The second alpha snorts. “Sure looks like him. Chad, right?” His voice is laced with derision, and there’s a spark of mean-spirited glee in his eyes.
I swallow. “Yeah, well, you must be big fans.” My sarcasm is automatic, an old reflex—defense by snark.
The third alpha edges in closer, blocking my path. “We’re not fans. We just think it’s hilarious how you embarrassed yourself on national TV. So desperate for that alpha cock. Well, I’ve got one right here for you. I can knot you real good.”
A spike of fear slams into me, but I keep my tone steady. “Move, please. I’m not looking for trouble.”
They don’t budge. The first alpha steps forward, and I catch the acrid tang of alcohol on his breath. Mixing with his nasty smelling musk. “How ’bout we teach you a lesson in humility,omega?” He spits the last word like it’s an insult.
My pulse thunders in my ears. There’s nobody close enough on the sidewalk to help. The bright lights of the city seem to shine on everything but us, like we’re in a shadowy pocket of trouble.
“Get out of my way,” I say, trying to sound firm. But my voice wavers, betraying the panic creeping up my spine.
The second alpha grabs my arm roughly, yanks me forward. “What’s the rush? Maybe we should show you what happenswhen you mess with a real alpha.” His words are full of cruel implications, and a chill snakes through me.
A corner of my mind flashes back to the show—nights on the patio with Lilah and Willow, laughing about ridiculous pick-up lines, encouraging Lilah to go for her happy ending, forging a real friendship in the midst of all the producer-driven chaos. I clung to that camaraderie, to the idea thatsomealphas and omegas could meet as equals.
But these three? They’re a brutal reminder that people like Richard aren’t the only toxic ones out there.
The third alpha runs a hand through my hair as if he has any right to touch me, and I jerk back, heart pounding so hard I’m sure they can see it pulsing at my neck. “Let go,” I snarl, my voice sharper this time.
One of them shoves me against the cold brick wall. Pain flares in my shoulder. They’re bigger, stronger—and apparently all too happy to corner me in this deserted stretch of sidewalk.
“You think you’re tough?” the first alpha sneers, pressing an arm across my chest to pin me. “You’re just a mouthy little omega who got famous for five minutes.”
I can taste my own fear in the back of my throat. My mind races, searching for a way out. “Let me go,” I repeat, each word trembling with barely-contained rage and terror.
The second alpha slides closer, leering in a way that makes my stomach lurch. “Or what?” he taunts. “Gonna call your fans? The ones who think you’re a lying snake?”
I clench my teeth. “I said—let. Me. Go.”
Maybe it’s the way my voice cracks with real desperation, or maybe one of them realizes that this is more than just drunken fun. For a split second, their eyes dart around, checking if anyone’s watching.
And that’s my opening.
Summoning every bit of adrenaline I have left, I duck under the alpha’s arm and shove him with all my might. He staggers back, colliding with his friend. They stumble, unprepared for the sudden move.
I don’t wait—I bolt. My feet pound the sidewalk as I sprint away. My lungs burn, but I don’t stop until I’m halfway down another block, blending into the thicker crowd near a row of busy bars.
I double over, gulping air, heart hammering like it’s trying to break free of my chest. People pass by, oblivious to the terror that nearly swallowed me whole minutes ago.
Slowly, I straighten. A wave of nausea churns in my stomach when I realize how close I came to real harm. Another wave of fury crashes over me, directed at them, at Richard, at the entire messed-up hierarchy that says alphas can do whatever they want and omegas just have to take it.
My fingers tremble as I wipe a tear from the corner of my eye. I promised myself I wouldn’t cry—especially not in public. But a single tear escapes, hot against my cheek, before I can blink it away.
Looking around, I find a small side street where I can breathe for a moment. My heart’s still in my throat. The truth is, I feel more broken than I have in a long time. The show’s negative spotlight, Richard’s cruelty, strangers cornering me on a dark street… It’s too much.
But one thought cuts through the whirlwind in my head:I won’t need an alpha again.I won’t rely on one, won’t let them think they own me or my future. Whatever I build for myself from here on out, it’ll be on my own terms.
And if the whole world wants to keep believing I’m the villain, let them. Maybe the villain is just someone who survived without anyone else’s help.
I’ll do whatever it takes to stand on my own two feet—even if the entire city, or the entire pack hierarchy, is against me.
CHAPTER 1
Chad
I’ve never beengood at hiding, and that’s exactly what I’m doing. Running back to this place, away from the city and its people.
