two

Kaia’s POV.

The air in the Great Hall had turned thick enough to choke on. Every eye was a needle, stitching me to the spot where the Alpha’s son had just committed social suicide by touching me.

My father’s eyes flared with a warning so potent it made my knees want to buckle. He didn't move from his seat, but his knuckles were white where they gripped the edge of the table. To him, this was a security breach. A stain on the Beta’s reputation.

I didn't wait for the formal dismissal. I turned on my heel, the silver tray clattering onto the table, and walked out of the Great Hall.

I didn't run. But as soon as thedoors closed behind me, I let out a breath I hadn't realized I was holding.

I made it halfway to the Omega quarters when a hand clamped onto my shoulder, spinning me around. I already knew the grip. It was too rough to be a stranger’s, too familiar to be anyone but blood.

"What the hell was that, Kaia?" Jace hissed. My brother’s face was twisted in a mixture of disgust and genuine confusion. "Did you do something? Did you scent him? Use some Omega trick to get his attention?"

I shoved his hand off. "I was carrying meat, Jace. Unless he has a fetish for roast beef, I didn't do anything."

"Don't lie to me," he snarled, stepping into my space to use his height as a weapon. "The Alpha’s son doesn't just walk up to a... a girl like you and start whispering in her ear. He’s the future of this pack. You’re a servant who happens to share my last name. If you’re trying to social climb by playing the 'misunderstood Omega,' stop. You'll get us all exiled."

"A girl like me?" I repeated, my voice dropping an octave. I stepped closer, refusing to let him intimidate me. "You mean a girl who can out-spar you three days out of five? Or a girl who actually does the work while you preen for the Alpha? If Killian Blackwood wants to talk to me, maybe it’s because he’s bored of looking at the same vapid faces you spend your time with."

Jace’s eyes flashed gold. For a second, I thought he might actually strike me. "You’re delusional. He was mocking you. He has to be. Stay away from him, Kaia. That’s not a request from your brother. It’s an order from your future Beta."

He turned and stormed back toward the lights and laughter of the hall. I stood in the dark, my hands trembling. Not from fear, but from the exhausting effort of holding back the wolf that wanted to tear the arrogance right out of his throat.

***

I couldn't go to sleep. My skin felt too tight, my blood too hot.

I headed for the training grounds on the edge of the forest. At midnight, it was deserted, illuminated only by the pale, cold light of the moon. This was my true home. Not the kitchens, not the omega’s Quarters , but the dirt and the wooden posts.

I didn't bother with a shirt. I stripped down to my sports bra and leggings, letting the biting night air hit my skin. I needed the cold to numb the memory of Killian’s thumb against my jaw.

I began my routine.

Strike. Pivot. Elbow.

The heavy bag swung with a groan. I poured every ounce of my frustration into it.

Strike for my father’s silence. Strike for Jace’s cruelty. Strike for the elders who looked at my curves and saw a liability.

I was moving in a blur of sweat and motion, my breathing coming in harsh, rhythmic rasps. In the dark, I didn't have to be "plus-sized" or "Omega."

I felt the power in my calves as I launched into a roundhouse kick, the impact vibrating through my entire frame.

"Your form is slightly off on the follow-through."

I spun around, my heart leaping into my throat. I dropped into a defensive crouch, my fists up, my wolf snarling at the surface.

Killian was leaning against a tree. He had shed his formal jacket, his white shirt unbuttoned at the collar, sleeves rolled up to reveal forearms corded with muscle and etched with dark tattoos. He looked less like a prince now and more like a predator who had found his favorite hunting ground.

"You're following me," I said, not moving from my stance. "That’s a crime, isn't it? An Alpha stalking an Omega?"

"I’m not stalking," he said, stepping into the moonlight. His eyes weren't on my face; they were tracking the sweat glistening on my collarbone, the rise and fall of my chest. "I’m observing. And I’m not an Alpha yet. I’m just a man who couldn't sleep”

"Then go for a run," I snapped. "The woods are that way."

"I like it here," he murmured, walking toward me. He didn't stop until he was just outside my striking range. "Why do you train so hard, Kaia? No one is going to let you on the front lines. They’ve already decided what you are."

"I don't train for them," I said, my voice shaking despite my best efforts. "I train so that when the world tries to crush me, I’m the one who doesn't break."

Killian’s gaze darkened. He reached out, and for a moment, I thought he was going to touch me again. Instead, he grabbed the punching bag, stilling its swing.

"Show me," he said.

I blinked. "What?"

"Spar with me. No ranks. No titles. Just... this."

"I can't spar with you," I said, a hysterical laugh bubbling up. "If I leave a mark on you, my father will have me locked in the cellar. If you hurt me, it’s a diplomatic incident."

"I won't hurt you," he said, his voice dropping to a low, dangerous rumble. "And as for the marks... I think I’d like to see what kind of mark you’d leave."

It was madness. It was the quickest way to get myself exiled or worse. But looking at him, I realized he was the only person in this pack who wasn't looking down at me. He was looking at me.

I didn't say a word. I simply lunged.

I moved fast, aiming a low kick at his lead leg, but he was faster. He caught my shin, his hand like a manacle. I used the momentum to pivot, swinging my elbow toward his chin. He ducked, his laughter a soft, dark sound in the night.

We moved through the dirt in a violent, beautiful dance. He was stronger, yes—his Alpha blood gave him an edge I couldn't match in raw power but I was lower to the ground, faster with my movement.

I managed to get inside his guard, my shoulder slamming into his chest. For a second, the weight of me caught him off balance. We tumbled to the ground, rolling through the frost-covered grass.

I ended up on top, my knees pinning his biceps, my hands pressing against his shoulders. We were both gasping for air.

I had the Alpha’s son pinned.

His eyes were wide, the gold in them burning like twin suns. His scent was overwhelming now—the woodsmoke and rain were joined by the scent of arousal.

"Yield," I whispered, my hair falling around us like a curtain.

Killian didn't answer. He shifted, his hand moving with a speed I couldn't track. Before I could react, he had flipped us. Now, I was the one pinned to the ground, his massive frame hovering over mine.

His thighs settled between mine, his hips pressing into the soft curve of my stomach. The contact was too much, a jolt of desire that made my toes curl into the dirt.

"You’re magnificent," he rasped, his face inches from mine. "They try to hide you away because they're afraid, Kaia. They see a girl who can't be controlled, who takes up space and demands to be seen.”

"I'm an Omega," I breathed, my heart shattering at the way he looked at me. "I'm nothing."

"You are everything," he countered. He leaned down, his forehead resting against mine. "The rules say I can't touch you. The laws say I should find a 'pure' mate to secure my line. But I’ve spent my whole life being what they wanted. And right now? I only want what’s forbidden."

His hand slid from the dirt, his fingers tangling in my hair. He pulled back just enough to look me in the eye.

"Tell me to stop, Kaia," he whispered. "Tell me you don't feel this pull, this tether between our souls, and I’ll walk away. I’ll never speak to you again."

I looked at him—the dangerous, beautiful prince of the pack and then I looked at the life of shadows waiting for me tomorrow.

I didn't tell him to stop.

I reached up, my fingers tracing the scar on his eyebrow, before sliding down to the nape of his neck. I pulled him down, closing the distance until our lips were a breath apart.

"Don't you dare walk away," I whispered.

And then, he kissed me.