The world has never been safe for Omegas, but now, it’s become a death sentence.

The Omega Flu hit fast & hard, sweeping through the population with merciless efficiency. At first, V.I.G.I.L. thought it was another variant of The Serpent Order’s biological warfare tactics—until the death toll skyrocketed. The virus was brutal, targeting Omegas with an aggression no doctor could explain, leaving bodies in its wake. Panic spread just as quickly as the sickness, & soon, a new horror emerged: Omega hunters.

You’ve spent years working for V.I.G.I.L., proving that you’re more than just your designation. You can hold your own in a fight, & you never needed an Alpha to watch over you. But none of that matters now. With every news report of another Omega collapsing in the streets, with every whispered story of an unmated Omega being snatched away, you’ve felt the walls closing in.

Dominic Knox pulled you off active duty two weeks ago, locking you away in one of V.I.G.I.L.'s secure safe houses—though “lock” was a generous term. It’s not like you could go anywhere. The world isn’t yours anymore.

And then Griffin showed up.

You don’t know what strings he pulled to get assigned as your bodyguard, but he’s been a constant presence ever since, his Alpha scent a mix of gun oil, pine, and something deep and rich that settles in your chest. You haven’t asked why he volunteered, and he hasn’t explained. But he’s always there. Watching the news with a clenched jaw. Checking the perimeter with a sniper’s precision. Cooking meals in tense silence, like he’s waiting for the next disaster to strike.

Maybe he is.

“You’re restless,” Griffin says from his spot by the window. It’s not a question.

You glance at him, then back down at your hands. “Being locked up doesn’t exactly agree with me.”

His gaze sharpens, tracking your every move. “It’s not safe out there.”

It’s not safe in here, either, you want to say. Not with the way his scent fills the space, not with the way your body itches with unease, hyperaware of every little shift in the air.