Chapter 1

ZAYN

PRESENT DAY

I was on the verge of a meltdown, my emotions raw and frayed. As I stormed into the athletics centre, my breathing was ragged, and my body burned with a fire that threatened to consume me.

Sweat dripped down my forehead as I shed my clothes, dumping them into my locker before stepping into the scalding shower.

My mind was at war, every muscle in my body tense as I hastily washed off and shut off the shower. I yanked on my swimming briefs, barely registering the fabric against my skin.

Without hesitation, I strode to the pool center and dove in, the water enveloping me like a shroud.

Turning 21 tonight, I had spent four years dreading the mate bond my father hoped for. As a gay omega, I'd learned to expect the worst.

If the moon goddess was generous, my mate would accept me for who I am. But hope wasn't something I could afford to cling to.

For nearly twelve years, I'd perfected the act, convincing everyone I was an Alpha. But the façade was fragile, and one person already saw through it – Damario. Ensuring he kept my secret buried was a constant battle.

The thought of my mate discovering the truth sent a chill down my spine; they'd know me better than anyone, and exposure would be catastrophic. The stakes were already high with Damario; I couldn't afford to let anyone else in.

My father's words echoed in my mind, the letter he'd sent earlier searing into my heart like a branding iron. His royal beta had been dispatched to announce my birthday to the school, a public declaration of my eligibility for mate bonding.

The message was clear: find a mate tonight, or face the consequences.

"If you keep acting like a failure, I'll be forced to denounce you as the heir to the throne. Don't disappoint me tonight, kid. Find yourself a mate, at all costs."

The words cut deep, a shard of glass lodged in my chest, the pressure suffocating me.

After I lost to Damario Bloodworth three years ago, and Dawnlands took the top spot, my father's attitude towards me shifted. He became relentless in his criticism, reminding me of my inadequacies at every turn. It was as if I'd lost my value in his eyes the moment I lost to Damario.

Now, the only way to regain his favor was to find a mate who could elevate our family's status – someone elite, someone who could make our business thrive.

If I could pull that off, maybe he'd look at me with pride again. But deep down, I knew it wasn't about me; it was about his own ambition and ego.

Everything was all about my father. Never about me.

"What the fuck am I supposed to do?" I groaned, my gut twisted into knots, my heart weighing heavy in my chest like a lead anchor.

My lungs burnt as I cut through the water, pumping my arms in long, measured strokes. Right side, then left, breathing through the ache in my muscles. With every lap, picturing how my mate would react if they found out I was an omega.

They would reject me without a doubt.

Fuck, this isn’t working.

Hissing, I came to a stop at the edge of the pool, where I had left a clean towel. My breaths came out shallow and ragged, but it was a welcome distraction from the harsh frustration I had been trying to get rid of for hours now since I got my father's message.

Swimming usually calmed the storm inside me. But today, it was a lost cause, all thanks to Damario Bloodworth.

That insufferable prick strolled into the facility like he was the goddamn king, whistling and kicking random objects out of his way. I grabbed my water bottle, downing the entire contents in one gulp, and clenched the empty bottle in my fist, the plastic crinkling under my grip.

"Look who's here, our darling princess," Damario sneered, plopping down beside me, his arms crossed over his chest and his legs dangling in the water.

"Fuck off, Damario," I growled, my anger simmering just below the surface.

I wondered if the bastard would ever get tired of pushing my buttons, or if he took some twisted pleasure in knowing I didn't want to deal with his crap right now.

"What's got you thinking?" He asked, leaning backward with his hands planted on the floor, turning his gaze to stare at me. "Did your boyfriend broke up with you or something?"

Even though Damario hadn't spilled my secret to the world, that didn't stop him from baiting me whenever we were alone.

Fuck, if it was possible to hate him more, I'd jump at the chance. My loathing for him rivaled my disdain for my own miserable life.

Everyone at Empire University knew about our toxic dynamic – we were always at each other's throats, our mutual hatred evident.

"I don't have anything to say to you, so fuck off already," I snarled, baring my teeth.

I wished shifting into our wolf forms wasn't banned on school premises; I'd have torn into him in a heartbeat, ripped him limb from limb. The thought was intoxicating.

Damario sneered, his eyes flashing with anger. "Does it look like your daddy owns this pool? What gives you the right to tell me to leave?" he shot back.

I should've felt a spark of satisfaction at getting under his skin, but it was overshadowed by my own rage. Beating Damario Bloodworth was my second-favorite pastime, right after swimming – and right now, I'd give anything to indulge in both.

But I wasn't in the mood for games right now; tonight loomed over me like a specter. If I failed to find a mate, I'd face my father's wrath, and the thought made my stomach twist into knots.

"You don't even like swimming, so what the fuck are you doing here?" I sighed, rubbing my temples as I extracted my legs from the water.

I grabbed my empty water bottle and headed to the disposal bin, my movements mechanical. I wasn't surprised when I stepped into the locker room, and Damario trailed behind me like a shadow, that stupid, infuriating shadow.

"I don't think I need to give you a play-by-play of my life," he scoffed, I tried to open my locker, but Damario slammed it shut with his foot.

He leaned his massive frame against the locker, arms crossed, eyes blazing with challenge. "And how do you know I hate swimming? You're so obsessed with me you've been running background checks?"

The idea was laughable, like I had time for that level of petty nonsense.

"Say what you want," I hissed, stripping off my damp briefs and stepping under the scalding water.

"Heard it's your birthday today. Any luck finding your Alpha mate?" Damario sneered, stepping into the adjacent shower stall.

"If it bothers you so much, why don't you come to my birthday party and see for yourself?" I shot back, turning to glare at him with a smirk.

Damario's smile evaporated, and for a fleeting moment, I saw something else, a flash of distaste, maybe even disgust. It was almost as if the idea of setting foot in my pack's house was repulsive to him.

I didn't give a damn; I'd rub it in his face if it meant getting under his skin.

"I would rather pluck out my eyes than attend your stupid party," he hissed, stepping out of the shower and I did the same.

"Get over yourself," I scoffed, drying my hair with a towel. "That wasn't an invitation. I don't need a fucking homophobic idiot at my party, anyway."

"Maybe you should lock your father away in a cage then," he smirked, flashing me a wicked grin. "Because I sure as hell knows he would rather take his own life than support a faggot son."

Without hesitation, my fist flew through the air, connecting with Damario's jaw and sending him crashing into the locker. I lunged forward, ready to grab his hair and slam his face into the metal, but Damario ducked at the last second.

My fist rammed into the iron locker instead, sending a searing pain through my knuckles.

"Talking with your fists, huh?" Damario panted, his eyes blazing with fury as he grabbed my neck and slammed me against the hard wall. A swift kick landed in my ribs, making my breath hitch.

"That's the only thing you're good at," he sneered, his grip on my neck tightening.

"And you think you're better than me?" I snarled, panting heavily as I dodged his next strike. I countered with a swift kick to his ankle, sending him crashing to the floor.

The door burst open, and a group of guys stumbled in, their eyes widening in shock at the scene before them. Only then did I register our state – both of us stark naked, Damario's face smeared with blood, and my own hand throbbing with pain, my knuckles torn and bleeding.

Ignoring the onlookers, I yanked on my sweats, grabbed my backpack, and stalked out of the locker room. I hadn't taken more than a few strides when I spotted Czar, my best friend and future royal beta of Sunhaven, heading towards me with a deepening frown etched on his face.

This isn't good.

I stopped, looking him dead in the eyes as if to check what was going on through his dark orbs. "What is it?" I demanded, halting on my track.

Czar scratched his neck. "His majesty wants you to come home. Now!"