Chapter 1

one

. . .

ADDY

I walked the streets of Diwan, my clawed toes unconsciously digging into my sandals and the hard beaten path as I went. My body always tensed from top to bottom when I was on my way to meet the others of my group. We were going to change the world, although no one knew that yet.

Anticipation had become my main emotion, and nothing fuelled me more than these secret meetings...

I was supposed to act as though nothing was amiss, but carrying on with everyday life when I knew what was to come was making me itch more by the day.

I could no longer take keeping my mouth shut and my eyes averted from the changes being made to our core society.

Ant to think, all this chaos was because of my brother Latif and his mate Blaine. Sure, the first two humans to integrate got the ball rolling, but Latif had taken everything to an unacceptable new level.

Things did have to change, but not the way that the alpha council was doing it. Not the way my own brother was doing it.

"Addy!"

I froze at the sound of Latif's voice behind me just as I thought of him.

Slowly, I turned, realizing that I had just happened to be passing his new home . I'd been so distracted by my thoughts that I'd barely noticed.

He came to a stop just as I turned around to face him. He'd obviously run to catch up with me.

There was something about Latif now that he was mated that was different. He seemed lighter on his feet, his eyes appeared brighter, and his scales even shined more vibrantly. He'd cut his blue hair and it now hung around his cheekbones. Apparently he liked the ridiculous human style even though it constantly bounced around his face in such a needlessly distracting way.

I'd heard our parents talk about how happy he looked. I supposed he did, but the sight of him made me feel sick.

"Where are you going?" he asked.

"To see my friends."

I could hear the defensive tone to my voice. Latif reacted subtly, his gaze dropping to the ground while he schooled his features. It was no secret to me that he knew I was unhappy with him. That Ihadbeen ever since that disgusting display in the library and the farce he'd made of our society afterwards by marrying the human alpha when there were so many nassa alphas in need of omegas. That auction had been a joke.

"Well," he finally said, "would you mind coming inside first?"

I shuffled from foot to foot, wanting to argue without being outright hateful. I had to play along for now. That was what Kazm had said, and his word was one I respected more than anyone else's.

"Why?" I asked. "My friends are waiting for me."

"Your friends can wait a bit longer," Latif said. He was so bossy for an omega. Where had our parents gone so wrong? Or was it his brash nature that was to blame? Or was it me? As his sibling and as an alpha, it had been my responsibility to watch over him too.

No. I wouldn't continue to blame myself.

"Please?" he asked. "I only want a few minutes of your time. Things haven't been the same between us since..."

I grit my teeth. Then, mostly because I wanted to avert suspicion with anyone who may see us talking, I nodded.

He looked so relieved and excited that I nearly felt guilty that I was only doing this for show.

"Come!" he said, eagerly taking my hand and pulling me after him.

I followed grudgingly, almost feeling like I was betraying my cause by entering the home of Latif and the human alpha.

"It's all set up how I wanted it," Latif explained as we entered. "Blaine was rather indifferent, but humans like more privacy than Nassa do, alpha or not, so we installed this door onto the bedroom."

I glanced around, taking it in.

It was a simple house, nothing special, and yet, those were my brother's pillows from his old bed, set around the fire. One of his shawls was draped over the black curtains so that it shined blue instead. There was a familiarity everywhere I looked that told me this was his space.

"We had Zaba make the chairs for us," he said. "Didn't she do a lovely job?"

I nodded, barely looking at them. I was too overwhelmed, facing reality once and for all. Latif was mated. He had moved away from home. After what he had done, I should not miss him or be sad that he was gone, but I was.

It felt like I had lost him even while he stood before me.

And for that, I would never forgive him or his mate. The mention of Blaine's name alone made fury broil within me.

"Addy."

The tone of his voice told me the pleasantries were done with.

I met his gaze, my jaw already set.

"I know something is wrong. Can we talk about it?"

"There is nothing to say," I said firmly. "I understand everything better than you, even."

"Then explain it to me," he pleaded."Please, Addy. I've missed you."

I snorted.

"All we ever did was bicker."

"Yes, we butted heads, but you are my brother."

"Not anymore."

I hadn't meant to say such cruel words, but they were out now, and I meant them, even if Latif looked absolutely devastated.

"But why?" he demanded.

"You should know the answer to that!" I spat.

The fact that he couldn't guess bothered me most of all. He had betrayed me. He had physically attacked me, and for what? For a human who could not even win him in the auctions.

"Look at what you did, at what you aredoing."

"I am sorry that I lied to you about my actions with Blaine, but please understand, I already loved him. And we are mated now, so that should make it okay with you."

At his ridiculous statement, I threw my hands in the air. It had been a mistake coming in here. I stormed toward the door and then stopped and spun around, unable to keep it to myself any longer.

"Your mating is a farce! You spat in the face of our culture by doing what you did. The alpha mustwinthe omega, not be rescued by them. You both make me sick!"

Latif stared, anger filtering through the hurt in his expression, his chest rising and falling fast.

"And look what you are doing now!" I couldn't resist adding, "Changing everything to suite your immoral behaviour."

I shook my head, disgust rumbling through me.

"The council have gone mad to support you." I stepped closer to him, my hands, no my entire body trembling with the hurt and rage I'd suppressed for months now. "After what happened, the laws should become even stricter, not more flexible."

Latif stared up at me, his wide midnight blue eyes slowly narrowing, the sadness now entirely replaced by annoyance. That was a look I knew well from my brother. As he'd said, we had often butted heads.

"And to think, all this time, I thought this was over me and Blaine making love before mating, but no, that is not all. You do not agree with or support the very core of who I am. You don't even understand it."

The way he said it as though it was an insult infuriated me.

"You're right," I agreed. "I'll never understand you, an omega who would do something like that as though it was nothing. Tell me, was that from practice? Did you and all your omega friends fuck each other when no alphas were around?"

His jaw dropped in shock, and I stepped closer, lowering my voice.

"What about Alil? You too were always close. Is he sad now that he's been replaced?"

Apparently, I had finally gone too far, because Latif gasped and then spluttered and stammered, searching for words.

That was the moment that the bedroom door suddenly opened, exposing Blaine, who I hadn't even realized was home.

Judging by the cold fury in his clear blue gaze, I knew he had heard the whole conversation.

It didn't matter to me. The small man could do nothing to me but glare. How laughable that Latif had picked him when so many others would have had him. And to add to the insult, Blaine still wore human clothes.

"That's enough now," he told me firmly, as though he could make me do anything. "Time to go."

I glanced at Latif, who now looked anxiously between us.

"Don't worry, I'm leaving," I informed Blaine coldly. "I won't make you fight me—or should I say, I won't make Latif fight me in your place."

"Addy!" Latif chastised, but I was already walking back outside, heart racing at having said so much when I should not have.

The others had warned me to keep my mouth shut until it was time to act, but it would be soon now anyway. Everyone in Diwan, the council, the nassa who embraced all of this… they all deserved what was coming.

I couldn't wait.