CHAPTER 002

[THE NEXT DAY...]

Malik’s POV

I wish I could say it's good to be back home, but the truth is, I would have left this pack years ago if I could only bring myself to walk away from the one person I actually cared about.

Forcing a mask of composure over my features, I tried to seem as pleased as possible as the people celebrated our return. My men walked proudly as they cheered for us. They praised me the loudest, which wasn’t a surprise.

I was known as The Pack Aegis (Protector) for leading the elimination of more than half of the rogues that tormented us for decades. However, being their protector didn't dilute the absolute terror they felt toward me, which is exactly why they all called me Alpha Malice. To everyone else, I was a monster, but Nathaniel was the only person who still called me Malik.

“Alpha Malice is back! The Pack Aegis returns!” someone bellowed from the crowd. Cheers erupted louder. I lifted a hand in acknowledgment, my expression unreadable. Beneath my cold, detached exterior, my wolf was clawing at me, completely out of my control.

My muscles were wound so tight they were ready to snap, my entire body throbbing with a desperate, heavy sexual hunger that had been building since the day I left. I needed to breathe him in. I needed his touch to quiet the raging beast in my blood.

But the worst part was the bitter reminder that I never get to touch him the way I want to.

Nathaniel was my best friend. My only friend. He didn't see me the way I saw him, and I couldn't risk breaking the only pure, untainted thing left in my miserable life by letting my cock take control of me.

At the top of the wide stone steps, Alpha Brandon waited with his usual calculating smile, his Beta guards by his side. His dark eyes scanned our group before locking onto me.

“Malice,” he called out. “You and your warriors have made Stonehaven proud once again. The rogue threat is nearly eradicated because of you. The pack owes you a great debt.”

I met his gaze evenly, my voice flat. “Thank you, Alpha.” I wasn’t in the mood to stroke his ego or say anything else to the pretentious bastard.

Brandon’s fake smile tightened just slightly at the corners once he realized I wasn't going to say anything else. The silence stretched, tension thickening the air between us, and a few of his Betas shifted uncomfortably.

Jax stepped forward smoothly, clapping a hand on my shoulder.

“Forgive us, Alpha Brandon,” Jax said with an easy grin, trying to cut through the tension between us. “The journey back was brutal. Alpha Malice has been pushing himself harder than any of us so he’s exhausted.”

Brandon studied me for another moment before nodding. “Of course. You’ve all earned your rest.” He spread his arms theatrically. “Join me tonight for a feast in the pack house. We’ll celebrate your victory properly with food, wine, and women. The whole pack will be there.”

My jaw clenched. The thought of sitting across from him for hours, watching him play the generous leader turned my stomach.

“No,” I said flatly. “Thank you for the offer, but I’m too tired for a feast tonight. It’s a great honor, Alpha, but I’ll have to pass.”

Without waiting for a response, I turned on my heel. My men immediately fell in behind me as I descended the steps and cut through the cheering crowd. I could feel Brandon’s eyes burning into my back, but I didn’t care.

Once we were a safe distance from the pack house, Jax quickened his pace to match mine. The easy grin he had worn for the Alpha was gone, replaced by a tense, worried line.

“I understand how you feel about him, Alpha Malice,” Jax muttered, his voice low so the other warriors wouldn't overhear. “But he's the Pack’s Alpha. You can't just openly disrespect him like that. You’ll get on his bad side.”

I rolled my eyes, not even slowing my stride. “He can be the Moon Goddess for all I care. I don't give a fuck.” Jax just let out a heavy, defeated sigh, knowing there was no point arguing with me.

Stopping at the edge of the town gates, I turned to the rest of my men. My face remained a mask of indifference, but I owed them my respect. “I'm proud of you all,” I said, my voice instantly making them straighten up. “You fought well. Feel free to enjoy yourselves tonight—go to the Alpha's party. You've earned it.”

My warriors didn't cheer or shout; instead, they all placed their hands over their chests and respectfully bowed their heads to me. I was truly proud to be their commander, to be a leader they respected.

As I turned to leave them, heading down the path that deviated completely from the warrior quarters, Jax called out after me.

“Alpha! Where are you going?”

I didn't stop walking. I just looked back over my shoulder, the coldness in my gaze vanishing for the first time in four months.

“To find the reason I always come back to this shitty place.”

