CHAPTER ONE: THE CATALYST

Niall Alcott

TONIGHT was supposed to be the night I entered heat and lost my virginity for him.

Instead, his words hit me like a gust of wind.

"The position of the newly appointed Hunt Commander goes to…Chris Locke."

The air stilled around me, following the round of applause that took over, pulling me back to the present.

Before the entire pack, Alpha Steele took Chris' hand before placing the gold crest on his chest.

I was supposed to be up there with him. I was the one who had loved him ever since I was a child, ever since he saved me.

Unlike other omegas, I had never entered heat because I never stopped using my suppressors even when I turned twenty, just so that I could be pure for him once he appointed me to be by his side.

I trained better than anyone in the Moonblade Pack. This couldn't be happening.

The crowd began to disperse and I raised my head to see Alpha Steele retreating to his chambers with Chris behind him.

Shooting up from the chair, I hurried but the guards stopped me just before I could reach them.

"And where do you think you're going, little rat?"

"I need to see Alpha Steele."

"You're not blind. He's occupied." The second guard, with much broader muscle, seethed. "Now, get the fuck off."

I nearly felt defeated. Nearly.

But I had faced many people calling me degrading names. In fact, to be candid, the entire pack hated me for my closeness with Alpha Steele. No one else had ever been called to his chambers to chitchat with him or been defended by him.

Oh, or to even share a bed with him on nights when I got too drunk from the Hunter's parties and couldn't make it back to my own room.

In a blink, I spun and drove the heel of my boot against the first guard's foot. The moment he was destabilised and the other was caught by the element of surprise, I sped in.

Entering the room, the other guard followed behind me, almost dragging me back, until Alpha Steele's attention shifted to us.

"Let me fucking go. I said I need to see him."

Alpha Steele waved once and the guard released his grip on me. My teeth grated at the sight of Chris standing so close to him. Being a Delta, Chris would suck anyone dry if it meant taking what was mine.

The hatred and competition we harboured for each other ran deeper than anything else.

I stepped closer, my eyes catching a glint of the records opened before Alpha Steele on his study table, a dimly lit candle to the side.

Caldwell…

Was that a name?

Alpha Steele gave me a once-over before turning to Chris. "Please, give me a moment."

The cunt reluctantly stepped back and gave a deep bow to his Alpha before exiting the room. But not without driving his shoulder into mine as he passed.

A sigh from Alpha Steele drew my focus back. "You're creating unnecessary enmity for yourself, Niall. Chris is the new Hunt Commander, and you shouldn't have him dislike you."

My steps carried me to his table, worry etched across my face. "Chris doesn't deserve that title at all. I trained countless times more than him. I expected my name to be called. Or anyone else's."

Anyone but that snitch of a backstabber.

"Oh, please, Niall." Alpha Steele reclined, his hair catching a glint of the moonbeams. My heart fluttered. "Sometimes, I regret how I brought you up. Your stubbornness is beyond me."

"And that's why I deserve to be next to you. You taught me never to let anyone trample on me in this world. Never again."

"I need you to trust me again, Niall." Standing from his seat, he approached me. His frame towered over mine, shadowing me entirely, and my cheeks flared.

Goodness, maybe I shouldn't have stopped using the heat suppressors pills.

He continued. "The position of Hunt Commander is strenuous. It'll not only drain you but likely get you killed. If Moonblade gets attacked, you'll be the first in line for battle. And I don't want that for you."

He cares…

"But I want…"

"Do you remember what happened the night I brought you here?"

I simply nodded. "The night Emrys died and we gained our freedom from his prison. A little six year old me trusted you to take me to safety."

He gripped my shoulder, a smirk tugging at his lips. "Out of all of them, you trusted me. The first to take my hand when I offered it, and I swore never to let go of you."

Breathing almost became impossible as I fixed my eyes onto his.

"I just want to be more…"

He hadn't let me finish before he waved over my shoulder. The familiar footsteps of Chris ventured back into the room. The butterflies in my stomach dropped, reeling me back to reality.

"That'll be all, Niall. Thank you."

For a moment longer, I watched Alpha Steele grow engrossed in his conversation with Chris, leaving my heart more crushed than it had ever been.

Maybe it was the suppressors I hadn't taken in days, preparing for this night. How could I have assumed he wanted me by his side, or better yet, as his companion? Though he had never taken a mate, I shouldn't have let that convince me he wanted me.

Humiliation flooded my mind and I sped out of the room. The guard I had hit earlier yanked me back by the collar, whispering.

"You're on the watchmen list tonight. I pray you miss it so I can get my fucking revenge."

That was the world of hunters. Even amongst ourselves, we were predators. 

Meant to protect the world from evil Alphas preying on the other genders, Moonblade was created for that sole reason. And that was why even an Omega like myself could dream of becoming something great.

Stupid, stupid dream.

My tunic billowed against the breeze, the night pressing chills against my fingertips as I rode out of the pack and into the lower town, where an inn sat atop the cliff of one of the mountains.

"Ha, give me the good news." Cole beckoned as soon as I entered.

Taking a seat on the footstool while he rested his elbows on the counter, eagerly awaiting my response, I pouted. "I'm a disappointment. You shouldn't be friends with me."

"Aww, what happened?"

"I blew it. I wasn't chosen." I dropped my face and muttered the rest to myself. "And now I don't know what to do with my life anymore."

A goblet slid from his side over to mine, my hand catching it at the base before it could fall, and Cole tilted his head.

"Well, fuck that Alpha." He whispered. "I never understood why you cherished him so much anyway."

I groaned, my green eyes drifting to the crookedly hung chandelier. "Is this what going into heat feels like?"

"Wait, you're horny?" His eyes widened. "You really didn't take your suppressors?"

I covered my face. "You're disgracing me."

Cole tickled me and sent more alcohol my way, chatting away about how brutally the night had tormented me. Hours later, my vision grew blurry and my senses hazy. My lashes fought to stay open.

"I need to wash my face." I stated, unsure if the words had come out correctly.

My steps were unsteady, carrying me away from the counter and past a few gamblers before I stumbled up the stairs to a room. I didn't think twice before opening the door.

I halted.

A god stood with his back facing me. He turned at the same time my eyes scrolled down his body.

Dark blonde hair, complementing bright hazel eyes. A sharp jawline unlike any I had ever seen, traced with a goatee. Defined lean muscles in a lanky frame, with abs so hard my fingers craved to touch them.

Finally, I stopped at his cock. Flaccid, it curved to the left. Heavy, his length shadowed his balls, and then he stepped closer.

"Finally, the feast for tonight is here."

"What?" I drawled, swallowing.

He turned slightly and my eyes followed to find two other men seated on a cushion behind him, their frames differently built but no less deviously handsome.

"What is your name?" He questioned, the bass of his tone unravelling something low in me.

"Niall."

He tasted my name on his lips, then spoke. "My brothers and I have had a very strenuous journey for a particular reason. We crave pleasure, and we have paid your employer. Now, strip."

I blinked blankly at him. Paid my employer?

Shit…they must have mistaken me for someone else.