1. THE AWAKENING

At the time the new batch of Omegas arrived at the Orion Pack, Ezra had the two most important rules etched into his brain.

First, keep your eyes down and ask no questions.

Second, don't ever cross Alphas.

The rules were repeated severally that even the children knew them word for word.

Ezra had obeyed them in the best way he could. Always keeping his head down and avoiding the dreaded Alpha.

There were three kinds in this world.

At the top were the Alphas. Tall, powerful, born to lead. They held absolute authority and everyone else lived beneath them.

Then there were the Omegas. Beautiful, delicate, and treasured like rare possessions. Omegas were scarce, so an Alpha's status was often measured by how many Omegas stood at his side.

And finally, there were the betas. The most common of them all.

Betas had no pheromones. They didn't go into heat. They worked, followed orders, and kept the pack running. People like Ezra spent their lives doing exactly that.

It wasn't a glamorous existence, but it was better than drawing attention to yourself.

In this pack, being invisible was the only way to survive.

But invisibility did not equate ignorance. You learned to listen without being seen.

"The Alpha is getting a new Omega," one of the beta guards said, his voice was a mix of admiration and desire but for a person of his status, he could never own an Omega.

"One of the finest kind," another added.

"From the slums. I hear they always have the best."

The air vanished from the room as a dreadful memory filled his mind. The glass he held clattered to the ground with a loud sound and all eyes turned to him.

Ezra ignored their gaze as he knelt to gather the pieces.

"Weirdo," one of the guards muttered in disdain.

But Ezra didn't care for his words, he gathered the pieces and fled the room, heart pounding in his chest.

An Omega from the slums meant trouble for him. Ezra's stomach dropped.

He had spent years burying that part of himself. He wasn't about to let a stranger drag it back into the light.

"Ezra," a sharp voice yelled from down the hallway. His feet stopped moving and he turned to see the large Alpha at the end of the hallway. He shifted uneasily under the gaze that watched him.

"Come here," the voice ordered and Ezra obeyed without question.

That was an unspoken rule. When an Alpha called, you obeyed. No question asked.

"Alpha," he mumbled in a small voice.

"Your duties will be changed," He announced and Ezra stiffened.

"You'll be assigned to the new Omega,” Ezra's head snapped up and he met the Alpha's eyes.

The Alpha watched him, waiting for a protest which never came. Ezra lowered his head.

"I'll do as instructed," he forced out, sounding polite.

"Good. This is a gift for the prime Alpha, so you handle him with special care."

"Understood," he gritted and turned to leave.

"Where are you going? The Omega arrived already and will need attending. Don't waste even a second."

Again, Ezra nodded, and just like that, he changed his direction.

A guard followed closely behind Ezra as he climbed, one stair at a time.

The higher they climbed, the quieter it became. Fewer guards, fewer servants.

At the top, a heavy door was open and the hallway stretched long and quiet.

"Down there" the guard said gruffly and the door was pulled shut behind him.

The air felt colder here, heavier.

Ezra tried to find a scent but knew it was useless. He was fucked up, so much that something as simple as a scent was impossible for him.

Slowly he approached the door and then he opened it.

"I've waited hours for someone to get here" a whiny voice reached Ezra's ears as the door opened.

A lean figure stood across from him, honey-blond hair fell damply over his shoulders, still wet from a recent bath.

Ezra's breath caught. Out of all the people dragged from the slums, it had to be Kit.

He looked different from what Ezra remembered, but exactly the way an Omega was supposed to look.

And Kit had always wanted to look like this.

Kit tilted his head, eyes settling on Ezra in silent recognition.

And then his lips curved into a smile.

"My, my. Isn't this the mighty Ezra?”

"Who would have thought you'd end up serving the same Omegas you looked down on,”

Ezra maintained his silence as Kit walked closer.

"And they actually sent you to serve me? What a small world."

Ezra walked into the room and began gathering the clothes scattered across the floor, pretending not to hear the mockery in Kit's voice.

"What? Nothing to say?" Kit stepped closer.

"You used to act like you were better than everyone else."

Ezra's jaw tightened, and Kit smirked.

"Looks like that gambler father of yours really ruined your life."

Kit clicked his tongue.

