Chapter 2

Kael Voss  Pov

Elias stood in the middle of the contract room with his shirt hanging off one shoulder. His hands trembled at his sides even though he tried hard to look steady. That small shake did something to me I didn’t like — a low pull in my chest. I pushed it away. I didn’t have room for that kind of distraction.

“Strip,” I said again, keeping my voice even.

He hesitated for a second, then reached for his shirt and pulled it off. The fabric dropped to the floor. I saw the scars right away — thin lines across his ribs, faded bruises on his hips, old marks on his wrists from restraints. Someone had treated him like shit for a long time.

I walked around him slowly, boots quiet on the rug. His scent filled the room, rain and stone with something sweet underneath and the sharp bite of fear. My body noticed. I kept control.

“You’ve been handled badly,” I said. “Turn around.”

He turned. His shoulders stayed tight. I ran two fingers down his spine. He shivered but didn’t pull away. I stopped at the small of his back, feeling the warmth of his skin.

I stepped back and pressed the button on my desk. “Bring the scanner.”

Riven came in a minute later carrying the portable machine. He set it up without talking much, but I saw the look in his eyes. He was curious. He left fast like I expected.

“Stand still,” I told Elias.

The scanner hummed and green light moved over his body. I watched the screen. Fertile. Healthy womb. Rare genetic markers. High match with my bloodline. This Omega could actually carry a strong heir without the usual problems.

Good. But also risky. Something about him already made me pay too much attention.

I crossed my arms and leaned against the desk. “You’re in better shape than I expected from Vale trash.”

Elias pulled his shirt back on but left it open. “Glad I meet your standards,” he said. There was real bite in his voice under the tiredness.

The doors opened again. The two guards who brought him walked in looking pleased with themselves. The bigger one grinned wide. “See? I told you he was prime breeding material. That body alone—”

I moved before he finished the sentence. My hand closed around his throat and slammed him into the wall hard enough to crack the wood. His feet left the ground.

“You don’t talk about what belongs to me like that,” I said quietly. “Ever.”

His face turned purple. The other guard froze in place.

I squeezed once more, then let him drop. He fell to the floor gasping.

“Get out. Tell your boss the deal is done. The money is already wired. If I see either of you on my land again, I’ll send your heads back in a box.”

They scrambled out fast.

The room felt smaller once the door shut. Elias was watching me closely now. Not just scared — he was studying me.

I straightened my sleeves. “The contract is simple. You stay here. You follow my rules. When your heat comes — and it will be soon — you will take my knot and carry my child. In return you get protection, good rooms, food, and status as pack consort. You are not a slave. You are an investment. Don’t get those two things mixed up.”

Elias swallowed hard. “And if I say no?”

“You already said yes the moment you stopped fighting them in the car. Don’t waste my time with games.”

He gave a short, bitter laugh. “Right. Because this is so much better than ending up with Draven.”

The name made my jaw tighten. Lucien Draven was a dangerous piece of work. Cold, calculating, and always working in the shadows. He didn’t fight fair or loud like most Alphas. He waited, pulled strings, and destroyed people slowly. And he had a bad habit of treating rare Omegas like Elias as personal property for his twisted experiments.

I stepped closer until I could see the small tremble in his lashes. “Draven would lock you up and use you until there was nothing left. I’m giving you a place here. A purpose.”

“Breeding stock with nicer sheets,” he shot back.

I caught his chin and made him look up at me. Up close his gray eyes had silver flecks. “Careful, little Omega. My patience isn’t unlimited.”

His breath brushed my wrist. The air between us felt thick. My rut stirred, instincts pushing me to claim him right there. I held back.

I let go and stepped away. “Riven will take you to your suite. You’ll get clothes, food, anything reasonable you ask for. Tomorrow we start getting things ready.”

Elias rubbed his jaw where my fingers had been. He looked small standing there, but those eyes didn’t drop.

He opened his mouth, closed it, then asked in a quiet voice, “And after the heir? What happens to me then?”

The question caught me off guard. I had planned everything for the empire, the bloodline, keeping the pack strong. But what happened to the Omega once the child was born and weaned? I hadn’t figured that part out yet.

I turned toward the window instead of answering right away. I stared out at the dark pines. “We’ll talk about that when the time comes.”

Behind me, I heard his shaky breath. The soft sound of him shifting his weight. The way he wrapped his arms around himself.

I didn’t turn around. If I looked at him again right now, I wasn’t sure I could keep my mask in place.

“Riven,” I called.

The Beta stepped in almost immediately. That easy smirk was on his face but his eyes were sharp. “Boss?”

“Take Elias to his rooms. Make sure he eats. Post two guards outside — not to keep him in. To keep others away from him.”

Riven nodded and glanced between us, noticing the tension. “Come on, silver. Let’s get you settled before the big bad Alpha changes his mind about the luxury part.”

Elias hesitated. I felt his eyes on my back one last time.

Then he followed Riven out.

The door clicked shut.

I stayed by the window a long time, fingers pressed against the cool glass. My reflection stared back — scarred face, silver at the temples, eyes still carrying a bit of gold.

One Omega. One heir.

It should have been simple.

But that question still hung heavy in the room, and for the first time in years I felt something dangerously close to uncertainty creeping in. Draven was already out there somewhere, waiting for any weakness. I couldn’t afford to have one now. Not with this Omega already getting under my skin.