✦ Chapter 01 ✦
It all happened too fast.
Elian stood by the window as the streets below dissolved into chaos. The night was the color of fire, smoke curling over rooftops while Omegas were dragged away by squads of Betas. Their cries rose and fell like a terrible chorus, filling the air until it seemed even the walls trembled. Each scream tore through Elian's chest and left a hollow ache behind. His palm pressed against the cold glass, his breath fogging it in uneven bursts, and tears slid silently down his pale cheeks.
It felt unreal—like a dream twisted into something cruel—but he knew this was no nightmare. This was reality, and there was no waking from it.
The faint click of a door made him turn. His mother, Emilia, entered the room, her long hair undone and her scent—normally soft with the sweetness of fresh tulips—now sharp with fear. Her blue eyes were wide and bright with the reflection of the flames outside. She crossed the floor quickly and gripped his shoulders.
"Elian, you need to hide," she whispered, her voice trembling but urgent.
The words made his stomach twist. "Hide? What about you? I can't leave you here."
Her fingers tightened on his arms. "You must. If they find you, they'll take you too. You know what happens to Omegas caught outside the holding camps."
He shook his head, panic rising. "I can't just run. I won't—"
"Elian!" she interrupted sharply, the command in her tone shaking him to silence. "Please. I'm begging you."
Her eyes glistened as she cupped his face. "If you stay, they'll kill us both."
For a moment, the only sounds were their breathing and the crackle of fire in the distance. Then heavy footsteps echoed down the corridor. The handle turned.
His father stepped inside, tall and dust-covered, a faint gash marking his cheek. His scent—wood smoke and iron—was laced with exhaustion. "Emilia," he said hoarsely.
She turned toward him. "You brought it?"
He nodded and pulled a small leather pouch from his coat. The white powder inside caught the dim light like snow.
"What is that?" Elian asked, but no one answered. Emilia took the pouch with shaking hands, her gaze steady on her son.
"Elian, take this," she said.
He frowned, confused. "Mom, what are you—?"
"Take it," she repeated, her voice trembling. "It will hide your scent. They'll think you're a Beta."
He hesitated. "No. That's for you—you need it more."
Her breath caught, and she forced a weak smile. "If you love me, you'll do as I say. Please, Elian. Don't make me watch you die."
He wanted to argue, to shout, but the fear in her eyes broke him. He took the pouch, tore it open, and swallowed the bitter powder. It scraped against his throat, leaving a metallic taste that made him cough. Slowly, the sweetness of his Omega pheromones faded from the air, replaced by the neutral scent of ash.
Emilia exhaled shakily and pulled him into her arms. "Good boy," she murmured against his hair.
His father stepped closer, his face shadowed. "I'm sorry," he whispered. "I couldn't save both of you."
Before Elian could ask what he meant, the door burst open. Ten Betas entered, followed by an Alpha whose presence filled the room like smoke. His eyes were a piercing steel blue, and the weight of his dominance pressed against the air, suffocating.
Emilia's body tensed. His father moved in front of her instinctively, voice low and cold. "What do you want?"
The Alpha smiled, a cruel curve of his lips. "You know the laws. Omegas belong to the state. No Alpha or Beta is permitted to keep one." His gaze slid to Emilia and lingered on the faint mark at her throat. "It seems you've forgotten that."
"Let her go," his father growled.
The Alpha gave a dark laugh. "You really think you can order me?" He nodded to his men. "Take her."
A Beta stepped forward and reached for Emilia's arm. Her small gasp snapped something inside Elian's father. The growl that tore from him shook the walls. His body convulsed, bones shifting beneath his skin as fur burst along his arms and shoulders. In seconds, a massive black wolf stood where the man had been, its green eyes blazing with fury.
The Betas didn't even have time to scream. The wolf lunged, its claws slicing through the air, the sound of rending flesh mixing with shouts and breaking wood. Blood splattered across the walls, dark and heavy with the scent of iron.
Elian couldn't move. He crouched behind the wardrobe door, trembling so hard that his teeth clicked together. Through the narrow crack, he watched his father tear through the intruders with animal precision.
The Alpha didn't flinch. When the last Beta fell, he drew a silver sword, its blade gleaming coldly in the firelight. "Pathetic," he murmured.
The wolf leapt at him, but the Alpha was faster. The blade flashed, and a single, brutal strike cut through the air.
A wet, choking sound filled the room. The wolf stumbled, then fell, shifting back into human form before it hit the ground. Blood pooled beneath his neck, spreading across the wooden floorboards.
Emilia's scream shattered the silence.
Elian's body moved on instinct. He burst from the wardrobe, falling to his knees beside his father. The smell of blood overwhelmed him—sharp, metallic, burning his throat. "Father!" he cried, shaking the limp shoulders. "Father, please, wake up!"
There was no answer. The warmth beneath his hands was already fading.
Behind him, the Alpha seized Emilia by the arm and dragged her toward the door. Her cries filled the house, raw and terrified. Elian turned, his vision swimming, and saw her reach for him even as she was pulled away.
He crawled forward through the blood-slick floor, reaching out, but she was gone before he could touch her.
The house fell silent except for the crackling of the fires outside. Elian pressed his forehead against his father's chest, searching desperately for a heartbeat that no longer existed. The stillness swallowed him whole.
The scent of ash, iron, and loss filled his lungs, and something deep within him broke. The warmth of his father's skin cooled beneath his fingers, and in that moment, Elian knew that the boy he had been would never return.
✦ End of Chapter ✦