CHAPTER 001

Malik’s POV

Hiding in my bathroom and beating off like an eighteen-year-old wasn’t something I imagined myself doing at my grown age, and yet… here I fucking am.

I snarled at my reflection in the mirror in disgust as I stroked my already hard dick. I wasn’t usually the type of man who couldn’t make it through the day without fucking or jerking off, but the situation was dire.

At a desperate time like this, taking the edge off was a requirement if I wanted to function like a normal person and not a dick desperate to dive into any wet hole. Well, that wasn’t entirely truthful. If it was just any wet hole I wanted, there’d be no problem.

But my dick—and my wolf—wouldn’t rest until it was his hole. It was always harder to keep my desire for him at bay when it was time to go back home.

I tried to think of our last conversation, the last time I inhaled his mouth-watering vanilla scent, heard his soft voice, and my dick swelled and hardened until it became unbearable.

“Fuck it,” I whispered.

I opened my bottom drawer where several boxers were kept.

His boxers.

I know what you're thinking. I must be sick or something. And I wouldn’t be able to refute that accusation. I must be losing my fucking mind, because my obsession with my best friend, Nathaniel Price, was bordering on madness.

I grabbed one of Nathaniel’s boxers and inhaled deeply until his musky vanilla scent filled my nose. ‘Yes. Yes. Yes.’

I moved my hand faster over my huge dick.

“Fuck…”

My groan sounded so loud in the bathroom, but it was hard to keep those sounds in when I thought about Nathaniel letting me worship his cock or him using my body to get off. My dick throbbed in my hand as I fucked my fist a little faster, imagining that I was doing it for him—coming for Nathaniel.

The first spurt hit the wall, but I was too deep inside my own head—inside this fantasy—to be appropriately horrified. I fucked the sensitive tip of my dick into my slippery hand, milking every last drop of pleasure out of my orgasm.

Light-headed and panting, I leaned over the sink and pressed my forehead against the mirror. My breath fogged the glass, obscuring my reflection. Honestly, I was glad. The shame that always accompanied this fantasy was quick on the heels of my euphoric release.

Swallowing down my disgust, I reached blindly for a few paper towels and turned on the faucet to clean myself up.

This is so fucking ridiculous.

After all these years, I still had an unbearable crush on my best friend, and it didn’t look like it was going to end anytime soon. I wasn’t entirely sure what I was supposed to do about it. And considering the way I knew he felt for Brandon, I knew nothing would come of it.

Like always, thoughts of Alpha Brandon made me furious. I didn’t even know what Nathaniel saw in that arrogant prick.

“Whatever. It’s not like I fucking care,” I whispered angrily as I cleaned the mess I made and washed my hands.

A knock on the door interrupted my thoughts. I heard the voice of Jax, my second-in-command.

“Alpha Malice. The men are all ready to go,” he said.

I opened the door instantly. His face was perfectly neutral. If he could smell my overpowering pheromones—which we both knew he could—he gave no indication.

“Let’s fucking go,” I hissed and walked past him angrily.

>>>•>>>•>>>

Nathaniel’s POV

Standing before the massive pack house, I had never felt more like an intruder. My hands were clenched tight at my sides, fingernails digging into my palms to stop them from shaking. Every time a high-ranking Alpha or Beta walked past, their sharp glares made my stomach turn.

The wave of nausea that followed was a reminder of the secret I was carrying. I forced myself to swallow it down.

“What is your business here?”

The voice belonged to a large Beta guard. His gaze was hostile as he looked down at me. I wasn’t actually that small, but compared to the massive Alphas and Betas in our pack, an Omega like me was viewed as nothing more than a nuisance.

“Um… I’m here to see Alpha Brandon,” I murmured, keeping my eyes low.

“Is he expecting you?” the Beta grumbled.

“Um, yeah.”

I omitted the fact that I had texted and called Brandon over ten times before finally getting a one-word response telling me when to show up. I pushed the hurt away, trying to soothe my aching heart.

‘Brandon is the Alpha. He’s just a busy man,’ I told myself.

The guard stepped inside for a brief moment, likely mind-linking Brandon for confirmation, before returning. “You may enter. The Alpha’s office is up the stairs, the last door down the hall.”

“O… Okay. Thanks,” I stammered.

Stepping inside, my nerves skyrocketed. For weeks I had been lost in despair—depressed, purposeless, and utterly terrified. But as I climbed the grand staircase, I tried to force myself to hope. Maybe things were finally looking up.

I finally reached the heavy door at the very end of the hall. Taking one last deep breath to steady my racing heart, I knocked.

“Who is it?” Brandon’s voice came through, entirely devoid of warmth.

“It’s… It’s uh, Nathaniel. Nathaniel Price.”

A long minute passed in complete silence before the command came. “Come in.”

I turned the knob and stepped inside, closing the door softly behind me. Brandon was seated behind a massive mahogany desk, documents scattered before him. He didn’t look up, keeping his eyes fixed on his work. The sheer aura of his dominance filled the room, making my wolf want to curl up and hide.

