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 stood still, his dagger still in his hands, his golden eyes unreadable. But beneath that, there was something else.

Elias braced himself as Caidren finally spoke.

"I should be questioning you right now," the Alpha said, his voice quiet but firm. "I should be wondering how an Omega fights like that. How you took him down so easily."

Elias didn't flinch. He met Caidren's gaze head-on, his own expression carefully controlled.

"But I'm not," he continued, his tone darkening. "I'm not questioning it at all. And that is the problem."

Caidren exhaled, shaking his head slightly. His eyes flickered over Elias, as if searching for something, as if trying to force doubt into himself.

"You should be dead," Caidren murmured again, this time more to himself.

Elias swallowed. "And yet, I'm not."

"I should be questioning how you survived when none of the others did," he went on. "I should be demanding answers."

Elias stayed silent, his pulse steady.

Caidren's lips pressed into a thin line.

"And yet, the only thing I can think about is—" He exhaled, shaking his head again as if annoyed with himself. "Why do I trust you, Elias?"

The question sat between them, heavier than any blade.

Caidren watched him, waiting, expecting an answer that Elias wasn't sure he could give.

Caidren was a warlord. A killer. A man who had built his entire empire on the principle that trust was a weakness. That only fools let their guards down.

And yet, right now, he was admitting it.

Admitting that Elias had slipped past those defenses.

That without meaning to, without even realizing it—

Elias had made himself indispensable.

Something twisted deep in Elias's chest.

He should have been relieved. Should have been smirking that the powerful Alpha warlord had already fallen into the snare.

Because Caidren's eyes weren't filled with suspicion.

They were filled with frustration.

Not because he thought Elias had deceived him—

But because he couldn't stop trusting him.

Caidren exhaled sharply, his eyes narrowing.

"If this was a test," he murmured, his voice a low warning, "and you set it up to make yourself look innocent—"

Elias met his gaze, firm, unwavering. "If I wanted you dead, Caidren, you'd already be bleeding out on this floor."

Caidren's eyes glinted, something dark and knowing swirling behind them.

The sound sent a shiver down Elias's spine.

"You're bold," Caidren murmured, taking another step closer. "And reckless."

His hand lifted, fingers trailing just beneath Elias's jaw.

Caidren studied him a moment longer before exhaling, his fingers ghosting away as he stepped back.

"They wanted me to believe you were a threat," he murmured. "But they failed."

Elias exhaled slowly, his pulse steadying.

Caidren's expression darkened. "They'll try again."

There was no warlord. No fragile Omega. No assassin's body cooling at their feet.

And the dangerous, inescapable truth—

That whatever had started between them—

chapter 169: just started