Pack Fever: Omegaverse Romance

Chapter 1

One

5 Years Later

Islip out from the front door of the apartment building, and my feet rush over the front lawn just as that persistent melody that’s been my shadow for the past couple of months plays in my mind. A tune I can’t stop hearing, which has a heartbeat of its own, yet it feels like it’s missing something…

The stars above have stories to tell, but none as bright as us…

I’ve been stuck on the next verse, but it’ll come to me. It has to, or I’ll go insane…

Glancing left and right, the midnight moonlight throws a silvery hue over the silent suburban street while my heart hammers in my chest at being caught. Mom and my younger sister, Ruby, are asleep in their rooms upstairs in our cramped government-supplied public housing.

Do I feel guilty for breaking the rules by sneaking out at night?

Hell, no!

Does it irritate me that even at twenty-one years old, I’m given no freedom?

Fuck, yes!

Omegas in the making, like me—those expected to go into heat any time over the next few years—will be appointed an Alpha pack for life. In the meantime, we’re governed by rules that are to be enforced by our parents.

Omegas shall not go outdoors unescorted.

They shall not interact with men not approved as Alphas for them.

They shall attend Nexus Omega-approved schools only.

We’re controlled, treated like precious jewels. I’m going to go out of my mind if I stay in the house a second longer.

The benefit of not showing any signs of going into heat yet means no hot flushes, no wild desires. I’m not exactly excited about my heat to come, but it should still be a few years away, so I try not to give it too much thought. Or I’ll panic.

Before we come into heat, we’re no different from any other female Beta. So, if anyone asks tonight, I’ll just flash my fake Beta ID.

Alphas hold power in society, and the majority of them are male. Betas, who are the most common, make up most of the population. They are left alone to do as they please for the simple reason that they are rarely permitted to marry Alphas, and their bodies can never satisfy the needs of an Omega. Not the way an Alpha can. So, both males and females live their existence in peace, watching the rest of us like we’re freaks in a circus.

Then there are Omegas who are seen as celebrities but also kept in gilded cages. Once our insatiable, hormonal heat consumes us, our bodies prepare for mating and falling pregnant. Only Alphas can satisfy us and ease the pain. Funnily enough, while we can’t be with a Beta male to ease our pain, Alpha males can have children with a Beta female.

Yep, Omegas are niche and in high demand since there are fewer of us compared to Betas and Alphas.

It’s crude and barbaric, yet our biology makes us victims of this lifestyle.

Except tonight’s about freedom from everything. With my heels in hand and the cool grass on my bare feet, I run past the front gate and onto the sidewalk. Then I rush down the block to be out of sight in case my mother or anyone else glances out from our apartment building and reports me.

Three blocks later, I’m huffing out of breath, but across the road, Kayla and Casey are waiting for me. They wave at me like crazy, all dressed up and looking spectacular.

“You’re late,” Casey calls out with laughter in her voice. Her white-blonde hair cascades down to her waist, shining under the streetlights, and her skin is perfectly sun-kissed from some Hawaiian heritage in her blood. She lives with her older brother, who raised her after their parents vanished, but she’s the kindest person I’ve ever met. Tonight, she’s rocking it with her black leather pants and crop-top showing off her midriff and the glint of her belly button ring.

“Only by a few minutes,” I answer, rushing across the quiet road, grinning at my other girl, Kayla, whose dark-blonde hair is swept off her face but keeps tumbling over an eye. Her deep-blue eyes are grinning at me. With her bright pink lips and the black dress she’s wearing with a hem ending high-thigh, she looks hot. Those knee-high boots scream goddess. I love seeing her smile, as so often I catch her with heartache painted on her face. She won’t talk about it, but I know something’s happening at her home. I need to find out more to help her.

But not tonight. Tonight’s about freedom.

“Girls, you both look amazing!” I hug them, wishing more than anything I could move out with them into our own apartment and forget we’re all going to be matched with Alphas soon. Our lives will never be the same again. “I feel so out of place compared to you both.”

I glance down at myself, pouting at my jeans sitting low on my hips, the heels I’m stepping into, and a black halter top with a zipper down the front and long sleeves. I hate showing my arms from the scars I got during the car accident. The outfit looked cute in the mirror, especially with the silver bangles, but compared to my friends, I’m dressed down.

