Chapter 4

Allie screwed her eyes shut, thinking about what Nate said earlier. Not only that but also how her scent was neutral. Of course, it was. After all, she's an omega posing as a beta. She couldn't help but remember how it all went down.

"I discovered something," The pack doctor said. He reached into the pocket of his torn-up jacket and pulled out a white bottle, the words blurry as they were written in tiny letters. Allie squinted her eyes, trying to figure out.

"This will help you. Inside this bottle is a pill that can alter your scent. It only lasts for a month, so you have to make sure to take it every month."

The omega stared at the bottle, and she gladly accepted it. What other choice did she have? It was that or saying goodbye to her life long dream. She had already too much taken from her, so Allie wasn't ready to sacrifice her dream as well. Nervously she uncapped the top and peeked inside. The bottle was full of blue gel-like pills, and they had a pungent, neutral scent. Almost reminded her of those guards outside the packhouse.

"What's the difference between these and suppressants?" She asked as she screwed the cap back on tightly.

The pack doctor rubbed the sweat off his brow and pointed at the bottle. "Suppressants hide your scent; these pills manipulate it. You're a pure Omega, your scent is intoxicating for others, especially the Pure Alphas. They may also be rare but are possibly dangerous."

She raised her eyebrows at the bottle and made a sound. Nothing made her feel inferior than the reminder that there's someone out there—more potent and powerful than their kind and who's interested in possessing her.

"Thanks for the reminder doc."

He sighed. "I'm trying to help you here, Allie. There's no other way. Like I said, your scent is of a pure Omega, but what if there was a way to make your scent change, so you were...safer? What if you were to smell like a beta? No one targets a beta."

The omega was quiet as she thought about it. She furrowed his eyebrows before looking between the older man and the bottle in her hands. The more she thought, the more she realised that it's the only way. "Do you think it'll work?"

"Yes," The pack doctor was quick to answer. "I didn't think it was, but you see, it is. I was out late at night, looking for more herbs to experiment with when I tripped over something. I couldn't smell a damn thing. So I turned around and saw something that I'd never thought I'd see in my life. A dead Alpha Hell hound. What can kill one of those things?"

Her mouth fell open at that. What could have killed them? Only a pack of wolves strong enough could take down an Alpha like that.

"A dead Alpha with no smell?"

"That's what I thought! These creatures reek everywhere they go. Hell hounds have scent glands under the skin, correct? That dead guy was concealing his smell."

"He had these pills?"

"Damn right!" The doctor exclaimed. "I found them in his bag. The ingredients to make these pills and no this bottle is just one of three that I got. I wanted to give it to you."

"You got three bottles from the dead Hell hound?" Allie shrieked.

"I know it doesn't sound good when you say it out aloud. But we don't have any more options left" The doctor rubbed his face. "Your brother...Never mind. I tried them out too. I took one, and within two hours, I felt like I could run miles, more than I could when I was your age. It was like taking a breath of fresh air."

She scanned the bottle over and thought of all the possibilities that these pills could give her. With these, Allie could hide her pure scent and venture out more without fear. The suppressants she took were barely strong enough to contain how the omega smelled to others, but maybe these were stronger. "No one suspected you?"

The pack doctor shook his head, his beard bouncing as he did. "I went to the strange Alphas, and let me tell you; they are the ones who will make you shit your pants with just one look. Twice my size. But I had these pills to make me an Alpha, and they didn't even flinch at my scent. Just pointed, asked what I was doing outside the border, and I made up some story and got out. The pills worked, I tell you."

Allie was amazed by the story, her eyes wide and mouth hanging slightly open in awe. And that's how she started taking those pills from the past six months.

***

The next morning Allie exhaled a smooth breath. She raised her head, staring at the sky as the sun had not risen fully, the milky air in front of her mouth, turning to fog each time she exhaled. The omega gripped her ankle and stretched the front of her thigh, switching legs twice before bending down to touch her toes. It's her stretching routine before she started running.

Just then she heard a loud whistle from behind.

"This is the view I would like to wake up every morning."

Her relaxed body turned to a tense bundle of muscles and bones. The omega glared backwards through the gap between her ankles only to find the hellhound. Nate.

He jogged closer. His long legs made for an effortless gait. With a maroon tee and a tight black jogging pants, he smugly grinned at her. A black snapback pushed at his curls down to his neck.

Allie slowly rolled upright and turned to meet his eyes. How did he manage to track her down? Unlike others, the omega used the other side of the ground, the one closer to the dark forest to run.

"What are you doing here?" She gritted.

"This view is so cool!"

She crossed her arms against her chest. "I feel like we're speaking different languages right now."

"Anyway," He drawled, fiddling with his joggers pocket. The Alpha refocused on her and smiled, running a hand at the edge of his curls. "There's a party in our frat on Friday. We have the most amazing ice luges. You can join us."

"Is this your way of apologising?"

"No. I'm just here to invite you for a party."

Allie scoffed at that. There's no way she's getting close to him or that frat. Also, his comment about her mother stung. "I don't do parties, thanks."

"Think about it! You don't know what you are missing."

"And I don't care" With that, she rushed away from him.

***

"So, do you run every morning at the same time?"

The next morning Nate stepped around her discarded sneakers. A shiver ran down her spine. "Just asking so that I can plan my schedule around football and classes."

Allie did not grace him with a reply. Instead, she popped his earbuds in and started running towards her destined place. The muscles of her twitched and flexed beneath her peach running shorts, which ended at mid-thigh.

Nate jogged behind her, carrying her discarded sneakers "Hey, you lost your shoes."

Her stride sped up. Lungs burned with every breath she took, wind whipping at her loose strands, but she didn't turn around.

The Alpha Hellhound panted and willed his legs to work faster. "Did you hear a word I said?"

The soles of her bare feet flew across the path before she turned a corner.

"Wait for me!" His voice floated through the dust; she was already miles away.

"I'll catch up with you," Nate called out again, his words visibly puffing in the chilly air. "I'll be right there. A minute!"

Allie hid her smile but did not reply.

***

Once again, she had to face Nate. He reached her running spot at quarter to five—quarter to five in the morning—and did a victorious fist pump. Like he knew no ones watching. Allie watched him for a few seconds, noticed the way he spun around the field. He checked his watch, nibbling his bottom lip while staring at the forest.

She didn't want to be impressed by that. The omega picked up her white running sneakers and clasped in her hand, white earbuds bouncing on the sweat-soaked grey material of her tee. As she emerged from the woods, Nate opened his mouth and went towards her. She continued running as if he wasn't there, bypassing him without so much as a glance.

"Are you kidding me!?" He shouted, looking at his watch again. "You are already—When do you sleep?!"

***

Allie had enough of that. He had been continuously annoying her for three days. She plopped on the chair and told Ashton everything.

"That's his way of apologising" He simply said.

"What?!" The omega blinked.

Ashton sighed. "I know! He asked me why you left the cafeteria angry, and I told him."

She let out a sharp breath at that. So he knew that the comment was insensitive but instead of straightaway apologising he's doing these stunts. How can she not be annoyed by that?

"I know what you are thinking, but you should give him a chance. He's not a bad guy."

"Whatever"

***