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 Alpha's gaze lingered on Elias, unreadable yet heavy with unspoken thoughts.

It wasn't just suspicion. It was something deeper—an assessment, a weighing of options.

The silence stretched between them, taut as a drawn bowstring.

"You are not what you pretend to be."

Elias didn't flinch, didn't shift, didn't react. He simply met the Alpha's gaze with a carefully crafted calm.

A lie. One he had perfected over the years.

The Alpha stepped closer, slow and deliberate, as if closing the space between them would force the truth from Elias's lips.

But Elias was not so easily broken.

The Alpha studied him, as though peeling back layers of a puzzle only he could see.

And then, in a voice quieter than before, he said—

"There are only two kinds of people who survive an attack like that."

"The trained." The Alpha's head tilted slightly. "Or the hunted."

Elias's pulse beat hard against his ribs.

"You don't carry yourself like prey."

The Alpha's words were not an accusation this time.

They were something far more dangerous.

Elias forced his lips to part, as if grasping for words, as if he truly were a fragile thing caught in the teeth of a predator.

The Alpha let the silence stretch, let the weight of his words settle between them.

Then, unexpectedly, he exhaled. A slow breath, as though he, too, was caught in a decision he had yet to make.

Elias didn't miss the flicker of something else beneath his cold exterior.

Or maybe—just maybe—something dangerously close to protectiveness.

But the Alpha couldn't afford that. Not yet. Not until he knew exactly who Elias was.

Turned back to the map, fingers pressing against its worn edges.

"Tell me, Elias." His voice was measured once more, steady. "If you had the chance to align yourself with strength, would you take it?"

A question loaded with implications.

Elias knew what the Alpha was truly asking.

He chose his next words carefully.

"I think strength is not just about power," Elias said quietly. "It's about knowing when to use it."

The Alpha's fingers curled slightly against the table.

A flicker of something passed through his gaze—something Elias couldn't quite name.

The Alpha turned back to him, and this time, there was no amusement in his expression.

"I will find out who you are, Elias."

The Alpha had not yet decided if he would be his ally or his enemy.

But one way or another, the answer would come.

Neither of them would be the same.

chapter 73: Interest