“Don’t be crazy. You look adorable and sexy as fuck.” Kayla chuckles and throws an arm around my shoulders, drawing me back against her. “Anyway, tonight’s about escape and getting drunk.”

“Umm, we’re missing someone,” I say, wriggling from her strong grip and glancing around. “Where’s Jess?”

There are four of us in our click. We found each other at Omega Foundations Academy, of all places. A location meant to teach us how to be a good little Omegas, but for us, it became a crash course in sticking together and finding ways to survive our controlled lives. Not to mention the dozen times we snuck out and got busted.

“She’s picking us up here, so she shouldn’t be long,” Casey explains, staring down at her phone.

As if on cue, the distinct sound of an engine reaches us, and we turn to see headlights cutting through the night as a black SUV rolls into view. It’s a brand-new model, the exterior shiny, and the tires polished. I can only wish my mom could afford something like this. It pulls up to the curb, the tinted passenger window rolling down to reveal a grinning Jess in the driver’s seat.

“You all gonna get in, or are you waiting to get caught?”

We burst out into laughter and scramble inside, me in the back with Casey.

“Does your mom know you took her car?” Casey asks.

Jess laughs and glances back at us with her pouty, glossy lips and black curls framing her pretty face.

“Yeah, right, she’d kill me, but she’s drunk and won’t be awake until midday tomorrow. Plus, Dad’s out of the city this week for business stuff.” Her eyebrows raise, and we all know that means it’s something illegal. Her father works for the local mafia chapter, and he’s pretty high up the food chain. I wouldn’t care if my father was the mob boss of the country so long as he was alive. “So, I’m free, bitches!” Jess howls, and we all do the same. “Let’s go to Nocturne.”

I wriggle in my seat with excitement, hands in the air, unable to remember the last time I laughed and smiled so hard since our last catch-up a week ago. I live for these moments with my friends and going to Nocturne, which is my escape from reality. It helps dull the ache in my chest at missing my father, at the regret and guilt that chews me up.

As the city swishes past in our drive, we are parking in a back lane in no time, close to the club that’s hidden from the main public. It’s not exactly encouraged in our controlled society for Alphas to have fun and go clubbing. The line into the club moves swiftly. Each of us is handed a black eye mask that covers half of our faces… a necessity to enter the premises. A place for having fun and not focusing on who is who. It’s why we love coming here. No one asks questions.

Once we’re inside, we head downstairs, where the walls are concrete and spray-painted with graffiti, as though we’re about to enter a house of horror. The moment we enter the door at the end of the stairs, we emerge into a club that bursts with purples, blues, and reds that pulse to the beat of the music.

My toes are already tapping in my heels. I love how the walls are screens that have been transformed into a 360-degree view of the cityscape from the heights of a skyscraper. Every week, they change the images. The last time we were here, we were thrown into the jungle, and we all wore feathered masks.

Kayla nudges me in my side, whispering excitedly, “It feels like we’re suspended in the air. Oh my God, this is amazing.”

We move inside with the crowd. My heart’s thundering, and the music is loud enough to drown out the world. Every lyric speaks to me, every drop of the bass strokes me. This is my place, where I belong.

Here, I’m not just Danica the Omega.

I’m Danica, the girl who loves to sing, who has the chance to be herself.

Where I forget the ache that sits permanently in my chest.

Jess has me by the arm as we thread through the crowd. It’s dark where the moving lights aren’t pulsing, and before I know it, we’re moving up the steps to the platform behind the dance floor, where the bar is located. Black couches line the edges and overlook the dancers.

Halfway up, the tune switches to a song I’ve been loving lately. I release a squeak and tug on Jess’ hand.

“We have to dance,” I call out. “I love this song.”

Her eyes are huge with excitement, and suddenly, the four of us are rushing back down and shoving ourselves onto the dance floor.

As the beat of the music carries me, we’re not just dancing but claiming the space. The place is alive—everyone’s jumping up and down around us to the beat, and my friends and I are joining in, singing the song at the top of our lungs. I have no idea how much time passes, but I never want to leave.

This is where I belong.

Here, I can sing, but no one really hears me.

