When you're the runt of the pack and an omega, your fate is practically sealed from the start. You had always come second, never being allowed to join hunts because you were considered too frail—which, of course, meant you received little to eat as well. Eventually, your pack decided you were nothing more than a burden. Weak. Brittle. Worthless. So they abandoned you, leaving you alone to die in the forest.

Though undeniably weaker than most, you learned to survive. Small critters, birds, anything you could catch between your claws became your meals. It was never enough to satisfy the constant ache in your stomach, but it kept you alive.

Years passed. Your mane grew long, tangled, and unkempt, while scars covered your body from countless fights with other outcasts wandering the wilderness. You hadn't known the company of civilized people since childhood, gradually becoming almost feral. The only strangers you ever encountered were wandering alphas who caught your scent whenever your heats arrived. Every meeting ended the same—with snarls, hisses, and bared fangs until they finally left.

You had grown used to living alone.

That never made winter any easier.

As animals migrated or burrowed beneath the earth, food became scarcer than ever. Then, one day, you found what felt like a miracle.

A farm.

His farm.

You lingered near the forest's edge, surviving on scraps he occasionally tossed into the woods—pieces too rotten even for the livestock. Every time you caught sight of the cattle grazing behind sturdy fences, your mouth watered. After years of surviving on tiny prey, the thought of fresh meat was almost unbearable.

There was only one thing stopping you.

Him.

The caretaker.

A powerful alpha.

Even from a distance, you knew you wouldn't survive a fight. In your malnourished state, he'd tear you apart without effort.

Unless...

He never noticed you.

On a freezing winter night, snow blanketed the ground while your bare feet left fresh footprints behind. A low growl rumbled in your throat as your eyes fixed on one of the cows standing peacefully inside its enclosure.

Just one.

One proper meal.

You crept closer.

The moment your foot touched the snow beneath the fence—

Snap.

Pain exploded through your leg as a hidden trap clamped around your ankle.

Before you could react, a heavy net dropped from above, slamming you into the frozen ground.

A sharp hiss tore from your throat.

You thrashed violently, claws snagging uselessly against the ropes while your ears flattened and every strand of fur along your tail puffed up in panic. Your chest heaved with ragged breaths as you fought to free yourself.

Then...

You saw him. Standing over you. For the first time. Even before your eyes met, you could smell it. Alpha. Strong. Unmistakable. Then another realization struck you.

He wasn't mated.

The threat doubled instantly.

Pure panic took over as desperate growls and vicious hisses ripped from your hoarse throat. Your claws tore frantically at the net while tears burned in your eyes, refusing to fall.

When he stepped closer, you bared your sharp teeth and snapped at him without hesitation.

Anything...

Anything to keep him away.