Prologue

My lungs burned with the remnants of fever and pain that stuck to me like a cold sweat. My body felt as if it had run a marathon before being run over by a truck.

Then again, I had no idea just how far I had run up until this point. There was a lot of running. Then, walking. Then, the ride I got with a man in a rusted delivery truck who told me it wasn't safe for me to be taking rides from strangers.

He made me promise I wouldn't do it again. I promised.

I suppose I could count that promise as the first of many lies I was about to tell.

It didn't matter. It was what I had to do to keep safe, and sitting in a strange trucker's cab was a safer option than where I'd been before I ended up there.

I wouldn't stop doing what I had to do now. I couldn't stop until I was far enough away from where I came from- from where I was nearly positive people would be looking for me by now. I needed to keep going until I was safe.

Even if it took the rest of my life.

When I got to the nearest town, I managed to find the place I was looking for. People glanced sideways at me as I passed.

I guess I would too.

Finally, I saw the sign my brother had promised I would find eventually. In big, bold letters.

Omega Haven.

I pushed through the glass doors of the government-funded building. Everything inside was white and sterile. Lights were bright on me. Hot. Painful. Each stream of light from the fluorescent bulbs may as well have been a needle, piercing into my skin.

I nearly turned on my heels and headed right back out to the street to get away from it, my instincts screaming at me not to stay there for another single moment.

Instead, I crossed my arms.

I squinted against the bright lights as I tried to cover myself that suddenly felt all too bare from my short jean shorts that had been lying on the concrete floor the past few days to my arms without any sort of jacket to cover up with. I hadn't had time to stop or look for one.

I couldn't take that risk.

My brother wouldn't have wanted me to.

The reminder of him pricked a fresh new wave of tears at the corners of my eyes, but I would not cry. I promised myself I wouldn't.

I promised him.

That promise wasn't a lie like the last one I made either.

The receptionist was up out of her chair before the door fully shut behind me. "Are you alright?"

"Please," I whispered, unable to say anything else. They ushered me inside. "I need help."

The next hour went by within a blink. I was led away from the front and into a room, the woman's kind voice keeping me calm as she asked her questions, jotting down notes on a clipboard.

"What is your name, sweetheart?"

"Elena," I said. My throat was dry, and my voice crackled. I didn't want to speak anymore, but I needed to be safe. They were going to help me here. Just like Peter said. "Elena Spangler."

"All right then, Elena. Sit down right here. Let me go find our doctor on call. We are going to get you all cleaned up. Can you tell me anything else? Where is your family?"

I shook my head.

Nothing.My brother, Peter, schooled me on this. I could still hear his stern voice in my head as he tore me away from where I was. Tell them nothing.

After a moment, the woman in the center only nodded.

They gave me fruit snacks and water before the doctor came in, another beta that smelled more like disinfectant than whatever other blander scent they may have carried naturally.

Her hushed voice was calm as she looked me over. "Now, I just need to take a little blood to get you in our system. You also look rather flushed. This is going to help us see what you need, okay? If you are dehydrated or if you have a heat coming up."

After a second, I nodded, feeling the prick of the needle. It was over as fast as it started, even though I didn't need to know if my first heat was coming up soon. It had already happened. I made it through.

Now I was here.

Everything was going to be okay.

I let out a breath as she slid a light pink bandage over my skin.

"There we go. Perfect."

I gave her a small smile as she handed off the blood sample to someone outside of the door, leaving it cracked open.

"Do you mind if I listen to your heart?" She untangled her stethoscope from around her neck and stuck the ends into her ears. I only ever had someone listen to my heart once or twice before in all my life. Unless you were really sick did you ever see a doctor.

At least, that is what my parents always said. And once they were gone, Peter and I made do with what we had.

Taking another deep breath, I didn't have to worry about that anymore. I could relax.

Only with the doctor silent, I could hear the distant voice outside of the room. My ears twitched at the sound, able to hear as an omega slightly better than a beta, though not as well as any alpha could.

Because compared to anyone else, alphas were the strongest and most capable.

I forced Peter's voice out of my head telling me how that was complete bullshit so that I could hear.

"Hi there, yes, we have her here." The woman who had brought me into the room earlier murmured into the phone.

I could see the front desk partially from where I sat.

Her eyes flickered back towards me.

I could feel the pressure of them as I quickly looked down at the scuffed tile floor.

"Yes." She agreed with the person over the phone. "We will make sure that she is held until you arrive, Mr. Davinson. Of course. It's our pleasure."

My body froze. Mr. Davinson.

Mr. Davison.

Benjamin Davison. She was talking to Ben or worse his father?

I hadn't gone far enough. I wasn't safe.

How could that be possible? I got away. I followed Peter's directions he left. This couldn't happen.

I was meant to be free.

Tell them nothing,Peter told me.

I already messed up.

I told them my name.

I hadn't thought that would matter. There had to be more Elena Spanglers out there in the world. But none were the possibly missing omega, Elena Spangler who ran away from Pack Davison.

My eyes widened as I realized my mistake. Carefully, I looked up at the doctor who was still completely oblivious.

I squirmed in the hard, plastic seat. My heart raced.

The doctor with the stethoscope furrowed her brow. "Are you all right, dear?"

"I— I um." I thought fast. "I need to use the bathroom."

She smiled, releasing me with a short chuckle. "Of course. The restroom is right around the corner. Will you be all right by yourself?"

"Yes," I replied, hastily. "Thank you."

Letting myself be directed down the hall towards the bathroom. I shut the door behind me and turned the cold metal lock. I knew that I didn't have much time, but there was my opening, right across from me.

A window.

Taking my time in my beat, no longer white sneakers, I climbed up on the seat of the toilet. Reaching my arms above my head, my fingers skimmed against the edge of the narrow window.

I could do this. I was going to make it.

I had to get out of here. Now.

Nudging at the window, the glass creaked. I flinched at the sound as if it was as loud as a gunshot. Finally, I shoved with the rest of my strength right as I hit the flush on the toilet. I only had a few more seconds until they came looking for me.

Luckily, there was just enough room through the window as I shimmied my hips through before the rest of me. My sides scrapped against the metal.

I grit my teeth, willing myself not to make a sound before I landed on the hard ground.

I grunted in pain on impact. But I was already moving. I forced myself to stand up.

It didn't matter that I was tired.

The tears that crested in my eyes and threatened to fall over my dirty, freckled cheeks, didn't matter either.

All that mattered was that I get far, far away from here. I needed to find a bus or hitchhike a car like in the old movies. Like I promised I wouldn't.

I needed to be safe. Alone.

And that meant that I was no longer allowed to be an omega. I was no longer going to be allowed to be Elena Spangler ever again.

Peter needed me to.

So, I ran.