Rowan

I jerked awake to the sound of wood splintering, and my body sprang upright in bed as the door crashed open. The hinges screeched, and for a split second, my mind struggled to catch up to the chaos that flooded into my dingy, cramped room.

Men in dark suits filled the doorway, spilling into the room like a pack of wolves on the hunt. I barely had time to shove the tattered blanket aside before rough hands grabbed my arms, yanked me from the mattress and shoved me into one corner of the room with a cuff on my hands.

I blinked hard, trying to shake off the last wisps of sleep, but the world remained a blur. One of the men, smaller than the rest, stepped back, and through the parting crowd came a man I've never seen but instantly recognized from his aura alone. He moved with a controlled elegance, and his presence prickled with a strange authority that set my teeth on edge.

"Rowan, is it?" He said my name like it was a joke, something to be mocked. I glared up at him, hatred hardening my face.

"And who the hell are you?" I shot back, my voice still rough from sleep but laced with enough venom. "Do you always make it a habit to break into people's homes?"

The man smirked, and crossed his arms. "I'm Soren." His voice was smooth like his expensive suit, like oil on glass, but I didn't miss the venom laced underneath. "And I think you know why I'm here."

I leaned back in the chair, and kept my face neutral, "Sorry, fresh out of mind-reading abilities. Why don't you enlighten me?"

Soren's jaw twitched, but he kept his composure, although something told me he wanted to swing at me. He walked closer till he loomed over me, and I saw something calculating in his gaze.

"Your father," he started, a faint sneer curling his lips, "owes me a…considerable amount of money."

His words didn't register till after a minute, and when it did, the implication settled in my stomach like a stone. For a moment, I couldn't even respond, my mind still reeled from the sheer absurdity of it. My father? That was not possible.

I snorted, "My father's dead," I said, staring straight at Soren. "And whatever you think he owed you died with him."

He raised an eyebrow, seemingly unaffected by my words "Is that so?" He didn't wait for an answer, instead he studied me as if I was some riddle he's on the verge of solving. "See, I was under the impression he left behind something of value. Or someone."

I felt heat rise to my face, and anger pooled in my veins like molten iron. "You think you're going to come in here, dig up my father's debts, and pin them on me? Newsflash, man. I don't owe you a damn thing."

I shot up from the ground where I was and got nose-to-nose with him. One of his guards stepped forward, ready to drag me back down, but Soren raised a hand to stop him.

 He didn't back away; instead, he cocked his head to the side while a smirk played on his lips.

"And what are you going to do about it?" he asked, a mocking challenge in his tone. 

I bristled and a growl escaped my lips before I could stop it.

I caught a flash of something in his eyes as he stepped closer, as if he was studying me more intently. For the first time, he seemed slightly off-kilter, a hint of confusion breaking through his amused mask. His nostrils flared, and he seemed to catch something in the air, and his expression faltered, replaced by…recognition? I saw his body tense as if he's registered something more potent than he expected.

He knew what I was.

I glared at him, letting my contempt seep through every word I spoke, "What's wrong, Soren? Feeling a little…intimidated?" I let the taunt hang in the air before leaning in closer. "I know what you are, you're just a lowly omega pretending to be an alpha. You can put on a nice suit, round up a bunch of muscle-bound clowns, but we both know what you are. You want to be bent over just like the rest of the omegas, don't you? Treated like the bitch you are,"

His eyes flashed with fury, and a muscle ticked in his jaw. I've hit a nerve. I grinned maliciously at that.

"Leave us," he snapped at his guards, his voice hard as steel.

The men hesitated, clearly reluctant to abandon their boss, but one look at Soren's expression, and they're moving, filing out the door without another word. I waited until they're gone, then let my gaze return to him, challenging him.

Once we're alone, Soren's cool façade cracked, replaced by something darker. He stepped forward until there's barely an inch of space between us, his voice dropping to a low, dangerous growl.

"The fuck did you just say?" he snapped.

The grin on my lips widened further like a cat that just ate the cream , "don't I? I smelt your scent the minute you stepped through that door. You might be able to hide it from others but it's pretty clear to me."

"Shut the fuck up, boy," he hissed, "I am an Alpha and I can tear you apart right now,"

I wanted to yell that I was no boy but mere looking at him, he looked older than I was. 

Another grin tugged at my lips, a reaction that only seemed to inflame him further. "Is that what you're looking for? Submission?" I asked, my voice dripping with mockery. "Good luck with that."

"You're playing with fire, Rowan." His voice was all ice now, his gaze sharp enough to cut. "You think your rank means anything to me? I've dealt with plenty of alphas, brought them to their knees. Besides, you are an alpha by birth, I bet you don't know your true power,"

"Maybe," I said with a shrug. "But I can still beat you one on one," 

He opened his mouth to retort, but I was not done. "Whatever game you're playing, Soren, it's not going to work. You want me to clean up my father's mess, pay off his debts? Not a chance. I owe him nothing, and I owe you even less."

His face darkened, and for a split second, I saw something close to pity flicker in his eyes. But he quickly masked it, replacing it with that familiar arrogance.

"You can deny it all you want, but we both know there's more to this than your father's debt," he said, his voice softening, turning almost...curious. "Why else would you be here, stuck in this dump?"

My hands clenched into fists, the anger bubbling to the surface. "You think you know me? You don't have a damn clue."

Soren's lips curled into a smirk. "Maybe not. But I know enough." He turned and paced to the other side of the room, throwing a glance around at the peeling wallpaper and broken furniture. "You're hiding here. And whatever reason you think you have, it's laughably transparent."

"Like I said, you don't know a thing about me," I spat, stepping forward, but he held up a hand, his expression turning serious.

"Maybe not," he said, his tone low, "but I know there is another reason why you are living like a wretched rat in here. One might say I am inclined to find out why," His eyes narrowed, scrutinizing me as if trying to peel away the layers I've wrapped around myself.

I wanted to tear into him, let every ounce of anger pour out, but there's something unsettling in the way he looked at me, a recognition that chilled me to the bone. It's as if he could see through me, past the walls I've put up, straight into whatever it was I tried so hard to bury.

"You can go back to your nice little life," I finally said. "You'll get nothing from me. Not my submission, and definitely not a single dime."

Soren's smirk reappeared, but his eyes flashed with a strange intensity, something that bordered on respect.

"We'll see about that." He turned on his heel and headed for the door, pausing only briefly to look over his shoulder. "I will be back,"

I straightened, "No, you won't. I am warning you, stay away from me or I will expose you for who you are. A desperate bitch who is good for nothing other than breeding,"

His face changed and before I knew it, he was barging back to my side with his fist clenched.