The closer we got to Moon City, the harder it started to snow. It was coming down so heavily I could barely see anything in front of the van except for brake lights every so often. In just 45 minutes since we left the base, a blanket of white had covered the roads and trees.

"Damn... I don't remember hearing anything about a snowstorm!" Jodi exclaimed, looking out the window.

"I hate the cold," I grumbled, turning up the heat in the van. "Can you see well enough, four eyes, or do you need me to drive?" I asked Izzy without looking at him.

"I'll let you drive if you tell me what's really bothering you," he said calmly, still focused on the road.

"You know, I remember a time you hated being called that," Jodi said with a smirk.

"He's just gotten used to my pet name. It's not a big deal, Jodi—every couple has them," I said in a teasing tone.

"Wh-what?!" Izzy said, whipping his head in my direction, blinking owlishly at me.

"Watch the road!!" I shouted, pointing at a car that suddenly slammed on the brakes. Izzy swerved a little to avoid a collision.

"You really shouldn't tease him like that, Lyn," Jodi said, laughing.

"That's not funny!" Izzy said, frustrated, glaring at her in the rearview mirror.

"He'll live," I said, laughing, before being hit with a sudden migraine. "Argh..." I hissed in pain.

"You alright?" Jodi asked, concerned.

"Yeah, I'm fine. Just a migraine," I said, rubbing my temples.

"You know, you do seem off today now that I'm paying attention," Jodi said, leaning up from the backseat, squinting at me.

"I told you guys I'm fine," I said with a sigh, still rubbing my temple. "It's like it's a crime to sleep in and have a little headache, all because it's me."

"Because it never happens," Jodi scoffed. "You might as well tell us. I mean, it's us, for crying out loud! Since when do we keep secrets?" she huffed, folding her arms.

"She won't let it go, Lyn," Izzy said calmly. "I give you space to come to me when you're ready, but we both know Jodi isn't as patient," he added, glancing at me from the corner of his glasses.

I exhaled heatedly, closing my eyes. "Fine! Fine! I'll tell you when we get back to the base. Let's just—can we get this done first?" I snapped.

Jodi glared at me from the backseat, and Izzy just kept driving, a satisfied grin on his face. "You better..." Jodi grumbled.

"You two sure are nosy, you know that? I don't have to tell you everything," I said, annoyed.

"Perks of being not only your best friend but your boyfriend's sister," Jodi teased, smirking at Izzy again.

"Jodi!" Izzy shouted, swerving again, while we both laughed, continuing through the snowstorm toward Moon City.

———

A while later, we pulled up to a large warehouse guarded by Betas from the Southern Luna Pack. I flashed them a golden crescent moon pendant as we approached the gate. With a nod, the Beta signaled for the gates to open, and we drove through to the back of the warehouse. A large Alpha with silver hair and purple eyes stood waiting in front, accompanied by more Betas in white combat gear. He smirked, letting his large fangs hang over his bottom lip as I stepped out of the van. Taking the cigar from his mouth, he leaned on the golden cane he carried around purely for show, staring at me.

"You look beautiful as always, darlin'," he said, looking me up and down before licking his lips.

"Cut the shit, Johnny," I said flatly, surveying the area and mentally noting everyone present.

"Don't be so nervous! You'll make me feel bad," he smirked, putting a hand over his heart dramatically.

"You'd need feelings to feel bad," I rolled my eyes.

"Touché," he replied with a flashy grin.

I really hated Alphas. Cocky, arrogant bastards, every one of them. Johnny was a middle-aged Alpha from the Southern Luna Pack in Crescent City who went rogue long before I did. He had managed to stay under the radar in the Luna Pack's eastern territory for quite a while now, which wasn't easy. Dormants weren't seen as immediate threats since we held no rank in packs, but rogue Alphas were a different story. They could cause trouble by forming rogue packs that didn't answer to the Primes because of their rank. 

Johnny wore his short silver hair slicked back, and his grey suit jacket was open. The top buttons of his purple dress shirt were undone, revealing his bare chest covered in slick silver hair and his defined collarbone. He was a very muscular Alpha, standing at 6'3" with broad shoulders. His silver beard outlined his jaw, accompanied by large sideburns and thin lips. The contrast between his obsidian skin and silver hair intrigued me. It was like looking at a shadow under moonlight or a pearl in the darkness.

