The Hunt

Rei knew something was wrong the moment she saw her dormitory door.

It was barely open.

Only an inch.

But she knew she had locked it.

She always locked it.

Her hand remained suspended in the air as she stared at the narrow opening. Every instinct she'd developed over years of protecting herself screamed that she should turn around, walk away, and find someone else. Instead, she slowly pushed the door open.

The room was dark.

Nothing moved.

"Hello?"

No answer.

Rei reached for the light.

It flickered once before coming on.

Her room looked untouched at first glance. Her bed was made, her textbooks were stacked neatly on the desk, and her jacket was hanging from the chair exactly where she'd left it.

Then she saw the drawer.

Open.

Rei's stomach dropped.

She crossed the room slowly and pulled it farther open. Her clothing had been pushed aside. Papers had been scattered across the bottom.

Her photographs were gone.

Every photograph of her childhood.

Every photograph of her mother.

Every picture she had kept despite everything that had happened.

Someone had deliberately taken them.

Rei's breathing became shallow.

Then she saw the photograph sitting in the center of the drawer.

Her mother's face stared back at her.

Across the back, someone had written:

YOUR MOTHER COULDN'T PROTECT YOU.

Beneath it was another sentence.

NEITHER CAN HE.

Rei dropped the photograph.

"No."

The word came out barely louder than a whisper.

A sound came from behind her.

The door clicked shut.

Rei spun around.

A man stood inside her room.

He was dressed completely in black, his face partially concealed beneath a hood. She didn't recognize him, but the moment she saw his eyes, something inside her screamed that she had seen them before.

"Who are you?"

He smiled.

"You really don't remember?"

Rei backed toward the desk.

"Get out."

"You have her eyes."

"Get out."

"Elara had the same expression."

Rei froze.

The stranger smiled wider.

"There it is."

He took one step toward her.

"The fear."

Rei's hand closed around the edge of the desk.

"I'm calling security."

"You won't."

She reached for her phone.

The screen stayed black.

She pressed the button again.

Nothing.

Her stomach dropped.

"No signal."

The stranger laughed softly.

"You're beginning to understand."

He took another step.

Rei grabbed the nearest object she could find and threw it.

The heavy lamp struck him in the shoulder.

He staggered.

Rei ran.

She reached the door.

His hand caught her wrist.

Pain shot through her arm.

"Let me go!"

She twisted hard.

He grabbed her again.

Rei slammed her elbow backward.

The man cursed.

She broke free and stumbled into the hallway.

She ran.

Bare feet pounding against the floor.

She didn't know where she was going.

She only knew she had to get away.

Behind her, the door slammed open.

"Rei!"

She recognized the voice.

Dominic.

She turned.

He was running toward her.

Relief hit so hard it nearly brought her to her knees.

"Dominic!"

He reached her just as the stranger emerged from the room.

Dominic immediately stepped between them.

His eyes flashed silver.

"Who are you?"

The stranger smiled.

"You should ask your father."

Dominic's expression darkened.

"Answer me."

The stranger shifted his attention toward Rei.

"She's the reason you're going to lose everything."

Dominic moved forward.

The stranger laughed.

"You really don't know, do you?"

"Know what?"

"Your wolf already chose her."

Rei's heart stopped.

Dominic's jaw clenched.

"Leave her alone."

"You can't protect her."

"I said leave her alone."

The stranger suddenly shifted.

Bones cracked.

Rei screamed.

Dominic transformed almost instantly.

The hallway erupted into chaos.

Students began shouting and running from nearby rooms.

The two wolves collided.

Dominic drove the stranger into the wall hard enough to crack the stone.

The other wolf recovered quickly and lunged.

Dominic twisted aside.

Claws scraped across his shoulder.

Blood hit the floor.

"Dominic!"

He looked toward her for half a second.

That was all the stranger needed.

He lunged again.

Dominic slammed him down.

The stranger snarled.

"You'll never understand what she is!"

Dominic pinned him.

"Then tell me."

The stranger's eyes shifted toward Rei.

"The last bloodline."

Dominic froze.

The stranger smiled.

"The last Omega."

Then he bit down on something hidden beneath his tongue.

His body went rigid.

Dominic immediately released him.

"What did you do?"

The stranger collapsed.

Within seconds, he was unconscious.

Rei stared at him.

"What happened?"

Dominic shifted back.

He was breathing heavily, blood running down his shoulder.

"Poison."

Rei looked at the unconscious man.

"He's dead?"

Dominic checked his pulse.

"No."

Footsteps thundered down the corridor.

Security.

Professors.

Students.

Dominic turned toward Rei.

"Are you hurt?"

She shook her head.

"No."

He looked at her wrist.

A red mark was already forming where the stranger had grabbed her.

His expression became murderous.

Rei noticed.

"I'm fine."

Dominic looked at her.

"You don't have to say that every time."

She swallowed.

"I am."

"You don't look fine."

"Neither do you."

He almost smiled.

Almost.

Then his expression changed.

He sniffed the air.

His entire body went rigid.

Rei noticed immediately.

"What?"

Dominic looked at her.

"Your scent."

She instinctively reached for her suppressants.

The bottle was missing.

Her heart stopped.

"No."

Dominic's eyes darkened.

"When was the last time you took one?"

"This morning."

"And the bottle?"

"In my room."

She looked toward the open doorway.

Someone had taken it.

Again.

Dominic's jaw tightened.

"Rei, we need to get you somewhere secure."

"No."

"Your suppressant is gone."

"I know."

"You don't understand."

"I understand perfectly."

Her voice shook.

"My heat is coming."

Dominic went completely still.

So did everyone else in the hallway.

A few students had gathered nearby.

Whispers immediately started.

