Chapter One

I: Falling on Top of the Devil's Lap

Alyssa's POV

In a dimly lit room where a spotlight is focused on the stage, there I was – dancing my heart out without a care in the world. Nothing matters to me but the passion I can finally claim as my own after years of searching for something or someone I can be.

My eyes remained closed while I moved my body to the gentle yet sensual rhythm of the music playing in the background. 

I could feel multiple sets of eyes of men watching me. Men from different states and species who came all the way here to watch me. That might impress other women but me. I feel nothing but annoyance and frustration. I only wanted to do my job, who knew things would turn out this way? Who knew that I would be a famous belly dancer?

Out of all the eyes watching me, three pairs of eyes weighed differently. They belong to the Alpha of Silver Fang, one of the strongest packs in the world, his brother Lance, and Seymour, the infamous vampire king who hated socializing with everyone – yet there he was. 

They thought I wasn't paying attention, but I noticed how everyone was intimidated by the three. And why wouldn't they? The place reeks of the pheromones they were emitting in an attempt to claim dominance. Even though I was affected by it, nothing can stop me from finishing my performance. 

Once my performance was done, the three fought to get to me, but I was ahead of them – escaping through the secret tunnel in order to remain hidden. 

"I warned you not to approach her anymore, didn't I?" Alpha Knox's deep voice still reached my ears as I escaped. 

"She's not yours to claim, isn't she? Haven't you heard? I am in search of a new queen and I just found the perfect candidate." Seymour replied, his voice full of mockery and sarcasm, as if challenging Knox. 

"Stop it! None of you deserves her more than me!" Lance, Knox's younger brother, intervened and their voices started to fade.

God, I only wanted to dance. When did my life become so complicated? 

Three weeks ago....

"You're getting married."

Those were the words that left my father's mouth as soon as I arrived from work as his temporary replacement as the CEO of Morning star, a publishing company. Yes, he chose an Omega like me, his least favorite child, because his two sons are incompetent. After a long day of having the secretary follow me around with a tablet in her hand, recording everything I was doing, reminding me what I should or shouldn't do, guiding me where to go next like I was a robot programmed to do what she wants. That isn't even a bad thing, it was the fact that she was my father's puppet and I didn't have the free will to choose who works for me.

"As you can see, our pack isn't as strong as it was before and we are losing money. Those darn foreigners snatched our members and consumers one by one and we are getting weaker..." I tuned out the following words he said, watching his spit flying all over the place and seeing that one gold tooth he had whenever he talks.

He was pertaining to the humans and werewolves who arrived in our town and built their own business. Many years ago, werewolves and vampires lived far away from humans to hide our existence, but they started to be aware of us and we slowly learned how to co-exist on earth and benefit from each other. However, our numbers still couldn't be compared to humans. They multiply every day, while vampires and werewolves live longer, but it's hard for us to multiply because we could only have an offspring among our own kind.

My eyes twitched. None of his words registered in my mind aside from the first words he welcomed me with. God, as if being his puppet for two years because he no longer wants to work even if he was still healthy just because he wants to travel the world with his second wife isn't a torture already, now he just had to dictate my life too. Now I don't have the right to choose who I want to marry?!

'I don't want to work for you, your wife, and your two lazy sons anymore. I want to find myself a hobby, live my life and be happy until the day I die.'

Oh how long I wanted to say those words since he put me through this, and now he wants me to marry one to prevent our family's boat from sinking.

"Are you even listening to me, you little slut?!" Dad's booming voice bounced around the four corners of our mansion and I made a show of clearing my ear. "I don't really know where I went wrong when your mother—you should have been gone instead of her."

Ah, those magic words I've been hearing since I was old enough to understand them. I mean, if he didn't want to lose my mother, his mate, so much, he could have just had me aborted! He already had two sons to begin with anyway!

