Ashen pov
The training grounds were packed by the time I arrived.
Word had spread fast.
Pack members stood in clusters, whispering, watching. Some with curiosity, others with skepticism.
I ignored them, rolling my shoulders as I stepped onto the dirt, my pulse steady. I had asked for this.
I wasn't about to back down.
Dominic stood across from me, arms folded, expression unreadable. He had stripped off his jacket, his dark shirt stretched across his broad chest, his stance deceptively relaxed.
But I knew better.
He was waiting.
Ryker, standing off to the side, let out an exaggerated sigh. "Alright, listen up. Alpha's orders—this is a proper challenge. Standard sparring rules apply. No shifting. No pulling punches." He smirked. "Try not to die."
A few warriors chuckled.
I kept my focus on Dominic.
His golden eyes burned into me, sharp and assessing. "Last chance to walk away, Ashen."
I scoffed. "Not a chance."
His smirk was slow. Dangerous.
"Then don't disappoint me."
Before I could react, he moved.
Fast. Too fast.
I barely managed to dodge as his fist shot toward my ribs, twisting at the last second. But he was already adjusting, already countering, his movements controlled and effortless.
I struck out, aiming for his side. He blocked with ease, catching my wrist and twisting—forcing me off balance.
I gritted my teeth, using the momentum to spin, wrenching my arm free, aiming a sharp kick toward his ribs.
He caught my ankle mid-air.
Shit—
Before I could recover, he yanked, sending me crashing onto my back. Dust kicked up around me, pain jolting through my spine.
Dominic loomed over me, his expression unreadable.
Too easy.
I reacted on instinct, swinging my legs up, using my core to flip upright. The moment my feet hit the ground, I lunged—
And this time, I landed a hit.
My fist struck solid muscle, forcing Dominic back a step. The murmurs around us grew louder.
He huffed out a small, amused breath. "Not bad."
I didn't answer. I was already moving again.
We clashed hard. Blow after blow. His attacks were relentless, his strength overwhelming—but I was faster.
I ducked under a punch, twisting behind him, aiming for his spine—
But Dominic anticipated it.
In a blur, he pivoted, catching my arm, twisting it behind my back. His body pressed against mine, heat rolling off him.
His breath brushed my ear. "Yield."
I growled, struggling. "Not a chance."
His grip tightened, his scent thick around me, sending something sharp through my bloodstream.
"Yield," he repeated. Lower. Rougher.
I hated that my body reacted.
Hated the way my pulse jumped.
Focus.
I slammed my head back, catching him in the chin. He grunted, grip loosening just enough for me to rip free.
I spun, aiming low, sweeping his legs—
And it worked.
Dominic hit the ground with a heavy thud.
A stunned silence rippled through the crowd.
I panted, sweat dripping down my spine, my muscles burning.
Dominic propped himself up on one elbow, eyes flashing with something unreadable. Then—
He laughed.
A low, rich sound that sent a shiver down my spine.
"Now that," he murmured, golden eyes locking onto mine, "is what I wanted to see."
The air between us crackled.
I swallowed hard, my breath still uneven.
Ryker stepped forward, clearing his throat. "Well, damn. I think we can safely say he's reinstated."
Somewhere in the crowd, someone murmured, "An Omega just knocked the Alpha on his ass…"
Dominic stood smoothly, brushing the dust from his shirt. He didn't look embarrassed. If anything, he looked satisfied.
He met my gaze. "You proved your point."
I forced myself to steady my breathing. "Then I expect to be treated like every other warrior."
A slow smirk. "We'll see."
Then, without another word, he turned and walked off.
Leaving me standing there, pulse still racing—
And knowing, without a doubt, that this wasn't over.
The crowd eventually scattered, but their whispers lingered.
I knew what they were thinking. What they were saying.
An Omega holding his own against the Alpha?
Unheard of.
I ignored them, rolling the stiffness from my shoulders as I left the training grounds. My body ached, but it was a familiar kind of pain,the kind that came after a good fight. A fight I had won.
Sort of.
Dominic hadn't gone easy on me. But he also hadn't been fighting to win.
He had been testing me.
And now?
I wasn't sure if I had passed or if I had just made things worse.
I reached my room, closing the door behind me, pressing my back against the wood as I exhaled slowly. My hands still trembled from the rush, my pulse still thrummed beneath my skin.
Not just from the fight.
From him.
The way he had pressed against me. The way his scent had wrapped around me like a second skin. The way his voice had dropped when he told me to yield.
I cursed under my breath, scrubbing a hand through my damp hair.
I had spent years ignoring my instincts. Suppressing my nature.
Dominic made it impossible.
I pushed off the door, stripping out of my sweat-soaked clothes. A hot shower would help. Maybe.
I stepped under the spray, letting the steam rise around me, letting the heat seep into my sore muscles.
But even as I tried to relax, my mind kept circling back to the same thought.
I had won my place back.
I had proved I wasn't weak.
But what if Dominic wasn't my enemy?
What if despite everything I wasn't fighting him?
What if I was fighting myself?
I had just stepped out of the shower when the knock came.
Sharp. Confident.
I froze, gripping the towel around my waist. No one came to my room unannounced.
Except him.
I inhaled deeply, already catching the faintest trace of him,smoke and cedarwood, something dark and dangerous.
I exhaled through my nose, forcing myself to stay calm. "Go away."
Silence.
Then, the door creaked open anyway.
Of course.
Dominic stepped inside like he owned the place because, in his mind, he probably did. His golden eyes swept over me, lingering just long enough to make my skin prickle.
I scowled. "You ever heard of knocking?"
"I knocked."
"You ever heard of waiting for an answer?"
He smirked. "Not really."
I rolled my eyes, moving past him to grab some clothes from the dresser. "What do you want, Dominic?"
He didn't answer right away. I could feel him watching me, the weight of his presence thick in the room.
Finally—
"That fight earlier," he mused, voice low, smooth. "You surprised me."
I snorted, grabbing a pair of sweatpants. "Didn't think an Omega could take you down?"
"Oh, I knew you could." His voice dipped, something dangerous curling at the edges. "I just didn't think you'd try."
I turned to glare at him bad idea.
He was closer now.
Too close.
My breath hitched as I realized just how much space he had closed. Just how easily he had moved into my territory, my air.
His eyes flicked lower, and I knew he had caught it. The pulse in my throat. The sharp inhale.
And the bastard smirked.
I clenched my jaw. "I'm not playing whatever game this is."
He hummed, reaching out slowly, like he wanted me to stop him but knew I wouldn't. His fingers traced just above my waist, brushing against my damp skin.
I shivered.
His smirk deepened.
"I think you are," he murmured.
I hated the way my body responded. The way my breath caught, the way heat coiled low in my stomach.
He leaned in, his breath warm against my temple.
"You fight so hard," he murmured. "Even when you don't have to."
I turned to snap at him mistake.
Because the second I moved, he was there.
Close. Overwhelming.
And then his lips brushed mine.
Soft. Barely a ghost of contact.
It was nothing.
It was everything.
I didn't pull away. I should have, but I didn't.
Dominic inhaled sharply, like he hadn't expected me to stay.
Like he was the one thrown off balance.
And then he tilted his head—
And kissed me for real.
Heat. Pressure. His fingers curling around my waist, pulling me just a little closer.
I gasped, and he took advantage, deepening it, his body solid and unyielding against mine.
My fingers curled into his shirt before I even realized I had moved.
I hated him.
I wanted him.
And when he finally pulled back, just an inch, just enough to let me breathe—
He smirked.
"You're mine, Ashen," he murmured against my lips.
And the worst part?
I didn't argue.