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.

Hw should have control himself or pretended....He should have.

Should have let go of the assassin, should have played his part, should have pretended.

But Caidren's gaze held him there.

Pinning him in place as surely as if he had pressed him against the stone himself.

The assassin beneath him wheezed, his body trembling, but Elias barely noticed. His pulse roared in his ears, a sharp, uneven rhythm.

Caidren took another step forward.

Elias swallowed. His fingers were still wrapped around the assassin's throat, his nails digging in just slightly. If he pressed down harder—just a little—

The realization sent a shudder through him.

And that was when he finally forced himself to let go.

The assassin gasped, rolling onto his side, clutching his bruised throat. But Elias barely looked at him.

The Alpha stopped just a foot away, close enough that Elias could see the shift of his expression, the way his eyes flickered with something unreadable.

Elias forced himself to stand, to school his features back into something controlled.

Should have demanded to know why one of Caidren's own men had tried to kill him. Should have played the part of the confused, fragile Omega.

Instead, what slipped past his lips was:

Caidren's head tilted slightly. "How long what?"

Elias's hands curled into fists. "How long have you known?"

It stretched between them, thick and heavy.

Caidren's lips curled into the faintest smirk.

"I told you, Elias." His voice was low. Amused. Dangerous.

"You're not very good at pretending anymore."

His breath came a little too sharp, his muscles still tight with the remnants of the fight.

Caidren took another step, closing the last bit of space between them.

The assassin on the floor was forgotten. The entire world felt forgotten.

Caidren's scent thick in the air. His presence pressing against Elias like a weight.

Fingers catching Elias's chin, tilting his face upward, forcing him to meet the Alpha's gaze.

"You pretend to be fragile. You let them believe you are. But here, in the dark, when no one is watching…"

Caidren's thumb brushed against his skin.

His instincts screamed at him to pull away, to deny it, to salvage what little illusion he had left.

Because Caidren's grip wasn't just on his chin.

It was around his throat, his pulse, his very control.

Caidren's fingers tightened just slightly, just enough to remind him that he was caught. That there was no slipping away this time.

"You're not afraid," Caidren murmured.

Caidren's lips barely brushed the corner of his mouth, not a kiss, not quite—just a cruel ghost of a touch.

And this time, he didn't know if it was in defiance—

chapter 166: set up