When Kegan woke up, he didn't open his eyes right away. Opening his eyes could mean being told to get up, and he felt in no condition to do so.

His entire lower half felt as though he'd been beaten with a metal club. He couldn't move without burning pains cutting through his body, not to mention the disgusting stickiness he felt surrounding his hole and on his legs.

Alpha Leon was still holding him tightly, breathing softly into his hair.

Kegan had been taught that as an Omega, he would draw pleasure from pleasing any Alpha, whether it be his mate or not. However, he now knew that was a lie.

He never felt satisfied when serving his old Alpha, and he knew he would have never been, even if there was praise that followed. He certainly didn't derive pleasure from being given to and used by Alpha Leon, so he was left wondering how he'd ever be okay in his new life.

There was no chance he'd be able to easily leave. Not in a pack full of highly trained Alphas. From what Kegan knew of the North River pack, they were even stronger than his previous one, and therefore more dangerous. They were the second ranked pack in the country, just behind the Blood Moon pack that spread over the West Coast.

Kegan had always been told that if they were attacked by the Blood Moon pack, they'd give their Omegas up to the other pack as an offering and an attempt to make peace and keep the stronger pack from killing anyone.

"At least we're not there," Kegan told his wolf, who was still sulking and brooding over their treatment.

Kegan could sense his wolf's anxiety and fear, and he knew that giving yourself to another wolf was among the worst things that you could do. It was almost a set up for rejection if they ever met their mate.

By that point, Kegan hoped he never came face to face with his mate. His wolf whined pitifully at that, but didn't attempt to fight back, because they both knew the truth:

If they were to meet their mate, it would only result in a cruel rejection.

No wolf, whether their mate be Alpha or Beta, would want an impure whore as their mate. Especially one whose only purpose is to carry another Alpha's pups.

Kegan reminded himself that in his world, that was an Omega's only use. His wolf scoffed at that, disappointed in the thought, but that's all that Kegan had ever been taught.

Omegas were used for breeding, simple as that.

Leon stirred beside him, so Kegan forced himself to stay still and breathe slowly, praying that the Alpha would leave him alone and let him rest.

Thankfully, Leon didn't attempt to wake him up right away and slowly slid out of bed. He could be heard rummaging through his drawers and getting dressed before he reappeared beside Kegan.

He gently shook the Omega's shoulder, making Kegan fight the urge to whine and cover up his face.

"Get up, Omega," Leon murmured, sounding refreshed and awake.

Kegan opened his eyes, meeting those of Leon. He quickly diverted his eyes to the window behind Leon so he wasn't making eye contact.

"Good boy," Leon praised, smiling at Kegan. "I'm going to be out most of the day. Someone will bring you food. I want you showered and naked on the bed when I get back. I do not want a repeat of the disobedience I experienced last night."

Kegan just nodded, emotionally drained and filled with a new anxiety. He didn't know how he'd be able to tolerate a repeat of the unbearable pain already coursing through his lower back.

"You look upset, Omega," Leon said gently, cupping Kegan's face in his hand.

Kegan could feel his wolf stirring, urging Kegan to shift so he could attack the Alpha that insisted on touching him.

"I'm alright," Kegan mumbled, ignoring his wolf's growls. "May I shift while I'm here?"

Leon seemed to pause, thinking about whether or not he should allow the Omega to do as he pleased.

"I suppose you can, but you are to be in your human form when I come back."

"Wh-when exactly will you be back?" Kegan asked, worried he was pushing the limit for how many questions he'd be allowed to ask.

Leon rolled his eyes. "I told you I'd be back later," he scolded, sounding annoyed.

Kegan dropped his gaze to the sheet in front of him. "I'm sorry," he whispered, wishing to close his eyes and wake up back with the other Omegas in his old pack.

"It's fine," Leon said, standing up and walking toward the door. "Food will be here in a bit. I want you dressed whenever anyone else is in the room. No one but me gets to see you naked."

Kegan obeyed with a nod, listening as the door clicked closed behind Leon. Seconds later the sound of the door locking echoed through the room, making Kegan's heart drop.

"I'll let you out after food has been delivered."

Kegan's wolf, as usual,  didn't answer him, making him feel even more lonely. He wished he'd had a good connection with his wolf, but the animal side of him didn't ever agree with him. The other Omegas tried to help him, telling him that he'd just had to trust the wolf side of him, but Kegan knew that'd get him killed.

His wolf snarled in disagreement, only shutting up when Kegan threatened to keep him locked in his mind all day.

