Prologue

Kaiden

In the lecture hall, the faint scent of lavender and cedar lingered, a scent I couldn’t ignore even if I tried. It was Sage’s scent, soft, alluring and a whisper of the beta’s presence that made my wolf stir beneath his skin. Sage didn’t know his own allure, oblivious to the ripple of interest he left behind everywhere he went. But I knew. I had always known.

From the moment we met, I had vowed to protect Sage from everything, including himself. Alphas were predators by nature, drawn to the innocence and vulnerability of a beta like Sage. He wasn’t an omega yet he possessed qualities like one.

But I wasn’t an alpha, although I was possessive, territorial, and deeply aware of how much control it took to keep myself from claiming Sage outright.

The problem was, Sage didn’t belong to me. 

Not yet.

Sage was sitting in the front row, furiously jotting down notes as Professor River droned on about some engineering stuff. His deep voice was smooth as honey, laced with that Alpha authority that made every student in the room hand on to his every word, including me.

 But I hated the way the professor kept looking at Sage, the subtle, lingering glances of the faint twitch of a smile whenever Sage asked a question.

River wasn’t just a professor, he was an unmated Alpha in one of the most respected regions and I felt like he had set his sights on my Sage.

Sage had no idea that I had registered for college again, to keep a close watch on him and away from the Alpha. All that thoughts came crashing when the professor placed his hand on Sage’s shoulder and squeezed.

I clenched my fist, the sharp sting of my nails digging into my palm grounded me. I wanted to yank that hand of my man but I couldn’t make a scene, not here.

Sage was oblivious to my dark thoughts, scrawling in his notebook as he too notes.

“You need to focus,” I muttered to myself, tearing my gaze away from Sage and forcing my attention back to the professor’s lecture.

But it was impossible.

Sage was a beta whose soft scent was growing stronger by the day. I wasn’t the only one who noticed. The subtle shifts in the room whenever he walked in, the way unmated alphas, and betas that turned to track his movements, made my blood boil.

When class ended, Sage lingered behind, chatting animatedly with River. The professor leaned in, his smile far too warm for my liking. My wolf bristled, the urge to storm over and stake my claim almost overpowering.

I stood up abruptly and my books fell to the ground, they both looked at me and Sage’s eyes widened with surprise at my presence.

“Kaiden?” He called out in confusion,

I gave him a grin but he shook his head at me before waving me over with that innocent grin that always disarmed me. “Come meet Professor River.”

I forced a tight smile as I approached, my gaze locking with the professor’s. The older alpha’s expression was unreadable, but I knew he could sense my hostility from a mile away. Judging by the smile on his face, I would say he was smug about it.

“Kaiden,” Professor said smoothly, extending a hand. “Sage speaks highly of you, you are the best friend, no?”

I took the hand reluctantly, “That’s because he’s too kind.”

Sage laughed, oblivious to the territorial undertones, I looked at the professor letting him know he was encroaching.

His smile widened as he cocked his head to the side, he was disregarding me. He was letting me know that my claim doesn’t matter. My wolf snarled because then I have to push forward in just claiming Sage and turn him into my omega.