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 expected the Alpha to press further. He expected more tests, more scrutiny. But strangely, the next few days passed without incident.

The heavy guard stationed outside his room was reduced. The whispers about him among the soldiers faded into background noise. Even the Alpha himself seemed less interested, no longer summoning Elias at odd hours or watching him with that piercing gaze.

The shift was subtle, but Elias noticed.

The most dangerous traps were the ones that made you believe you were safe.

His days settled into a routine. In the mornings, he took quiet walks around the camp, keeping his head down and avoiding unnecessary attention. He helped where he could—tending to small wounds in the infirmary, assisting with minor tasks. Nothing too noticeable. Nothing that would make the Alpha's men suspicious again.

The tension that had once surrounded him eased.

Slowly, the soldiers stopped watching him so closely.

Slowly, they started to forget to whisper when he passed.

And that was when he started listening.

He pieced together fragments of conversations, quiet remarks exchanged between those who thought they weren't being overheard.

The Alpha had been dealing with problems beyond the battlefield. Disruptions in supply lines. Unexplained disappearances among his men. Whispers of an unseen enemy lurking in the shadows.

And it wasn't just the usual enemy forces.

Elias tucked the information away carefully, making sure never to look too interested. He moved through the camp as he always did—small, unassuming, easily overlooked.

But his mind was sharp. Calculating.

If the Alpha was dealing with unknown enemies, then perhaps those same enemies were connected to the ones who had tried to kill Elias.

One afternoon, as Elias was finishing his quiet chores, he overheard a conversation that made him pause.

Two soldiers sat by the fire, speaking in hushed tones.

"You heard about the patrol near the eastern border?" one murmured.

The other soldier scoffed. "Rebels? No. This is something else."

Elias kept his hands busy, pretending to be focused on cleaning, but his ears sharpened.

The soldier lowered his voice. "The Alpha's been tense lately. And I don't think it's just because of the war. Whatever's happening… it's coming from the inside."

Elias carefully folded the cloth in his hands, his mind racing.

Had the assassins who came for him been part of something larger? Had they been tied to the same force working against the Alpha?

If so, then his enemies weren't just lurking in the shadows.

Letting His Guard Down—But Not Completely

Elias allowed himself to relax, just enough to be believable.

He let the guards see him grow more comfortable, less wary. He smiled faintly when spoken to, let his shoulders lose some of their tension. He even allowed himself to act startled when loud noises caught him off guard.

Bit by bit, he became what they expected him to be.

A fragile Omega finally adjusting to his new reality.

And as he did, the Alpha's scrutiny faded even more.

Elias wasn't foolish enough to believe he had truly been forgotten. The Alpha was too cunning for that. But for now, at least, it appeared as though he had lost interest.

Time to figure out who had sent those assassins.

Time to learn what game was truly being played.

Time to prepare for whatever was coming next.

chapter 58: something in the dark