Chapter 8

Leon’s POV

Lunch ended with Kian and Kai arguing over who should carry the trays, Dale rolling his eyes, and me sitting there wondering how my life had gone from “normal college student” to “kidnapped omega in a werewolf realm with no way out and apparently already dead in the real world.”

Fun.

“Ready to go?” Kai asked brightly.

“Yeah,” I sighed, standing. “Let’s go buy things I don’t want but apparently need.”

Dale snorted. “Such enthusiasm.”

We took one of the campus shuttles to the settlement. The ride wasn’t long, but when the mall came into view...

I froze.

“What the… hell?”

Calling it a mall was an understatement. It was a mini city. A city with glass towers, floating signs, glowing pathways, and bridges connecting multiple buildings. Wolves, actual wolves, patrolled lazily near the entrance, like security guards.

Kai grinned at my reaction. “Cool, right?”

“It’s excessive,” I whispered.

Kian bumped my shoulder. “Welcome to the shifter realm. We don’t do small.”

No kidding.

---

Inside was even worse.

Shops stacked on shops. People everywhere. Giant holographic ads floating above escalators.

"What's that" I pointed to a vent relaseing a must.

"Oh that's just Scent-neutralizing vents releasing. They help to prevent alphas and Omega's from reacting to each others scents " Kai explained and I nodded still confused but well....

I watched the vent bursts out a mist every few minutes. It was even scented. The fuck

“This place is insane.”

“Yeah,” Dale agreed. “It’s kind of overwhelming the first time but you’ll get used to it.”

I doubted that very much.

We started in clothing. Shifter clothing. Apparently most fabrics needed to be stretchable, tear resistant, and heat proof in case someone randomly decided to shift in the middle of class. Wonderful.

I held up a shirt. “Why is this fireproof?”

“In case of… stuff,” Kian said.

“What stuff?”

“You know. Shifter… stuff.”

That explained absolutely nothing.

I was looking at some jackets when,

“Fancy seeing you here.”

My whole body stiffened.

I turned.

And there he was.

Roan. Of course. Of course this stalker had followed us.

He stood with his hands in his pockets, looking infuriatingly smug and gorgeous and smug again. He had that same amused expression like he was watching a small animal try to escape a cage.

“Are you stalking me?” I asked flatly.

He gasped dramatically. “Stalking? Leon, please. I only stalk people worth stalking.”

“So yes,” I muttered.

He shrugged, unapologetic.

Kai and Kian instantly straightened like soldiers. Dale nodded stiffly.

Of course. Everyone here knew him

“Alpha,” Dale said respectfully. “Good afternoon.”

"Good morning" He nodded.

Roan barely acknowledged them. His stupid eyes were glued to me.

“You shopping?” he asked.

“No. I’m skydiving. Obviously I’m shopping,” I said.

Kian’s jaw dropped. Kai elbowed him.

Roan laughed. Actually laughed. “You’re fun.”

“I’m not here to entertain you.”

“Shame,” he said, stepping closer. “I was hoping you’d entertain me all day.”

I ignored him and turned to a rack of black shirts. Kai, bless his precious heart, tried to redirect.

“So, uh… Leon needs essentials. We’re helping him get everything he needs.”

Roan hummed thoughtfully. “I can help.”

“No,” I said instantly.

“Yes,” he said at the same time.

I glared. He smirked.

He followed us to the next store. And the next. And the next. Talking, asking questions, commenting on everything I picked up, making annoying suggestions, standing too close, smiling too much.

It took me everything not to pick something and hit him over the head with it. He was infuriating.

A menace.

A tall, handsome menace.

I mean he was handsome. The more you stared at him the more you noticed it.

His face wasn't one you to used to with time. He was always really attractive every time you saw him and he knew it. That was what made it even annoying.

“Do you like that shirt?” Roan asked as I held up a deep green one.

“No.” I dropped it back on the rack and moved on to something else

“You touched it for a long time.”

“Because I was imagining strangling someone with it.”

Kai coughed to hide a laugh.

Roan leaned in close. Too close. “You can strangle me anytime, pretty boy.”

I choked. “Stop calling me that.”

“Make me.”

I ignored him. Again. I wasn’t giving him the satisfaction. The worst part? Everyone in the mall stared like he was some sort of celebrity royalty.

And apparently… he was.

---

After what felt like three days, we finished shopping. I had bags full of groceries, clothes, towels, toiletries, and a weird shifter alarm clock that supposedly detected pheromone spikes. Disgusting.

