembering the tension of walking through those doors earlier. He just grabs my hand and keeps walking until we reach the garage doors.When he opens one, I blink.Inside, lined up neatly like something out of a magazine, are cars. Sleek, glossy, expensive as hell. A few motorcycles. And in the back, tucked in the corner, a matte black four-wheeler that looks like it’s seen actual off-road chaos.I blink again. “You want me to drive that?”“No,” Jacob says, grinning. “I’m driving. You’re riding.”I stare at him. “I don’t think I’ve ever been on a four-wheeler.”He shrugs. “Then you’re about to lose your off-roading virginity.”I groan. “You’re unbearable.”He tosses me a helmet from the shelf. “And you love it.”A few minutes later, we’re flying across the property—through the trees, over dirt trails I didn’t even know were there. The wind whips around us, fast an