"He spent all that money stuffing you full of drugs, hoping you'd become an Omega, and you still failed."

At the mention of his father, Ezra froze.

Kit only smiled wider.

"You used to act like becoming an Omega was the worst thing in the world. But people would kill for this."

He spread his arms and glanced around the luxurious room.

"Look at me now. I'm an Omega. A rare male Omega. I have everything I ever wanted."

"The clothes. The food. And being chosen by powerful Alphas."

His smile widened with pride.

"You should see the envy on everyone's faces." Kit's gaze swept over Ezra from head to toe.

"You must really feel like such a failure," he taunted.

"Becoming nothing but a filthy Beta servant who's only fit to kneel down and carry my shoes."

That was when Ezra finally looked at him.

"And you?" His voice was calm.

“You must feel very proud of being a pet for a wealthy old Alpha. I'm sure your parents are excited by that kind of future for their child," Kit growled angrily, his angelic face twisting into something vile.

"Indeed, my father tried to sell me.” Ezra's eyes were cold.

"Looks like yours succeeded."

"How dare you? A servant beta speaking to me in that way?" Kit scoffed.

"Oh, and all that nonsense you're bragging about? None of it belongs to you. It belongs to Alpha Cage. You're just the pet currently living in it."

"And that pet could be you. Or anyone else." Kit's face darkened.

Ezra took a step closer. Then, with exaggerated disgust, he turned his head away.

"And seriously? Why do you still smell like the slums?" His nose wrinkled.

"You just wait! The Alpha will hear of it and I'll make sure you're punished!"

"Really? You'd better succeed in making him touch you first. Or you'll end up like the Omegas that came before you!"

Kit's face reddened in anger.

"He chose me as his gift" he yelled after Ezra turned around and stormed off.

Once he was off the top floor, Ezra took a deep breath.

Then regret washed over Ezra as he continued down the hallway. The moment he saw Kit's smug face, all that caution had vanished. That was stupid and reckless. If word got to the Alpha about his conduct...he'd get a taste of Alpha Cage's notorious punishment.

Prime Alpha Cage. Ezra had never seen him. Most servants hadn't.

The stories said he was ruthless and cruel.

Some claimed he enjoyed watching punishments.

Others swore he'd killed his enemies with his bare hands.

Ezra didn't know which stories were true. But he imagined the Alpha the same way everyone else did.

Some old, scarred ugly face. Probably with a belly softened by years of luxury.

And collected Omegas the way wealthy men collected expensive wine.

Ezra sighed. He had let his anger get the better of him and he might be paying for it soon enough.

He returned to his quiet corner, body tensed for the rest of the day as he awaited a call for his punishment.

But it never came.

By evening, Ezra had convinced himself that Kit either hadn't complained or hadn't been important enough to be listened to.

When the darkness covered the sky, Ezra snuck out of the pack house.

Technically, servants weren't supposed to leave without permission. But tonight was different.

If half the stories were true, the Alpha would be too occupied with his shiny new toy to notice one missing Beta.

Or care.

The thought made him walk a little faster. His feet walked down the familiar path he'd taken many nights to the secret lake he'd found by accident.

The moon's glow settled over the water giving it a magical look.

Ezra shed his clothes and lowered himself into the water. The coolness wrapped around him immediately. He exhaled slowly.

He waded lightly at the bank and then he began to wash himself. For the first time all day, the knot between his shoulders loosened.

Ezra closed his eyes.

This was the only place where he didn't have to pretend.

The sound of a branch snapping behind him made Ezra freeze. Ezra turned slowly, heart beating wildly.

A giant wolf stood at the edge of the forest, massive and impossibly still, its red eyes locking onto him.

Ezra's body couldn't move. He froze in the cold water, limbs turning into stone as he stared back at the frightful wolf.

Then the scent came. Overwhelming and intoxicating. Heat flared through his body, burning his insides. His senses sharpened as something unfamiliar awakened inside of him. And then Ezra realized that the large wolf that stood across from him was releasing Alpha pheromones.

And it was triggering his heat.

Ezra had always believed he was incapable of going into heat.

A failed male Omega.

But it had never been his fault. He had just never encountered the right Alpha.

And now, Ezra felt what it was like to come alive under the scent of Alpha pheromones.