Sebastian's perspective

"Okay, that's it," I said before ending the call with a sigh.

"What else do we have planned for today, Blake?" I asked my beta, Blake, who looked at me with a tired sigh.

Everything had become more exhausting since we became the largest group in the universe. Being at the top was always more dangerous.

I knew he needed rest, and I needed rest too, but I also knew that I needed to increase security tenfold because, along with fame, danger also increased.

I hate being feared by my people because they are my family. However, to outsiders, I have to live up to my name, Sinclair.

"Sebastian, today at the alpha meeting, a new issue came up," Blake said. I looked at him with raised eyebrows, signaling him to continue.

"It's about an outsider who stole food and left without a trace. This outsider killed anyone who crossed paths with her. It's not really something to worry about too much, but if an outsider can enter the group's territory and leave without a trace, it leaves a big question mark for the group's security forces," Blake said, making me frown.

"Do we have any more information about this outsider?" I asked, massaging the area between my eyebrows, fully aware that we had a new problem on our hands, one that could take days to resolve.

To be honest, I don't hate these outsiders. They don't bother me. The number of outsiders I've killed far exceeds the number of days I slept last year, making our group the most dangerous one that has ever existed.

"No. We don't have any information about this outsider," Blake said, making me sigh.

"Besides, one of the council members called today. He said he was afraid there were werewolves living among humans. If we can cover our scent well enough, it's possible, but he said he heard that werewolves also sleep and eat with humans. She even goes to the same university as them."

Hearing this, I threw my chair across the room.

"These outsiders! Why can't they follow the rules? Are the rules so difficult to obey? And who is this werewolf who dares to do this?" I shouted, gasping with anger.

"Let's settle this first," I said, with a strong desire to destroy some outsiders and kill again.

"Alpha, I'm worried that the outsider is studying at the same university you founded so that humans can interact well with both species and remain hidden," said Blake, making my eyes widen.

At the same university I founded? This must be a cruel joke. Living there and breaking the law without us knowing?

"You're joking, right? If she lives in the same area as us, why can't we track her down? Can't our wolves smell other wolves living among humans and breaking the law?" I asked, tapping the table, unable to contain my frustration.

"I'm sorry, Alpha. We'll resolve this issue immediately. Can I go now? Melinda has found her mate and wants me to meet her," Blake said before bowing his head and leaving my office as I waved goodbye.

Mate. A taboo topic for me.

Everyone had found their partner, and so had I.

But...

At that time, I was only eighteen years old and was on a business trip with my father.

After meeting Alpha Killian and discussing a new alliance, my father went with him to the office to sign some documents. Since I didn't need to accompany them, I chose to stay behind.

I turned around and decided to take a walk, trying to calm my nerves and the wolf inside me that was feeling stressed that day.

As soon as I left their house, I felt it.

My mate.

The wolf inside me let out a happy snort.

Smiling and calming my wolf, I began to sniff around, searching for my mate, and soon found her, leaning against a tree.

From her size and scent, I knew she was an omega. But that didn't matter to me. As long as she was my mate, that was enough. We weren't cowards. We loved our mates no matter what.

However, as I approached her, I caught another scent mixed with hers, the scent of an outsider.

It could only mean one thing.

She had slept with one of them.

The pain hit me brutally. My inner wolf felt it too, a deep sense of betrayal.

But I still held onto hope. Maybe she did it because she had to. Maybe she was forced. Or maybe she couldn't find me, and now, when I told her I was her mate, she would stay with me.

With a wave of hope and newfound confidence, I stepped closer to her. She must have sensed my presence because when I was still standing a little way off, her eyes widened before looking in my direction.

Her big blue eyes pierced my soul as I walked quickly closer.

"My mate!" I exclaimed loudly. "Hello, dear. My name is Sebastian. I am the future Alpha of the Blood Moon pack. What is your name?" I asked in such a soft voice that even I didn't know I was capable of speaking like that.

"Don't bother me! I don't want you! I don't want an Alpha as my partner! No! No!" the girl screamed. Every word cut deeper into me.

"Honey, I won't hurt you. I'm your partner. My job is to love you," I said as I let go of my embrace, afraid that my strength would hurt her.

"I don't want anything to do with you! I reject you! I don't want you as my partner!" she screamed right in my face before running away.

Her words were so cruel and painful that they paralyzed me.

How could a girl be so cruel? How could a wolf be so heartless to her partner? How could she reject me without even knowing me?

She didn't mention my name or hers when she rejected me, so the rejection process wasn't complete. To find the answers to the questions haunting me, I followed her.

For an omega, she was incredibly fast. However, when I finally found her, what I saw was something I never imagined, something that left a deep wound in my heart.

