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.

The night stretched long after that moment. Elias lay on the bed, staring at the ceiling, listening to the distant sounds of soldiers moving about the camp. Despite his exhaustion, sleep refused to come. His mind kept replaying the past few days—the failed assassination, his adoptive parents' visit, the Alpha calling his name.

It should have meant nothing. He had told himself that over and over again. But something had shifted, and no matter how much he tried to brush it off, the feeling still lingered.

He had lived his entire life being overlooked, being the one no one wanted to acknowledge. But now, the Alpha had not only acknowledged him—he had tested him.

That should have been terrifying. And yet…

Elias squeezed his eyes shut. No. He couldn't afford to think about that.

His adoptive parents had come, not out of guilt or love, but to confirm something. The Alpha had allowed them to come, likely to observe their reaction. And the assassins—someone had wanted him dead before he could even prove himself useful or useless.

The answer had to be hidden somewhere in the past. The Omega killings, the ones that had been happening long before he arrived, were connected to this. He knew it.

A rustling sound outside caught his attention. Elias tensed slightly, his senses sharpening. The guards were still stationed outside his door—he could hear the low murmur of their voices—but there was something else. A shift in the air.

Slowly, carefully, Elias turned his head, glancing toward the window. The flickering torchlight from the camp barely reached inside, but he could still make out a faint shadow shifting near the edge of the wall.

Or just another soldier, curious about the Omega who had survived?

Elias remained still, pretending he hadn't noticed. If someone was watching, he wouldn't give them the satisfaction of knowing he was aware.

Instead, he turned onto his side, exhaling softly as if lost in restless sleep.

The shadow lingered for a few more moments before slipping away.

Everything was changing too quickly.

He had survived the first attack, but he knew better than to believe it would be the last.

chapter 48: not the first, not the last