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Jace

T he campus is lively for a Monday morning. It’s hard to believe that this many college students would willingly take morning classes.

I brush sandy blonde hair out of my eyes and wink at a passing sophomore, Kira, I think her name was. Or Kelly? It’s hard to remember anymore. My flings with humans are as plentiful as they are short-lived. I’m not looking for a future with them, just some fun.

But suddenly, I catch a scent in the wind, and I stop in my tracks.

I don’t recognize it, but it piques my interest. More than that, it pulls me in. It’s light yet intoxicating, like the purest honey.

It surrounds me and draws me forward. The blonde forgotten, as I sniff the air, desperate to find the source of that scent. The café door is open, and customers leave happily with their morning coffee in hand.

That’s when my eyes land on her.

Even through the café window, I can tell she’s beautiful. Chestnut hair cascades down her back in gentle waves .

As she turns, I catch a glimpse of her face, all soft lines and glittering hazel eyes. She smiles at a customer while cleaning their table, and in this moment, I want her to smile for me.

Who is she?

I want to taste her name on my lips. I want to hear her scream my name as I knot her.

The urge is so strong that a growl starts at the base of my throat. I know nothing about this woman, but I know that I want to make her mine.

Time passes, and college students walk by, but I hardly notice them as I watch her.

She moves through the café with purpose, yet there’s a shyness to her movements. She often looks down when she passes people. It strikes me that this remarkable creature is shy.

That fascinates me. She radiates beauty. Those eyes draw me in, and the way her hips sway as she navigates the café is intoxicating. How could someone like that not realize how incredible she is?

A primal desire rises within me.

I need to claim her. To make her my mate.

I want to know what her body looks like under that oversized sweater.

It would be an honor and a pleasure to slide my hands beneath it and feel her silky skin against mine.

Tearing off, that sweater would leave nothing between us but skin.

Her soft pink lips would part in surprise as I traced my tongue down her neck and between her breasts.

I feel myself harden at just the thought.

This human female is driving me crazy with just a scent and a glance. It’s unlike me, but in this moment, I don’t care.

Suddenly, I notice a frat guy in the café eyeing her with appreciation. This time, I don’t try to suppress the growl that rumbles from my throat. Mine . I don’t even know her name, but I know she is meant to be mine.

The thought startles me .

This isn’t like me. I’m usually a one-and-done, especially with human females. Yet this lust is unlike anything I have ever felt before. It’s almost like ...

I take a sharp breath as the reality hits me. There’s no fucking way this intoxicating honey scent belongs to a human female.

No. It can’t be

I step closer to the café, but the truth is unmistakable.

She’s an omega, passing as a human.

But why? And why wasn’t she wearing scent blockers? Why was she out here without a pack?

I resolve to provide that for her. Wherever her pack might be, they have failed her. I will make her mine. I will protect, mark, and care for her, no matter the cost.

I need to inform my pack leader, Kane, immediately about this rogue omega being treated like a servant by the humans.

By the time I make it back to pack territory, I’m calmer but no less obsessed. I enter our lavish townhouse in the city, a secondary home we use when it becomes necessary to venture closer to the human world.

“There you are! Where the hell have you been?” Kane asks, stepping out of the kitchen with a mug of espresso. His dark brown eyes narrow on me as if he is all too aware of what I have been up to. He doesn’t particularly approve of my human dalliances.

“Probably scouting out his next fuck,” Finn quips from his place on the couch.

They both chuckle but stop as soon as they see the look on my face.

“Jace?” Kane’s eyes sharpen with alarm. “What is it?”

“There’s this woman,” I start, and Finn burst out laughing already. “I’m fucking serious, Finn. This is going to affect all of you.”

“How? What do you mean?”

So, I tell them everything. About the girl and the pull, I felt. And how I know she’s an omega without a pack.

“She has a scent like honey. And despite her beauty, she has this shyness about her. It’s really-”

Kane snorts. “An omega without her pack? Working in a coffee shop? Jace, if you want to have a fling with a human, have at it. You don’t need to spin these wild stories. You already know I don’t give a fuck what you do.”

I look to Finn for backup, but he just shrugs. There’s a thoughtful look in his eyes as if he believes me, at least.

I glare at him, and he looks away, his long black hair falling into his face. But I can see the color rising on his face.

“I’m telling you, she’s an omega,” I insist to Kane.

Kane shakes his head, tugging at his suit sleeves. “The ‘obsession’ will pass once you’ve had your fun. Just get her number and move on.”

For a moment, I almost wonder if he’s right. But I know what I experienced. That woman is an omega. And she needs us.

