Naomi's pov :
When I opened my eyes, the first thing I felt was the immense pain all over my body.
A heavy ache spread through my body like I’d been hit by a storm I couldn’t remember walking into. My head throbbed badly and my throat was dry.
For a moment, I couldn't move so I just listened to the faint echo of my heartbeat in my ears. And another sound that didn’t belong to me. It sounds like someone was breathing really heavily in my ears.
Slowly, I turned my face and my stomach dropped.
Because laying beside me was none other than Alpha Elias .
For a heartbeat, my mind refused to believe what my eyes were seeing. But then everything came rushing back.
I had been working as usual last night, trying to make it through my shift unnoticed. Then the manager called me over, handed me a tray of drinks, and told me to deliver them to one of the VIP rooms.
A simple routine which I didn't find strange. But the moment I stepped through that door, I knew something was wrong.
And before I could think of anything, a scent hit me before my eyes adjusted to the dim light. The room was full of pheromones which were flowing wildly. And among the haze sat Elias . Half of his shirt was unbuttoned while his eyes burned an unnatural shade of red, his pupils seemed dilated and feral.
An Alpha in heat. And not just any Alpha, an S-tier Alpha.
Even among his kind, S-tier Alphas were rare. They were the strongest, most dominant of all, the ones other Alphas bowed to instinctively. When their heat took over, it wasn’t just lust. It was wild and dangerously uncontrolled. Their pheromones could command, lure, and even paralyze their mates or whoever they're spending their rut with.
No one could resist them. Especially not an omega like me.
I remember my pulse stuttering as his gaze locked on mine. For a split second, there was confusion in his eyes, recognition fighting with instinct. And before I could even think to move, his hand was on me pulling me closer, stronger than I remembered, hotter than I could bear.
Everything after that blurred into heat and fear and helplessness.
And now I was here in his bed.
I sat up slowly, my breath catching when I looked at him again. Elias Kingsley. My mate and also my curse.
Even in sleep, he looked lethal. His jaw was sharp but his expressions were tense as if even rest couldn’t soften the man he had become. The faint trace of his scent still lingered in the room, dark and smoky, laced with something that made my stomach twist. My body reacted before my mind did. My heart beat faster and I hated it. I hated how easily his presence unraveled me.
It had been three years since I last saw him. Three years since I ran away from him.
The night I found out he was my mate should have been the happiest of my life. But it wasn’t. Because that same night, my father told me the truth that he was the one who caused the accident that killed Elias ’s parents seven years ago.
And everyone knew Elias was searching for the culprit. He was tearing through everything and everyone to find justice and find vengeance.
I still remember how calm he was when I told him we were mates. He smiled and appeared almost relieved. He said we’d known each other since childhood, that maybe fate had been kind to him for once. But fate isn’t kind. It’s cruel and merciless.
My father’s voice still echoes in my head.
“If he ever finds out, he’ll kill us both. Run and never look back. You have to save yourself and me.”
So I did. I disappeared from his side.
And for three years, I lived in the shadows, pretending I could escape the bond that burned under my skin. Pretending I didn’t feel him every time the seasons changed.
Now, as I stared at him lying beside me, I realized how wrong I was. Fate hadn’t forgotten us. It had simply waited for the cruelest moment to pull us back together.
An Alpha’s rut usually lasted five or six days. Which meant he had four days left. Four days before his body cooled and before his mind cleared. And if I stayed, I knew exactly what those four days would mean. He would claim me again and again not out of choice, but instinct.
And when the rut ended, when the haze lifted, he’d remember everything. He would see who he had spent his rut with.
So I need to leave before he wakes up.
My hands trembled as I pulled the sheet away and found my clothes scattered on the floor. My heart pounded so hard it hurt. I dressed as quietly as I could, afraid to wake the sleeping Alpha beside me.
Every step toward the door felt like walking on thin ice. The room was still thick with his scent, with power and danger and something that made me weak. I caught my reflection in the mirror, pale skin covered with red marks, disheveled hair, and wide frightened eyes. I barely recognized the girl staring back at me.
When I reached the door, I looked back one last time.
Even unconscious, he looked like a man born to own and destroy. The boy I once knew was long gone. I tightened my grip on the doorknob, forcing my tears back. I couldn’t afford to be weak.
If he woke up and found me here, I wouldn’t be able to leave. And if he found out who I really was and what I was hiding he’d never forgive me.
I opened the door and slipped out.
_____
1 week later
I thought the nightmare would fade after a week. That the memories would lose their edge, that the ache in my chest would stop clawing every time I tried to sleep but it didn’t.
Every morning since that night, I woke with the same emptiness inside me as if something had been taken from me, something I could never get back. I told myself I should move on, that it was over. Yet the moment I closed my eyes, the fragments returned.
I lost something precious that night, not just my virginity, but a part of myself I could never reclaim.
I sighed and dragged myself out of bed. My small room smelled faintly of detergent and dust. The walls were thin, the paint peeling, and the single window letting in a sliver of grey light. I didn’t have time to wallow. I had work to get to, bills to pay, and rent due in two days.
