I always hate coming down here. The putrid stench clings to the air, and I can feel the death grasping at my arms. The cracking, brick walls close in around me. My lungs tighten, blocking off all oxygen. There is no need for such a place on the compound. The students may be soldiers very soon, but to watch this morbid display of humanity, it is just cruel.

Even from down the hall, I can hear Hexa’s clipped laugh. It rings in my ears as I move closer.

Arriving in the entryway to the first interrogation room, my gaze falls on my fellow Alpha. She is young but not much more than me. Her pale blue eyes are flickering with her crimson Magik.

The cold iron chains binding her quickly sap any energy she tries to conjure.

Hexa grunts as she tightens the metal links cutting into our enemy’s flesh. The Alpha shrieks out as beads of blood form under the sharp constraints, her flesh pinching. She grits her teeth together, bared in suppressed agony.

“Hexa, you may go.” I stop my fingers from curling into fists. Why is the world in such disarray? To have to do such cruel acts towards one another. It is nauseating.

The Omega specialist’s gaze whips toward mine. “But, Chief Peltier, I’m already trained in the ways of interrogation.”

Her eyes are bright green, smoke coming from beneath the large gloves she wears. It’s needed if she wants to make sure she doesn’t touch the metal. Once contact has been made, the Alpha or Omega becomes worthless. Nothing more than a Beta until the Magik restores itself a few hours later.

“You have class in twenty minutes. You should be preparing.”

Hexa opens her mouth, as though she intends to argue, but reconsiders and backs away from the prisoner. She pulls off the gloves roughly before flinging them on the table nearby. Her anger and frustration lash out at me with a sharp lick of her Magik at my crossed arms. Although Lǎo bǎn has made it perfectly clear over the years that I am to be trusted and respected as his second-in-command, the other Omegas do not hold his admiration for my loyalty quite as much. They hide it well—at least well enough that Lǎo bǎn does not question it. But I can see their distrust and their hatred for Alphas boiling beneath their skin. Eyes never lie.

Hexa’s Magik is still crackling around her fingers, her eyes dilated into slits. As she walks past, a soft hiss escapes her throat.

Now completely alone with the Alpha, I take it all in. The mud coating her once pristine, luxury brand clothes. Her blonde hair now spoiled with blood. The streaks of clear skin showing the path her tears have created.

There is a kink in my chest as we make eye contact. I do not know this woman, and yet somehow the pain she is feeling reverberates through my own body. She heaves with the exertion of forcing her Magik out.

Must we really lower ourselves to torture? The Alphan Society already sees us as similar to wild animals.

No, not us. Omegas.

I am not one of them. And I never will be. I am merely tagging along.

This woman in front of me, this Alpha, should be who I place my loyalty in. We are of the same race. I should be setting her free, not keeping her confined. Holding her until Lǎo bǎn decides to kill her. Which he will. That is how he is, and I do not hold any preconceived notions that he is a better person underneath. I have known him too long for that. There would be no reason for him to allow an enemy to run back to the Alphan Society. She would lead them back to us, without a doubt.

The Magik of the Omegas on lookout will not hold forever, especially with the Alphas having unlimited power with the earth all around them.

The barriers that protect us from detection are only as strong as the willpower of our men and women. If we run out of Betas, or animals, then we will be depleted of our Magik. We won’t hold much longer after that.

It’s odd that the woman refuses to speak, even when there is no impending harm. Especially as she is in the same room as another Alpha. The cold iron reduces her own Magik, though, so there is a chance she does not know what I am. Most likely, to her, I am just another Omega parasite.

Her irises have faded back to their original hue, the crackling Magik dissipating. The fight is leaving her, but that does not stop her from trying to burn a hole through my face with her glare.

As I open my mouth to speak, it hits me that I have no clue what I should say. Do I comfort her—apologize? She will die soon, but should I give her some sort of relief beforehand? Loosen her chains just an inch so that she can breathe normally.

“Jake.” The soft, but gravelly voice of Lǎo bǎn reaches me. A shudder bites at the nape of my neck and needle-like pain shoots down my spine.

Pivoting around, he stands a few feet away in the corridor. How did he sneak up on me like that?

His snow-hued hair is spiked up in the front, his dark shirt partially unbuttoned.

The dense stare he levels at me has another, more painful, shiver biting at the top of my shoulders. He is my friend, but even I do not dare cross him.