Kegan slid out of bed, whimpering in pain. Aches coursed through him every time he moved, and he could see blood on the bed where he'd been laying; the result of the assault placed on him the night before.

Seeing the blood sent Kegan into a panic, as if he'd finally realized he was no longer good enough for whoever his mate was. They would always know that he was a whore and that he wasn't strong enough to fight back.

He wiped the tears away, scolding himself for being weak. His wolf didn't agree with the scolding, continuing to howl and whine in pain.

Kegan went into the walk in closet in Leon's room, looking for clothing that would fit him. He was small and malnourished, so he knew any of Leon's clothes would be too big for him.

A cardboard box at the bottom of the closet caught his attention. He pulled it out and opened it, finding clothes that were his size, but clearly made for a female. They smelled like Leon, but with a sweetness that only an Omega could bring.

Kegan wanted to wear them, knowing that they'd be the only clothes that would fit him, but his wolf argued against it. His wolf clearly felt dread at the idea of wearing the clothes, and while Kegan often ignored his wolf, the feeling of dread taking place in his stomach was too much to bear.

He shoved the box away, grabbing a large T-shirt and his underwear from the floor. His wolf was growling at the fact that they'd soon smell like Leon because Kegan was wearing his shirt, but his growls went ignored.

"We need something to wear," Kegan tried to explain to his wolf. "If we're not in clothes and someone comes in, they'll tell Leon and we'll be hurt worse than we were last night."

Once again, Kegan's wolf pushed for control, but Kegan ignored it. It had been months since he last shifted, so Kegan knew his wolf was restless, but ever since they'd arrived in the North River pack, the wolf had been relentless.

"Stop fighting or we're not shifting!"

His wolf ignored him, snarling and demanding control. Kegan tried to calm the beast down, but his wolf was adamant about the shift.

There were footsteps outside the door, and in Kegan's brief loss of focus, he felt his wolf overtake him. His body began to shift, and once started, it was horribly painful to stop, so Kegan had no choice but to allow the continuous shift.

The door to the room opened as the shift finished, and Kegan watched as his wolf bared his teeth and growled at the Beta servant who entered the room.

Usually when they shifted, Kegan had some control so that he could shift back when they needed to, but his wolf didn't allow it. He was trapped at the back of his wolf's mind, the beast not allowing any room for suggestions or advice.

The Beta servant screamed at the sight of the wolf, whose mouth was dripping saliva. The white fur of the animal seemed to glow in the darkness of the room, only making him more terrifying.

The wolf ran past the Beta and through the mansion, looking for a way out. Thankfully, once they were downstairs, there was a window left ajar in the dining area.

Only servants, Leon, and Kegan lived in the mansion, so there were no guards to stop him. Kegan was sure they'd catch up eventually, so he hoped his wolf had some form of a plan in order to avoid a severely painful punishment.

The wolf dove out of the window ungracefully, landing on his side in the plants surrounding the house. He got up hastily and began to sprint toward the woods surrounding the pack, though the movements were clumsy due to the pain coursing through his body from the previous night and the rapid shift.

Kegan was frantic, smelling the scent of guards and warriors, hearing the Beta servant yell to them that he belonged to the Alpha and had escaped.

"Run faster!" Kegan urged his wolf, who obeyed and pushed himself harder.

Omegas weren't known to have strong, warrior wolf frames, but they were quick and hard to catch unless they were surrounded or their Alpha commanded that they stop.

That meant that unless they stopped, Kegan was convinced they'd be free.

That was, until he felt a pain in his right hind leg. His wolf stumbled and slowed down, looking at his leg and finding a cut in it, with a knife sitting inches away from him.

Kegan tried to push his wolf to keep running, but the animal knew that they'd be caught. So, the wolf sat down and let out a howl, one they Kegan didn't recognize. His wolf didn't offer any feelings that would clue Kegan into the reasoning behind the howl other than sadness.

Maybe it was giving up?

Kegan had no clue.

A low growl echoed behind him, and Kegan felt his wolf give him control once again.

Still in wolf form, Kegan turned and saw a massive grey wolf with black markings. His eyes were the same as Leon's, but they flashed with gold every now and then, showing that his wolf was battling for control.

Leon approached Kegan, making the smaller wolf crouch down and whimper. He grabbed the wolf by the scruff of his neck, dragging him toward the pack house.

Kegan whined, but fell silent when Leon snarled at him and tightened his grip.

He had no clue what his wolf was trying to do, but Kegan knew that he would never be able to trust his other half again.