Day 1

Teru noticed they avoided any major roads. He was told vampires took those routes when traveling through here. Over the years, humans had made their own secret paths by marking the trail with bottles, rusty cans, or plastic ribbons on the trees.

The group was hyped up. The older members were wary because they’d seen crap go south before, while the younger members looked around and enjoyed the scenery. When they stopped for lunch, the jerky was more tasty than usual.

“It’s the taste of freedom,” Lucas said seriously, making Teru laugh at how corny that was.

By the time sunset approached, he wasn’t tired at all. Maybe it was the taste of freedom and a fresh vitality that put a pep in his step. They would set up camp soon to rest. He took in the sights, glancing all around with awe—the new creeks, unfamiliar hilly views, and Nolan approaching the group from the back.

Wait. Nolan? Am I seeing things? Am I too tired?

No one else seemed to have noticed their pack leader. Teru stopped with shaky legs, knowing trouble was brewing after seeing Nolan’s furious expression aimed at him. The omega was in deep shit. This was bad. So, so bad.

Why is he there?!

The alphas of their small group noticed his bitter pheromone smell. While their gender produced musk when angry, an omega’s scent turned bitter from fear.

“What’s wrong, Teru?”

“Teru? Hey.”

“Why are you scared?”

Not even Lucas could get his attention. When they finally followed his line of sight, the scavengers became confused. Nolan should not be with them. There was no reason to be.

But Teru knew why.

Josy spoke up, “Leader! Why are yo—?”

“Shut up,” he ordered in that tone.

It was sharp, full of authority, and reeked of alpha musk to let it be known he was fucking pissed off to the max. The smell turned Teru’s nose. The alphas looked down, a submissive gesture, and the betas looked out of respect even though they couldn’t smell the pheromones.

Teru had to be strong. He held his chin up high in defiance, making sure to hold eye contact with Nolan. This action ruffled the leader’s feathers by baring his teeth.

“Let’s go,” Nolan growled. “There’s not a lot of time.”

No one knew what he meant by that. Time for what?

Who freaking cares!

Teru shook his head. “No.”

“I. Said. Go.” The command oozed with power.

His inner omega wanted to listen and follow like a good puppy for the dominant alpha. It desired to please him and to beg for forgiveness.

And it was disgusting. This was all because of pheromones. It wasn’t fair to be swayed like this!

It’s my choice!

Teru clenched his jaw together, feeling like his teeth would break. This feeling was so uncomfortable. His body felt like it was being pulled apart at the seams from going against the order. If Nolan didn’t stop soon… Teru wasn’t positive he could maintain independence for much longer. Denying an alpha like him was physically painful to his instincts.

“N-no.”

Nolan snarled. Before Teru could react, he lurched forward and attacked. He pulled at the omega’s throat with his teeth, canines digging into the skin. No blood but it still hurt. The move made them fall to the ground. Teru’s belly was upward and exposed, another submissive gesture. The yelp that left him was shameful!

Lucas tried to pull them apart, but Nolan snapped at him.

The dominant alpha finally let go. Teru coughed. Nolan gripped his nape roughly and forced him to stand. He dragged him away from the group to return to the Valley Pack.

Teru whimpered for help. His best friend heard. Lucas intervened again, jumping on Nolan to bite his jugular—not to kill him but as a challenge. Teru’s neck was released and he sank to the ground.

Nolan was about to accept the challenge when he noticed everyone watching him with fearful faces, getting a glimpse of his true, callous nature. Not wanting to cause a further scene that could cause him drama later, he cleared his throat and fixed his sweaty clothes.

“So you’re doing this useless trip?” he seethed.

Teru nodded, arms crossed to hide himself. He felt so small.

“Expect to face consequences when you and Lucas return later. And when you do, you will become my mate on that night, heat or no heat. You will accept me… all of me. There are no exceptions.”

Imagining even a single, private moment with this alpha… Teru was going to vomit, literally. Bile rose in his belly.

Nolan turned around, storming in the direction of the caves. Once he was out of sight, everyone talked to one another in a rush.