Caught in a whirl of exhilaration and freeing my voice, I spin—a move that sends me crashing into a solid chest. A pair of strong arms catch me, steadying me. And suddenly, Nocturne has become something more…

He’s tall, six-foot-three, his black shirt tight, muscles pushing against the fabric. Then I meet his eyes, that beautiful face. Damn, even with a mask covering more of his face than mine does, my heart’s fluttering by those strong cheekbones pushing against the mask, the sharp jawline, and lips that should be called sin.

“Oh, I-I’m sorry,” I murmur.

I’m completely breathless, locked in his arms, unable to find my voice to say more, but when I breathe in, I claim his scent. Scents of honeyed ginger and oak flood me, and my knees weaken. A powerful sense of energy hits me, wrapping around me, and it’s overwhelming, as if gravity is a whole lot stronger all of a sudden.

Reality slams into me as fast as who’s standing in front of me.

An Alpha.

I wriggle out of his arms, aware I shouldn’t be engaging him in any way, not giving him any chance to discover I’m not a Beta, but my feet aren’t moving away from him. My heart’s taken over my body, and I can’t escape his gaze.

It feels like he’s put a spell on me.

“Hey, pretty girl. You can bump into me anytime, especially with a voice like yours,” he says loud enough for me to hear over the beating sound of the music.

Did I mention I’m melting? He speaks in a deep baritone, with a husky voice that shoots a shiver of desire right through me to the core of my body. I’ve lost all ability to think beyond who this beautiful stranger is, especially when he stares at me from behind his mask with a possessiveness in his gaze.

“Wh-What do you mean?” My body sways toward him of its own accord, as if we’re two magnets drawn to each other.

Someone bumps me from behind, and I tumble back into his arms. I blush profusely while he chuckles.

“Looks like you’re right where you belong,” he says, then he lowers his face to mine, his mouth lingering over my ear. “I heard you singing. Do you know how magical you sound?”

Every inch of me is burning up, my skin covered in goosebumps. Him exhaling that delicious hot breath all over my skin isn’t helping me resist, especially when an Omega like me shouldn’t be at a club. But his words ignite something warm inside me.

He doesn’t seem to mind or notice I’m not an Omega, especially since, to him, I’ll smell like nothing more than a Beta. Thing is, Omegas don’t perfume until they go into heat, so we can often be mistaken for Betas. The only way Nexus knows for certain we’re Omegas is by our blood test, which all children have to take to confirm their distinction.

So, of course, my mind is racing with thoughts that this may not be such a bad idea to have some fun.

I’ve heard so many things about Alphas, about their dominance, their possessiveness, and how much control they have over Omegas. That their scent alone can render us weak, which I can personally admit to being true from meeting him for two seconds.

But he seems different… I’ve met other Alphas, and none has shaken me to my core.

Our gazes are locked, and it’s as if he sees right past the music and into my soul. But it’s not just his eyes; it’s his entire energy that calls me to him. Sure, he’s a stranger, but there’s a strange familiarity, like a melody you once heard, one that feels as if it’s been written in the stars and meant just for me.

Is this what they mean by you’ll feel it when you meet your Alpha?

A fleeting moment that leaves an imprint on your heart for eternity.

Heat climbs up my cheeks, and I wriggle out of his arms once more when I hear my friends giggling somewhere behind me, obviously watching us.

“What’s your name?” he asks, his hand still holding mine as if he’s not ready to be away from me.

“D-Danica,” I manage.

He grins. His mouth moves with his response, which I can only assume is his name, but it’s the same moment the song switches some a heavy base, drowning out his words, not to mention the whole crowd explodes into wild cheers.

His hand is firmly around mine, suddenly guiding me with a confident pull off the dance floor. A subtle tilt of his head tells me all I need to know. In that whirlwind moment, my gut screams to trust this feeling, to follow him.

I throw a quick glance back at my friends, where it’s Casey and Jess only, so I assume Kayla’s getting drinks or in the bathroom. My two friends’ eyes are wide, and with excitement on their faces, their smiles huge. As I open my mouth to shout something back at them, they’re already urging me on with enthusiastic waves, telling me without words to just go for it.

I giggle, but the thumping music swallows the sound as I turn to follow my Adonis.

He weaves us skillfully through the crowd, up toward the bar to a secluded spot on the edge, where shadows play hide and seek. I just wish there was more light so I can really see who this man is, see the details of his face. The idea of reaching up and peeling his mask away teases me.

