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 head down as he moved through the corridors of the stronghold, his hands clasped together as if he were still rattled from the attack. He had played his part well in front of Caidren, but the Alpha wasn't a fool. He had seen through the act—if only a little.

That meant Elias had to be even more careful.

The first step in any investigation was understanding the landscape. He needed to know who held power here, who whispered in dark corners, and most importantly, who benefited from the disappearances of the Omegas before him.

And he had to do it without drawing attention to himself.

He took slow, hesitant steps toward the lower levels of the stronghold, where the castle's servants and workers bustled about. He had already learned that people tended to ignore him when he acted the way they expected him to—delicate, uncertain, unthreatening.

The kitchens were his first stop. Not because he needed food, but because that was where information flowed most freely.

Steam billowed from large pots, and the scent of freshly baked bread filled the air as Elias stepped inside. The head cook, the same woman he had spoken to earlier, caught sight of him and snorted.

"Back again, little one?" she asked, slamming a ball of dough onto the table.

Elias flinched, letting his shoulders tighten just slightly. "I… I just thought I'd help."

The woman gave him a long look before scoffing. "Help? You? Hah! What can you do, boy?"

"I—I can chop vegetables," he said quickly. "Or carry water."

The woman narrowed her eyes, then jerked her head toward a wooden crate of potatoes. "Fine. Peel those. But if you get in the way, I'll throw you out myself."

Elias nodded meekly and hurried over to the crate, settling onto a stool. He kept his head down as he worked, peeling the rough skin from the potatoes, but his ears stayed open.

The kitchen was alive with chatter. Cooks and servants gossiped freely, and while most of it was nonsense—complaints about lazy workers, flirtations between guards—some of it was useful.

"…Did you hear about the assassin?" one of the younger servants whispered.

Elias kept peeling, his heart steady.

"Aye, slipped in like a ghost, they say," another servant replied. "But someone stopped him. Wouldn't be surprised if the Alpha himself had a hand in it."

"Hah! That scrawny Omega? He wouldn't have lasted a second if the Alpha hadn't interfered."

Elias kept his expression blank, letting their assumptions work in his favor.

Then another voice spoke—lower, cautious. "Doesn't this feel familiar to you lot?"

The first servant scoffed. "What do you mean?"

The speaker hesitated. "This… this always happens. An Omega is brought here, and then, after a while… they vanish."

"Careful what you say," the head cook warned, voice sharp. "Some things are best left alone."

The tension was palpable. The conversation shifted after that, back to mundane complaints, but Elias had heard enough.

There was a pattern. The disappearances weren't isolated incidents.

He finished peeling the last potato, placing it gently in the basket. He had enough for now.

Now, he needed to figure out who was responsible.

Would you like Elias to investigate further through the servants, or should he start looking into the soldiers as well?

chapter 43: word play