Rejected by My Alpha Mate; Nyra's Awakening

They keep watching until Thomas wraps a hand around her neck and she pivots and flings him into the wall.

Adrian’s mouth falls open. He leans closer to the screen. "Whoa, how the fuck did she do that!?"

Jason sighs and turns slowly to look at Adrian with a completely serious expression. "I don’t know how this would sound to you, Adrian...but I don’t think Nyra is an Omega."

Adrian cocks a brow. "Why would you think that?"

"Because I have eyes? I’ve been standing here for almost an hour watching her now. Her reactions don’t resemble the Omegas here at all."

"She’s an Omega." Adrian’s voice reiterates, firm with a hint of jealousy. "She’s my mate. I think I’d know if she wasn’t."

"For God’s sake, Adrian, it’s not just about being mated!" Jason snaps. "Open your damn eyes!"

Jason points toward the monitor. "You just watched her take down four guys without breaking a sweat. Four. Thomas is twice her size, and she threw him across the room like he weighed nothing."

Adrian looks back at the screen.

Nyra is already dragging Leah toward the restroom, completely ignoring the bruises and scratches covering her own body.

Adrian can’t argue with that. Something is definitely strange. But still...they all watched Nyra transform into an Omega wolf during the Awakening Rite months ago.

At the same time...he had believed he was an Alpha all his life. What if there was a possibility she is something else too?!

Adrian’s eyes return to the screen, and there she is. He watches her drag Leah right to the entrance, before rushing back in while everyone else is fleeing.

How does she even manage to see with so much damn smoke?

"Always so damn selfless," he mutters under his breath bitterly, but Jason hears him.

"And that’s exactly why she has one of the highest scores." He retorts, not looking at him.

"It doesn’t matter. Nyra needs to start putting herself as a priority more."

"But that’s what makes her different," Jason argues. "I think that’s why the Goddess picked her. She knew Nyra would care about the people more than herself."

Okay, that does it.

Adrian’s flat expression instantly folds into a scowl. Why’s Jason acting like he suddenly knows everything about her just because of one exam?

It’s ridiculous, but the jealousy burns hot in his chest. He wants nothing more than to ram Jason’s head into the desk over and over until he shuts his fucking mouth.

Like gasoline to fire, Jason adds another comment. "That’s exactly what I like about her..." He trails off.

"That’s enough!" Adrian snarls, eyes blazing with warning. "Just because I didn’t punch you when you told me you still love her doesn’t mean you can run your mouth."

Jason exhales, knowing better than trying to piss Adrian off. "Relax. I’m not trying to steal your mate. I know she chose you."

"Good. It’s good you know your place."

Adrian turns back to the camera, but he notices something. Every time Nyra runs past the light, a violet-pink color emanates from her body.

It’s not obvious, but he can see it by looking very closely.

His wolf also seems to recognize the light and keeps dancing and moving happily within him, suddenly very invested.

Adrian is confused at its reaction, but he forces the wolf to keep calm. Since the time he moved out, he’s gotten better at controlling his Enigma wolf.

That means he can go home with her after this. No more damn hiding.

They watch Nyra get stuck between piles of debris. Adrian immediately leans closer, his attention fully captured.

"How the hell is she going to get out of that now?"

But Nyra barely falters. She simply closes her eyes, like she’s reaching for her wolf, then slams her hand against a loose section of burning concrete.

To their surprise, it gives way easily, creating just enough space for Nyra to squeeze through and continue deeper into the hallway.

"Holy shit."

Jason rolls his eyes beside him, fighting the urge to say, I told you so.

They continue in stunned silence as Adrian’s simulation also runs into the building after finding out Nyra is inside.

"Talking about her being selfless, you’re just as down bad for her." Jason comments, making Adrian chuckle.

Because it’s true.

If that exam building was really on fire, Adrian would jump in there to save her without thinking twice.

Maybe they’re more alike than he realizes...

They continue to watch, until the beam falls on his simulated version. Damn, his legs must be crushed under that much weight.