“Lǎo bǎn.” Bowing, I step back to give him room to enter the cell.

His gaze now lowers to our prisoner, a soft smirk beginning to curl his lips.

Heart dropping, I tighten my hands into fists, my nails slicing into the palms. Good thing there is already a stench of decay in the air, or else he would be able to smell the dripping blood coating my flesh. It’s the only way that I can hold myself from intervening. The pain overrides the urge to step in front of Lǎo bǎn.

“You’re not going to tell us anything, are you.” His voice is a lot huskier today, and he cocks his head to the side.

When he’s in this state, it’s almost as though he is a completely different person.

This is not the Lǎo bǎn I know. Tight shoulders and muscles pulsing with each breath he takes. There is a large gash along his left arm, but it has dried up, a scab already forming. Before I can open my mouth to question him, Lǎo bǎn interrupts.

“Why bother taking up a cell if you don’t give me anything I need?” His eyes flash emerald, and in the dim space, his pale hair is tainted as well.

“Lǎo bǎn, do you really want to do this?” Forcing the words out scratches at my throat. “We might still be able to crack her.”

“What’s the use.” He refuses to spare me a glance as a pale mist forms around his bare arms.

Am I really going to stand by and watch him kill her? What did she do to deserve this? Is it possible she really is a spy? Perhaps she only accidently came across our camp. We have been trying to hide up in the mountains, but there is still the occasional traveler that passes by too closely. Maybe that’s what happened with her. How can we be certain?

There is no way I can get him to believe me, though. I have no proof. Even with substantial evidence, Lǎo bǎn could still deny her freedom.

This innocent Alpha will be a casualty of this godforsaken war.

Her eyes widen, new tears threatening to overflow. There is nothing I can do for her. I cannot question Lǎo bǎn.

Grinding my teeth, and tightening my fists, it takes every ounce of effort to turn away. To move one foot in front of the other until I reach the doorway. From there, I feel the warm trickle of blood where my nails continue to rip into my palms. I leave my fellow Alpha behind. I abandon her to the fate of a harsh death at the hands of my best friend. Of my Lǎo bǎn.

I do not deserve to call myself an Alpha. Not when I have betrayed my own morals in the hope of a better world. I have come too far to go back now. I have pledged myself to the Omega cause. If I leave now, I will make an enemy of every race. The Alphan Society will not accept me. I have cut ties with those of my tribe. They would not recognize me, even if I did return.

As the Alpha’s scream echoes through the corridor, blocking all of my senses, my stride falters, and I grab onto the damp wall to hold myself up. Calming my racing heart, I wait until my vision clears before I continue. This is who I am now.

The day that I met Lǎo bǎn it all changed.

Shoving the heavy door leading to the underground cells, I make my way up the steep stairs until I am blinded by the afternoon sun. Lowering my blood-stained hand, I allow the warmth to settle against my skin, a dull throb beginning to form once the heat becomes too much.

Will there ever be a day where death is not a daily occurrence here? With the war about to take off, that does not seem to be plausible.

There are grunts from the students across the compound as they train, and it clears my ears of the Alpha’s screams from below.

Feet moving on their own, I wonder what my destination is. Where could I possibly be going?

“Civil Chief!”

The female voice stops me in my tracks. Who is it? The Alpha? No, that’s impossible. The edges of my vision are blurry, making it hard to focus on the figure approaching me.

“Chief Peltier, are you alright?”

Ah, I see, it’s Vanessa. It’s easy to see her bright eyes carefully searching my face. As she studies me, I focus on her. Her brow is thick, but gentle, the lines in her features revealing the worry she has for me. But wait, there’s something more. Her jaw is clenched, her plush lips are now pressed into a thin line, and there are unshed tears floating in her gaze. What has caused her such pain?

“Vanessa. Shouldn’t you be getting prepared for the next class?”

“Zach is taking some extra time setting the lesson up. He gave us another thirty minutes.” She rambles on before her brow furrows. “Are you hurt?”

Vanessa grabs a hold of my wrist, splaying out my fingers so that she can get a better view at the cuts. Great. I was hoping I could get my hands cleaned up before anyone noticed.

Why is she in this area of the compound to begin with? The dorms are three buildings over. And didn’t I tell her to stay away? The last thing we need is a new recruit seeing a prisoner being tortured.

