Possession is The Only Law That Matters: Zane’s Perspective

I carry the struggling omega up the mountain path, her small fists pummelling my back in futile rebellion. Each impact is like a sparrow trying to take down a hawk, amusing in its audacity, doomed in its execution. Conri growls with satisfaction in the back of my mind as her sweet scent envelops us, the signature markers of a true omega impossible to mistake. 'Mine,' he insists with primal certainty. 'Ours.' For once, my wolf and I are in perfect agreement. This little treasure stumbled into my territory, and possession is the only law that matters in the wild.

'She's got fight,' Conri observes as another tiny fist connects with my shoulder blade.

'For now,' I reply silently. We both know that spirit will need to be broken, or at least tamed, if she's going to serve her purpose in my pack. A disobedient omega, no matter how genetically valuable, is a liability I can't afford.

The mountainside trail grows steeper, but I barely notice the incline. Her weight is negligible against my strength, like carrying a child rather than a full-grown woman. She twists suddenly, nearly succeeding in throwing off my balance, nearly, but not quite.

"Keep still," I growl, tightening my grip on her thighs. "Or I'll bind you and drag you the rest of the way."

She freezes momentarily before resuming her struggles with renewed determination. I admire her persistence despite its futility. Most omegas would have submitted completely by now, broken by the alpha command in my voice.

Conri chuckles darkly. 'Strong mate. Strong pups.'

'If she survives breaking,' I counter, though the thought of her carrying my heirs stirs something primal within me that has nothing to do with pack politics and everything to do with biological imperative.

The smell of my patrol team reaches me before I see them, Vance's distinctive scent leading the pack as they circle around to join me. Four wolves materialise from the trees, moving silently into formation behind me. Vance's silver-grey form appears at my side, his amber eyes taking in the struggling female over my shoulder with evident curiosity.

'Found something interesting?' he asks through our pack link, a hint of amusement in his mental voice.

'True omega,' I respond tersely. 'Trespassing. Mine now.'

Vance's ears flick forward in surprise, his pace faltering for just a second before he regains his composure. True omegas are rare enough to cause such a reaction, even in a wolf as controlled as my Beta. He knows their value as well as I do.

'The Council will come looking,' he warns, pragmatic as always.

'Let them,' I reply, my mental voice edged with steel. 'What enters my territory belongs to me.'

We crest the final ridge, and the pack house comes into view, black stone and steel gleaming in the early morning light, carved into the very mountain itself. Power made tangible, dominance in architectural form. My home. And soon, hers.

The girl's struggles subside as we approach the massive entrance, her body tensing with what I assume is awe or fear, possibly both.

Good.

Fear can be useful in establishing hierarchies. The main doors open before we reach them, guards recognising their Alpha returning and scrambling to attention.

I stride through the cavernous entrance hall, the omega still draped over my shoulder like a prize. And she is a prize, possibly the most valuable one to cross my path in decades. Pack members stop and stare, curiosity and surprise evident in their expressions, though none dare to question me directly. The girl's scent has already begun to permeate the air around us, marking her as something special. Something rare.

'They know,' Conri growls with satisfaction. 'All know she's ours.'

I make my way through the western corridor toward my private wing, the patrol wolves peeling off to return to their duties. Only Vance remains, following at a respectful distance as I approach my study. With a nod to the guards outside the heavy ironwood doors, I enter the room that has witnessed countless pack decisions, negotiations, and sentences.

Finally, I lower the girl from my shoulder, setting her on her feet before guiding her firmly into one of the chairs opposite my desk. She's shivering slightly, from fear or cold, I can't tell, her naked form a stark contrast to the dark leather of the chair. I move to the cabinet where I keep spare clothing, pulling on a pair of black trousers without bothering with anything else. Let her see what she's dealing with. Let her understand the physical reality of alpha versus omega.

I grab a suit jacket from the same cabinet and drape it over her shoulders. It swallows her completely, the sleeves hanging well past her fingertips. The gesture isn't kindness, I simply don't want her getting sick. A sick omega is useless.

