The tallest one stepped forward. His voice was deep when he spoke.
"Welcome back, Ezra."
Back?
How fucking long had this Ezra guy known them?
I forced a smile. "Hi."
Great. Just great. Now I'm blushing? Doesn't this count as being gay?
The scarred brother's eyes dragged over me slowly and that too didn't help either.
"He doesn't remember."
It wasn't a question.
Alden nodded. "Not yet."
The warm blond one took a gentle step toward me.
"How are you feeling?"
Like I don't know what the hell is going on. I somehow spawned here and apparently I have memory loss and I'm blushing because a bunch of outrageously handsome men also spawned out of nowhere and they're called 'Alphas'.
"Confused," I admitted. "And hungry."
A surprised laugh slipped out of him.
"We can fix the second one."
The silent brother didn't laugh. He stared like he was trying to read my soul. His gaze landed on my neck, then my chest, then back to my eyes. I suddenly felt too exposed.
"Stop staring at him like that," Lysandra snapped.
Alden shot her a warning look.
The tallest brother, who I assumed was the oldest, raised a brow.
"We're simply greeting him, calm down Lysandra."
Warm blond whispered to the others, but it suddenly felt like my senses were sharper and I heard what he said, "His scent changed."
What scent?
I sniffed my armpit discreetly—still smelled like soap and nerves so what was he talking about?
Scarred one replied, "He hasn't awakened. He shouldn't smell like anything."
Awakened. That word again.
The silent one's jaw tightened. "He does."
My pulse kicked up.
The oldest brother took a slow breath, and I noticed his nostrils flared and then, his gaze darkened in a way that made my knees weak.
Lysandra placed her hand on my back.
"Don't react," she whispered.
Great strategy, except my entire body was reacting.
Heat pooled low in my stomach. My heartbeat sped up. My skin felt too hot. I didn't understand why.
I took a shaky step back.
Lysandra's grip tightened on my arm.
"Ezra. Breathe."
"I am breathing," I whispered.
What the hell was happening to me?
The four brothers didn't move, but I could feel a strong aura coming from them.
Something was happening to me.
"What's happening to me?" I asked, voice shaky.
I felt like I was about to pass out when suddenly a virtual tab popped up and overshadowed my eyes.
[SYSTEM ERROR: Omega awakening detected. First task: avoid every Alpha in this room for level one power up.]
What the hell was happening and why is this stupid thing in my face?
Before I could turn, Alden moved swiftly to where Lysandra stood—he was so fast, I didn't even get the chance to blink.
"Quick, take him out of here, now."
Maerin and Lysandra grabbed me—she mumbled a few words and we disappeared and appeared in the hallway.
"You're reacting, Ezra."
"To what?"
"To them."
Them?
"The four brothers."
What the hell did that mean?
She hurried us through a hallway and into an empty room. The door shut behind us. I leaned against a wall and tried to breathe.
"I want answers. Now. What's happening to me and why am I even here to begin with?"
Lysandra looked pensive.
"Ezra… you were not supposed to awaken yet."
"I'm sorry, can you explain what that has to do with this? What does "awaken " even mean?"
"You're an Omega."
I blinked. "A what?"
She opened her mouth to explain—
The door swung open.
One of the brothers stood at the door and the remaining air almost evaporated from my lungs.
The door slammed against the wall, and the force of it made me jump.
The scarred Alpha stood there— the one with the slash across his eyebrow. His eyes locked on me like I'd personally offended his ancestors.
Lysandra stepped in front of me instantly.
"Prince William, this isn't what you think…"
Prince William? Not surprised by the name at all.
"Oh?" His voice suddenly brought me back to the situation at hand.
"Because what I think is that your family assured the royal house that he was a beta."
His gaze flicked to me, it held so much intensity, the feeling in my stomach was both warm and scary.
"Yet here he is, releasing pheromones strong enough to rattle the entire ballroom."
I whispered to Lysandra, "I'm doing what now?"
She ignored me.
"We didn't know. Ezra only awakened tonight—"
"Convenient," William said. He took a step into the room.
"Tell me, Lady Lysandra… does this mean your family has been lying to the royal house?" His tone was sharp. I could feel the intensity even though I stood behind Lysandra.
"After everything we've done for you?"
Her jaw tightened.
"You know we wouldn't dare lie to you or the royal family."
"Then explain it," he snapped.
"Explain how a supposed beta suddenly awakens as an omega in the middle of a royal event, an event attended only by alphas and betas."
I raised a hand.
"Okay, real quick? I don't even know what an omega is, but I swear I didn't wake up today planning to ruin anyone's night—"
"Silence," he said without looking at me.
I immediately shut up. There was something ominous about the tone of his voice. I didn't know what it was but something in me knew the man standing before me was powerful and if I didn't shush, I'd become fried meat.
William's jaw flexed as he studied me again. "His scent is unstable. His body hasn't adjusted yet." Then he looked at Lysandra.
"You expect me to believe you didn't notice this at home?"
"We didn't," she insisted. "He was unconscious for weeks. We thought the accident had…"
"Accident." He laughed once, humorless. "Is that the story you're still using?"
Maerin finally spoke.
"Prince William, we are not hiding anything. Ezra's awakening is as much a shock to us as it is to you."
William stopped walking only when he was a few feet away from me. His eyes dragged over my face, down to my throat, and his nostrils flared.
My skin prickled.
"I thought your family confirmed he was a beta," he repeated quietly this time.
"Does this mean you lied to the royal house?"
"No," Lysandra said again. "We didn't know."
William let the silence drag just long enough to make my palms sweat.
Finally, he said, "It doesn't matter. The decision stands."
Lysandra stiffened. "What decision?"
William turned toward her.
"Until Ezra returns to the royal house and takes his place as an omega of the crown, Lord Alden will not be released."
I jerked. "Wait, what does that mean?"
William didn't look at me.
"You have three days." His eyes glinted dangerously.
"If Ezra doesn't come willingly, Lord Alden will be stripped of his powers and banished to the Forgotten Land."
My stomach dropped.
William's gaze slid back to me—it was slow and hungry.
"Choose wisely, little omega."
Before I could blink, he vanished.