Marked by the enemy

CHAPTER ONE: THE SCENT OF TROUBLE The forest was quiet—too quiet for a normal day. Rhea crouched beneath a fallen tree trunk, her sharp amber eyes scanning the thick foliage ahead. The sun was dipping below the horizon, staining the sky in dusky hues of violet and orange. She clutched her worn leather pouch close, her breaths shallow. Her Heat was coming, why was it coming so soon. She could feel it creeping through her veins like wildfire, burning under her skin. It wasn’t time yet—not fully. But the signs were there. The restless energy, the heightened senses, the way her body had started to betray her. She had to find shelter. Fast. "Just a little farther," she whispered to herself, rising to her feet trying to move forward. No one could smell her. Not here. Not now. Because if they did, it wouldn’t be long before some Alpha came crashing through the trees, driven by instinct. And she didn’t want to be found. Especially not by them. She was an Omega — unbonded, unregistered, and on the run. *** Miles away, Xian Revek sat in the back of a sleek black SUV, staring out the tinted window with a look of cool indifference. His jaw clenched as his Beta, Dane, briefed him on the latest rogue sightings. ***************** She pulled her scarf tighter around her neck, trying to muffle her scent. Tried to breathe. Focus. Ignore the fire spreading through her core. She'd survived this long. She wouldn’t lose control now. *** The SUV came to a stop. “She’s close,” Xian said, stepping out into the darkening forest. Dane frowned. “We shouldn’t get involved. There are official trackers. We report it. We don’t chase Heats.” But Xian was already walking. The scent was stronger now, carried on the wind like a whisper meant only for him. It wasn’t just any Omega. It was her. His blood stirred with a violent kind of hunger he hadn’t felt in years. Not since… no. It couldn’t be. That Omega had vanished long ago. He followed the trail—carefully, silently—until he reached a clearing. And there she was. Curled inside an abandoned cabin, trembling from the pressure of an untamed Heat, but still defiant. Still trying to fight what she was. Xian’s heart thudded once—hard. Rhea. She didn’t see him yet. But he remembered her. Not just her face. Her fire. He should leave. He should turn around and report her like any Alpha leader would. But he couldn’t. She looked up. Eyes wild. And froze when she saw him. “You.” Her voice was raw, shaken, and laced with something between fear and recognition. "Another unregistered Omega," Dane said, flipping through the tablet. "No match on the pack database. She’s clever. Covered her scent for weeks, but slipped tonight. Might be her first Heat." Xian said nothing. Dane glanced sideways. “You’re going after her, aren’t you?” “She’s in our territory,” Xian replied, voice low and firm. “She’s my responsibility.” “She’s an Omega. Not your burden.” “She’s unbonded,” Xian corrected. “That makes her everyone’s problem.” But deep down, it wasn’t about duty. It was the scent. Barely a trace through the reports, but enough to pull at something primal inside him. Wild. Raw. Familiar. He didn’t understand it yet. But he would. *** Rhea stumbled into the old hunter’s cabin just as the first wave of Heat hit her like a punch to the gut. She collapsed to the wooden floor, gripping her stomach, panting. Her body trembled, and the sharp, sweet scent of her Omega pheromones began to thicken in the air. “No,” she groaned. “Not now.” Her suppressants had worn off. She couldn’t afford more. And now, she was a beacon for every Alpha within miles. She slammed the door shut and locked it, though she knew it wouldn’t stop one of them if they caught her trail. Xian stepped into the doorway, his presence overwhelming the small cabin. “You’re not safe out here,” he said softly. “I’m not safe with you either,” she snapped. Their eyes locked. The Omega in Heat. The Alpha who should have turned her in. But instinct didn’t care about rules. And neither did the past.