O1uwapelumi

Synopsis:
In a world where Alphas rule with absolute power, Alpha Caidren Thorne stands above them all—a warlord feared for his cruelty, a ruler whose hands are stained with the blood of both enemies and kin. His lands are harsh, his rule even harsher, and his name alone is enough to strike terror into the hearts of those who hear it.

But there is a darker truth hidden beneath his legend.

Every Omega sent to him has perished.

No one knows why. No one dares to ask. Some whisper that his presence alone is enough to snuff out their fragile lives, that no Omega can withstand his brutality. Others say that he is cursed, doomed to be alone forever. But Caidren does not care. He has never let anyone close—not a mate, not a lover, not even his own people. His heart is stone, and his hands are weapons.

When the noble House Velmire is forced to offer him an Omega, they do not send their treasured daughter. Instead, they send Elias—an adopted outcast, a boy without a place in their world. Elias has spent his life alone, unwanted, and now, he is being sent to a fate worse than death.

And when he arrives at the Bloodfang Stronghold, he is welcomed by a scene of horror.

A man clothed in black can be seen writhing in agony. Blood soaking the ground. And standing above it all, delivering judgment with cold precision, is Alpha Caidren.

Elias’ fear takes root instantly. This man is no savior. He is death itself.

Caidren barely acknowledges him, dismissing him with a single glance. Another Omega. Another life that will soon disappear.

But Elias does not die.

Days pass. Then weeks. And for the first time, an Omega survives.

Elias is not weak. He is not fragile. He is not like the others. And against every instinct, every warning, Caidren begins to take notice.

What starts as indifference turns to fascination. What was once just another burden soon becomes something the Alpha refuses to let go of.

For the first time in his life, Caidren is afraid—not of war, not of death, but of the one thing he never thought he could have.

And when enemies rise and threaten to take Elias away, Caidren will burn the world to keep his Omega safe.

scarred by the Alpher, claimed by his touch.

Elias kept his hands steady, even as his mind raced.

Caidren had left the kitchen, but the weight of his presence lingered. The Alpha had looked at him the way a predator watches prey—calm, patient, knowing.

Maybe not everything. Maybe not the full extent of what Elias could do. But enough to understand that the story of an assassin "tripping" didn't fit.

Elias took another small bite of bread, chewing slowly to mask his thoughts. He had to be careful. If he let himself react too strongly, if he let his unease show too openly, it would only confirm what Caidren was already beginning to suspect.

So, he exhaled, letting his body slump slightly, as if exhaustion had finally caught up to him.

A servant girl passed by with a tray, her gaze lingering on him before quickly looking away. The soldiers at the door whispered something to each other, but they didn't approach.

Let them believe he was weak. Let them believe he was just an Omega lucky enough to have survived.

Luck was an easy thing to dismiss. Skill was not.

And that meant Elias needed to be even more careful.

By midday, Elias had returned to his room.

He walked slowly, deliberately, as if weighed down by exhaustion. The guards at his door gave him passing glances but said nothing.

Inside, the room was as he had left it—simple, quiet, a space meant to contain rather than comfort.

He crossed to the small basin of water in the corner, dipping his hands in and splashing his face. The cold shocked his skin, grounding him.

Then, he turned and leaned against the wooden table, staring at the door.

The soldiers stationed outside weren't just guarding him. They were watching him.

And somewhere, Caidren was waiting for him to make a mistake.

Elias tightened his fingers against the edge of the table.

For years, he had learned how to disappear in plain sight, how to move unnoticed, how to make himself seem unimportant. The fragile, helpless act had kept him safe before.

But here, it wasn't just about survival. It was about deception.

And the moment he stopped being careful, the moment Caidren found the proof he was looking for, everything would change.

He just had to play the part a little longer.

chapter 42: let them believe