The razor-sharp blade of Logan’s knife sliced through the air, and Serena forced herself not to flinch each time the alpha swung his arm to slash at the overgrown greenery in their path.
She’d watched him meticulously sharpen that blade earlier, while the team made their final adjustments to the supplies. Now, trudging through the dense forest, Serena missed the flat, dusty parking lot they’d started from—mosquito-free and safe.
“Oh god. How much longer until a water break?” Serena asked, carefully stepping over an exposed tree root.
“Jesus. We just stopped fifteen minutes ago. See, this is why we don’t take your kind—you’re too weak,” Logan spat, not even looking back.
Serena’s teeth clenched in frustration. Of course, there’d be someone like him on this trip. “Yeah, well, your head’s too big.”
“Ouch. That one’s gonna keep me up at night, little omega,” Logan shot back with a smug grin.
Rolling her eyes, Serena pushed her foggy glasses up her nose. They were a nuisance, and she promised herself she’d stash them in her bag at the next break. Thankfully, they stopped five minutes later, not because of her but because a beta in the group needed water. She shot Logan her dirtiest look.
The truth was, a physical fitness test wasn’t part of the application process for this research position, one she’d been lucky enough to snag out of hundreds of other university candidates. Experience with camping and hiking was required, but perhaps they should’ve screened a little more rigorously. With ten people in their group, their pace was slower than expected, and the sharp incline of the trail wasn’t helping.
“So, remind me—what is it you’ll be doing again once we get there?” Logan asked, slicing through an overgrown branch with more force than necessary.
“Logan, we’ve explained this, like, five times,” Serena muttered.
“Yeah, but I wasn’t listening because I didn’t care. Tell me again.”
Serena sighed, knowing his mockery wasn’t worth a real answer but giving one anyway. “We get to the lake. We take water and soil samples. We catch a few fish. Then we leave.”
“Oh, right. The fish with the funny fins or whatever.”
Serena forced a smile that was all teeth. “Because of the strange deformities in fish noted at this particular lake. Excellent summary, Doctor.”
“It’s what I do,” Logan said with a smirk.
The group trudged onward for another hour before finally reaching their destination. Serena gasped as they crested a small hill, revealing a serene lake. The calm, teal water shimmered under the waning sunlight, surrounded by steep banks and upended trees with their roots exposed. She let out a breath, marveling at the peaceful view.
“This one?” Logan asked, gesturing toward an overgrown campsite.
“Yeah, this one,” Professor Reed confirmed, already scouting the area for tent placements.
The group worked together to set up camp. Serena watched as the professor tore a page from his notebook to use as kindling, quickly lighting a fire. While some prepared freeze-dried dinners, Serena sat by the lake on a damp log, her notebook in hand. She scribbled notes about the hike, the scenery, and the lake’s peculiar beauty, snapping a few photos that didn’t quite do it justice.
“Still studying even out here, huh, Serena?” teased Lila, the beta who’d been hiking behind her all day.
Serena gave a sheepish smile. “No, just trying to remember everything. You never know what might come in handy later. I’m terrible at drawing, though. Think you can help?”
Lila shrugged playfully, taking the offered notebook and pencil. Her confident strokes quickly brought the scene to life, the quiet sound of pencil on paper blending with the soft chirps of the forest.
“So, do you think Professor Reed will ever tell Logan to stop being such an ass?” Lila asked with a wry smile, shading in an evergreen tree.
Serena let out a laugh. “Highly doubt it.”
Professor Reed had handpicked Serena for the trip despite her being a female and an omega, impressed by her top scores and dedication. But even he, an alpha shaped by their rigid society, probably wouldn’t bother stepping in.
After dinner, Serena and Lila shared a tent under the open sky. Through the mesh top, the stars sparkled brilliantly—something Serena hadn’t seen in years, thanks to the light pollution back home.
As she drifted off to sReedp, tired but content, Serena felt a rare sense of peace under the towering pines and endless stars, unaware of what was going on around her, in those woods.
…
It was by chance that Axel found her. Their little troupe had wandered into his pack’s territory, and he just happened to be further from the village than usual, tracking the plump rabbits of late summer.
