Chapter 2: The Alpha is my mate

"Omega, come here."  

The command was soft, but it carried the weight of a mountain. The air pressure in the room shifted. I didn't respond immediately; I desperately wanted to run away, to flee this room and this humiliation.

On the bed, Vera pouted. She cupped her breasts, leaning down to try and kiss Kane's neck, moving closer to him to try and draw his attention back to her body, trying to rekindle the flame that seemed to have temporarily lost its spark.

"Kane, ignore him," she complained, her voice breathy and whining. "Look at me. I'm right here, my body needs you. Don't let a stupid Omega ruin the mood."

But Kane didn't even glance at her. His gaze was fixed on me, burning into the top of my bowed head. I could feel that strange light emanating from him, a pull that tugged at my very soul. I prayed Vera would seduce him successfully, because I couldn't imagine what would happen if the son of a murderer and the son of a slain Alpha were left alone in this volatile space.

Kane didn't look at her. He raised a hand, pointing a finger at the door without taking his eyes off me.

"Get out," he whispered, his voice terrifyingly low. "I'll only say it once."

Hearing this, I couldn't help but tremble. Vera had failed. The temperature in the room seemed to plummet. Kane unleashed his Alpha aura a heavy, suffocating pressure, like a physical burden weighing on my shoulders. It was the scent of a storm, of ozone, and imminent danger. My knees nearly buckled, and he wasn't even directing his anger at me this time.

Vera gasped, her face turning pale as sheet. The pleasure vanished from her face, replaced by primal fear. She scrambled off the bed, picking up her clothes from the floor in a frantic heap. She moved quickly, head bowed, terrified to offend him again.

She paused for a moment as she passed me on her way to the door. She looked at me with pure, venomous eyes, promising retribution.

"Don't fucking stare at Kane! You don't deserve it, Omega!" she hissed.

Then the door slammed shut.

Silence descended, thick and suffocating.

"Come here, Omega," Kane called out again, the command sharper this time.

He is an Alpha. I have to obey his orders. It is biology. It is law.

I swallowed hard, my throat dry. I got up nervously on shaky legs and walked over to the bed. Every step felt like walking to the gallows.

When I was within arm's reach, a strong force shot out. Kane grabbed my arm and yanked. I fell forward, tumbling onto the bed. Before I could scramble away, he moved with lightning speed, pinning me beneath him.

He was heavy, his weight pressing me into the mattress. He was naked, and his large member hadn't subsided; it was pressed against my thigh through the fabric of my pants. I could feel its heat, a burning brand against my skin.

To ignore this feeling, to ignore the terror threatening to consume me, I forced myself to look straight ahead, facing him.

Kane was undeniably handsome. That was common knowledge in the tribe. But suddenly, faced with such a handsome face this close, I was somewhat mesmerized despite myself. His jawline was sharp, his lips full and cruel.

My father had warned me before he died, his face gaunt in the dungeon cell. Stay away from Kane, he had whispered. He is dangerous.

What my father didn't know was that I had liked Kane a little from a young age. I knew this was wrong because I was also a boy, and he was the Alpha's son. After what happened later, after my father's arrest and my family's demotion, I had forced myself to give up that idea. I had buried it deep.

But now, Kane was here. And his hand was sliding down, hooking into the waistband of my pants.

He was actually pulling down my pants.

Panic, cold and sharp, exploded in my chest. I couldn't do this. I couldn't be his toy.

"No!" I gasped. 

I panicked and struggled to break free from Kane's grasp. Adrenaline surged through me. A man's strength is usually greater, but I was fighting for my life, and Kane wasn't on guard he didn't expect an Omega to fight back. I managed to twist my body, bringing my knee up and shoving him off balance.

I scrambled backward, falling off the bed and landing on the floor. I looked up at him, seeing his large, angry erection still exposed.

"Alpha, if you need a girl, tell me," I said nervously, my voice trembling but firm. "I will find you the prettiest girl in the tribe. She'll definitely be more than willing. She can satisfy you. I... I can't."

Kane didn't reply. He just sat on the edge of the bed, staring at me with an unreadable expression.

I took a breath and quietly got up, ready to leave, to run for my life.

Suddenly, a strong force shot out. Kane grabbed my short golden hair and yanked it back violently.

"Ah!" I cried out as the pain in my scalp made me fall with the force. My waist hit the sharp edge of the bed, and agony swept through my entire body.

"Omega, your father killed my father," Kane growled in a low voice, his lips against my ear. "Do you think your whole family can escape punishment just because he's dead?"

He grabbed my chin with his free hand, his fingers digging deep into my jaw, forcing my head up. He leaned down and kissed me fiercely.

It wasn't a kiss of passion. It was a kiss of possession and hate. He forced my lips apart, his tongue invading my mouth.

He just kissed me. He didn't like me. He hated me. Because no one can forgive the son of a murderer.

The memory flashed through my mind horrifying and vivid. The day my life ended. I had walked into the Alpha’s office to find my father standing over the dead body of the Alpha, a knife in his hand, screaming in a berserk rage. And Kane... Kane had been hiding in the corner, eyes wide, feigning terror. He had testified against my father. He swore he saw my father slit the Alpha's throat.

My father wanted to kill not only the Alpha but also his son that day. The rage had consumed him. Why? I never understood. My father was the most loyal Beta the Pack had ever known. How could he possibly butcher the Alpha he once loved? Yet, before the guards finally dragged him away, he had lunged for Kane with every intent to kill.

The pain was suffocating, and Kane forced me to open my mouth wider. I tasted his flavor, mixed with the lingering bitterness of Vera's juices.

I almost vomited. I struggled violently, thrashing against him, my hands pushing against his chest.

And then, amidst the struggle and the rage and the scent of Vera, I suddenly caught a strange smell.

It wasn't the smell of sex. It wasn't the metallic tang of blood or the cheap perfume of the maid or the soap Vera used. It was something else. Something fresh.

It was the smell of pine needles in the snow, of rain on hot asphalt, of something deep and ancient and undeniably right.

My heart began to pound, but no longer with fear. My blood felt like it was boiling, surging through my veins with an unprecedented, frenzied energy.

Mate! 

The voice echoed in my mind, deafening and raw, shaking my very soul. It was Fenris, my wolf. He had been silent for so long, buried deep within me, dormant and broken ever since my father died. But now he roared, howling with a feral joy and ferocity that terrified me.

I looked up at Kane, my eyes wide with shock. He had frozen. He was staring at me, his own eyes wide, his nostrils flaring.

He smelled it too. We both looked shocked, the realization hanging in the air like a physical blow.

Moon Goddess, you must be joking with me!

The man who hated me. The man who tormented me. The Alpha Kane, whose father my father supposedly killed…

 He was actually my mate!