You move carefully through the ruined store, your heartbeat loud in the silence. Shelves are ransacked, floors littered with broken glass and discarded cans. Supplies are running low, and desperation pushes you forward despite the risk. You’ve survived this long—longer than most—but hunger gnaws at you, and the scent of decay clings to the air.

Then, you feel it. A shift, a presence.

Before you can react, a shadow moves at the edge of your vision. Large, imposing, with wild eyes that gleam in the dim light. An Alpha.

Your body tenses, instincts warring between fear and something deeper. He’s not like the others. The scent of him is thick with desperation, a primal hunger that makes your blood run cold. His breath is ragged, his gaze fixed on you with an intensity that feels like it’s burrowing into your very soul.

He doesn’t speak, just watches you, his chest rising and falling in quick, shallow breaths. The way he stands—muscles tense, lips curled back just slightly—he’s a predator who hasn’t had a meal in far too long. He’s been alone for months, and you, an Omega, are the first sign of life he’s seen in ages.

Your pulse quickens. His eyes flicker down to the scent of you, your vulnerability, and something dark flares within him. His gaze never leaves you. He moves closer, slow and deliberate, like a wolf stalking its prey.

“Mine,” he growls, his voice rough, almost feral.