Pain flared across my ribs the moment I opened my eyes. I stared at a dark gray ceiling, blinking against the sharp light filtering through heavy blackout curtains. My mouth tasted like copper.
"I'm not running a charity, Mom." A guy's voice echoed from the hallway. Hard. Irritated.
"Keep your voice down," a woman shot back. "She needs rest."
"She needs to go back to wherever she came from. We don't know her pack. We don't know her bloodline."
"I know she's an Omega," the woman argued, her footsteps tapping against the hardwood floor as she entered the room. "And I know that if I hadn't stepped in, those rogues would have snapped her neck."
"So call the enforcers. Let them handle it."
"They wouldn't have made it in time."
I tried to push myself up on my elbows. Fire laced through my side, forcing a sharp gasp from my throat.
The argument cut off instantly.
"You're awake," the woman said, rushing to the side of the mattress. She had kind eyes and her dark hair was tied in a messy knot. "Don't move too fast. You took a nasty hit to the ribs."
"Where am I?" I asked, my voice cracking.
"Safe," she answered, pouring water from a pitcher into a glass. "I'm Sarah. I pulled you out of the woods near the northern border."
I took the glass, my hands shaking so badly water sloshed over the rim. The memories slammed into me. I had been walking back to campus. Three wolves with matted fur and glowing yellow eyes had stepped out of the brush. They lunged. I had no combat form to defend myself. Just pure, blinding terror.
"Thank you," I whispered, handing the glass back. "They came out of nowhere."
"Rogues are getting bolder," Sarah frowned. "My son thinks we should hand you over to campus security, but I told him you're staying right here until you heal."
"She can go to the infirmary," the guy muttered. He stepped into the doorway, his broad shoulders blocking out the hall light.
"Stop being so hostile and introduce yourself," Sarah ordered, waving him inside.
He stepped fully into the room.
My heart slammed against my chest. I froze, every muscle locking up.
Valen.
The Alpha heir of the most powerful lineage in our territory. The guy who dominated the school rankings, captained the combat teams, and walked through the halls like he owned the very ground we stepped on. He had sharp, striking features, piercing blue eyes, and a muscular build that made him look dangerous even when he was standing completely still.
He was the last person I ever expected to see.
His gaze locked onto mine. His jaw tightened.
"You," Valen said, his upper lip curling in disgust.
"You know her?" Sarah asked, glancing between us.
"She goes to my academy," Valen replied, his tone laced with contempt. "Mave. Right?"
I nodded, pressing my back against the headboard. We didn't share friends. We didn't share classes. I was a weak Omega who kept her head down, and he was the school's golden boy.
"Excellent," Sarah clapped her hands. "Then you two can keep each other company. Mave, you'll stay in this room for the week. Once your wounds close, Valen will drive you back to the dorms."
"No," I blurted out.
I threw the heavy quilt off my legs.
"What are you doing?" Sarah reached out.
"I'm leaving," I said. I swung my legs over the edge of the mattress and forced myself to stand.
The room spun. A sharp spike of agony shot through my abdomen. My knees buckled instantly.
I braced for the hard impact of the floor.
Instead, a strong hand clamped around my bicep. Valen hauled me upright with zero effort, his grip bruising.
"Watch it," he snapped, shoving me back onto the mattress. He wiped his hand on his jeans like touching me had soiled his skin.
"Valen! Be gentle," Sarah scolded. She grabbed my shoulders and forced me to lie flat. "You are in no condition to walk. You have zero defensive training and fresh wounds. The scent of your blood will draw every rogue in the territory straight to you."
"I can't stay here," I argued, my voice shaking. "I'm imposing. I'll just call a cab."
"Where is your pack, Mave? Why were you out by the northern border alone?" Sarah asked, ignoring my protests entirely.
"I don't have a pack," I answered, looking down at my hands. "I'm a registered independent. I was just taking a shortcut back to the dorms."
"An independent Omega?" Valen scoffed from the foot of the bed. "That's practically a death sentence. No wonder you got jumped."
"Valen," Sarah warned.
"It's the truth," he fired back. "She shouldn't be wandering around unmarked territory without an escort. It's stupid."
"I didn't know rogues had crossed the border," I defended myself, my cheeks burning. "The school alerts said the area was clear."
"The school alerts are for Alphas and Betas who can actually defend themselves," Valen said. "Not for weak links."
"That is enough," Sarah stated, her voice brooking no argument. She pulled the quilt back up to my chin. "You are an Omega. You need protection right now, and this house is perfectly safe. I won't hear another word about leaving."
I bit my lip, glancing nervously at Valen. He glared at the wall, his arms crossed over his chest.
"I'm going downstairs to heat up some soup," Sarah announced. "Valen, keep an eye on her."
"Mom, I have alpha training in twenty minutes."
"Your training can wait," she pointed a stern finger at him. "Be nice to your guest."
She turned and marched out of the room. The door clicked shut behind her.
The silence in the bedroom turned suffocating.
Valen's Alpha aura flooded the space, heavy and aggressive. It pressed against my skin, making my Omega instincts scream at me to submit, to cower, to hide. I gripped the edges of the quilt, refusing to look away from the ceiling.
He didn't move for a long moment. Then, his heavy footsteps crossed the floor.
He stopped right beside the mattress.
I forced myself to meet his eyes. They were ice-cold, scanning my battered face and the oversized gray t-shirt his mother had dressed me in.
"An Omega," Valen murmured, his voice low and mocking. "Pathetic."
"I didn't ask your mother to save me," I shot back, finding a tiny shred of courage.
"Yet here you are." He leaned over, planting one large hand on the headboard right next to my ear. "In my house. Reeking of fear."
"I'll leave the second she goes to work," I promised, my voice barely above a whisper.
"My mother doesn't know how girls like you operate," Valen said, narrowing his eyes. He took a step closer, towering over me. "But I do."
"Girls like me?" I echoed, confusion mixing with anger.
"Don't play dumb." He gestured sharply at me. "You think you're the first Omega to try and sneak into my house? To play the victim just to get close to an Alpha heir?"
My jaw dropped. "Are you insane? I was attacked! I almost died out there!"
"Convenient timing," he mocked. "Right near my property line. Right when my mom was doing her perimeter check."
"You think I planned to get mauled by rogues?" I demanded, anger finally overriding my fear.
"I think Omegas are desperate," Valen stated coldly. "And I think you need to leave before I drag you out myself."
He pushed off the headboard, standing at his full height. He pointed a rigid finger at the sheets beneath me.
"Get the fuck off my bed."
