Chapter 5
887 Words
The note trembled in my hand.
"I know who you are. Meet me at midnight, or I tell everyone."
My heart slammed against my ribs as I stared at the spidery handwriting. Outside our dorm window, the moon hung fat and yellow.
I glanced at Asher again. His chest rose and fell steadily, face peaceful for once instead of wearing that knowing smirk.
The clock read 11:45 PM.
I had to go.
Slipping out of bed, I pulled on my hoodie and shoes, moving as quietly as possible.
Each tiny sound felt deafening—the creak of floorboards, the rustle of fabric, my own shaky breathing.
The halls were dark and empty. My footsteps echoed no matter how softly I walked.
The night air hit me like a slap when I pushed open the heavy front doors. The grass was wet with dew under my feet.
I waited in the courtyard, hands shoved in my pockets to hide their trembling. Minutes crawled by.
"You came."
I spun around.
A figure emerged from the shadows—small frame, careful movements. As they stepped into the moonlight, I caught their scent.
My blood turned to ice.
Another omega.
"Mira?" I whispered.
She smiled, but it didn't reach her eyes. "Surprised?"
Mira. The quiet one from combat class who always sat in the back. Who never showered with the others. Who watched everything with careful eyes.
Of course. How had I not realized?
"How long have you known?" I asked.
"Since day one." She tapped her nose. "We can smell our own kind. The suppressants only fool Alphas and Betas."
My hands curled into fists. "Are you going to tell?"
She laughed softly. "If I was going to do that, I wouldn't have waited this long."
"Then what do you want?"
"The same thing you want." She moved closer, voice dropping. "To survive."
Before I could respond, footsteps crunched on gravel behind us.
We both froze.
"Well, well." Asher's voice was dangerously soft. "What do we have here?"
He emerged from the shadows like a predator. My heart stopped.
"How long have you been there?" I managed.
"Long enough." His gaze flicked between us. "Secret midnight meetings. Whispered conversations." His lip curled. "Planning something?"
Mira stepped forward. "It's not what you think."
"No?" He stalked closer. "Because it looks like a conspiracy to me. Looks like lies."
"Asher—" I reached for him, but he jerked away.
"I trusted you," he snarled. "Defended you. And all this time—"
"You don't understand!"
"Then explain it!" His voice cracked like thunder. "Tell me why my mate is sneaking around in the dark with—"
He stopped. His eyes widened.
The word hung in the air between us.
Mate.
My heart pounded so hard I thought it would break my ribs.
Mira looked between us, understanding dawning on her face. "Oh."
Asher ran a hand through his hair, laughing without humor. "Perfect. Just perfect." He turned to me, eyes burning. "You're not just lying about who you are. You're an omega. My omega."
The mate bond flared between us, hot and desperate. My skin tingled where he was closest.
"I had no choice," I whispered.
"There's always a choice."
"No." My voice hardened. "There isn't. Not for omegas. Not in my pack."
Something in my tone made him pause.
"What do you mean?"
I swallowed hard. "They were going to mate me to someone else. Someone cruel." My hands shook. "I ran because it was that or die slowly."
The anger drained from his face, replaced by something darker.
"Who?" he growled.
"It doesn't matter."
"It matters to me." He moved closer, until I could feel his breath on my face. "Tell me who tried to take what's mine."
The possessiveness in his voice made me shiver.
"Beta Rowan," I whispered. "From the Kane pack."
Asher went very still.
"The enforcers," he said slowly. "They're his?"
I nodded.
A growl built in his chest—deep, dangerous.
"They're not touching you," he said. "Ever."
"Asher—"
"No." He caught my face in his hands. "You're mine. My mate. And I protect what's mine."
The mate bond sang between us, pure and perfect. For a moment, I let myself lean into his touch.
Then Mira cleared her throat.
"This is touching and all," she said, "but we've got bigger problems."
We turned to her.
"The academy's planning something," she continued. "A test. They're going to make everyone shift tomorrow at dawn."
My heart dropped. "What?"
"Full wolf form." Her eyes met mine. "They know there are omegas here. They want to flush us out."
Asher's hands tightened on my waist. "When?"
"Sunrise." Mira's voice was grim. "Six hours from now."
I closed my eyes. This was it. The end.
I didn't even have a wolf, let alone shift.
"We have to get you out," Asher said.
But before we could move, a horn blared across the academy.
Lights flicked on in every window. Boots thundered in the halls.
Instructor Kade's voice boomed through speakers: "Emergency assembly. All trainees to the great hall. Now."
My blood ran cold.
Asher pulled me closer, his heart pounding against my back.
"They're not waiting until dawn," Mira whispered.
No.
They weren't.
The test was happening now.
And I had nowhere left to run.
- Writer
