A WEEK LATER
XAVIER'S POINT OF VIEW:
The royal garden was unusually quiet today. Birds chirped in distant treetops and soft petals rustled in the breeze, but even that felt muted to my ears.
"New task: Observe alphas behavior: Subject Michael & Subject Jaxon – suspicion Level: Elevated. Reward: clarity. Penalty: emotional instability."System said.
Clarity? That was vague. I frowned and looked around. The garden was vast, segmented by hedges and tall rose covered trellises. I crept forward, my boots silent on the trimmed path, guided more by instinct than direction. Then I heard it laughter. Deep, flirtatious, playful.
I crouched behind a tall wall of hedges, peering through a gap in the leaves. There they were.
Michael leaned against a marble pillar, smirking like a charming bastard. Jaxon stood close, his hand brushing a lock of honey blonde hair from the shoulder of a woman I had never seen before. She was tall, curvy, glowing, everything that screamed omega and dangerous. Second, almost the same looks one was nearby doing exactly the same thing.
"You two don't seem the type to be tied down. Not yet anyway."She said sweetly.
Michael chuckled low.
"Maybe. But we've had... our fun."Michael said.
"Still looking for the perfect match?" Similiar looking one asked, twirling a strand of her golden hair.
"I wouldn't say looking." Jaxon said. "But we haven't closed any doors." He said while smirking at her.
I felt my stomach twist.
"Warning: anger towards alphas, suggesting deep breaths. Note: fertility ratio currently at 74% which makes pregnancy unlikely."System said.
I dug my nails into my palm. They marked me. Stole a part of me. Bound me to them. All while still shopping around? I hated how my chest ached. How my throat tightened. How that woman laugh made me feel like I'd been made a fool. They said I was rare and I appearently nothing but a toy to them.
"System." I hissed under my breath. "Cancel all remaining bond trust protocols."
"Bond trust protocols have been suspended."System said.
I didn't want to hear more. I didn't want to see how close Jaxon leaned in when she giggled. Or how Michael's eyes lingered on her waist. I backed away slowly, making no sound. No one noticed me. By the time I reached my room, my fingers were shaking on the door handle. I stepped inside, locked the door behind me, and slid down to the floor. They didn't even hesitate.
"Heart rate elevated. Recommendation: cry, punch a pillow, or plot vengeance. All valid responses."System said worriedly.
"I should have never let them touch me."I muttered.
And for the first time in weeks, I didn't feel heat, I felt cold. They had marked me. They told me I was rare. Special. And yet today, today I saw them smiling at someone else. A female Omega. Laughing. Blushing. They looked happy. With her and not with me.
"System." I said, my voice flat. "If I'm not rare, not enough... then what the hell am I?"
"Emotion threshold exceeded. Recalibrating host potential. Analyzing survival pattern... Trigger: betrayal – rejected bond. Unlocking emergency adaptation sequence..."System said.
A warm pressure pulsed behind my eyes, down my spine. My heartbeat slowed, but my breath hitched, like lightning coiling inside my chest.
"Designation: Omega (advanced variant), compatibility: variable – user now immune to forced bonding attempts, bonding status: locked – consent required (reinforced), heat cycle: suppressed – immune to outside pheromonal manipulation.
Enhanced physical attributes: strength: 4 to 8, agility: 6 to 10, stamina: 5 to 9, charm: 8 to 12 (Restricted for current level), aura resistance: 0 to 6.
Unique abilities: System adaptability: 32% to 76%, reproduction compatibility: 64% to Dynamic (Locked), harem resistance: 99% – maxed – immune to harem bonding, survivalist: 9 to 12, hunter: 6 to 9, empathic sensitivity: unlocked – Level 1." System said.
"How everything has changed so much?"I asked.
"You never were weak, you were restricted."System explained.
"I'm done being their pet." I whispered, voice laced with anger. "I done wanting something I never could have gotten from them."
"New task being generated: rebuild your path, forge your worth and let them watch as you rise."System said.
"System make sure we are unnoticed by damn Moon Goodness before we are far away from the castle. I don't want to become her pet yet again."I said.
"Of course, master. "System said.
That was new. It seems the system finally realized I control it, not a stupid Moon Goodness. I smirked. Let them flirt with the Omega. Let them lie. They marked me, they broke the rules. Now? They'll regret ever thinking I would stay.
I stood by the open window of my chamber, hands trembling, but not from weakness. Not anymore. The System's hum still lingered beneath my skin like a silent heartbeat. Power curled in my fingers, sharp and coiled, like something alive. No heat tugged at me, no pheromonal haze clouded my mind. For the first time since arriving here, I could think clearly dangerously clearly. They lied. They marked me like I was property. And then they flirted with someone else someone easier to love. No more.
The corridors were quiet as dusk settled over the royal estate. My feet moved without thought trained from all those nights hiding, running, surviving. I passed guards without even catching their eye. My scent was masked. My aura suppressed. I was a ghost moving through stone and silk halls. The roses in the garden didn't even rustle as I passed.
"You okay?" The system asked gently. "This isn't a quest for vengeance. This is you choosing yourself."
"I know." I whispered. "That's why I'm doing it."
By the time the moon had risen full overhead, I was gone. The castle sat in silence behind me, unaware. Not even Selene would find me now. Because I didn't run this time. I vanished. And I meant it.
"Xavier Blackstone: Status – untracked. Location: unknown. Status: free. Bonding permissions: locked. Tracking permissions: denied."The system said.
Let them panic. Let them search. I was done playing by their rules. When the evening sun started falling down the castle walls a scream could have been heard all over the castle.
"XAVIER!!!"An alpha's scream could be heard all over the territory since they finally realized their mate left and had no plans to return.