LOGINALANAI held my breath, my hand still submerged in the motionless water that refused to react, as though it rejected a ritual that should have been effortless for any omega."I'm just a scholarship student, Alpha," I replied, trying to keep my voice steady despite the panic raging inside me. "I don't know why the ritual didn't work."The ritual master stepped closer, his face lined with confusion as he examined the pool with the small wooden staff he carried."This is the first time I've witnessed something like this in fifty years of leading these rituals. An omega's blood, especially one without a family name should have the weakest resistance to a mate bond."Then he spoke more quietly, as though thinking out loud."Unless... her blood isn't that of an ordinary omega."Morgana stepped forward, narrowing her eyes suspiciously at me. "What do you mean?""A mate bond this resilient," the ritual master explained, "is usually found only in those descended from noble bloodlines that have
ALANAThat morning, I woke up before my alarm went off. The sky was still dim, with the first rays of sunlight slipping through the gap in the guest room curtains. I sat on the edge of the bed for a long while, staring blankly at the cold marble floor, trying to sort through the tangled emotions that had been weighing on me since last night.I was already in the guest room—the place where I was supposed to be. The last thing I remembered was Connor carrying me here in his arms after we made love.Well... shit.Okay. I needed to forget about what happened last night. I would think of it as the last time our wolves were ever together.Today was the rejection ritual.I should have felt relieved. This was what I had wanted from the very beginning. The bond that stood in the way of my mission would finally be severed, and I could return to searching for the Lunar Sword without the burden of a mate bond weighing me down. But for some reason, my chest felt heavy, as if there was something in
ALANA“Come with me,” Connor said suddenly, rising from the windowsill and gently taking my hand.“Where?” I asked, though my feet were already following him without protest.He didn’t answer. He simply led me past a small hidden door behind the large bookshelf in the corner of his room—something I hadn’t noticed existed until now. The door opened into another room, smaller than his main chamber, with far dimmer lighting and air that felt heavier, more intimate.The moment I stepped inside, I froze.The walls of the room were lined with various implements I never imagined I’d find in a noble family’s residence like this. Silver chains hung neatly along one wall, several black leather ropes arranged on a dark wooden rack, a pair of velvet-lined handcuffs, a thin paddle that looked light yet clearly wasn’t for play, and in the center stood a large bed different from the one in his main room—its sturdy iron frame carved intricately at every corner, complete with several discreet attachme
ALANAThe afternoon sunlight streamed through the large glass windows lining the main hallway as Connor came to pick me up from the guest room, just like he had promised last night."Ready for the tour?" he asked, dressed in a casual white shirt that made him look a little different from the cold Alpha I was used to seeing at the academy. His hair was neater than usual, and for a brief moment, he looked like an ordinary young man instead of the heir to the strongest pack in the entire territory.I nodded and followed him down a corridor I had never walked through before. The sunlight pouring in through the tall windows made tiny specks of dust dance in the air, illuminating every intricate wooden carving decorating the walls."This is the Hall of Ancestors," Connor explained, gesturing toward the row of massive portraits lining the walls. The stern faces of generations of the Savagaz family stared down with the same cold expressions. "Every Alpha who has ever led this pack has a portr
ALANA‘Fuck YOU ALARIC’That was what I said in my heart.I held my breath, keeping my head bowed, not daring to look into damn Alaric’s eyes any longer than an omega was allowed in front of the Alpha of a great pack. But inside my chest, anger and fear fought fiercely, making my hands tremble hidden beneath the folds of my skirt.“Father,” Connor interrupted, his voice firm, “we just arrived. I want to talk about tonight’s ritual, after dinner.”Alaric nodded slowly, his eyes still not leaving me. “Very well. Dinner happens to be almost ready. The two of you should join us.”He walked away with his two guards, his heavy steps echoing along the marble corridor, leaving behind a cold aura that lingered long after his figure disappeared at the end of the hallway.I exhaled the breath I had been holding, my body suddenly feeling weak.“Are you all right?” Connor asked quietly, his hand almost touching my shoulder before he held himself back.“I’m fine,” I answered, though my voice still
ALANAWe were greeted by a line of servants dressed in black-and-silver uniforms, standing in perfect formation on either side of the grand staircase. Every one of them bowed respectfully to Connor.The entire atmosphere shifted.I could feel their eyes drifting toward me, silently judging me from my shoes to my face before stopping on the small Omega pin still fastened to my academy uniform. Whispers spread quietly among them—not loud enough to make out the words, but enough to make my ears burn."Alpha Connor."A middle-aged woman descended the staircase, dressed in a formal black gown with a silver wolf-head brooch pinned to her chest. Her expression was cold, her sharp eyes lingering on me before turning to Connor."We've been expecting your arrival.""Aunt Morgana," Connor greeted her curtly, his tone formal and emotionless. "Where's Father?""Alpha Alaric is entertaining guests in the main hall," the woman—Morgana—replied. Her gaze stabbed into me again, making no effort to hide
ALPHA CONNOR"Alpha, where is she?" Barry asked as soon as he stepped into the room.I glanced up from the papers on my desk. “You mean the new girl who’s staying with us?”Barry nodded. “Yes, Alana.”“She went out for a bit,” I replied calmly. “She said she needed to buy some personal items at the
Alana’s POV“So your name is just Alana?” he asked as he walked beside me.I nodded slightly. “Yeah. Just Alana.”Finally, I arrived at Faang Academy alongside the man I had met on the train earlier. After we stepped off the train, he asked for my name while guiding me toward the academy gates.As
Alana’s POV"Why do you look so surprised?" Alpha Connor asked in a deep, calm voice.Shit. I would never call him Alpha in my head. That title was too respectful for the son of a ruthless murderer like his father. From now on, he was just Connor to me. But in front of him, I had to pretend to be r
Alana’s POV“Don’t ever fucking sleep with him!” “Don’t fall in love with him!”My uncle reminded me over and over again. Every time, I answered firmly that I had already promised countless times I would never fall in love with him.“Baron, NEVER!” I said as I shoved clothes into the open suitcase