He leans closer to me, and my heart skips three beats. I’m not exactly experienced with guys, seeing as I’m closely guarded at home, though I have kissed boys before and even gone to second base once at the club. However, I have never been drawn to a man like him before. It might be that I’ve only ever kissed a Beta.

But a girl’s got to practise and learn from someone, right?

“So, tell me, sweetheart, are you a singer?” His voice cuts through the chatter and music.

I laugh again, a nervous flutter in my chest that he heard me sing and thinks it’s something special. Since losing Dad, I haven’t sung in front of anyone unless we’re at the club and everyone’s singing. So, the fact he heard me is slightly alarming that he paid that much attention and that I must have been singing louder than anyone else.

“I wish,” I finally admit. The crowd at my back surges, pushing me against him once more. “Sorry, it’s crazy in here.”

His hands are on my hips, suddenly spinning me around so we swap positions with my back to the wall and his to the crowd. I grin, my insides on fire that he pressed himself against the crowd, so they’d knock into him and not me.

I might be swooning hard.

“Is that better?” he asks, his breath a warm whisper on my face. With it comes another flare of his masculine, divine scent, which has me wobbling on my feet. How can his scent do that to me? I’ve heard rumors that when you find your Alpha, your body will react instantly… Is that what I’m feeling?

I nod, grinning and shyly looking away as he pins a hand to the wall over my shoulder, leaning in closer. His fingers are on my chin, and he tilts my head back.

My heart’s dancing in my chest—we’re talking a full, blown-out salsa, hips and all. Who the hell is this guy? Questions press on my throat, ready to ask him everything under the sun.

“You don’t need to be nervous around me,” he murmurs softly.

It’s not just what he says but how he says it—with confidence and certainty that chases away all my apprehensions, as if he’ll take care of any worries I have. Is it strange to feel so connected to a complete stranger?

Before I can respond, his lips find mine, and it’s as if he’s not just kissing me but awakening every inch of my body. My world erupts into a supernova of sensations so overwhelming, so powerful. I know deep down inside this will be a moment that will stay etched on my mind forever.

Stars explode behind my closed eyes as shivers race down my spine.

Our lips are one, sliding together, tasting each other, and he kisses like he’s in control. When his tongue presses between my lips, a shiver curls up in the pit of my stomach, toes curling in my heels. I grasp onto his black shirt, fisting it because I’m convinced I’m floating from the sheer force building between us.

Is this normal?

To have my world dissolve into a blur, to kiss the most incredible man as music beats in my veins?

This is nothing like I’ve ever experienced.

His hands roam across my back, holding me firmly against him, pressing us together.

Should I be so turned on that my panties are already drenched? It goes to show what it’s really like to kiss an Alpha. Our mouths move like magic. I push myself up on my tippy toes to better reach him because I’m tiny compared to him, but gods forgive me, I desperately crave him.

For so long, I accepted that I’d end up with an Alpha but had believed it was more of a necessity than something I’d enjoy. Something my body did to me, but no one actually explained that sensations were so much more than arousal. It was satisfying, alluring, addictive.

Right now, it’s like I’m soaring through the heavens without a need for air, so maybe all this time to be fearful of my Alpha matching had been a mistake.

Or at least with this Alpha who has his hands sliding down my back and grabbing my ass.

He heaves me closer to him, grinding against me. I gasp against his mouth, my heart pounding faster at his promise. Reaching up, he grabs the back of my head, keeping me exactly where he desires. His mouth breaks from mine and begins pressing hot kisses against the side of my neck.

Trembling with need, I inhale deeply as his scent deepens, curling around my insides.

His lips are on my ear, and a small moan brushes past my throat at how he makes me feel like I can never take another breath without his kiss.

“You smell intoxicating but different,” he whispers. “Like an Omega.”

I stiffen, knowing full well that to be caught at a club, let alone making out with an Alpha as an Omega, could result in the government authorities arresting me and labeling me as damaged goods or taking me to the Nexus facility early and doing God knows what to me. My family would be humiliated.

Except everyone knows an Omega doesn’t perfume her real scent until after she starts going into heat.

My lips part, but I swallow my nerves and embrace my confidence as he glances up at me, one thick eyebrow arching.

“I’ll take that as a compliment,” I tease and laugh. “But sorry, I’m all Beta.” I lick my lips nervously, holding his stare, needing him to buy my lie. My pulse is speeding through my veins, and I feel it thumping just under my skin as he studies me.