She was leaning against a tree, with another man's organ inside her, and they were exchanging pleasure.

I growled, ready to attack the stranger who was sleeping with my partner right in front of my eyes, but then the man slit her throat with a knife.

If the previous scene hadn't shaken me enough, that scene destroyed me completely.

I ran towards her and hugged her, crying because there was nothing I could do to save her. The silver knife coated with aconite would not allow her wounds to heal.

I watched her die in my arms.

I cried in silence for a few moments until my wolf forced me to stop and control myself. His calmness felt strange. Perhaps he was heartbroken and hated what our partners had done to us.

But I was different.

I wanted her. I wanted my love. I wanted the only person who should love me to stay alive.

From that day on, outsiders and omegas became species I could hate, especially outsiders.

I respected the omegas in my pack, but I would never forgive outsiders. One of them had stolen my only chance at love.

I was jolted back to the present when my phone rang.

"Hello? Alpha Sebastian? We have more information about the outsider hiding in the forest and stealing. They say she became an outsider after rejecting an Alpha," said the council chairman.

His words shook my mind, and my anger erupted.

It seems... today I have to go hunting.

Alexis's point of view

"Mmm... I like it... ohh..." I moaned, enjoying the sensation as it melted in my mouth.

"Be quiet. You have to concentrate, okay? It's hard to make you moan like that." The man who was making me happy said with a smile.

"I thought it was just about muscles, but it turns out you really have skill with your hands. What else can you do with those hands?" I couldn't help but ask.

He was just about to answer when the door to the room we were in burst open.

"Guys, can you keep it down? I'm studying, for God's sake. And Alexis, watch how you talk. If anyone hears you, they'll think you're having sex, not eating." The girl, or rather, my new friend, yelled while glaring at me, which only made me laugh. Her pouty expression was really entertaining.

"But he cooks really well. Come here and try it. The pasta he made... it tastes... mmm..." I said before spooning some pasta into my own mouth.

"Hey, you really have no manners! Oh, by the way, there's a letter for you. It's in this box, placed in front of our door. Can you see it? I didn't find the sender's name. It seems to be from one of your other admirers." Audrey said with a mischievous smile, then kissed her boyfriend, the one who cooked this delicious pasta, before joining in the meal as well.

As I tore open the envelope, whose scent felt familiar, I looked at the letter and smiled slightly. A secret admirer. Nothing new. I knew exactly what it contained, a list of rules I had broken this month. After reading it, I opened the gift box and froze, surprised to see a jade pendant neatly placed inside. Well, this was clearly not a bad letter.

"Wow, it's so beautiful! Do you know or suspect anyone who might have sent this to you? It's strange that a letter doesn't have a sender's name. I mean, if someone gives a girl a gift this expensive, at least they want the girl to know who sent it," said Audrey, gesturing dramatically with her hands.

"Take it easy, honey. It looks like our Lexi has a secret admirer. And from the smile on her face, I think that admirer has a chance. I mean, just look at this gift," said Shane before sitting down next to his girlfriend.

Watching the two of them, I could only shake my head slowly. They were the sweetest people I had ever met. Honestly, I was proud of my decision to come here and stay with this sweet couple, even if it meant breaking a few rules.

I didn't care.

I became bolder, stronger, and far more sarcastic than before.

I like myself better now. I used to be too wise, too loving, too humble, and too emotional. All things that now feel exhausting. Apparently, living freely outside the house for almost a year does have its advantages.

I noticed the stamp at the bottom of the letter and on top of the gift box. Even though I already knew, it was clearly from the council. Audrey and Shane were certainly not to blame for not knowing what the council was, or who sat on it.

They were human.

Truly human. And I lived with them, people who even knowing our identity was considered a grave sin in my community.

But here I was now, living peacefully with them, sleeping under the same roof, eating the same food. And yes, I also attended the same college as them.

That was my first violation. Instead of attending a werewolf university, I chose a human university with not a single werewolf in it. I heard that the alpha of the Blood Moon pack founded this university, but he rarely comes, making it the perfect hiding place for me. I did break some rules, but even if the council found out, they couldn't do much about it.

All of this was easy for me because I was a lantern, and my scent was perfectly concealed by the pendant Mark had given me that day.

Eight months ago, when I killed my first victim, or rather, my first three victims, the person who had pointed a dagger at me turned out to be Mark.

That day...

After I killed the outsider, I felt the tip of the dagger press against my body. I turned around, ready to see who it was, but before I could recognize him, I heard that voice.

"I finally found you, my omega."

That deep, hoarse voice made me scream in surprise, then I spontaneously turned around and hugged Mark, who immediately hugged me back.

