Chapter 1

In the lands of the Forest Clan, the temperature still allows for swimming in the lake, even as the rains draw near. But Mayko cannot afford to dive into the crystal-clear water of the magnificent lake before him. The sun’s splendid reflections on the water gently kiss his beautiful violet eyes.

He closes them slowly, savoring the wonderful sounds of his homeland one last time. Birds sing a sweet melody, the splashing of tiny fish leaping from the lake complements the symphonic harmony, and the chirping of hundreds of crickets fills the air, making the setting almost romantic.

Mayko sighs deeply, feeling the lump in his throat grow heavier. He doesn’t want to leave. He doesn’t want to abandon his homeland or be torn away from all this beauty. He dreams of escaping south, perhaps far enough to reach his mother’s homeland—the place where his striking violet eyes originate.

But he cannot. He cannot escape his responsibilities, and in his condition, he wouldn’t survive more than two days outside his father’s kingdom. Being an Omega makes him fragile in the eyes of others, an easy prey for Alphas who would do anything to mark him and make him submissive.

His father, as harsh and heartless as Mayko finds him, has protected him since the day his Omega nature was revealed. Yet Mayko sees the pain in his father’s eyes every day—the regret of having a firstborn so weak. The King of the Forest Clan declared early on that anyone who dared to even look at Mayko would be beheaded and their head displayed on the palace walls.

This decree has made Mayko’s life somewhat more bearable. While advances and lustful gazes from Alphas at his body have never been lacking, none have dared to touch him.

Having a bodyguard like Kahyo—his best friend since birth—has also made things easier. Just one look from the overly muscular Alpha is enough to scare off any suitor, and Mayko will be grateful to him for the rest of his life.

“You know we can still run away, right?”

The Alpha’s stern voice startles Mayko, who places a hand over his heart and slowly turns toward the boy now sitting clumsily at his side. Kahyo wears a warm smile, his eyes full of tenderness.

The only one who has ever truly understood the Omega’s state of mind. The only one who has never tried to approach him romantically. The only one who doesn’t seem to lose control over his sweet scent—a scent that drives every other Alpha mad.

“They’ll be here in a few hours. There’s no way to run anymore, Kahyo. I’ve given up.” His voice is weak, a whisper, as if he doesn’t want to disturb the sweet melody still surrounding him.

“We could head south. We’re fast. I don’t know anyone who runs faster than you, May—not to mention your skill with a bow. We could make it, just the two of us.” Mayko smiles, nostalgic and bitter.

He remembers every moment spent running with his best friend through the forest, among the enormous trees of their land, the sun kissing their perpetually tanned skin, the stunning animals they encountered during their hunting expeditions.

“My scent is too strong. They’d find us, and with the Northerners’ help, it would take even less time,” he says, almost considering that faint glimmer of hope. His heart feels heavier and heavier.

“I could mark you.” The Alpha’s voice is grave, and Mayko flinches. His best friend has never suggested such a thing before.

Kahyo is one of the few who still believes in the bond between wolves. The Alpha is waiting for his soulmate, wanting to mark only the wolf truly connected to him through imprinting. This suggestion completely shatters Mayko, who is trying so hard not to be weak—not to cry anymore.

“Kahyo…” Their eyes meet. The Omega’s violet eyes brim with tears, while Kahyo’s jade-green gaze is filled with love—for a friend, a brother who, born an Omega, now has to sacrifice himself for his people.

“I can do it, Mayko. For you, I can do it.”

Those words break Mayko’s heart, and he collapses into the Alpha’s arms. Kahyo holds him tightly, as if the embrace could piece together the shattered fragments of the Omega’s heart.

Mayko cries, letting it all out completely. He promises himself that this will be the last time—the last time he allows himself to be weak.

He cries out all his pain, all his anger—the anger of being born this way, the anger at his people, at his father, who decided he is worthless as a living being, that his heart has no value, only his body.

When he pulls away from the embrace, he feels empty, and Kahyo sees in his eyes that he has truly surrendered. So he says nothing when his best friend rises, his gaze fixed on the lake, his arms hanging at his sides, fists clenched so tightly that blood drips from his palms as his claws pierce his smooth skin.

Few can fully transform into a wolf anymore—in fact, almost none. Kahyo has never met anyone with that ability. But some can extend their claws, others their fangs, and still others, as Kahyo recalls from his last encounter with Sanha at the riverside brothel, can form a sort of wolf-like pelt.

Kahyo knows that Mayko only draws his claws when he can no longer control his wolf, and he knows this because it happens to him too. The difference is that Kahyo often uses them in battle.

The Alpha admires the beauty of the boy who, at just nineteen years old, must leave everything behind because of the whim of a pack leader who cannot defend his people alone. A leader who sells his own son to another clan to gain aid in a war that may never come. A leader Kahyo despises with all his heart.