Suddenly, he forcefully spins me around until I’m facing the wall. Pressing his body against me, he pins me in place.

Shocked, I gasp, more turned on than I should be.

He brushes my hair aside, so my neck is exposed, and his breath is on my ear.

“It’s not completely unheard of for Omegas to sneak into clubs to try out Alphas before settling down.”

I huff and glance back at him with the best cocky expression I can give.

“If you’re so desperate for an Omega, you’re barking up the wrong tree. Maybe try the Nexus facility, buddy.”

He laughs, and the deep guttural sound has me squeezing my thighs together, all the while he’s grinding his erection against my ass.

“I’ve found exactly what I want here,” he murmurs, his lips against my neck. Then his hands loop around my middle, pulling open the buttons on my jeans.

I stiffen, but part of me has that delicious arousal skating down my spine.

“Tell me, sweetheart, is this what you want?” His touch slides lower.

I inhale deeply as his scent buries me while my legs are trembling.

Part of my brain is firing synapses to remember I’ll have to prove my virginity at the Nexus facility, while another part is melting, screaming to let him touch me—just once to know what it’s like to have a man touch me down there.

“I didn’t hear your response.” He licks my earlobe, making me shake.

“Yes.” I exhale the word like it’s everything.

He nudges my legs open with his foot. The touch is tender and so intoxicating.

I inhale deeply as he kisses my neck.

“Oh, sweetheart,” he purrs in my ear touches me where no one ever has.

I moan, stiffening all over. I’ve touched myself in the past, but to have someone else doing it spins my mind. I’m breathless, and my body seems to find a rhythm as he pushes into me, as if he’s trying to open me up.

Electric pulses shoot through my body, diving to the core between my thighs, where this gorgeous man is driving me wild. I’m whining because being so close to him has me close to exploding.

I can barely breathe.

“Hands on the wall, sweetheart,” he asks. “I need you excitement all over my hand.”

The words, the things he says, have me whimpering.

He pushes further, the strain bringing a level of pain of being stretched, but with it comes an unbelievable pleasure that almost balances it out. I never knew I needed this as much as I do now.

“Tell me how much you want this,” he whispers.

“I need this so badly, please.”

He’s laughing again, the sound covering me in delicious goosebumps.

I’m struggling to believe I’m doing this in a club.

Moaning as both of us rock with the pulse of his moving fingers, my body is tingling all over. The faster he goes, the harder he thrusts, the louder I moan.

I cry out before I know it as a wave of the most intense arousal slams into me.

He’s growling, going quicker when I shake brutally.

“God, please,” I beg, seeing nothing but stars and experiencing the most beautiful moment of my life.

He releases my neck, grunting. “That’s right, sweetheart, I’ll be your god, and I’ll make you beg me for more.”

He holds me tightly, while my body roars with the climax owning me. When I finally calm down, he loops an arm around my middle, holding me close to him, as though he wants nothing more than to snuggle.

“You’re beautiful,” he whispers.

His words rock my entire world. I’ve never felt such intensity, such pleasure, and all I want is to curl up in his arms. I can’t stop shaking, my body still coming down from heaven. He gently rocks me, kissing the side of my face.

“How are you doing?”

We’re locked together. I have no idea how he’s maintaining control where I clearly had none.

“That was… everything,” I manage, desire still pulsing through me, his affection sending me over the edge. It terrifies me that I liked him so much already, well aware that nothing can become of us. I shouldn’t be here, and I’m not going to reveal to my mother that I snuck out. Plus, dating Alphas isn’t a thing for Omegas.

We’re matched and registered with the Nexus facility.

“I can make it so much better,” he promises as he frees his fingers, I desperately miss his touch. As he draws his hand out of my pants, I quickly button myself back up, feeling him pulling back and away from me.

I twist to face him, unsure what to say except that I wanted to know more about him.

But instead, he’s standing there, staring down at his hand that’s glistening, but two of his fingers are dotted with blood.

My blood.

My virgin blood.

I freeze on the spot.

His head tilts up, brows pinched tight. “This was your first time?”

The accusation in his voice is almost unbearable.

“Were you going to tell me only after I fucked you?”