"Don't think I'll let you get away with just hugging me! What do you mean, Alexis? How could you do this to me after all my efforts to ensure you lived peacefully? Why didn't you ever tell me that you were being treated so badly?" he said, looking at me disappointedly, then continuing without pause.

"And most importantly, why didn't you call me when your partner cheated on you and you rejected him? Who told you to run away? Why didn't you call me when you were training in the forest to become an outsider? Didn't I tell you to open that box when you needed help? I'm sure you didn't even care. Do you know how hard I looked for you? I even spread your information to all the groups and asked them to look for you. Do you know how dangerous it was ..."

Hearing his chatter, I felt warm inside, like I was coming home. For the past four years, he was the only man who treated me like a normal person, not a disabled person. My eyes welled up, and I hugged him tightly.

"I was afraid you would hate me. And honestly, that makes sense. I rejected my partner. I'm just a lantern, I thought the council didn't care about me anymore, and I didn't want to lose you either. So I chose to leave before I was abandoned again because of this situation," I said, turning my face away, unable to look at him.

"Alexis, are you serious?" Mark said, turning me around to look him in the eye.

"Do you think I was desperately looking for you just because my father told me to? I really care about you. Can't you see that? Besides, we already knew you would reject your partner. Last year, on his birthday, we knew he was your partner. If you haven't realized it, since then I've visited him more often than in the previous three years," he said, making my eyes widen.

"So... you knew everything from the beginning? Why didn't you tell me?" I whispered.

Deep down, I already knew the answer.

"We didn't tell you because we knew you wouldn't be able to handle rejection at seventeen, especially without the strength and support of the wolf you have now."

"The wolf... is mine?" I asked softly.

"You never really thought you didn't have it, did you?"

"So I do have the wolf?"

"You'll know when the time is right."

"Now, let's go back to the council house. I'll watch over you until you know what you want to do," said Mark, making me roll my eyes.

After successfully escaping from that damn group, did he really think I would just give up my freedom? Of course not.

"I'm not going with you."

"What do you mean you're not coming?"

I explained my decision.

"I want to go to a human university and get a degree. I want to live like a normal human, not a werewolf who can't change. I want to live among humans, where I'm treated as an equal, not a disgrace. And I want to be in a place where my beauty is appreciated. If werewolves don't want me, so what? This world isn't inhabited by just one species."

I knew he didn't like the decision, but he had to accept it. Now I was an outsider.

"Alright. But I will determine the boundaries of the territory you can and cannot explore."

"Alright, Father," I said, rolling my eyes.

"Don't call me that," he said with a dark face, making my cheeks flush.

"Here, take this pendant. I have a feeling you won't want to come with me. This pendant will hide your scent perfectly," he said as he hung it around my neck, then kissed the corner of my lips softly.

How I wished Mark was my partner. But the Moon Goddess seemed to prefer toying with fate and my happiness.

"Remember this. No matter what happens, you can always count on me," he said before hugging me tightly.

"By the way, have you heard about this?" Audrey's voice interrupted my thoughts, her mouth still full of noodles.

"About what?"

"If you stop thinking about food for a moment, maybe you can listen," my conscience admonished.

"She's talking about the university founder's sudden visit. She said he wants to make sure everything is running smoothly," Shane explained, making me frown.

The founder?

Isn't that Alpha, the leader of the most dangerous group, Alpha Sebastian?

Is he coming? Why?

Has my cover been blown? Or is this just a routine visit?

Whatever the reason, I won't let him know who I am. I don't want to die yet.

"You guys go ahead, I feel a little nauseous," I said, pretending.

That excuse always works.

"The deans have announced that no one is allowed to be absent tomorrow. Anyone who skips class will get a hundred points," said Audrey.

A hundred points?

My eyes widened.

This must be a joke. If that happens to me, I'll only need twenty more points to fail completely. I could fail this semester and have to repeat it.

Maybe... if I can avoid the alpha, I can still save myself.

Moon Goddess, you always know how to make everything complicated, don't you?

Alexis's Point of View

Don't worry too much. It's just one day with three classes.

I just have to stay at the university and risk my life for three classes. Two in the morning, one in the afternoon.

The alpha of the Blood Moon group definitely won't come this early, right?

You can do it, Alexis. That fear is only in your head. With this pendant, no one will recognize your true identity.

Remember all the outsiders you've killed. Remember how you've passed through so many packs without ever being detected by them.

You can do this. You're extraordinary, and you'll get through this too. You can't let a whole year of fighting and running be for nothing.

I took a deep breath, prepared myself, and gathered all my strength to face this big day.

"Lexi? You look a little pale. You've been looking serious," Audrey's voice snapped me out of my trance.

I turned and realized that I had been standing in front of the mirror for almost twenty minutes.

Am I okay?

Am I really okay?