As if summoned by my thoughts, there was a loud knock on my door.
“Naomi!” my landlord’s sharp voice rang through the hallway.
My heart sank. I hurried to open the door, forcing a small smile. “Good morning, Mrs. Trent.”
The old woman crossed her arms. “Morning or not, you have two days left to pay your rent. No excuses this time. If I don’t get it by Friday, you’re out.”
I swallowed, feeling the panic rise in my throat. “I’ll pay, I promise. I’m just waiting for this week’s pay.”
She gave a skeptical look, then shrugged. “Promises don’t pay the bills. Two days.”
When she left, I leaned against the door and pressed my palms to my face. Two days. That was all I had. And I was already behind on everything else, groceries, electricity, even bus fare.
Being an omega didn’t help me either.
Not many places hired us anymore. We were considered liabilities, weak, emotional, and slow. Some employers even demanded medical proof of suppressant use. The excuse was always the same: Omegas go into heat too often. Omegas attract trouble. Omegas can’t work safely around Alphas.
No one wanted the risk of an Alpha losing control, and no one wanted to take responsibility when things went wrong.
But I had one small relief, I’d never gone into heat. Some called it rare, others called it broken, but to me, it was freedom. I didn’t have to deal with the unbearable fevers, the endless hunger, or the danger. My body’s silence was a blessing I didn’t question.
I used to live differently. My father’s company once stood among the top firms in the city. We had everything, a mansion, servants, and luxury. I was a pampered daughter, never worrying about money or survival. But then came the scandal, the bankruptcy, and the night my father disappeared.
I shook the thought away, brushed my hair, and forced myself out of the door. Work wouldn’t wait for me to grieve.
The hotel lobby buzzed with its usual rhythm. I walked behind the counter, tying my apron, trying to ignore the strange looks that followed me.
When I reached the staff area, my friend Mira, another omega, waved at me. Her face was flushed, eyes wide with gossip. “Naomi! Have you heard?”
I blinked. “Heard what?”
She leaned closer to me. “There’s a rumor spreading all over the staff floor. An S-tier Alpha is looking for an omega.”
My breath caught making my hands froze mid-motion. “Looking for an omega?”
Mira nodded. “Yeah. They say it’s a big deal and he’s searching everywhere. Some say she…uh, did something to him.”
My heart began to race. “Did something?”
“I don’t know the full story,” she whispered quickly. “But everyone’s talking about it. They say an omega snuck into his private suite to take advantage of him during his heat. The Alpha’s furious now. They say he’s using his influence to find her.”
The tray slipped from my fingers and clattered against the counter. My whole body went cold.
“When…when did I do that?” I whispered to myself.
Mira tilted her head. “What do you mean?”
I forced a weak smile. “N-Nothing.”
I could barely breathe. The manager had sent me into that room and told me to take those drinks. I hadn’t even known who was inside.
I wanted to tell Mira everything, but the words died in my throat. She wouldn’t believe me. And if Elias had really started looking for that omega, telling anyone would only expose me faster.
Before I could calm down, a voice came over the intercom.
“Naomi Voss, report to the manager’s office immediately.”
The whole room went silent.
Mira touched my arm. “Hey…are you in trouble?”
I shook my head even though I didn’t believe it myself. “No, I’m sure it’s nothing.”
But deep down, I knew it was everything.
—
Mr. Barlow sat behind his desk, tapping a pen against a file. When I entered, he didn’t look up right away.
“Sit down,” he said curtly.
I obeyed, trying to keep my hands from shaking.
After a long silence, he finally spoke. “You’re dismissed.”
For a moment, I couldn’t process his words. “W-What?”
He looked up. “You’re being let go. Effective immediately.”
My throat tightened. “Why? What did I do?”
He sighed. “You really want me to say it? There’s been a report, Naomi. You tried to take advantage of a guest who was a very powerful Alpha.”
My breath hitched. “That’s not true! You sent me to that room!”
His pen froze mid-air. A bead of sweat rolled down his temple. “Watch what you’re saying!”
“It’s true!” I insisted in a trembling voice. “You told me to deliver the drinks to that suite. I didn’t even know who was inside!”
He wiped his forehead and avoided my gaze. “You must’ve misunderstood. I told you to take the tray but I didn’t tell you to assault the Alpha.”
My stomach dropped. “Assault? I didn’t—”
He raised a hand. “Enough. If you want to defend yourself, do it to him. I’m not risking my job for your mistake.”
My hands clenched in my lap. I don't know why he's lying now.
Tears burned behind my eyes, but I forced them back. “Please, Mr. Barlow. I need this job. I can’t afford rent, I can’t—”
He stood abruptly. “Then perhaps you should’ve thought about that before sneaking into a man’s room. Do you know who he is?”
“I know,” I desperately let out without thinking. “I know exactly who he is!”
Before he could say more, a familiar voice spoke from behind me.
“Then explain it to me, Naomi.”
I froze, my blood turned to ice as I turned around slowly.