"Do I even have a say in it? No. You will force me to do it anyway." I said without a care in the world, blowing the invisible dirt from my finger. "Like how I was born into this world without my permission, yet I was blamed for it every second of my life."

"You!" My father yelled at the top of his lungs and his younger wife was instantly there to comfort him. "Why can't you be more obedient like Mortel or Maurel?"

"Ah, you mean my brother who messes around. It's a wonder he hasn't caught STD? And the other one is a lazy drunkard? Phew. Thank God, I'm not."

My father angrily pointed at me. "You will get married whether you like it or not! And you better not disappoint me—"

"Yeah, yeah. I'm leaving."

I turned around, cutting him mid sentence, my footsteps were in a hurry to get away from him. I realized I didn't hear what family he was talking about, but whatever. I don't care anymore.

"Where are you going, you brat?!"

"To hell! Why? Do you need me to wipe your ass, too?" I threw back without looking at them. "I thought that is what that woman's supposed to do."

The irritating sound of Alice's five-inches heels because the woman is that darn short, entered my ears and I stopped to glare at her.

"If you follow me, I swear to God. Can't I have a day of peace? Is that too much to ask?!" I exclaimed in frustration and she stopped, glancing over at my father who nodded his head.

"Let her be."

That's what I thought. He's too afraid to lose me because he knows how incompetent his favorite sons are.

I let my feet carry me to where I want to be, where I can at least let loose, have fun, and be myself. This Omega is getting married soon but before that, I will have the time of my life! In this place, I can be who I want to be. In this place where people can freely do anything without being judged, without an overbearing father who won't ever accept me or be proud of me, without a secretary breathing over my shoulder and recording whatever I do, I will be temporarily free and who knows? Maybe I will lose my virginity tonight.

With each step I took, the smile on my face widened, with each step I took, my body moved on its own, and with each step I took, I could feel the sense of freedom enveloping me.

I threw my jacket in the air, popped open the first three buttons of my blouse to reveal my chest. I could smell the humans, my kind and vampires around the place. I let them look at me like I was a newly added prey, and they were my predators. I let my hands roam all over me. And not even an hour later, I was already under the influence of alcohol. I couldn't count how many people hit on me, wanting to sleep with me and pull me to the darkest part of the bar, but unfortunately, none of them appeals to me.

I let my body move to the sound of the music. Shit, I know I can dance. I was a member of the dance club before, after all. I became aware of how many people are watching me, and are mesmerized by me. When I turned around, my forest green eyes connected with a familiar set of piercing gray blue eyes, making me freeze for a second, but I quickly regained my composure.

What the hell is Knox Volkov, the strongest Alpha out there I know in the world, doing in a bar like this?

My mood instantly turned sour just remembering how much I hated the man's guts. Knox and I have been enemies since God knows how long. Our families belong to the same circle, so naturally, we were trained to be the best, and we became each other's number one rival. When I took over my father's business, Knox took over their company and his pack.

I hate the man's guts, and I never saw him that way. That is why I rejected him in the first place. Yes, the great Alpha who had hundreds of women drooling over him, was my mate four years ago, but I rejected him because I disliked his character so much, and because I thought I was too young to be mated. I didn't see him in years and heard he's been playing with females, regardless of what they are. It did hurt me for a while, but I was also relieved I dodged a bullet.

But I don't know why the man looks scrumptious in my eyes at this moment. Knox Volkov was a few feet away from me, and he was looking at me with the same intensity. He looked so sexy with his legs spread wide, a prominent bulge between his legs, as if he was inviting me between them. To kneel and worship him. I swallowed, suddenly feeling my throat as dry as sahara's desert when the devil himself smirked at me, taking the glass of whiskey to his lips and taking a sip.

The music suddenly changed to an upbeat one, and everyone started jumping around, making me stumble and move away from the crowd so I wouldn't be squeezed. As if fate was playing tricks with me, I was pushed and I fell on top of none other than Knox Volkov's lap!

Shīt. Are you kidding me?!