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“Hell no, I’m taking my sweet time,” said another guy who was already violating me. A sharp rush of pain as they broke my virginity.

I tried to concentrate on the ocean waves instead.

My first time wasn’t supposed to be like this. It was supposed to be with Lio. At the thought of him, tears pricked my eyes.

Please, come look for me…I prayed in my head over and over.

When the first guy was done, I braced myself for the next. I was numb to it all by now. Not paying attention to my body screaming for help. Then I heard a sharp hiss coming from behind me.

The hand released my mouth, and the boys instantly stepped away from me, their eyes wide at something behind me. Opening my eyes, I quickly turned to see what had scared them. A tall male stood there at my shoulder, staring daggers at the boys. He didn’t have a scent and wore a loincloth.

His red bloodshot eyes stood out to me, confusing me. I’d never seen such a creature before. He wasn’t one of us. My pulse was racing as I stared at him. When he bared his large sharp fangs, the boys screamed, running away from me like the devil was after them.

I didn’t dare move, and I didn’t dare breathe.

He was just inches from me.

Once he was satisfied they were far enough away from me, he gave me one last look and disappeared between the rocks in one lightning move. I couldn’t believe what I had just seen.

I hobbled off the boulder on weak legs. My hands were shaking as I yanked my underwear back on. My innocence was over, and my life changed in just one night. It was impossible for me to go back to Lio and act like nothing happened.

I couldn’t do it. And I would never tell a soul.

Chapter 1

Five Years Later

Alana

“Ooh,thisone’scute,”an omega said to her friend as she perused the shelf of trinkets in my shop.

It had been a long, busy Friday, and these were the last of my customers for the evening. I was quietly eavesdropping as I organized a row of candles by color on the other side of my shop. I sold omega nesting supplies and named my shopOmega Oasisto the excitement of my grandma, who helped me run it.

I walked to the back, where Grandma was re-folding the quilts that had been rummaged through all day. She wore a blue bandana around her forehead, her white hair tied into a neat bun. She had on a blue dress with short sleeves that showed her wrinkly frail arms.

“Almost done there, Grandma?” I asked, watching her carefully fold the last quilt and place it with shaking hands on the shelf.

Grandpa had died two years ago, and after his passing, she threw herself into my shop, helping out whenever she could. At Grandpa’s funeral, I’d never seen my mother cry as much as she did that day with my fathers comforting her. My mother was closer to Grandpa than her own mom, and I understood why. Grandma was pretty strict as opposed to my Grandpa, who made everyone smile and have a good time. My heart ached thinking about him.

“Yes, I think so,” she said, looking at her handiwork. “I just need to sweep up the backroom here. You go on ahead and ring up those girls at the front, dear.”

“Alright, sounds good,” I said.

I heard the little bell at the front counter and headed over there to ring up the customers.

“You have so many cute trinkets,” sighed one of them, staring at the shelf with the glass wolf-shaped figurines. “I wish I could buy them all.”

“Ah, it's our most popular pieces,” I laughed, ringing up a small teacup with a picture of a fang on the front, a keychain, and three perfumes. “Did you find everything okay today?”

“We did,” said the second omega.

“Good to hear,” I said, handing them their bag after wrapping everything up in paper.

“Thank you!” said the omega, taking the bag and heading out with her friend. The door let out a small chime when they walked out of the shop. As I wiped down the pink countertop with wipes, I heard the door chime again.

Oh, did they forget something?

“Hello,” said a male voice, and I looked up.Shit, it was Lio. And he held a pile of quilts in his hand that his mother usually sent over. He came a day early, and I usually avoided him at all costs, letting him deal with my grandmother for Saturday deliveries when I was out in the mornings.