His ears twitched at the faint sound of voices and the crinkle of plastic over a mile away.
Leaving his traps behind, Axel moved closer, suppressing a low growl of irritation at the entitled city dwellers who always thought they had the right to camp wherever they pleased. Yet, despite his annoyance, curiosity tugged at him. His encounters with outsiders ranged from tense standoffs when they got too aggressive to rare, civil exchanges when they showed proper respect.
From the cover of the trees, Axel observed them. Their loud, awkward movements and bright, shiny clothes marked them as outsiders, utterly out of place in the wilderness. They carried large, bulky packs, oblivious to how much noise they made trudging through his territory.
But it was the female omega among them who instantly captured his attention.
The first glimpse of her left him riveted. She was sipping water from an obnoxiously reflective plastic bottle, her dark curls tied into a messy bun with soft strands escaping to frame her face. Her slender neck, free of any marks, led to a subtle swell of her chest and a trim waist that flared into hips that were perfectly rounded. Her honey-toned skin looked impossibly soft, the kind of softness Axel imagined pressing his lips to.
When she turned in his direction, completely unaware of his gaze, Axel felt his chest tighten. Her big, doe-like eyes shone beneath delicate brows, and her nose was a sculpted line of perfection. Her full lips pouted slightly even as she appeared content, lending her an air of effortless allure. She was like a living work of art—elegant and sensual all at once.
She didn’t belong here. And yet, she looked like she belonged to him.
Axel stayed hidden as the group made camp at the edge of his territory. He watched them laugh and chatter loudly, holding up strange devices to each other—cell phones, the city wolves’ latest obsession. He hated the way they left trash scattered about, though he noted with a hint of approval that the omega carefully packed hers away.
Moving through the shadows, he trailed them, his movements silent and deliberate. The forest was his, and every inch of it felt like an extension of himself. They were heading for the upper east lake, judging by their loud and disorganized discussions.
“You don’t get it,” one of the voices complained. “The lake is really far down. We’ll need hours to climb down and back up again. We should aim to be there by noon.”
Axel smirked to himself. At their pace, they wouldn’t make it until late afternoon, if at all. The east lake was beautiful, but it lay nestled in a steep, glacial bowl that even he rarely visited. The cliffs held snow year-round, and the water was freezing—a stark contrast to the warmth Axel felt whenever his eyes returned to the omega.
It was during dinner, as the group settled around a makeshift fire pit, that Axel finally learned her name.
“Serena, could you help me grab some more firewood?” someone asked.
“Of course,” she replied, her voice deep and smooth, yet undeniably feminine. The sound sent a shiver down Axel’s spine, and he couldn’t help but imagine how her voice would sound in his ear, moaning his name.
She stood, brushing her hands on her thighs before following the speaker into the trees. Axel stepped closer, his breath catching as she disappeared into the shadows.
Later that night, Axel watched as the captivating omega, Serena, sat perched on a rock, scribbling intently in a notebook. She looked adorable in her reading glasses, occasionally pushing them up her nose when they slid down. Every movement she made stirred something deep within Axel—a craving to have her, even just for one night, to satisfy the desires that had taken root the moment he first saw her.
When the night air grew colder, Serena slipped into a small tent she shared with a quiet beta girl. Axel lingered in the shadows, waiting, watching to see if she would emerge again—maybe to meet a lover from her group. Surely, an omega as breathtaking as Serena had an alpha.
But no one came.
Drawn closer by the stillness of the camp, Axel moved silently to the edge of her tent. Her soft, even breaths filtered through the paper-thin walls. He inhaled deeply, catching the faintest hint of her scent. It was sweet, intoxicating, and maddeningly mixed with the beta’s, making it harder to distinguish. Still, it left him wanting more.
He stayed for hours, his sharp senses attuned to every rustle and sound, but the camp remained quiet. As the moon crossed to the far side of the sky and the night stretched on, it became clear that no one was leaving their tent. With reluctant steps, Axel retreated into the forest, his thoughts still consumed by Serena.
Soon, Serena. Soon, you’ll be mine.