I flinch, shoulders shooting back. “Who said you were going to get that far?” I say stupidly, feeling fire crawling up my cheeks at my childish response.

“Danica, I’m being serious.” He pulls out a tissue from his pocket and wipes his fingers.

I feel like I’m going to die. Words try to form, to defend myself, to explain, but I can’t find my response. Not while I’m flushed with dread, wanting nothing more than to shove myself into the crowd and escape, but he’s standing in my way.

“It’s my decision to make, so what’s the problem?” I state, meeting his fiery gaze, suddenly thinking I made a mistake in falling so quickly for him.

“Because if I’m going to be your first or even take your virginity with my fingers, I want to know. I would’ve taken extra care, made it special.”

I know his words are meant to soothe me, but they frustrate me, and with it comes a fiery anger. If he knew I was inexperienced, he wouldn’t have bothered to pick me up. Is that what he’s trying to say?

“Look, don’t get your nose all bent out of shape,” I say loudly over the music. “I don’t want anything long-term from you or to be judged if I am still a virgin or not.”

The words spill out through lips sore from his rough kisses. My pussy is still aching for him, but my chest tightens.

“Danica, it’s not like that,” he states loud enough for me to hear, stepping closer, but I recoil from him.

“I know what it’s like,” I say briskly. “It’s a fun night with no expectations, so why are we even having this conversation? It’s exactly what I wanted.” He reaches for my hand, but I pull away. “Don’t. I don’t need you to treat me like I’m fragile or special. I’m a nobody, just another Beta who entered your life and is now going to leave.”

Just as I’m about to whip around and get the hell out of there, the music chokes into silence. In its place is a shrill siren, which slices through the club’s atmosphere.

My heart drops to my stomach.

I’ve heard about sirens going off when the Nexus facility enforcers search the club. Panic booms around me because Omegas are forbidden from being at such places.

Panic strangles when he grabs my hand with urgency.

“Come, I know a way out,” he says over the rising chaos and panic.

The moving chaos of the masses, wild and terrified, shove and surge against us, ripping me from him. Seconds later, I’m moving on the tsunami wave, alone and struggling for breath.

My friends… shit. I have to find them and get us all out of here.

I shove against the crowd, desperation squeezing my lungs. People push against me, elbows jabbing into my sides, stomping on my feet. I whimper, but keep pushing. I never should have wandered off from my friends.

Just as I press myself free from the crowd, heading toward the dance floor, the scene before me crystallizes in slow motion.

My friends are huddled together like a small litter of kittens in danger.

The enforcers loom over them, five men in total in bottle-green uniforms with the gold word Nexus printed on their sleeves. Other partygoers are rushing past them while my breaths are coming in ragged gasps, the air sharp in my lungs.

Their eyes widen, each of them spotting me almost simultaneously, their postures deflated and terror written on their faces. This isn’t just a random crackdown, someone would have told them Omegas are at the club… how else would they have discovered us?

Dread squeezes my heart, and my feet are moving of their own accord, carrying me backward. But my back collides with a solid presence, the force of the impact sending a shockwave of terror up my spine.

“Are those your friends?” The deep, authoritative male voice cuts through the cacophony of sounds at the club.

I turn around, my face drained of blood, and find myself staring into the stoic face of another enforcer. Cold eyes leave me exposed, stripped.

Fuck!

Desperation claws at my insides, but when I glance back at my petrified friends, I can’t let them take this fall alone. They’re my best friends, my chosen family, and I’ll never betray them.

With a heavy nod, I glance up at the guard, and the realization that we’ve been discovered kills me. Hell, we are going to be in so much shit!

The enforcer’s hand on my arm is firm as he steers me toward my friends, his grip harsh and a reminder of the price we’re about to pay for our night’s escape.

My legs feel heavy as I hurry to my friends.

“It’s going to be okay,” I tell my friends, but no one is saying a word. Their faces are blanched, eyes terrified.

As we’re being escorted out of the club and fear knots my stomach, I glance back, my gaze drawn to the balcony near the bar.

There he is, the mystery Alpha, still as a statue amid the shadows, watching me being taken away. His eyes lock with mine in a silent exchange for what could have been.

In that moment of utter confusion and terror, of my emotions tangled, the second line to my song comes to me.

The stars above have stories to tell, but none as bright as us…

And those whispered dreams are now dust