By the time we left the mall, Roan had somehow managed to walk beside me the entire time like a shadow with good hair.

“We’re heading back,” Dale announced.

Roan’s eyes stayed locked on me. “See you around, Leon.”

I ignored him hoping he'd just disappear and stop existing around me.

"You can't avoid me Pretty boy. I'm everywhere" he smiled

“Unfortunately,” I muttered.

He grinned like I’d just complimented him, then walked off like he owned the universe.

The moment he was gone, all three of them exhaled loudly.

Kai shook his head. “Wow.”

Kian blinked. “He… talked to you. A lot.”

Dale stared at me like I’d somehow survived wrestling a lion. “How the hell do you know Roan Blackthorn?”

Blackthorn?

I shrugged and lied “I met him this morning. He’s been acting weird ever since.”

We walked toward the shuttle. They stared.

Kai leaned closer. “Do you know who he is?”

“A stalker?” I offered.

“A powerful stalker,” Kian corrected.

Dale sighed. “Leon… Roan is one of the strongest alphas ever born.”

I rolled my eyes. “Everyone here is the strongest something.”

“No,” Kai said firmly. “Roan is different. He’s the youngest sitting alpha of an entire pack. His father died last year, so Roan took over early.”

I raised a brow. “So he’s like… what? Wolf royalty?”

“Pretty much,” Kian replied. “His pack is huge. One of the biggest in the realm.”

“And he’s a part-time student,” Kai added. “Because he has to manage both the pack and university.”

“He’s smart too,” Dale said.

“And talented,” Kai added.

“And strong,” Kian said.

“And disciplined—”

“Okay we get it,” I snapped. “He’s perfect. You guys want an autograph?”

Kai looked sheepish. “Sorry. We just… admire him.”

Yeah. I got that. Everyone did. It was annoying.

“He sure seems interested in you,” Kian added casually.

I nearly tripped. “Don’t say things like that.”

Kai smirked. “Just saying.”

"Well I'm not interested in him so..."

---

When we got back to my apartment building, the guys insisted on helping.

And surprisingly… it was fun.

We unpacked groceries. Organized clothes. Set up the kitchen. Kai almost broke my new plates. Kian got distracted by my oven. Dale put together the shelf faster than humanly possible.

They talked, joked, argued, laughed, and for a moment, I forgot I was trapped here.

“This place looks great now,” Kai said proudly.

“Yeah,” Dale agreed. “Feels like yours.”

“It felt like a prison before,” Kian said bluntly.

“Kian!” Kai smacked him.

“I’m just being honest!”

"It's huge though" kian said looking around. "They gave you a pretty amazing room. You're so lucky man. We all get smaller rooms and if it's huge then we share it"

"Omega's get their own room because of pheromones though." Kai said trying not to get me to worry.

"What do I smell like?" I asked wondering that the fuck I was supposed to smell like.

"We're beta's so we can't pick up pheromones but you smell like..." Kain leaned in a smelled me.

It was so funny they all burst out laughing and I joined.

I actually laughed. A tiny one. But it counted.

Then Kian handed me a wrapped box. “This is for you.”

I blinked. “What is it?”

“A housewarming present,” Kai said, smiling.

I opened it.

Inside was a small carved wolf figurine holding an omega symbol. It was… cute. Weird, but cute.

“It’s a charm,” Dale explained. “For protection. And good sleep. It'll help you sleep easy so you don't have to spend your night thinking or worrying.”

“Thanks,” I said quietly. “Seriously.”

....

They left soon after, waving like overexcited puppies.

I locked the door, put the last of the bags away, and sat on the bed, staring at the phone Vara gave me.

Reginald.

My only connection to the world I’d lost. My parents lawyer.

My lawyer

The only person I trusted. I wasn't sure if I could trust him again though.

Especially after what I found out but I still wanted to call him I wanted to hear what he had to say from him.

I wanted an explanation. Something ... Anything

I dialed.

It rang.

And rang.

And rang.

Then,

"Voice mailbox Please leave a message." the mechanical voice spoke

I hung up.

I wasn’t leaving a voicemail. Not now. Not when everything felt like it was collapsing and rebuilding all at once.

I dropped the phone onto the bed and leaned back, closing my eyes.

Everything from today hit me all at once, my new apartment, my new life, this new realm.

It was too much.

All of it.

Too much.

My chest tightened

I inhaled slowly.

Then exhaled.

This was my life now. I had no choice . I had no way out. I had to fight through until I could leave.

Whether I liked it or not, I had to try for my sake.