“What the heck was that? Why was he so violent towards Teru?” They concluded it must be an alpha wanting to protect his mate.

“Mate…”

Teru wanted to scream. They couldn’t fathom what it was like to be treated like a tool. And mates… based on his observations of other pairs in the pack, that wasn’t how it was supposed to be. Weren’t mates supposed to care for each other mutually?

Is it because I’m an omega?

Lucas helped him to his feet. He eyed the marks on his Adam’s apple. Oh. One of the tooth holes was bleeding. “I can lick that for you.”

Licking wounds was an alpha characteristic. It helped heal minor wounds a smidge faster. He declined.

“I’m totally fine. It’ll heal in no time.” Teru reapplied his outer mask which had cracked more after having been manhandled like a weakling.

What a first day.

Day 2

Nothing dramatic happened on the second day. They came across some ruins from The Before. Josy said they used to be houses. Each family had their own building to eat, sleep, and enjoy each other’s company. It was their sanctuary.

The thought of having a private place that big was unfathomable.

While trying to sleep under the clear night sky, Teru wondered what his mom was doing. What she was thinking. If she and Hina were worried about him.

“Hey,” he whispered and rolled over.

“Hmm?” Lucas hummed drowsily.

“Do you think Mom will be really mad at me when we go back?”

His friend opened one eye, looking at him. “I wouldn’t reflect on it too much. She was in the wrong for not letting you go. You’re not a pup anymore. Besides, it’s better to ask for forgiveness than permission. I would’ve done the same thing if my parents were here.”

This shut Teru up. Lucas rarely mentioned his parents. They died from a measles outbreak a decade ago. That winter was extra cold and food was very sparse. The mythical vaccines were, well, a myth. It was a tragic year. They lost 76 members.

Teru eventually fell asleep. An uneasy feeling twisted his belly.

Day 3

The journey was wearing him out. He could admit that.

It was steeper now, and the hills became more mountainous. He gunned down a large buck that he luckily saw through the trees. The group said their thanks for the fresh meat which was a delightful break from old jerky and fruit. Having a full belly lifted everyone’s spirits.

Halfway through this day, Lucas carried Teru on his back without complaint. The inside of Teru’s chest softly purred.

Day 4

Walking, eating, rest, walking, eating, sleep.

Teru loved nature-gazing, but dang, the bloody sores on his heels hurt.

Are we almost there?

Day 5

It was early afternoon when Josy stopped them.

“Alright yeh pussywillows, we will be approaching the neighborhood soon. Ransack the houses in a pair or bigger groups. Never alone. Before entering each house, don’t go in right away. Listen, and determine if there are any animals inside. The last thing yeh need is a mama bear eatin’ yeh. Take what yeh want. Clear?”

“Yes, ma’am!”

They left the road and veered onto a broken, gray path. Weeds and bushes grew out of the cement cracks. Barely, just barely, you could see rows of houses beneath the tall trees and thick vines. It was obvious why it had gone undetected this whole time. If you weren’t looking for houses, you would easily miss this perfectly hidden place.

They split into small groups, some of two or three. Lucas and Teru stayed together. Scavengers broke the doorknobs with crowbars, listened for any dangerous sounds, and then entered the structures. It was mesmerizing to see how it all worked.

The two of them walked to the seventh house. They followed the instructions—Lucas damaged the doorknob, creaked the door open, watched for any signs of life, and then went inside.

It smelled of mildew and mold. The windows were broken and covered in a sheen of algae. Most of the items were covered in dust and dirt. There were weird-shaped rectangular items. Teru could only speculate about what they’d been used for. The buttons suggested it was electronics.

His father had told him stories of homes being warm in the winter and cold in the summer. They’d had entertainment boxes called TVs to watch the lives of other people. Their ancestors could research anything through a contraption called a computer. It was foreign that surviving could be… not so difficult and a basic human right.

But Teru always wanted to see a refrigerator. The idea of storing food without it spoiling in days was appealing. He went to the room he assumed was the kitchen, spotting the big metal box. He opened it excitedly...