Johnny dealt in trading supplies and suppressants to dormants and other rogue packs—a dangerous business, but necessary for survival without a legitimate pack recognized by society. Suppressants were vital to regulate Omega heat cycles for those trying to live normal lives. The problem was they were highly addictive and caused major health problems when taken in large quantities. Most Omegas that weren't mated were neglected by their packs since no one cared about them without the status of being an Alpha's spouse. I used to care about selling them because of the side effects, but being a dormant didn't afford me that luxury. It was a matter of survival. Ultimately, it came down to me or them, and I buried my conscience and morals long ago.

"Well, as much as I love the view, beautiful, I do have other clients scheduled for pickups, so let's make this quick. Unless..." he said, licking his lips as he walked toward me with a lustful glint in his lilac eyes.

Izzy and Jodi grabbed him, placing a firm hand on each of his shoulders, their low growls warning him to stay back. He grinned, raising his hands in mock surrender but never taking his eyes off me. I scoffed, shaking my head as I walked away toward the metal door of the warehouse. Izzy and Jodi shoved him back and followed me. Despite Johnny being an Alpha, he knew better than to mess with them.

Izzy and Jodi were twins, meant to be Betas, but they never presented, making them dormants like me. They were the same height as Johnny and just as muscular. Jodi was a beautiful, curvy woman who often wore her hair in Bantu knots that framed her face perfectly. She had a sour patch personality—sweet one moment, mean the next. Izzy, her twin, was handsome with curly, shoulder-length hair and an anchor-styled goatee. He was calmer than Jodi, but you didn't want to piss him off. Both had dark green, emerald eyes, though only Izzy wore golden glasses, which always seemed odd for identical twins, and the same dull copper skin like me. I met them when I was 18, and we've been best friends ever since.

I stopped in front of the pallets wrapped in plastic with my name on them. After a quick check to ensure everything was there, I nodded to the twins. Walking up to Johnny, I pulled out a ziplock bag full of syringes with blue liquid inside, and he pulled out a wad of cash. As Izzy and Jodi began loading the van with supplies, I finished the transaction. When I reached for the money, though, Johnny pulled his hand back.

Without hesitation, I had my gun pressed to his forehead before anyone could react. His Betas tensed, but Johnny just smirked, his cigar hanging lazily from his lips. "I'm not in the mood for games today, Johnny," I said, snatching the money from his hand.

"You know I love it when you act so feisty," he said, unbothered, blowing smoke in my face.

I sighed in frustration, stuffing the money in my jacket and holstering my gun. "And I hate it when you act like an asshole," I shot back, waving the smoke away.

As I turned to leave, he grabbed my arm, and I felt a jolt of pain shoot through my body at his touch. "You know it turns me on when you react like that. I'm convinced you do it on purpose..." he whispered in my ear, his breath warm and unsettling. "It's a shame you never went through your heat cycle. I'd love to make you the perfect Ome—"

Before he could finish, I slipped from his grasp, elbowing him hard in the stomach. I twisted his arm, using his weight and height against him, flipping him onto the ground with a violent thud. His cane and cigar flew in opposite directions as I knelt, twisting his arm so tight his shoulder dislocated with a snap. He laughed through pained groans while I pulled my gun on his Betas, making them freeze.

"Don't," I warned them in a calm tone.

I leaned closer to his ear before whispering with a satisfied grin, "How many times must we do this dance, Johnny? You piss me off trying to assert your dominance, and then I kick your ass." I chuckled.

"What can I say?" He managed to smile through the pain. "I like a challenge."

"Artemis must be ashamed to know one of her Alphas gets his ass kicked by a dormant," I cooed in his ear sarcastically.

His condescending expression slowly contorted to one of frustration and anger. It was one thing to insult him, but most wolves took it personally when you insulted their respective gods. I'd lost my attachment to such things a long time ago.

"You're taking this too far!" he growled. "You better watch your—"

"YOU WERE GONNA CALL ME A FUCKIN' OMEGA!" I growled back at him, baring my small fangs, lifting his head from the ground, and slamming it back down with monstrous force. He clenched his jaw, clearly angry but not reacting to the pain. "And I don't like to be touched!" I said, a little calmer but still upset.