It is calming, though, having her soft hands hold mine and her thumb stroking the unstained parts of my skin. Her brow scrunches together ever so slightly and the urge to press my thumb in the middle, smoothing out the wrinkles tingles down into my fingertips. To delve my burly hands into the silky waves of her hair in order to bring her closer, to smell her—

What am I thinking?

How could I even be imagining doing something like that? Vanessa is my student. She will soon be a soldier that follows my commands. I can’t be so familiar with her. I barely know her.

“Does it hurt?” She cranes her neck upward, all the while still holding my hand.

Her smooth fingers grip my palm harder, and that’s when I notice it—she’s trembling. She’s doing a good job at hiding it, but I can feel the tension seeping into my skin. Why is she so scared?

“Ah, no, not really.”

I watch as she swallows, her throat shifting. “Are you sure? You look pale.”

“I’m fine, really. Thank you for your concern.” Trying to release myself from her attentive grasp, I pull on my arm.

Vanessa tightens her shaking grip and her voice wavers. “We should go get this cleaned up.”

She is now avoiding eye contact. Is she scared of me? If so, why is she so concerned for my well-being?

As Vanessa turns to walk away, me in tow, Lǎo bǎn’s voice bites through my fog of thoughts. “What are you doing here?”

Vanessa’s body all but convulses. She stops, a shiver starting in her shoulders before reverberating into our clasped hands.

“Lǎo bǎn, good morning.” Trying to bow with one arm outstretched is difficult to accomplish.

“Oh, I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have just grabbed you like that.” Vanessa immediately releases my hand and takes several steps back.

“Really, it’s okay. You were just worried.”

“Answer the question.” Lǎo bǎn seethes, his teeth bared in a snarl. What has gotten into him?

Vanessa fumbles over her words as she tries to answer, all the while her eyes are glued to the ground. “We had an extra thirty minutes before class, so I wanted to take a walk around the compound. Am I not supposed to be in this area?”

I did tell her to stay away, but not because she is unable to come here. I just didn’t want her seeing anything gruesome. “It’s not off-limits to the trainees, so—”

“It’s off-limits for you,” Lǎo bǎn barks out.

“Lǎo bǎn, what are you saying?” Is he insane?

“Are you questioning me?” His enraged expression snaps to mine, the ferocity of his dormant wolf slipping out.

“No, Lǎo bǎn.”

Backing down is the only possibility of appeasing him.

Vanessa’s throat clenches. I watch as she tries to force the words from her chest, her eyes avoiding Lǎo bǎn’s.

“I am sorry that I wandered in where I am not allowed to go. I will head back to class. Lǎo bǎn, Chief.” She bows deeper than I have seen her do before, and there is still a slight tremble to her thin form. She hasn’t shown her fear of Lǎo bǎn before, so why now?

Lǎo bǎn’s voice snaps, “Goodbye, Vanessa.”

Vanessa all but darts away, her arms pressed tightly to her sides as she disappears around one of the smaller structures. She barely limps, even though her ankle is still bandaged tightly.

I wait for her to completely escape earshot before I round on Lǎo bǎn. “Lǎo bǎn, what was that?”

His dense gaze flashes emerald, Magik misting off his shoulders like smoke. “Do not question me in front of my trainees.”

Lǎo bǎn won’t back down; it’s not in his nature. He always gets his way, no matter who he has to tear down to do it. “I’m sorry. I’m just confused why you banned her from this area. There’s nothing special over here.”

“That is none of your concern.” Lǎo bǎn waves his hand to end the conversation, but I won’t let him go that easily.

“Am I not your second-in-command?”

He’s in the middle of turning away when he pauses. As he glances back, his eyes have returned to normal, and a smirk is just barely visible. “You are, but that doesn’t mean you need to know everything that goes on.”

“Are you sure.”

“Completely.”

I’m not going to get anywhere with him. He may trust me, but that doesn’t pertain to telling me everything it seems. Lowering my head, I say, “I understand, Lǎo bǎn.”

“Good.”

I’m left standing, empty, alone. The blood on my palms begins to scab, and I can still remember the soft touch of Vanessa as she held my hands. Why was she so scared? Did she see something? Maybe she has been bullied again. Either way, she should keep to herself at least until the target on her back is gone.

I can only protect her for so long.