If I'd known what I was walking into that day I would've skipped school. Changed states. Taken on a new identity- hell, I would've done plastic surgery if necessary. Anything to avoid the most humiliating day of my life.

But of course I couldn't predict the future and so I'd ignorantly gone to school like any other miserable student. Worst mistake ever.

I made my way through streaming bodies, head lowered, attempting to appear as small and invisible as possible. The bell had rung and most people were rushing to class, only a few lingered at their lockers. No doubt planning on ditching class or maybe just basking in a few more minutes of freedom. I didn't have that privilege, I was more preoccupied with getting out of the hallway. Fast. The place was a battleground when you were at the bottom of the food chain.

And right on cue, a shove from an invisible passerby- one obviously too rough to be accidental- sent me propelling forwards. I gasped, palms raised reflexively. It was useless though, I was going to crash and some poor old sap in front of me would be collateral damage. I winced.

My palms did come into contact with a body. But I didn't fall.

My fingers curled over the firm wall of muscle, the layer of fabric beneath it cotton and unable to hide an erratic heart beat that mirrored mine. A jolt of electricity zapped through my palm, up my arms and all the way down to the tips of my toes.

Shakily, I breathed in. Although we were in a crowded space and my werewolf senses have never been that strong, his scent was overwhelming. Pine, grass, a hint of cologne. He smelled like the woods, I thought, even though he didn't look like he'd been anywhere near them. He wore black khakis, a clean white T-shirt and sneakers. My eyes went higher, past a clean shaven jaw, crooked nose and finally stopping on a pair of icy orbs. They were narrowed, and they also belonged to Kane Wilder.

The alpha's son who I'd only ever seen from afar. Who had gone to his uncle's for the summer and was supposed to be back today. It was all everyone in school was gossiping about after all.

I shifted my gaze momentarily. The few people left in the hall were all staring. The rabbit had literally fallen into the wolf's arms. I guess they were wondering if he was going to take a bite out of me or something. I couldn't find it in myself to care.

But when Kane let go of me, expression blank, I felt my face heat up. Thank the stars my skin was dark enough you couldn't see the flush or I'd be a walking tomato most of the time. I had been openly gawking at him after he helped me. He must think I'm some sort of clumsy creep. Biting my lip, I searched through my scrambled thoughts for a reasonable apology.

"Mine," I blurted out.

Shit. Shit. What the hell did I just say?

He raised a brow, and I flushed further at my bold words, snatching my hands away from his chest. He caught one before I could back away.

"Yours?" He asked.

It didn't sound entirely like a question. He must've figured that out as well, because it was becoming clearer and clearer with each passing second. What we were. Two halves of a whole, a soul for a soul, both intertwined by a fate outside anyone's comprehension. Mates.

He raised his other hand, buried it through my shoulder length braids, pulling at it softly. "Kneel."

I blinked. "What?"

His fingers curled into a fist. The tug this time was hard enough to make me yelp. Enough to bring tears to my eyes.

"Kneel," he repeated, face impassive but words coated heavy with dominance.

The kind that lesser wolves couldn't help but yield to. Submission to larger predators was how the weaker survived in our world, it was ingrained into every molecule of our being. In a flash, before I was even aware of what was happening, my knees were on the floor. Right in front of all those students- human and werewolf alike.

The air erupted in whispers, the snickers a splash of cold ice on my skin.

My body shook, not just from the humiliation, but the urge to expose my neck to him. The customary way of showing you were of no threat to the other wolf, another survival instinct which was nearly impossible to resist. And yet that's exactly what I did, gritting my teeth against my better judgment so I could look him in the eye and ask.

"Why?"

He sneered. Even then, I couldn't help the way my heart pounded with those eyes on me, couldn't help but find them beautiful. A cruel kind of beautiful.

"Mate?" He snorted. "I don't want a pathetic omega."

I clutched my chest, the words needles poking through my heart. "You don't want me?" My voice came out breathless.

"No."

He turned, stalked away as if he'd only thrown out the trash and was moving on with his life.

I slumped forward, body released from its survival mode but still shaking. My mind drifted off, into a dark misty place in my head where I mourned the loss of something that was never mine. And somewhere in that haze, I heard the laughter. It followed me all the way out of school that day, along with the echo of Kane's words. His disgusted sneer forever etched into my conscious.

"I don't want you."

***

Sweat. Chafed knuckles. The atmosphere violently filled with bloodthirsty cheers- a few of those calling out for my blood.

Every muscle in my body buzzed, the blood in my ears a loud roar as my back slammed into the bars of the cage. I landed on my ass painfully, grunting behind my wolf mask. I welcomed the pain, the burning sensation that brought a whole different kind of clarity to me. The only kind that made sense.

A flash of flesh and I jerked my head- a large fist rushing past it a second later. His knuckles rammed into the metal bars and he growled in annoyance.

My opponent tonight was a giant. The dude was built like a mountain, two hundred pounds of werewolf muscle with a glare that was enough to send any lesser being running for the hills. But I've been on the receiving end of looks that could kill if they had a chance, mountain dude's glare couldn't hold a candle to them.

Too late, I realized I hadn't moved away from him. His foot struck out- my torso exploding with pain as the world spun, the lights overhead blaring and then vanishing as I went sprawling across the floor.

"Shit," I cursed, clutching the screaming muscles of my stomach. Concentrate. Picture it, picture him.

I leapt to my feet, narrowed my eyes at Giant man. And then I imagined it wasn't the growling werewolf's face I was seeing but Kane Wilder's, those pretty lips twisted in that imperious sneer. That taunting voice whispering against the shell of my ear: Mate? I don't want a pathetic omega. Trash.

I shivered. Felt my blood boiling at the memory.

Giant's roar rumbled through the air like an animal's battle cry. He barreled towards me, a raging bull going after the red cloth. A bit over the top if you considered the difference between our sizes. Of course he knew, as did everyone here, what I was capable of. I breathed in, gathering my fury, funneling it into my senses. I was in control here.

Here I was no omega.

Time slowed down, the thud of feet pounding to the steady beat in my chest. The crowd chanted, in tune to the beat, an intoxicating melody I could get drunk on forever.

Alpha. Alpha. Alpha.

My eyes drooped close. Time returned to normal- I raised my arm, caught the punch aimed at my face. I shuddered from the force of the hit, I was going to get a lot of bruises tomorrow. I didn't pause for the pain, fisted my free hand and pummeled his stomach before he could get in another hit. It wasn't very effective- but he staggered back a bit and I was a step behind him, throwing my whole weight into the next fist that hit his chest. Bones cracked. Mine among them.

I saw it then, the flash of fear in his beady eyes. I couldn't hold back the bark of laughter, reveling in it, letting him take hold of my arm.

Then I had his wrist, twisted it, swinging my feet at his knees. The impact of my skinnier leg against his muscled ones popped another few bones and this time I was choking back tears. But his legs fell were out from beneath him and he was on the floor. I clenched my teeth, feeling the dampness of tears join my sweat stained face as I straddled him, ignoring the abnormal way my foot was twisted. The numbness in it. Stared down at the Giant.

The crowd was going wild.

I raised my fists, imagined the man beneath me was my mate, and beat the shit out of him.