Chapter Four

Zane's POV 

Alpha Rowan's words freeze me in place, causing ice to instantly replace the blood in my veins. 

Warren. My rival on the ice, my competitor for everything that should be mine by birthright. The son of my father's second mate who's always lurking in my shadow, waiting for me to fail. 

“Warren? You can't be serious?” I ask my father, because he can't actually be. 

“I’m perfectly serious.” His smile is cruel. “Your stepbrother has proven himself more capable and dedicated. He doesn't carry whatever curse has weakened your wolf. Perhaps he deserves what you've taken for granted all these years.” 

My chest burns with fury, but I dare not show it. I'd been the one training so hard for the Alpha position. And all Warren did was nothing, except waiting for me to fail. Yet, he's getting the Alpha position? Just because he's lucky not to carry the damn lineage curse? 

“Three weeks,” Alpha Rowan repeats. “Find your mate. Claim her. Or lose everything. Do I make myself clear?” 

I force myself to stand, to meet his gaze without flinching. “Crystal clear.” 

“Good.” He dismisses me with a wave of his hand, already turning back to his documents. “And Zane? Don't disappoint me again. I won't be so generous this time.” 

I walk out of the study, my fingers trembling with rage and fear. Three weeks. Twenty one days to find a mate or watch everything I've worked for crumble. 

As I step outside, Darko stirs in my mind, stronger than he has been in years. 

‘The omega,’ he whispers. ‘Our mate. She's the answer.’ 

An exasperated sigh slips from my lips. She's wolfless. She's beneath my rank and she even looked at me with pure hatred in her eyes. 

The Moon Goddess can't be playing this kind of expensive game. The future Alpha? Mated to an omega? 

I shake my head, it's uncalled for. 

‘She’s ours,’ Darko insists. ‘And she's the only one who can save us.’ 

I ignore him and climb into my car. I grip the steering wheel as I stare out at the night. 

Kaidora Hayes. A nobody with no pack, no family, no history. And possibly the only thing standing between me and total destruction. 

I need to find her. I need to talk to her, to find out if Darko is right. Or if I'm about to make the biggest mistake of my life. 

***

The next day, I can't focus on anything. Not the morning practice, not Marcus's endless chatter about our upcoming game. Not even Warren's smug glances across the rink. 

All I can think about is her. Kaidora Hayes. The wolfless omega. 

I pull up her schedule on my phone, hacking into the school database is easier than it should have been. She has intro to pack dynamics at two, then she's free until evening, which means she will probably head back to her dorm— one I'd found out just last night. 

I need to see her again, to understand what happened when she touched me. I need to figure out if Darko is delusional or if there's actually something there. 

At 3:15pm, I position myself near the liberal arts building, hood pulled up, trying to blend in with the other students. It doesn't work, because I'm too recognizable, but most people know better than to approach me. 

Then I see her. 

She's walking with a she-wolf, one I'd seen with her last night. Head down in an oversized hoodie practically swallowing her frame. 

My nose scrunches up because of a strange scent. I don't know if it's coming from Kaidora or not, but Darko stirs inside of me at the smell.

Heavy perfumes. Bitter herbs. Layers upon layers of scent masking. 

Why would any wolf need that much cover? 

I follow them at a distance, they are laughing about something. And I watch as Kaidora’s face lights up for just a moment, before the cold mask slips back into place. 

They part ways near the dorms. Her friend heads to the dining hall, while Kaidora continues alone. 

This is my chance. 

I am about to approach her when she does something unexpected. Instead of going into her dorm, she moves towards the old maintenance building at the edge of campus. The one that's supposed to be locked and off-limits. 

Curious, I follow. 

She picks the lock with practiced ease— interesting skill for an omega— and slips inside. 

I wait thirty seconds before following, easing the door open silently. 

The building is dark and musty, filled with old equipment and forgotten storage. I track her movement by sound, staying hidden behind a row of shelves. 

That's when I see it. 

Kaidora pulls out a small bag from behind a broken heater. She unzips it carefully and even from here, I can see what's inside. Bottles of herbs and perfumes, but also something else. Papers. Photographs. 

My brows furrow as she spreads them out on a dusty table. What the hell is she doing? 

Then she pulls out a vial, not perfume this time, and uncaps it. She dabs the liquid on her wrists, her neck, behind her ears. The scent that fills the air is strong, artificial, designed to cover something up. 

But for just a moment, before the masking scent takes hold, I catch it.

Her real scent. 

And it's not a werewolf’s scent. 

It's human. Completely, undeniably human. 

The world and everything around me stops. Darko goes silent in my mind, shocked into stillness. 

My eyes widen in horror. She's not a wolfless omega or one of us at all. 

She's a human who somehow made her way into Highcrest College, disguised herself well enough to fool everyone. And she's clearly investigating something. 

The question is what? 

I watch as she studies the photograph, her blue eyes hard with determination and something that looks like rage. She's hunting for something. Or someone. 

This changes everything. 

A human at Highcrest College is forbidden. If anyone finds out, she will be killed without a second thought. Humans aren't allowed in our world, especially not here, not in the heart of werewolf territory. 

But Darko insists she's our mate. 

A human mate. 

The very idea is absurd. Werewolves don't mate with humans, it's not possible. The Moon Goddess only pairs wolf with wolf. 

Yet, my wolf recognised her. My body responded to her. And now, watching her in this abandoned building, surrounded by her secrets, I feel that pull again. That magnetic force drawing me to her. 

I must be losing my mind. 

Kaidora packs everything away carefully, hiding the bag in its spot. She reapplies her perfume one more time, then heads for the door. 

I slip out before she does, making my way back to the main campus. My mind is reeling with possibilities, with plans, with sheer audacity of what I'm about to do. 

By evening, I've made my decision. I wait outside her dorm building, leaning against the wall. When she finally comes out alone, I step into her path. 

She stops in her tracks, her eyes widening before narrowing with suspicion. 

“You?” She hisses, hatred burning in her eyes. “What do you want now?” 

“We need to talk,” I say quietly. “Somewhere private.”