Rejected by the Alpha, Claimed by the Beast
It was the sound of a book closing.
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### The Southern Estate
The drive lasted for hours.
I sat in the back of the car, staring out the darkened windows. The wasteland of 2026 was a nightmare. I saw ruins of malls, skeletal remains of highways, and groups of "Omegas"—humans who hadn't shifted or had lost their packs—huddled around trash-can fires.
This was the "Real World." A world of starvation, hierarchy, and teeth.
And then, we crossed a bridge.