The city buzzed with life, a stark contrast to the structured world of the Four Fang Alliance. Unlike the enclosed safety of the pack's estate, where hierarchy was absolute, the outside world was a mix of werewolves, humans, and other supernatural beings-each moving through life in blissful ignorance or quiet power.
For Nani and his friends, the university was both an escape and a battlefield.
The university courtyard was bustling with students, the morning air carrying the scent of fresh coffee and warm pastries. Laughter, casual conversations, and the faint hum of tension between different werewolf groups filled the space.
Nani sat on a stone bench under a large oak tree, his legs crossed, sipping on his usual caramel macchiato. He looked effortlessly composed, but his mind was anything but.
Across from him, Pond leaned back on the bench, arms crossed. "So. One month?. One month until the esteemed heir of Four Fang Alliance is served on a silver platter."
Nani glared. "I'm not being served."
"You do realize you're about to be auctioned off, right?" Dew's voice broke through his thoughts, tone effortlessly dry and teasing.
Nani exhaled, already exhausted.
"It's not an auction," he muttered, rubbing his temple. "It's a formal gathering."
Pond snorted. "Yeah, a formal gathering where every power-drunk Alpha decides they deserve you."
Win, calm and unreadable as always, flipped a page in his book. "They won't just fight for you. They'll fight over you."
Nani tensed.
Because that was the problem, wasn't it?
He was the only unclaimed Omega heir in generations-born into power, raised like an Alpha, but still an Omega. His scent alone was enough to set wolves on the edge.
And the worst part?
His wolf was starting to feel the weight of it, too.
Dew sighed dramatically. "Remember last year? That Alpha from Bloodfang nearly got his arm ripped off because he brushed against you."
Nani scowled. "That wasn't my fault."
Win, still reading, murmured, "It's always your fault."
Nani's glare sharpened. "You're supposed to be the rational one."
Win took a slow sip of tea. "And yet here we are."
Pond grinned, nudging Nani's knee. "Come on, aren't you the least bit curious? You'll have the region's top Alphas throwing themselves at your feet."
Nani sighed, exasperated. "That's exactly the problem. They don't even know me, and they already want to claim me."
Dew smirked. "That's what being a rare, unclaimed Omega heir does to people."
Nani huffed. "If I hear the word 'claim' one more time, I might actually throw something."
Pond laughed, throwing an arm over Nani's shoulder. "Relax, sweetheart. We won't let some pompous Alpha steal you away."
Before Nani could elbow him, a ripple of tension swept through the courtyard.
The unmistakable shift in the air, charged with territorial energy. His wolf stirred, sensing the unspoken challenge before it even started.
Across the courtyard, a group of Alphas approached.
They weren't from their pack.
The scent of something not quite wolf hit first.
Golden eyes-too sharp, too unnatural-locked onto him with amusement.
William Lachlan. The Hybrid.
He walked like he owned the space, flanked by his pack of high-status wolves.
"Nani," William greeted smoothly, his smirk deliberate. "Looking stunning as ever."
Nani forced himself to stay still. Not react. Not engage.
Pond growled low, barely controlled. "Here we go."
Dew, unimpressed, sighed. "We should start charging entrance fees for this."
William ignored them, stepping closer, his presence just on the edge of aggressive.
"The grand gathering, huh?" he mused. "Finally giving in to tradition?"
Nani's fingers tightened slightly around his coffee cup. Don't rise to it. Don't let him win.
"I don't recall asking for your opinion," he said, voice smooth.
William's smirk widened. "Come now, heir. You can reject as many suitors as you want, but eventually, you'll have to choose. And when you do-"
"-it won't be you," Pond cut in, blunt and brutal.
The smirk dropped from William's face. The atmosphere grew heavier.
Alphas weren't known for backing down. And when several dominant Alphas stood in close proximity, it never ended peacefully.
A low, rumbling growl rolled from Pond's chest.
Dew, calculating as ever, didn't move, but his silver eyes sharpened.
Win, still composed, closed his book with a soft click.
And then-
A growl cut through the air-not from Pond.
A new force entered. Stronger. Sharper.
Drake. Alpha of Silvercrest.
His wolves moved like a pack ready to kill. Not reckless-but controlled, waiting for his signal.
Drake grinned, all teeth. "Picking fights this early, Lachlan?"
William's expression darkened. "This doesn't concern you."
Drake chuckled. "Oh, but it does."
His gaze slid to Nani, and it changed.
The amusement faded.
The Alpha inside him stirred.
"Long time, heir."
Nani's jaw tightened.
"Drake," he greeted, voice carefully neutral.
Drake took a step forward-too close.
"You look good," he murmured, voice lower. "Better than I remember."
Dew shifted, subtle but defensive.
Pond, less subtle, bared his fangs. "Step. Back."
Drake smirked. "Or what?"
The air turned suffocating.
But before they could explode-
---
And then-another wave of dominance.
Gawin.
The silent predator. Alpha from Onyx Moon.
His pack moved without sound. No need for posturing-just power.
Gawin didn't smirk. He didn't play.
He just looked at Nani.
And that was worse.
William and Drake were loud, reckless, obvious.
Gawin?
He was a shadow waiting to consume.