“You have five minutes, Nathaniel,” Brandon said, finally raising his head. His expression was a mask of cold indifference. “What is so urgent that you had to blow up my phone like that?”

My throat went completely dry. I took a step closer, my hands instinctively resting over my still-flat stomach. “Brandon…it’s about the night we spent together. Three weeks ago.”

Brandon’s jaw tightened, a flash of irritation crossing his handsome features. “I thought I made myself clear. It was a one-night stand and a lapse in judgment.”

“I remember what you said,” I whispered, my voice cracking as tears threatened to spill. “But… something happened. Brandon, I’m pregnant. It’s your pup.”

The silence that followed was suffocating. I expected shock, but a part of me had somehow hoped he’d be happy. Instead, Brandon just stared at me, his eyes dark with sudden rage.

“Are you out of your fucking mind?” he spat.

“I’m not lying!” I pleaded, taking another step forward. “The healer confirmed it. It’s an Alpha’s pup. Your pup. I haven’t been with anyone else, Brandon. Never. Please, I’m terrified, and I just need—”

“Stop,” Brandon snapped, standing up slowly. He leaned his hands on the desk, looming over me like a predator cornering its prey. “Let’s get one thing straight. I am not compromising my position as Alpha for a desperate Omega. I deny any involvement in this. That kid is not mine.”

“How can you say that?” I gasped. His words were enough to bring tears to my eyes. “I thought we shared something special, Brandon.”

He let out a cruel, mocking laugh that shattered whatever was left of my heart.

“You thought we shared something special?” He walked around the desk, stopping just inches from me. His whiskey scent—which was usually intoxicating—now choked me with its hostility. “Let’s be honest, Nathaniel. That night was a total joke. It was terrible sex because while I was doing all the work, you just laid there like a piece of trash.”

The coldness in his voice paralyzed me, driving a stake right through the center of my foolish, bleeding heart.

“You were completely useless in bed,” Brandon sneered, his voice dripping with pure disgust. “As cold as a dead fish. Do you honestly think I’d claim a man like that?”

I couldn’t speak. I could barely even breathe.

What Brandon didn’t know—or hadn’t cared to notice—was that it had been my first time. I had saved myself for him. But instead of the pleasurable, intimate bond I had always imagined, that night had just been an agonizing blur of pain because he hadn’t possessed a single shred of patience to be gentle with me.

I was such a fool.

“Get out of my office,” Brandon commanded, turning his back on me as if I were nothing. “If you know what’s good for you, you’ll abort that thing inside you. And if I hear rumors about this, I will have you exiled. We’re done here.”

Pressing a hand over my mouth to stifle a sob, I turned and stumbled out of the room, running down the hall with my vision blurred by humiliating tears.

>>>>>>>

My legs ached with every step I took. The pack house was miles behind me now, but the hurt from Brandon’s words still crushed my chest. I’d had to leave my bike chained up because of the useless brakes, so my only option was to walk the grueling miles back.

My head pounded furiously, and there was a relentless throb behind my eyes that made the world tilt slightly. The sun had already set by the time I reached the rundown apartment complex I called home. The building looked even more pathetic in the fading light, with its peeling paint and weird smells.

I was fumbling for my keys when I heard heavy footsteps behind me.

“Well, well. Look who finally decided to show up.”

I froze. My landlord—Mr. Harlan, a fat, balding Beta with a permanent scowl and sweat stains under his arms—waddled over from the side of the building, arms crossed over his belly.

“Mr. Harlan,” I said quietly. “I was just—”

“Save it.” He jabbed a thick finger toward me. “You’re two months behind on rent, kid. I’ve been more than patient with your sorry ass. Three days. You got three days to get me what you owe, or I’m changing the locks and tossing your shit on the curb. I got people lined up who actually pay on time.”

My throat tightened. I shifted my weight, wincing as pain flared in my blistered feet. “I know… I’m sorry. I lost my job at the healer’s a couple weeks ago. The smells were making me sick all the time. But I’ll figure something out. Please, just a little more time—”

“Time?” He let out a harsh laugh that jiggled his gut. “This ain’t a fucking charity, Omega. My money or you’re gone. Three days. I don’t give a shit what excuses you got.”

He turned and lumbered off without waiting for a reply, muttering something about “useless omegas” under his breath.

I stood there for a long moment, biting down hard on the inside of my cheek to keep my tears from falling. I finally managed a shaky breath, unlocked the door, and slipped inside.

The apartment was dark and quiet, making the emptiness in my chest expand. I kicked the door shut behind me and leaned against it for a second.

It felt like every ounce of energy had been drained from my body. Closing my eyes, I took a few slow breaths and waited for the room to stop spinning.

When the feeling finally eased, I made my way to the living room and collapsed on my couch. Even lifting my head felt like too much effort.

I rested a hand over my stomach to ease sharp pain I felt.

I was starving. My wolf whined pitifully inside me, weak and hungry and scared. But I didn’t have any food. I didn’t have… anything.

“Fuck…” I whispered to the empty room, my voice cracking. “What the hell am I going to do?”

My tears finally slipped free, streaming down my cheeks. I didn’t bother wiping them away. There was no one here to see them anyway.