When he didn't respond, it only pissed me off even more. I could see blood on the concrete by his mouth from his busted lip, but that wasn't enough. His pride was getting in the way of my apology, and that bothered me. No, it infuriated me. That Alpha pride had been a thorn in my side at every turn, from men and women alike. I'm sure he was thinking about shifting into his werewolf form, but I would've emptied the clip into his brain before he had the chance. Silver bullets had a very negative effect on wolves of the Luna; silver in general really, but bullets were hard to get out because they dulled their regeneration. Perfect for taming them but deadly when hitting a vital organ.

Twisting his arm even harder behind his back, he finally groaned in pain. "Alright, alright! I'm sorry for fuck's sake!" he blurted out.

"SORRY FOR WHAT?!" I yelled in his ear.

"...For calling you an Omega." He said through clenched teeth, staring at me with glowing purple eyes, which made me grin, showing my small fangs. I relished the smoke of his extinguished flames as I released his arm, flipping him over to lightly slap his scuffed cheek. "Good boy," I said, still smiling, before standing up and blowing a disheveled curl out of my face that had come loose during our little scuffle.

As I was walking away, one of his Betas muttered, "Fuckin' mutt..." making me stop dead in my tracks. I looked in their direction, and they both flinched. I smiled at them as I continued walking and said, "Fuckin' pussies!" loud enough for them to hear me. I could feel them staring at me, and boy, if looks could kill, I'd be a dead wolf. Most higher-ranking wolves were nervous around me because I didn't act like a dormant, and I looked like an Omega.

"One of these days, you're going to show me some respect! You and those other mutts you brought with you!" Johnny yelled as he got up from the ground.

The term "mutt" was meant to be offensive to dormants because many thought it was the result of inbreeding in packs. For me, it was just another word. Omega, on the other hand, triggered something feral inside of me. Omegas were basically slaves or sluts to higher-ranking wolves, and I was neither. I resented the very idea of it so much that being a dormant was a life I rejoiced in, regardless of its hardships. As I approached the van, the twins were just about finished packing the rest of the supplies. They both stopped to look at me with an amused smirk. Hearing Johnny still cursing my name in the distance was typically how our encounters ended. He had gathered his cane and now-damp cigar from the ground with a frustrated huff.

"What?" I said, helping them and acting oblivious.

They both looked at me a little longer, then at each other with the same amused smirk before shaking their heads in unison.

"You shouldn't let him get to you," Izzy finally spoke.

"You know he just enjoys seeing you so riled up. Johnny is a masochist if I've ever seen one," Jodi chimed in. "I'm starting to think you two have a thing for each other," she teased.

"He was gonna call me that word," I said, irritated. "And EW! I'd rather date Izzy," I exclaimed at her second statement.

"Hey!" Izzy said, offended with a chuckle. "I resent that statement. Being considered a second option to him, of all people, is insulting."

"I don't understand why you let it bother you so much," Jodi said.

"It bothers me beca—"

HOOOOOWWWWWWWWLLLLLLLLL

A cold chill went down my spine at the sound as I looked up into the snowy sky with wide eyes. That feeling of unease from earlier returned, like a wave beating against the shore, only ten times stronger. I don't know why, but something about this specific howl gave me goosebumps. Johnny rushed from the garage, looking up at the sky as well, then back to me with a murderous expression confirming my reaction.

"We need to leave!" I said, throwing the last couple of things into the van, then darting to the passenger side. "Now!"

"You think you can fucking lead them here and get away with it?!" Johnny shouted at us as we sped off, leaving a trail of smoke behind us.

"Iz, you might want to drive fast, and I mean very fast!" I exclaimed, looking in the passenger side mirror at the dark figures jumping down from the roofs of surrounding buildings. We didn't lead them here, but we damn sure weren't going to stick around to help Johnny either.

"Stop them!" Johnny yelled in his Alpha tone. The Betas standing by the gate were beginning to shift when Izzy hit them with the van and simultaneously burst through the closed fence, knocking them unconscious. With a sharp turn, we were back on the road, maneuvering through traffic as fast as we could go. When I looked back out of the window, I saw a large black figure standing over the unconscious wolves, and then it disappeared into the snow.