Chapter 2 The Awakening

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Selina's senses were sharper than ever.

The rustling of leaves, the distant hoot of an owl, the slow trickle of the river behind her-she could hear it all, feel it all. Every scent in the air was distinct, layered, vivid in a way it had never been before.

But one scent stood out above the rest.

She wasn't alone.

Selina's spine stiffened. The hair on the back of her neck rose as she scanned the darkness around her. The wind shifted, carrying the unmistakable scent of wolves-but not Bloodfang wolves.

Rogues.

A low growl rumbled through the trees, followed by the unmistakable crunch of boots against the forest floor.

Selina turned sharply, dropping into a defensive stance, her newfound power humming beneath her skin.

And then, they stepped into the moonlight.

Three men.

Their clothes were torn, their bodies lean and battle-worn, but their eyes gleamed with something dangerous. These weren't ordinary pack wolves. They were hardened survivors. Wolves who lived outside the laws of any alpha.

The one in front-a man with dark, shoulder-length hair and a jagged scar across his jaw-tilted his head, assessing her with cool amusement.

"Didn't expect to find a lost little omega wandering this deep into rogue territory," he mused, his voice rough like gravel.

Selina didn't flinch.

She wasn't the same frightened omega she had been hours ago.

She lifted her chin. "I'm not lost."

The man's lips curled into a smirk. "No? Then what are you doing out here, all alone?"

Selina hesitated. She couldn't tell them the truth. That she had been rejected. That she had nowhere else to go.

Because weakness was a death sentence out here.

So instead, she simply said, "I left."

The scarred man's smirk faded slightly, his sharp eyes narrowing. He studied her-really studied her this time. Then, he exchanged a glance with the others.

There was something in the way they looked at her.

Not with disgust, like the Bloodfang Pack.

But with curiosity. Suspicion. Interest.

And then-a fourth figure stepped forward.

Selina felt him before she saw him.

A powerful presence, dark and commanding, moving through the trees like a shadow.

And then-he emerged.

Tall, broad-shouldered, with raven-black hair and piercing steel-gray eyes, he exuded an aura that was impossible to ignore. His very presence demanded attention, demanded submission-yet he was not an alpha.

Not that he needed the title.

This was a man who didn't follow orders. He gave them.

The other rogues stepped aside, their postures shifting slightly-not quite fear, but deference.

Selina swallowed hard. Who was he?

The man-Roman-stopped a few feet away from her. His gaze swept over her slowly, taking in the torn remnants of her clothing, the dirt smudging her skin, the faint but unmistakable glow in her silver eyes.

Selina fought the urge to look away.

She didn't know why, but something about the way he looked at her made her feel... exposed.

And then, he spoke.

"You're different."

His voice was deep, calm-but laced with something sharp. Knowing.

Selina stiffened.

"I don't know what you mean."

Roman took a slow step closer. "Oh, I think you do."

She swallowed, her heart pounding against her ribs. The way he looked at her was unsettling-not cruel, not mocking, but searching.

Like he saw something in her that even she didn't understand yet.

Silence stretched between them, thick with unspoken meaning.

Then, Roman spoke again.

"You have two choices, omega."

Selina's breath caught.

"One," he continued, "you keep running. Stay weak. Hide in the shadows, waiting for the world to swallow you whole." His gaze darkened. "And it will."

Selina's fingers curled into fists.

"And the second?" she asked.

Roman's lips twitched-not quite a smile, but something close.

"You train."

A sharp breeze rustled the leaves around them, carrying the scent of rain, earth, and something undeniably electric.

Selina stared at him.

The Bloodfang Pack had spent years breaking her down.

Zane had shattered her completely.

But here, now, standing in the middle of the wilderness, facing a pack of rogues who didn't look at her with pity or disgust-she felt something new.

Something dangerous.

Something unstoppable.

She met Roman's gaze, and for the first time in her life, she didn't hesitate.

"I choose to fight."