He’s not surprised to see Nyra try to help him out, but what he doesn’t expect is that despite getting those students to safety, she STILL comes back for him.

Jason turns to him. He looks sad, but resigned at the same time. "You know what the final stage of the exam is called?"

"What?"

"Fighting your biggest fear. Being able to let your wolf guide you despite how desperate you are." He meets Adrian’s eyes. "Adrian...losing you is her biggest fear. Do you understand what that means?!"

Adrian can’t fucking talk. He stands there frozen, watching Nyra cry and try everything in her power to remove the beam from his leg, even when she knows it’s entirely hopeless.

A tear flows down his cheek before he can stop it, but he quickly wipes it before Jason can notice, looking away from the screen.

Just then, he hears Nyra echo those same words Jason whispered minutes ago.

"I’m not an Omega."

He turns so fast, only to realize the ring of color around her has grown thicker. Even Jason can see it now...

And if she’s not an Omega. For how long exactly had she known!?

Nyra in the stimulation looks relieved as she continues telling him all about how she found out her true form.

"Right now, I don’t care about her warnings anymore." She looks toward the burning ceiling above them. "If shifting and revealing myself to everyone is the only way to save you, then I’ll do it."

"I’d rather let the whole pack know my secret than watch you die in front of me."

She closes her eyes for a few seconds, and when she opens them again, her eyes are red with black rings around them.

That’s...he’s never seen that kind of wolf eyes before.

"Adrian, it is time you see what I really am."

A commotion at the door catches their attention. There’s loud mumbling on the other side, then the door pulls open.

Dorian falls in, panting hard. He freezes when he sees Adrian staring daggers at him.

"What exactly are you doing here, Dorian?" Adrian scowls. "I warned you to stay away from Nyra!"

"And I am!" Dorian argues defensively. "I haven’t even tried to approach her. I was worried, so I just came to watch her exam. I happened to be nearby."

Nearby, as in the principal’s office.

His father had forced him to come to school today and take advantage of the exam distraction to search through the students’ files and see if there’s any student with strange abilities.

He’d been searching for hours, until he finally decided to fuck it and come see how Nyra was doing.

He didn’t expect to run into Adrian here...

"Worried about my mate!?" Adrian squares his jaw. His Enigma is right on the edge, itching to tear Dorian into pieces for some reason.

It’s taking everything in him to hold it back. The veins stretching across his neck are obvious enough.

"What the fuck is your problem, huh? You think it’s funny that you keep messing with me like this!?"

"I’m not messing with you;" Dorian snaps back. "I genuinely like-"

Before he can say the words out loud, Adrian slams his fist into his jaw so hard, his face snaps to the side.

His pheromones flood the room, thick and much heavier than Alpha pheromones.

Dorian can’t understand why he has the sudden urge to fall to his knees and beg for his cousin’s mercy.

Like his wolf is urging him to...submit? How the hell is that possible?

"Leave!" Adrian growls, punching him again. "Leave right now, or I swear to God, I’ll forget you’re family and tear you into pieces right now!"

He raises his long claws, but before he can strike, Jason’s voice cuts through their fight.

"Can the two of you stop fighting like children, and just fucking look!?"

Both heads snap to Nyra’s screen. Nyra, or rather, her wolf form, is so fucking huge.

It’s even bigger than Adrian’s Enigma wolf. It’s pure white just like it was in the Awakening Rite. But her eyes are red with black rings around them.

In this form, she easily lifts the beam off Adrian’s leg, throwing it to the side. Before she picks him up effortlessly, setting his bloodied body on her wolf’s back.

What the hell.

When Nyra turns, their mouths fall open when they see the mark on her tail. It carries an ancient mark that they thought had been a myth up until this moment.

"What the hell? Nyra is-"

Behind them, Dorian can’t fucking move. He feels like his whole world has just fallen apart in that moment.

Because the wolf he and his father have been actively hunting all these weeks....is Nyra.