I didn't know why I felt so messed up, but ever since I heard the news that an Alpha was coming to the university, I felt like my cover was about to be blown.

I had repeatedly told myself that I could handle this and continue attending classes as usual. However, no matter how hard I tried to calm myself down, every time the image of the most feared Alpha in the world appeared in my head, my legs would immediately start shaking.

He was feared by everyone for a reason.

I've never met him in person. All information about him is blocked by the council, and no one can request data about an Alpha without providing a valid reason.

To be honest, I've never had any desire to find out more about him either.

And I never imagined that I would be in the same place as him. Never.

I guess this is what they call misfortune. And unfortunately, that is the reality I now have to face.

"Are you... are you ready? Let's go, we're going to be late," I said finally, forcing a sweet smile.

"I've been ready for thirty minutes," Audrey replied with a small laugh. "You're the one who spent almost twenty minutes looking in the mirror. Are you nervous about meeting the university founder? Don't worry, dear. Even when you're sick, you're still the prettiest girl on campus."

She winked at me.

I had just opened my mouth to reply when the door opened and Shane walked in without knocking.

"Shane! Can't you knock first? We're women, for God's sake!" Audrey shouted, her eyes wide.

She then looked at me with an apologetic expression. I just waved my hand, signaling that I didn't mind.

Honestly, I didn't have the energy to be offended.

My life, and all my achievements over the past year, were at stake. My mind was too busy thinking about big things to care about trivial matters.

"I'm sorry, honey. I thought you were alone. I didn't realize Lexi was here," Shane said, looking at me sincerely.

"It's okay," I replied, picking up my bag.

However, seeing them standing side by side like that made my chest ache.

If my partner wasn't that stupid, maybe I would be like them too. If he was as loving as Shane was to Audrey, I wouldn't be going through all this.

We would live happily in the pack. And even though everyone treated me cruelly, my partner's love would cover everything. They would respect me because I was their Luna.

How romantic that would be...

"Come on," Ariana's voice appeared in my head. "Stop drowning in imaginary scenarios that will never happen. Start living in the present. And in the present, we will face the most dangerous Alpha in the world."

I rolled my eyes at the sound of my inner voice.

When I arrived at campus, I glanced at Audrey and Shane. My eyes felt hot.

I knew this would be difficult, but I had to say it now.

I had broken too many rules. It was time for me to leave their apartment and find temporary housing.

I didn't want any trouble coming their way. They were two of the few people who truly accepted me. People I would even give my life for.

I took a deep breath, then looked at them quickly.

"Guys... there are still a few minutes before class starts. Uhm... can we talk for a moment?"

"Sure, Lexi. We're listening," Audrey replied with a bright smile, a smile that only made my chest feel tighter.

"I... am going to leave that apartment."

"What?" Audrey's eyes widened. "If you want to travel again, let me remind you that your grades have dropped and-"

"No," I interrupted quickly. "I'm not going to travel. I'm moving out of your apartment. I'm going to live on my own from now on."

"Lex, if this is about today, I'm sorry, but-" Shane tried to speak.

"It's not that," I interrupted again. "I just feel... I have to start living on my own. I've been depending on you guys for too long."

"What are you talking about?" Audrey's voice trembled. "You pay sixty percent of the rent. Not to mention all the food you buy every day. How can you say you're freeloading? We're here because of you."

She gripped my hand tightly, her eyes glistening.

My heart broke seeing her like that.

"Stupid," Ariana muttered in my head.

"This doesn't mean I'm leaving forever," I said quickly. "Remember the little house by the river I told you about? I'll stay there for a while. It's only temporary, I promise."

I smiled, even though inside I hated myself for making a promise I might not be able to keep.

"Are you sure?" Shane asked hesitantly. "I mean, if this is about me-"

"No," I replied firmly. "You guys are the best thing this campus has ever given me. Really. Come on, let's go to class now."

I hugged them both.

"But promise me you'll see me every day on campus," Audrey said softly.

I smiled.

If they knew I was a monster, they would never be this close to me. They would be afraid. They would run away.

I smiled bitterly, then turned and walked toward my department.

"Ping! Ping!"

Notifications on my phone stopped me in my tracks.

[The university founder is here!]

[He's so handsome!]

I scrolled through the screen.

[The professor said he'll visit the biotechnology department first. It's his favorite subject.]

My heart beat faster.

The biotechnology department?

What is a killer like him doing there?

I stopped in the middle of the corridor.

Then I smelled it.

The scent of a wolf.

I lifted my face from my phone and found five pairs of eyes staring at me, sharp, suspicious, confused.

Do I still have a second chance in this life?

"No," Ariana's voice sounded cold. "We have to face him."

I lifted my head and stared straight ahead.