The broken howl that escapes Mayko’s throat sends a shiver down Kahyo’s spine and scares the birds from the forest trees. A deafening silence follows the Omega’s cry, and Kahyo cannot help but think how beautiful Mayko looks, despite the deeply sad aura surrounding him.

He wears simple white cotton clothing that contrasts starkly with his tanned skin and jet-black hair. In the shadows, Kahyo catches half of his sweet face—the perfectly smooth nose, the slightly full lips. His best friend is a stunningly handsome man, a beauty so disarming that Kahyo is reminded of it every time a stranger is struck by it.

Yet despite everything, Kahyo has never been overwhelmed by it. Despite Mayko’s sweet scent, unique and reminiscent of heliotrope flowers, and his breathtaking beauty, Kahyo has never been drawn to him—not in that way.

Kahyo needs the bond. A bond that transcends everything. A bond that ties you to someone for life.

When Mayko finally calms down, they silently return to the palace. Mayko must prepare for his last dinner with his family and the people who now adore him for supposedly saving them from a terrible war. A dinner where he will meet the man who is to become his husband—the ruthless and violent pack leader of the Northern Clan, a young barbarian who, according to stories, is the most despicable of men.

As they entered the palace walls, both of them froze. The two friends had arrived at the wrong moment. Kahyo grabbed Mayko’s arm, pulling him close to shield him from the crowd that filled the small square.

Mayko instinctively buried his face in the Alpha’s neck, breathing in his calming scent of orange blossom—an aroma that always seemed to steady him. Kahyo smelled of home, friendship, and family: the scent of someone who would never harm him.

“The saviors? They look like a bunch of barbarians! What are those things on their faces? Oh, how terrifying!” an outraged woman nearby exclaimed. Mayko’s curiosity was piqued, and he slowly pulled away from Kahyo to lift his gaze.

His body froze completely when his eyes landed on the twenty mounted men dominating the scene. The Forest Clan had horses too, but none of them could compare to the majestic creatures before him.

These horses were taller, stronger, and all black—except for one. Mayko’s attention was immediately drawn to a striking white stallion that stood out amidst the sea of dark figures. His breath caught in his throat as his gaze traveled upward to the person riding it.

The rider, if such a title could capture the presence of the man, was clad in dark armor made of iron and leather, almost entirely covered by a thick layer of brown fur. Mayko’s pulse quickened as his eyes moved higher, stopping at the man’s face, which was partially concealed by a mask made of black leather and iron.

His heart seemed to stop altogether when his gaze met the man’s icy blue eyes. Mayko felt himself being pulled in, unable to look away, and for a moment, he forgot how to breathe. The stranger was staring back at him with an intensity that sent shivers down his spine.

Then Mayko noticed the faint smile beneath the mask, visible only for a fleeting second. It was enough to make him blush deeply. He quickly looked down, his face burning, and pressed himself closer to Kahyo’s chest.

“We need to leave. You’re not safe here,” Kahyo said firmly. His words barely registered with Mayko, who was still frozen in place, entranced by what he had just witnessed.

When Kahyo began to move, Mayko allowed himself to be pulled along. He tried to avert his gaze, but he caught one last glimpse of the blue-eyed warrior. The man’s piercing stare followed him even as Kahyo dragged him away.

Mayko’s hands trembled as they finally entered the castle. It wasn’t until Kahyo closed the door to his room and helped him sit on the edge of the bed that he realized just how shaken he was.

“Breathe, Mayko. You’re safe. I’ll be with you. No one will touch you if you don’t want them to, alright? Do you hear me? Mayko!”

The Omega jumped at the sound of Kahyo’s voice, trying to focus on his friend’s face as the Alpha knelt before him, holding his hands tightly. Kahyo’s golden eyes were filled with worry, his grip firm yet gentle, as if trying to ground him.

Mayko could only nod weakly, but his mind was elsewhere. Those icy blue eyes haunted him, and his chest felt heavy with confusion. How could someone he had never met before have such an effect on him?

When Kahyo finally left after being reassured countless times that Mayko was fine, the Omega tried to calm his racing heart with a hot bath. But no matter how hard he tried, the image of the warrior with eyes like frozen lakes refused to leave his mind.

As Mayko sat in the warm bath, the soothing water lapping against his skin, his thoughts were anything but calm. The warrior eyes loomed in his mind, filling him with an unsettling mix of emotions he couldn’t quite decipher.

He closed his eyes and leaned back, letting the water cover his ears to drown out the world. His mind replayed every detail of the encounter—the stark white horse, the imposing armor, the cruel yet strangely elegant mask, and those piercing eyes that seemed to see right through him.

Why had he reacted like this? No one had ever made him feel so out of control before. Was it fear? Curiosity? Something deeper?

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