An omega he had to reject.
And now?
Now the gods threw him a gift wrapped in a pretty package with combat boots, a fake name, and a chest bound so tight it must’ve hurt to breathe. Did they really think hiding her among males at Fangar Academy was clever? He chuckled bitterly, swirling a fork through gravy.
They had underestimated him.
The others saw a tough fighter, fast with her fists, quicker with her mouth. But he had looked deeper. She was no soulless warrior. Kai was fierce, yes, but soft in the places that mattered. Vulnerable in the quiet hours. A carefully locked vault, but not impenetrable.
She liked to laugh.
All he had to do was make her laugh, and she melted. Not completely, not yet-but enough. Enough for now.
Still, he had to admit, time was slipping. Too fast.
Derrick and Dalton.
Their names tasted like venom.
He pushed his plate aside, muscles tight. The two jackasses were nowhere in sight, and neither was Kai. Which meant only one thing.
The fucking mutts were with her. Again.
He squeezed his fists under the table until his nails bit skin.
They didn’t know. Not really. Not what she was. Not what she could become. But he did.
His grandfather’s voice echoed in his mind. A memory older than his first kill.
“The golden wolf is not just rare. She is prophecy. With the right mate, her power magnifies. Shared power. Bonded power. Enough to burn the world or crown a king.”
He had never forgotten those words.
And when he saw her-really saw her-everything locked into place.
She was his.
Not theirs. Not Winter Pack’s. Not the Academy’s.
His.
The mutts didn’t deserve her. They had no idea what she could give. What she could do. What it would feel like to be inside her and feel the surge of raw, ancient power burn through their bones like lightning. He could almost taste it. Her energy, her scent, her heat. All that power, simmering under golden skin, waiting for the right alpha to unlock it.
He would be that alpha.
It was fate. It was legacy. It was survival.
He shifted in his seat, trying to ease the sudden, painful tightness in his pants. Fuck, he was hard again.
The image was too vivid now: her back arched, body shivering, mouth whispering his name in broken gasps as he marked her, claimed her, took her again and again until there was nothing left of her will but his.
She wasn’t just power. She was pleasure.
Taming her would be a game, one he intended to win. Break her in slow, make her crave him until she begged for it. For him. She wouldn’t even know when the power transferred. She’d think it was love. She’d think it was mating.
By the time she realized, it would be too late.
He would own her.
Mind, body, soul.
And pup. Oh, yes.
He’d fuck her so full she wouldn’t remember her name. And once she carried his heir, not even the gods could stop what was coming.
He leaned back in his seat, jaw clenched, breath shallow. Around him, laughter rose from a nearby table, the sound meaningless. The entire Academy could burn and he wouldn’t care.
He had a plan.
A good one.
Get her alone. Make her feel seen. Make her feel wanted. Let her see just enough of his real self to spark curiosity, maybe even trust.
And when the time was right-
He would take her.
Dalton and Derrick would never see it coming. They’d be too tangled in their own mess, too distracted by lust and pack rivalry. Too soft to be threats.
He wasn’t soft. He wasn’t kind.
He was patient.
And patient wolves were the most dangerous of all.
His eyes scanned the room one last time. No sign of her. But the echo of her scent still danced in the air. Faint, like the memory of a flame.
He inhaled, and smiled.
Soon.
DERRICK POV
After the most mind-blowing shower of my life, I was still vibrating with need.
Every inch of my skin felt too tight, too hot, like I was just barely holding myself together. The cold air in the locker room didn’t help; it only made me more aware of how turned on I still was, how much I still wanted Kai.
But instead of dragging her against the nearest wall and doing every filthy thing that had filled my head while she touched herself for me, for us, I forced myself to breathe. In and out. Again. Again.
Dalton didn’t say a word, just shot me a look full of tension and something unspoken. We were both strung tight, like wires ready to snap. But Kai-Kai was still so damn young. Not by age, not entirely. She was almost of age and far more mature than half the wolves at Fangar Academy. But she hadn’t scented us yet. Not fully. Her wolf hadn’t truly risen to meet ours.
And until she did, I was going to behave.
At least as much as I could while keeping Onyx from tearing through my skin.
We dressed in clean uniforms, the silence between the three of us humming with leftover heat, tension, and confusion. When I saw Kai reach for the door, I got there first, brushing my fingers over hers as I opened it.
She stiffened.
Just a fraction.
But her breath hitched, her eyes snapping up to mine for half a second.
It was enough.
Enough to light me on fire all over again.
I stepped back and let her go through. The scent of her skin brushed against me, like summer storms and wildflowers and heat. She didn’t know it yet, not fully, but she was already driving me crazy.
We walked down the hall in silence, our bodies moving close but not touching. My hands itched. I wanted to feel her again. Everywhere. But for now, I kept my fists clenched and my gaze focused.
The cafeteria was buzzing with noise and tension, like always. The other Alphas were nearly done with their lunch, their voices rising above the clinking of trays and the low chatter.
Dalton glanced at me.
Just a look.
But it was enough.
We were going in.
Straight into the lion’s den.
The Hollowed Moon Twins were seated near the center of the room, for once without Reyes. They were laughing at something, probably plotting some new way to terrorize the weak or grope one of the omegas serving in the kitchens.
I hope it was the latter, I would love to see how the king’s guards were going to deal with them.
I hated them.
And I wanted them to know exactly who they were dealing with.
“Are we seriously doing this?” Kai asked behind me, her voice low and sharp.
I didn’t turn around. “Yes.”
Dalton grinned. “Crystal clear message time, baby.”
Kai let out a noise halfway between a scoff and a groan. “You two are insane.”
“Insanely protective,” I muttered.
Dalton veered toward the food line, winking at her. “I’ll get lunch. Try not to choke anyone ’til I get back.”
I didn’t respond. I was already heading straight for the twins’ table.
Kai stayed at my side, tense, confused, and radiating anxiety. But she didn’t run. That counted for something.
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