Mia

“Bye,” I call out to the last of the workers as I leave the little building. My eight-hour shift became a double when Alice had to run home for a family emergency.

Not that I minded. It meant more money.

Of course, by now, my feet are aching, and it’s hard to walk. I really need to buy more appropriate shoes for a double shift .

Exhausted and sore, I make it back to the apartment building just as it’s starting to get dark. The winter chill seeps through my coat, and my hair is a little wind-whipped, but more than anything, I’m just relieved to be home.

Oh fuck, I forgot. Justin’s snacks . After the hectic switch in my schedule and the last-minute rush at the café, I completely forgot to stop by the gas station on my way home. My eyes water a bit as I curse my forgetfulness.

For a moment, I consider backtracking. The gas station is still open, after all, and I don’t want to deal with him right now.

But my feet are sore. I’m exhausted, and the last thing I want is to walk to the gas station. Swallowing past a nervous lump in my throat, I grab my keys and head toward the door.

It’ll be fine . I try to reassure myself as I put the key in the lock. He might have forgotten and passed out in front of the TV.

I turn the key in the lock and enter the apartment.

It’s dark in the small living room, the only light coming from the TV. Justin is in the same place I left him, smashing buttons on his PlayStation controller. His eyes are bloodshot, and I can’t tell if it’s from playing video games all day or if he has been drinking.

“Hey, Mia. Did you get those snacks?” He doesn’t even look up from his game. “I’m hungry as fuck.”

I stand in the doorway, twisting my purse strap in my hand. Cold dread grips my heart, and I open my mouth to speak, but at first, nothing comes out.

“I…”

“Mia? Are you deaf or just stupid?” Justin finally glances at me.

“I forgot them,” I blurt out. “I’m really sorry. I ended up working a double shift, and it was late, and I just forgot. I’m sorry. ”

The words all come out in a rush, and I feel a certain relief when I’m done. That relief freezes into ice when Justin sets down his controller.

“I’m sorry?” he says. “I must have heard you wrong. I asked you for one simple thing, Mia. All I wanted was that snack. I don’t ask for a lot, and somehow you still manage to screw this up.”

It isn’t just the words but the rage I hear in them that makes me flinch.

“Why don’t you cook something at home? Or get your own snack?” I ask, breathing hard with adrenaline.

Justin rises from the couch, knocking his controller to the floor. My eyes widen as he whips off his headset and hurls it at the wall, hitting it with a CRACK. With bloodshot eyes and a terrifying snarl, he stalks toward me.

He’s never hit me. Not once, but the underlying threat has always been there. Tonight, however, something is different, and he’s taking his rage out on me.

“What the fuck is wrong with you, Mia?” he demands, a mix of astonishment and anger in his voice.

Tears fill my eyes as I try to put some distance between us. “I’m sorry, Justin. Really. I’m just so tired. Why can’t you understand?!”

Before I even know what’s happening, Justin backhands me across the face. Pain and heat instantly bloom around my right eye.

Clutching my face, I backed away from him in shock.

A look of guilt momentarily flashes across Justin’s face as he reaches for me. When I pull away, though, the expression vanishes. “If you hadn’t been so disrespectful, this wouldn’t have happened, you know.”

I can barely hear his words.

He hit me. He actually hit me.

Clutching my face, I fight back tears. The sting from my right eye intensifies, and I can already feel the discoloration and swelling starting.

Before he can say or do anything further, I flee to the safety of the bathroom. Quickly locking the door behind me, I let the tears flow freely. Vaguely, I hear Justin shouting after me to stop being so immature, but I tune him out.

How did my life get here? I had plans for the future.

I was planning to major in history and pursue a master’s degree in the future.

But I had to be the rebellious teenager.

Dropping out of college and moving in with Justin was all an attempt to escape my abusive adoptive parents, who constantly told me that my birth parents didn’t give a shit about me.

My name isn’t on the lease, so I’m scared to start anything with him. He’s the only person I have in this world.

Sighing, I begin to wash off my makeup. It only makes my black eye look worse, and fresh tears spill down my cheeks.

I need to leave him. Deep down, I’ve always known that. But he was the only one who stood by me when I was all alone. He promised to take care of me.

Turning off the water, I stare at my reflection, droplets of tears still running down my face. I barely recognize this girl, and if I’m being honest, I’m a little disappointed in her.

I linger in the bathroom for a moment, unsure if I want to face Justin. But when I hear the front door open and slam shut, I realize it’s safe to exit. Still, I can’t help but tiptoe to the bedroom, just in case he’s still home.

The comforter feels warm and inviting as I slip into bed, my face still stinging. Tears soak the pillow as I cry myself to sleep, planning to leave Justin once and for all.