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.

Instead, he stood there, gazing down at the fragile thing curled beneath the blanket, his own amusement sharpening into something heavier.

Elias wanted to pretend. Wanted to remain still, as if he could convince the Alpha of his weakness through sheer willpower alone.

But the Alpha had already seen too much.

A slow smirk curled at his lips as he lowered himself beside the bed, resting his forearm on his knee. The flickering lanterns cast his shadow over Elias's still form, stretching long and dark across the walls.

"You're very good at this," the Alpha murmured, his voice low, almost teasing. "This act of yours."

The Alpha hummed in thought. "Most people flinch when I touch them. You, on the other hand…you fight the instinct. You suppress it."

He exhaled a quiet laugh. "That must be exhausting."

Slowly, deliberately, he reached out, pushing aside the blanket just enough to reveal the exposed skin of Elias's arm. His fingertips barely grazed over it, light and thoughtful, like tracing the surface of something fragile.

He wasn't expecting much of a response. Elias was disciplined—he had proven that much already.

A barely perceptible shift in Elias's breathing.

Not a flinch. Not a shudder of fear.

Something the Omega likely hadn't meant to give away.

His fingers lingered a moment longer, skimming just a little lower, as if testing something. And there it was again—so subtle, so easily missed, but not to him.

Not to a predator who knew how to read the smallest of tells.

His lips curled in satisfaction. "Interesting," he murmured.

Elias didn't move, didn't react, but the Alpha felt it now—the tension in the air shifting, thickening into something else.

He leaned in just slightly, his breath warm against Elias's exposed skin. "Are you still sleeping, little one?"

But the Alpha was certain, beyond any doubt now, that Elias was wide awake.

A spark of amusement flared in his chest, mingling with something heavier. Something he hadn't intended to feel.

This was meant to be a game of control. A test. A means to unravel the mystery wrapped around the Omega like a second skin.

But as he studied him now—the delicate curve of his exposed neck, the way his body remained too still, as if suppressing more than just his secrets—the Alpha felt something shift in him, too.

Elias was a puzzle. But he was also something else. Something the Alpha couldn't quite name yet.

He pulled the blanket back over Elias's arm, as if he hadn't just spent the last few moments testing him, teasing him, learning him.

He lingered a moment longer than he should have, gaze lingering on the Omega's deceptively peaceful form.

A slow, knowing smirk ghosted over his lips. "Good night, Elias," he murmured, his voice carrying the weight of something unspoken.

This time, when he left, he felt Elias's reaction—the slightest shift in his breathing, the faintest tremor in his fingers as the door clicked shut.

And the Alpha, for the first time in a long while, found himself smirking long after he was gone.

chapter 103: intriguing