My foot caught in the dirt, and before my new, infuriatingly slow reflexes could react, a shoulder slammed into my chest, sending me sprawling. The pack whispered their disgust from the sidelines, mocking the fierce warrior who was now trapped in a weak Omega body. As I lay there, I realized my brokenness was going to destroy the Alpha who loved me.

Part 1

My foot caught in the dirt, and before I could react, a shoulder slammed into my chest.

I hit the ground, a cloud of dust billowing around me as I gasped for air.

“She’s too weak,” a former Rogue sneered from the sidelines, not bothering to lower his voice.

“An Omega Luna is a liability, not a leader,” a Noble muttered in agreement, adjusting his coat.

I lay there in the dirt, staring up at the sky, biting my lower lip until it bled to keep from sobbing.

Three years ago, I was their fiercest warrior, the blade that turned the tide of the war against Craig.

I had fought through lines of his soldiers without taking a scratch.

Now, trapped in this Omega body, I was a public embarrassment to the pack I had bled to unite.

Brenda stood over me, offering a hand and a look of pity that made my stomach churn.

“Megan, your muscles are shaking,” she said softly, stepping sideways to block the onlookers’ view of me.

“Again,” I said, swatting her hand away and forcing myself up to my knees.

I launched myself forward, attempting a sweeping kick that used to shatter bone, but my foot dragged.

Brenda sidestepped the attack, pushing my shoulder and sending me stumbling back into the dirt.

I scrambled up, rushing her, throwing a punch at her jaw.

She caught my wrist, twisting it just enough to drop me to my knees.

Muffled laughter rippled from the spectators.

I pulled my arm free, breathing heavily, the metallic taste of blood on my tongue.

I glanced up at the balcony overlooking the ring.

Tyler stood there, his jaw tight, his storm-blue eyes fixed on me.

He never looked at me with pity, and he never questioned my right to stand beside him.

I broke his gaze, staring down at my dirt-stained hands instead, my chest tightening with guilt.

It brought back the memory of the night I had first awoken in this unfamiliar body.

I had stood before him in our dark bedroom, shivering.

“I’m not Sarah,” I whispered into the silence, my voice cracking.

“I know I look like her right now.”

“I may even smell like her… but I’m just Megan.”

Tyler took a slow step forward, his calloused hand cupping my cheek.

“It’s not Sarah I love.”

He kissed me then, pressing his lips to mine, his hands mapping my new form.

Tears welled up in my eyes.

“Do you love me?” he asked, pulling back just a fraction so his breath mingled with mine.

“Yes,” I sobbed, the word tearing from my throat.

“Will you be mine?” he whispered against my mouth.

“You, Megan Storm.”

“Not a ghost.”

“Just you.”

I nodded, letting him claim me in the dark, believing that his Alpha strength could make up for my Omega weakness.

But out here in the daylight of the pack lands, love wasn’t enough to command a fractured pack.

The physical weakness in the training ring was bad, but the council meetings were worse.

Just yesterday, a heated dispute broke out between the Nobles and the Rogues over hunting territories.

The shouting escalated, claws extended, and the room descended into chaos.

Tyler had slammed his fist on the table, unleashing his Alpha command to force them into silence.

The moment his voice echoed off the walls, an urge seized my body.

My Omega instincts pushed me to bare my throat in submission, to defer to the dominant male in the room.

I had to grip the edge of the mahogany table until my knuckles turned stark white, a cold sweat breaking out across the back of my neck.

I refused to lower my chin, even as my breathing turned shallow and frantic.

The elders noticed my struggle, their eyes darting between me and Tyler.

I had excused myself, walking out of the room before my knees could give out.

That night, the nightmares of the war came back.

I woke up gasping for air, tangled in the sheets.

Tyler was instantly awake, his arms pulling me against his chest.

“I’ve got you,” he whispered into the darkness, burying his face in my hair.

“I adore you, Megan.”

“Please… just let me love you.”

I squeezed my eyes shut, pressing my face into the mattress to muffle a sob.

I reached up and slowly unlaced his fingers from around my waist, pulling away from his warmth.

I looked at the man who had fought armies for me, the Alpha who had claimed my heart, and knew I had to leave before I destroyed us both.