"I see the mutts are restless," he said, tone mild.
Drake snarled. William bristled.
But Gawin's attention never left Nani.
"You know," he murmured, too quiet, too confident, "you could end this with one word."
Nani stiffened.
He meant submission.
He meant choosing one of them.
His wolf growled-deep and angry.
Then Gawin tilted his head slightly. "I don't fight over things." His gaze flickered to Nani. "I take them."
Nani stared at him, unamused. "Charming."
Pond bristled. "Try taking him, and we'll see how many bones you have left."
The weight in the air grew unbearable.
Alphas were wired for conflict.
And right now,
A fight was inevitable.
Until-
The air split.
A new scent.
Something fierce. Unyielding. Unshakable.
A force so powerful it commanded silence.
Before anyone could react, a figure stepped between them.
Broad shoulders. Dark, tousled hair. A presence so commanding that even the most dominant Alphas tensed.
Nani's breath hitched.
His wolf... stirred.
Not in fear.
Not in warning.
In something else entirely.
The new Alpha didn't posture. Didn't need to.
He simply stood there, effortless and calm.
But every single Alpha in that space felt it.
A presence so dominant it crushed the air itself.
William stiffened.
Drake's smirk faltered.
Gawin's gaze sharpened.
The Alpha looked at them, unbothered. Unimpressed.
Then, he spoke.
"Leave."
Not a threat.
Not a request.
Just a fact.
And they did.
William's jaw locked. The muscles in his neck tensed as if his body refused to obey, but his instincts overruled his pride. He took a step back.
Drake did too, his expression unreadable.
Gawin assessed the situation, then turned away without a word.
One by one, the other Alphas followed.
A silent retreat.
A victory without a single blow.
And just like that-it was over.
The new Alpha turned slightly, just enough for Nani to catch a glimpse of striking, piercing eyes.
Eyes that looked at him-but through him.
And then, he walked away.
No name. No explanation.
Just a presence that left an imprint too deep to ignore.
Nani exhaled. His heart was pounding.
Pond finally broke the silence. "Okay. That's hot, even for me"
Dew's gaze remained locked on the retreating figure. "Who the hell was that?."
Win murmured, thoughtful. "I don't know, but they already know."
Nani didn't speak.
Because his wolf was still staring after the stranger.
And it didn't want to look away.
-----
Sky walked away, his steps unhurried.
Behind him, the tension still crackled, even though he had shattered it.
He didn't need to look back to know.
They were still reeling.
Drake, William, Gawin-three of the strongest Alphas from different factions. Yet none of them could defy him.
Not because of brute strength. Not just that.
But because they knew.
Not exactly who he was. Not entirely.
But they knew enough.
Enough to know that challenging him would be a mistake.
He didn't belong to any of them.
He owed no allegiance to their alliances.
And that made him dangerous.
---
His wolf stirred. Restless.
It wasn't because of those other Alphas.
It wasn't their threats or their posturing.
It was the Omega.
Sky flexed his fingers, frowning.
This was not an instant claim.
It wasn't even attraction.
But his wolf had noticed him.
Not as prey.
Not as an Omega.
As something else.
And Sky didn't like the unknown.
Bright fell into step beside him.
"You're not gonna say anything?"
Sky didn't stop walking. "About what?"
Bright scoffed. "You know what."
Sky didn't answer.
Because he knew what Bright was getting at.
Every Alpha back there had stood their ground.
Every Alpha had been ready to fight.
And yet, the moment Sky stepped in-
They stopped.
Not because he had threatened them.
Not because he had raised his voice.
But because they recognized something.
Sky exhaled slowly.
It wasn't his concern.
It shouldn't be his concern.
So why did his wolf keep watching?
----
Back at their private lounge, Nani sat quietly.
Too quiet.
Pond paced, his energy still crackling with unspent aggression.
"I should've ripped out that Hybrid's throat."
"Pond," Dew sighed, rubbing his temples.
Win was leaning back on the couch, calm as ever, but his fingers tapped thoughtfully against the armrest.
They had all felt it.
The moment Sky stepped in.
The shift in power.
Pond turned sharply, glaring at Nani. "And you. You just stood there."
Nani looked up slowly. His eyes were unreadable. "You think I should've done what? Fought them?"
"Yes!" Pond snapped. "Or at least let me fight them."
Dew arched a brow. "You were about to start a war, and for what? A pissing contest?"
Pond growled. "They're trying to claim him-like he's some prize."
"That's exactly what I am to them," Nani muttered.
Silence.
Win finally spoke, his voice steady. "No. You're not. That's why you're different from them."
Nani exhaled, rubbing his forehead. He was tired.
Not just from this fight.
But from all of it.
William, Drake, Gawin. The expectations. The pressure. The looming gathering.
And now, this new Alpha.
Dew broke the silence. "We need to know who he is."
Pond huffed. "Does it matter? He's another Alpha. Probably wants the same thing as the rest of them."
Win shook his head. "No." His voice was quiet, but firm.
Nani looked at him.
Win met his gaze. Unwavering. "He's not like them."
Nani didn't know how to answer that.
Because he felt it too.
Something about Sky was different.
He just didn't know if that made it better-or worse.