"What's your name?" I ask, leaning against my desk directly in front of her, close enough that she has to tilt her head back to meet my eyes.

She hesitates, her gaze fixed somewhere around my chest. "Sophia Blackwood, Alpha Zane," she finally answers, her voice surprisingly steady despite her circumstances.

I study her more carefully now. Auburn hair hangs in damp tangles around a heart-shaped face. Hazel eyes that seem to shift between green and amber depending on the light. Full lips pressed together in a tight line of defiance. She's beautiful, yes, but so are most omegas. What interests me more is the intelligence behind those eyes, the calculation, the wariness.

"How did you end up running through my territory, Sophia Blackwood?"

She looks down at her hands, which clutch the edges of my jacket together at her throat. "I ran," she says simply. "And got lost."

"Ran from what?" I press, though I can guess. The Council doesn't let valuable omegas wander freely, especially not ones like her.

She remains silent, shoulders hunching slightly.

Suddenly, her head snaps up, eyes wide with fear but meeting mine directly, a breach of protocol that would earn punishment from most alphas. "Are you going to give me to the Council?" The question bursts from her like she couldn't contain it any longer.

I hold her gaze, letting the moment stretch until she drops her eyes again. "No, little wolf," I finally say. "I'm not going to give you to the Council."

Relief visibly washes over her, tension releasing from her shoulders for the briefest moment before I move from the desk to stand directly before her. I place one finger under her chin, tilting her face up to mine as I lean down.

"I'm not giving you to the Council because I'm keeping you for myself," I explain, my voice a low rumble that makes her shiver. "You'll give me good pups."

She shrinks back into the chair, trying to make herself smaller, a typical omega response to alpha dominance. But there's something in her eyes, a flash of... not quite defiance, but something adjacent to it. Resolve, perhaps. Interesting.

"When is your birthday, Sophia?" I ask, returning to lean against my desk.

She glances at the sky visible through the large window behind me, then back at her hands. "Today, Alpha Zane."

I can't help the chuckle that escapes me. "Happy birthday, then, little wolf."

It explains why the Council would be pursuing her now. They always collect their prizes just before an omega's twenty-first birthday.

"What was your score?" I ask, though I can already guess it's exceptional from her scent alone.

"Ninety-eight percent," she whispers. "According to what Elder Stone told my father."

I raise an eyebrow, genuinely surprised. Even I know that Elder Stone only handles the most exceptional cases personally. Ninety-eight percent is almost unheard of, no wonder they sent their highest authority to collect her.

"What's going to happen to me?" she asks, voice small but steady.

I study her for a moment before answering. "We'll get you clothes and something to eat," I say matter-of-factly. "I'll have people set up quarters for you, close to mine, of course. We'll discuss more tomorrow."

'Claim now,' Conri growls impatiently in my mind. 'Stupid human. Girl's ours.'

I ignore him, pressing the bell on my desk to summon Lyra. She appears moments later, her eyes widening slightly at the sight of the omega huddled in my jacket before her expression returns to its usual efficient neutrality.

"Lyra, arrange suitable accommodation for Sophia," I order. "The suite adjoining mine. And find her clothing, something worthy of an Alpha's consort."

Sophia snorts softly at the word "consort," mumbling something under her breath I can't quite catch.

Lyra, however, is close enough to hear it. Her lips twitch before she schools her features. "Yes, Alpha. Food as well?"

"Of course." I turn back to Sophia. "What's your wolf's name?"

She meets my eyes directly this time, something shifting in her expression. "Nyx, Alpha Zane."

"She's something special, your Nyx," I observe, noting how the omega's eyes widen slightly at my assessment.

Lyra steps forward, gesturing for Sophia to follow her. As they reach the door, I call out one final instruction: "Lock her door, Lyra. We can't have her attempting to escape."

The door closes behind them, leaving me alone with Conri's impatient growling and the lingering scent of true omega that promises to change everything.