"She's going into heat."

"She's the Omega."

"Is that why—"

Dominic turned.

"Everyone out."

His Alpha command rolled through the hallway.

The students immediately scattered.

Rei stared at him.

"You can't order people around because of me."

"I just did."

"Dominic—"

"You're not safe here."

"I can handle it."

"Can you?"

The question hurt.

She stepped closer.

"Don't."

He immediately lowered his voice.

"I'm not saying you're weak."

"Then what are you saying?"

"I'm saying someone deliberately removed your suppressant."

Rei's breathing became uneven.

"I know."

"They knew your cycle."

"I know."

"They knew where you kept the bottle."

"I know."

"They're trying to trigger your heat."

Rei's face went pale.

She hadn't wanted to say it.

Hadn't wanted to consider it.

But now that Dominic had said it aloud, the truth became impossible to ignore.

Someone wasn't merely threatening her.

Someone was trying to make her vulnerable.

The realization sent a wave of nausea through her.

Dominic noticed.

"Come with me."

"No."

"Rei."

"I don't want to be locked somewhere."

"I'm not locking you anywhere."

"I don't want people deciding what happens to me."

"I won't."

"You can't promise that."

"I can promise what I'll do."

She stared at him.

"What?"

"I'll protect your choices."

For several seconds, Rei couldn't speak.

Then a sharp cramp twisted through her stomach.

She doubled over.

Dominic caught himself before reaching for her.

"Rei?"

She gripped the wall.

"I'm fine."

Her voice trembled.

Another wave hit.

Her scent changed.

The hallway seemed to disappear.

Dominic's wolf surged forward with such force that his vision blurred.

Mate.

His claws threatened to emerge.

He clenched his fists.

No.

Not now.

Not like this.

Rei looked up.

She saw the struggle in his eyes.

And suddenly, she was terrified.

Not of Dominic.

Of what her body was doing.

"I need my suppressant."

"I know."

"My room."

"No."

She looked at him.

"I need it."

"It's gone."

Her eyes widened.

"Then find it."

Dominic turned toward security.

"Lock down this floor."

A professor stepped forward.

"Captain, you can't—"

"Someone broke into her room."

"We'll handle it."

"No."

Dominic's voice dropped.

"You won't."

The professor stared at him.

Dominic pointed toward the unconscious intruder.

"Someone got into a restricted dormitory, disabled communication, stole an Omega's medication, and attacked her. This wasn't random."

The professor's face changed.

Dominic noticed.

Rei noticed too.

For one brief second, the professor looked afraid.

Not surprised.

Afraid.

Rei's heart sank.

"You knew."

The professor immediately shook his head.

"I don't know what you're talking about."

"You knew."

"Rei—"

She stepped backward.

Dominic looked at the professor.

"How many people knew about her cycle?"

The professor didn't answer.

Dominic's eyes narrowed.

"How many?"

Finally, the professor whispered:

"Four."

Rei felt sick.

"Who?"

The professor looked toward the unconscious intruder.

Then toward Dominic.

Then back toward Rei.

"Your records were accessed yesterday."

"By whom?"

"We don't know."

"You're lying."

The professor flinched.

Rei saw it.

And that was enough.

She looked at Dominic.

"Someone inside the academy is helping them."

Dominic nodded.

"Yes."

Another wave of heat rolled through her.

Her knees buckled.

This time Dominic caught her.

Rei stiffened immediately.

"Don't."

His arms loosened.

"I've got you."

"I can stand."

"I know."

Her forehead pressed against his chest before she could stop herself.

His heartbeat was strong and steady beneath her cheek.

For one terrifying moment, she felt safe.

Then her wolf instincts responded to his scent.

Her body relaxed.

Dominic felt it.

His breathing changed.

"Rei..."

She pulled away quickly.

"This can't happen."

"I know."

"I'm not becoming someone's mate."

"I know."

"I'm not becoming someone's possession."

Dominic stared into her eyes.

"You won't."

She searched his face for deception.

There wasn't any.

Only restraint.

Only concern.

Only the same strange intensity that had been there since the day they met.

Then Rei heard something.

A whisper from the end of the hallway.

"She won't have a choice."

She turned.

Nobody was there.

But a black envelope lay on the floor.

Dominic walked toward it.

Rei followed.

He picked it up.

There was no name.

No seal.

Only the crescent symbol.

He opened it.

Inside was a single photograph.

Elara Anderson.

Standing beside a man.

Dominic stared at the picture.

His face went completely pale.

Rei looked closer.

"Who is that?"

Dominic didn't answer.

She looked at him.

"Dominic?"

He slowly turned the photograph over.

There were only six words written across the back.

YOUR FATHER KNEW HER.

Rei's blood ran cold.

Dominic stared at the photograph as though it had just rewritten everything he knew about his family.

Then his phone rang.

His father's name appeared on the screen.

Dominic answered.

Neither of them spoke.

Finally, his father's voice came through.

"Where is the girl?"

Dominic's expression hardened.

"Why?"

A long silence followed.

Then his father said:

"Because if her heat has started, you have less than twenty-four hours before they come for her."

The call ended.

Rei stared at Dominic.

"What did he mean?"

Dominic looked at her.

For the first time since she'd met him, the arrogance was gone.

The confidence was gone.

The certainty was gone.

He looked afraid.

"Rei," he said quietly, "we need to get you out of here."

She shook her head.

"Where?"

Dominic looked toward the darkened hallway.

"I don't know."

Another howl rose from somewhere beyond the academy walls.

Then the emergency alarms began screaming.

Red lights flashed across the corridor.

The academy doors slammed shut.

Blackthorn went into lockdown.

And from every speaker in the building, a distorted voice whispered:

"The Omega has awakened."