>>>•>>>•>>>

The walk to Nathaniel’s apartment took me past the edge of the main town, away from the neat stone houses of the upper ranks and down into the neglected lower sector. The further I walked, the tighter my chest became. Just looking at the cracked pavements and the broken streetlamps made irritation prickle beneath my skin.

Nat shouldn't have been living down here. A male Omega with a heart as fragile as his deserved a secure home, not this shitty corner of the pack territory, but he adamantly refused to move in with me, no matter how many times I offered.

When I finally reached his building, my wolf paced restlessly behind my ribs. The structure was an absolute eyesore but I hurried up the concrete stairs, my heart doing a strange thud against my ribs. I couldn't wait to see his brown eyes, to hear his soft voice tell me he was glad I was back.

Reaching his door, I knocked.

“Nat?” I called out, my tone softer than the harsh bark I used with everyone else. “Nat, it's Malik. I'm back.”

I was met with silence.

I frowned, leaning my ear against the cheap wood. I couldn't hear any movement inside. I knocked again, harder this time. “Nat? You in there?”

Still nothing. A dark prickle of unease twisted in my gut. Nat was a homebody; if he wasn't at the healer's clinic, he was here. I reached up, my fingers searching the dusty ledge above the doorframe until they brushed against the spare key he always kept hidden. I slotted it into the lock, turned it, and pushed the door open.

“Nat!” I called out, my voice dropping its gentle edge as panic flicked through me. “Nathaniel!”

I closed the door behind me and moved through the small space, my eyes adjusting instantly to the dark. I bypassed the cramped kitchen, and headed straight down the short hallway toward his bedroom.

The door was half-open so I shoved it the rest of the way.

“Nat—”

My voice died in my throat, my heart pounding furiously against my ribs as a sudden wave of fear took absolute hold of me.

Nat was curled on his side in the middle of the flat mattress, tangled in a thin, worn blanket. Even in the dim light, I could see his pale skin was glistening, completely drenched in sweat. His dark hair was plastered to his forehead, and his breathing came in short, ragged gasps.

“Fuck,” I swore under my breath, rushing to the side of the bed.

I dropped to my knees, instantly reaching out to press the back of my hand against his cheek. The moment my skin met his, I flinched. He was burning up.

“Nat, hey, look at me,” I pleaded, gently cupping his face, my thumb wiping away a bead of sweat. His eyelids fluttered, but his eyes remained rolled back, completely unresponsive to my touch.

He let out a low, weak whine that vibrated right through my chest, tearing at my wolf.

My mind raced. I was a commander, trained to make split-second decisions in the middle of a bloodbath, but looking at him like this, I was completely paralyzed. I didn't know what was wrong with him. I didn't know how to fix a fever this severe.

‘But the healer did.’

Yes. I had to rush him to Agatha's clinic immediately.

“I've got you, Nat. Hold on,” I whispered fiercely, shedding my heavy leather jacket and tossing it onto the floor.

I reached down, carefully sliding one arm beneath his knees and the other behind his shoulders. I lifted him with ease, but the sheer lack of weight in his body made my jaw tighten in anger. He felt lighter than he had four months ago. Why the fuck was he starving himself??

I adjusted his limp body, carefully shifting him until he was secure across my back, his arms draped over my shoulders. Just as I turned to sprint out of the bedroom, a sudden, furious pounding echoed from the front door.

“Hey, Omega!” a harsh voice bellowed from the hallway. “Open the damn door! I've changed my mind. I want my money by tonight, or your shit is on the curb right now!”

A dark spike of protective rage surged through me, my wolf baring its fangs at the disruption. Holding Nat tightly against my back, I strode out of the bedroom and ripped the front door open.

Standing on the threshold was a fat, balding Beta, his face flushed red. He had his fist raised to pound on the door again, but the moment his eyes landed on me, he froze entirely.

The landlord's mouth dropped wide open, his chest heaving as the color completely drained from his face. He looked at my massive frame, took in the lethal aura radiating off me, and looked down at Nat passed out on my back.

“Alpha… Alpha Malice,” the man whispered, his voice trembling in absolute awe and terror.

I didn't pay the pathetic bastard another glance. I didn't have a single second to waste on him.

Brushing past him so hard my shoulder sent him stumbling against the hallway wall, I bolted down the stairs, dashing toward the healer's clinic as fast as my legs could carry us.