Chapter 3: Omega No More
1176 Words
Mina POV
The car smelled like leather and blood. And him.
Pine and smoke and something wild I couldn’t name. Alpha.
“Where are you taking me?” I asked, even though my voice was shaking. My hands were still shaking too. From the club. From his words. From the hunters.
“Somewhere safe,” Kael said. Eyes on the road. Jaw tight. Knuckles white on the wheel. “My territory.”
“Your territory? I thought you were rogue.”
“I am.” He glanced at me. Quick. Gold eyes cutting through the dark. “That’s why it’s safe. No pack rules. No Commanders calling you pathetic. No one tells me what to do with what’s mine.”
I flinched. He remembered.
He remembered Vance’s voice. Pathetic.
We drove for an hour.
Mountains.
Snow starting to fall.
The radio was off. The only sound was the engine and my breathing.
Every few minutes he’d check the rearview mirror. Like he was expecting them.
My stomach twisted. “Are they following us?”
“Not yet,” he said. “But they will.”
Then the trees broke. And there it was.
A huge compound with black iron gates. 12 feet high.
Wolves everywhere. Pacing. Armed. Real guns. Real claws.
This wasn’t a pack. This was an army.
“Welcome to Blackthorn,” Kael said, killing the engine. The silence was sudden. “Home.”
The second I stepped out, I felt it.
Different air.
Thicker.
Stronger.
Like the whole mountain was watching me.
And eyes.
Dozens of eyes on me.
“Who’s the Omega?” Someone whispered from the shadows.
“She’s with the Alpha.”
“She looks weak.”
“She’s the one from the news. The hunters killed her parents.”
I straightened my spine. My legs were jelly but I lifted my chin.
Asha snarled inside me. Don’t let them see you break. Don’t you dare.
Kael put a hand on my lower back.
Possessive.
Warm.
It burned through my thin shirt.
“This is Mina,” his voice boomed. It didn’t echo. It commanded. “She stays. Anyone has a problem, you bring it to me.”
No one did.
They just bowed their heads.
He led me past cabins, past training rings, to a cabin on the very edge of the property.
Big.
Logs.
Fireplace already lit.
One bed.
One bathroom.
Windows facing the woods.
“You’re staying here,” he said. “With me.”
I blinked. “What?”
“For protection.” His gold eyes met mine. No smile now. Just dead serious. “The hunters who killed your parents want you next. They left your family’s bodies as a message. You’re the message now. I’m not letting that happen.”
My chest tightened. “I don’t need a babysitter.”
“You need training.” He grabbed my wrist. Not rough. Firm. Like he knew I’d run if he didn’t. “Come on.”
Behind the cabin was a training ring.
Dirt.
Weapons on a rack.
Targets with knife marks.
The smell of sweat and blood.
“Strip,” he said.
“What?”
“Of the hoodie. The fear. The grief.” He tossed me wooden daggers. They were heavy. “You want to be prey? Or do you want to fight?”
I caught them. My arms shook. “I want to fight.”
“Good.” He circled me. Bare chest now. Scars everywhere. “Again. Faster. Again!”
For 3 hours he didn’t go easy.
Knocked me down.
Made me get up.
Corrected my stance with his hands on my hips.
Yelled when I hesitated.
Praised when I didn’t.
My body screamed. My lungs burned.
But Asha was purring. For the first time in days. Yes. This. This is us.
“Why are you helping me?” I panted, on my knees in the dirt. Sweat and tears and dirt on my face. “I’m nobody.”
Kael crouched in front of me. Sweat on his neck. Chest heaving.
“Because the moon chose you, Mina.” His voice was low. “And I don’t ignore the moon.”
“I’m just an Omega.”
“You’re mine.” He said it so simply. Like fact. Like the sky is blue. “Mate or not. Chosen or not. You’re under my protection. That makes you mine.”
My heart stopped. “You don’t even know me.”
“I know enough.” He reached out and wiped dirt from my cheek with his thumb. His touch lingered. “I know you’re stubborn. I know you’re grieving. And I know you’re stronger than every wolf in that field who called you weak.”
Tears burned. Stupid tears. “My parents...”
“Are watching.” He stood, pulling me up with him. His hands were calloused. Strong. “And they’d want you to live. To fight. Not to drown in vodka.”
That night I slept for the first time in days.
No nightmares.
No waking up screaming.
Because Kael was on the floor by the bed.
In front of the door.
Guarding me.
I could hear his breathing all night.
--
Morning came too fast. Cold air.
“Pack meeting,” Kael said, already dressed in black. “You’re coming.”
The great hall was full.
100 wolves.
All staring at me.
Judging.
Whispering.
An old wolf stepped forward. Grey hair. Beta, probably. Scars on his face.
“Alpha, with respect.” His voice was careful. “She’s Omega. She’s not pack. She brings danger to Blackthorn. The hunters will follow her here.”
The room went silent.
Kael didn’t even look at the Beta. He looked at me. Then at all of them.
“She’s under my protection,” he growled. The windows rattled. “Anyone touches her. Anyone looks at her wrong. Anyone breathes her name with disrespect. You answer to me.”
The Beta bowed his head. “Yes, Alpha.”
After, in his office, Kael poured two drinks. Whiskey.
“You did good,” he said. “Didn’t cry. Didn’t run.”
“I’m tired of being weak,” I whispered. The dagger marks on my palms stung.
“Then stop being Omega.” He handed me a dagger. Real steel this time. Cold. Heavy. “Be Mina.”
I took it. It felt right in my hand. Balanced. Dangerous.
For the first time since my parents died, I didn’t feel helpless.
My phone buzzed on the desk.
Unknown number.
I showed Kael. His face went dark. Instantly. All warmth gone.
“Don’t answer.” He grabbed his jacket. Keys. Gun. “Get your shoes on. Now.”
“What is it?”
“They found us.” His eyes were black now. Alpha rage. “The text says: We have her scent. Thank us later.”
He grabbed my hand. “We’re hunting tonight.”
“Me?” My voice cracked.
“Yes, you.” He smiled. Ferocious. Teeth showing. “Omega no more.”
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