Omega Unclaimable

Victoria had always been very good at making disasters look like my fault. It was the only skill she had fully mastered.

She stood in the training hall with her arms folded across her chest. Her black hair always looked perfect as she looked at me with an expression of wounded innocence. She had mastered the look too apparently.

The broken ceremonial blade lay on the floor behind her where she had dropped it after using it to fight several holographic simulation warriors. Even though I had not touched the weapon, everyone was looking at me as if I had personally marched into the restricted weapons chamber and declared war on the academy.

“She broke the rule,” Victoria said quietly. “Kiara knew we weren’t allowed to use a ceremonial weapon during combat practice, but she took it anyway, and when I tried to stop her, she became aggressive.”

I stared at her. For one beautiful second, I considered laughing, because there was something almost impressive about the confidence with which she lied. It looked like art.

The instructors were already approaching, and I knew that defending myself would only make everything worse. Victoria eyed me and gave the smallest smile. It was the smile she always gave me whenever she expected me to clean up one of her disasters.

Her father had made me promise that I would protect her. Victoria used every opportunity she could get to drag me through the mud because she knew she could. It had become her favorite hobby.

“I didn’t take it,” I said, in a silent whisper.

Julia immediately jumped forward. “Of course you didn’t. You probably expect us to believe that you just happened to be standing beside the weapon after Victoria caught you swinging the blade carelessly.”

The students watching laughed and gossiped mockingly. I ignored the feeling of hate and rage rising in my belly.

Victoria sighed, waving a perfectly manicured hand. “I don’t want to make this worse for her, Julia.”

“She has always been jealous of you,” Julia said, rolling her eyes at me. “Everyone knows that.”

I swallowed the anger rising in my chest and reminded myself not to shift no matter what happened. The last time I had shifted was scary for me because my wolf was so different and powerful that it left me shaken.

An instructor finally reached us and before I could speak he scowled accusingly at me demanding an explanation for the broken sword. I stood there silently while they destroyed my reputation piece by piece.

I wanted to scream that Victoria had broken the rule not me. Why did I always have to be the fall guy for her bullshit? I was tired of always having to clean up her mess. Instead, I lowered my eyes and accepted my fate.

The instructor announced my punishment in front of everyone then ordered me to report to the eastern perimeter where I would go beyond the wall to retrieve a rare moonstone orb from the abandoned ruins and return before sunset with additional disciplinary duties waiting for me.

I was escorted from the hall, a burst of laughter followed me. I thought that would be the worst part of my morning until I ran into the Apex trio. Trevor Knight, Cody Heathen, and Axel Noir watched me like I had killed the entire pack in the most cowardly way.

The three Alpha princes looked tall and imposing with auras to match. Everyone around kept a safe distance almost as if the existence of these three men was enough to rip reality apart. They were handsome enough to be considered demigods. Their blue eyes and incredible physique gave them an almost godlike presence.

Trevor glared at me, his gorgeous blue eyes pulling at my strings. “Already being punished?”

Cody smiled, equally ravishing. “She must be addicted to them.”

Axel looked at the instructor escorting me and then back at me. “What did she do this time?”

I hated them but it didn’t hurt to fantasize about them once in a while. I reminded myself they were the enemy and that they were about to prove why I hated them so much.

My fingers balled into fists. “Nothing,” I muttered.

Cody laughed softly. “Then why are you being punished?”

I didn’t answer because I was struggling to control my anger. Trevor moved closer and pointed at the large stone tablet standing by the entrance. He was pointing at the Ten Sacred Laws of Obsidian Heights.

“Read them.” He commanded.

I looked at him. “What?”

“You heard me.”

I turned to the instructor but he looked away. He wasn’t going to interfere. My humiliation apparently amused everyone. So I read every rule as they all watched excitedly at my embarrasment. My hands were trembling by the time I reached the final law.

I was taken outside the academy grounds where the forest looked scary and the sky was always unusually gray. I looked back at the enormous walls of Obsidian Heights and reminded myself this part was supposed to be safe. That was why there were no instructors or guards with me.

I only needed to retrieve the stupid orb from the ruins and return back, simple. I took a few steps and stopped when I noticed the forest was unnaturally quiet.

I stopped.

I smelled it before I saw or heard it come from behind me. It moved in the trees just out of sight. I turned sharply following every sound and movement it made. I knew I was being hunted but I had no idea who or what it is.

Without thinking, I ran back to the border gate. The creature leaped from the trees so quickly that I didn’t see it before it slammed into me, knocking me across the ground.

Pain shot through my entire body and my ribs felt like they had exploded from within. I screamed for help as loud as my lungs would let me. I knew they could hear me but I also knew they were going to ignore me. There were instructors and guards stationed along the perimeter but nobody came.

The rogue attacked again this time with a violent slash of its sharp claw. I barely avoided the deadly cut, realizing with sick certainty that nobody was coming to save me.

I was going to die.

The thought broke something inside me. I stopped trying to suppress my wolf and called for her. My body morphed instantly and when I opened my eyes again, the world looked completely different.

The rogue hesitated for a moment before attacking again. I could easily read its attack now and I moved away, grabbed its arm and drove it to the ground with enough force to crack the earth.

The rogue fought to get away whinning in pain but I wasn’t going to let that happen. I tore through its guts easily, ripping it apart before it could even understand what had happened.

When everything became still, I stood over the body, struggling to calm my breathing. Then I shifted back realizing it was over. I looked around quickly to confirm I was still alone and no one had witnessed what I just did.

I closed my eyes and took a calming breath. Then a voice came from the shadows shocking me to my core.

“Uhmm, that’s interesting.”

I opened my eyes and turned around fast to see Trevor, Cody, and Axel standing under a tree, watching me.