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Arc 1 – Omegaverse: The Hunter and the Omega Prince
Day 3 – Forest Ride (Wolf Encounter)
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The rain had thinned to a mist, but the air was heavier now — damp enough to cling to Kyle's lashes. His pale braid was already loosening where it brushed the edge of his hood, a few fine strands sticking to his cheek.
He blinked them away, eyes fixed on the shape emerging from the treeline.
It was definitely a wolf. Not the shaggy, underfed kind from rural hunting stories, but sleek, broad-shouldered, its movements smooth and economical. Its paws pressed into the mulch with barely a sound, spreading its weight so evenly that the ground seemed to hold it like a shadow.
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It should have been terrifying.
Yet Kyle found himself… fascinated.
The wolf's fur was layered in shades of ash and smoke, the kind of color that made you want to run your fingers through just to see how it changed in the light.
Its eyes — that shade of gold-grey that looked almost human — locked on him and didn't waver.
The air between them felt dense, the way it does before someone says something important.
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Aldric felt the shift immediately — not just in the wolf's stance, but in the entire clearing.
The animal wasn't acting like a lone hunter. It was testing.
Measuring distance. Reading them.
He flicked his gaze sideways at the Omega. Kyle's back was straight, chin tilted just slightly as if he were… curious?
The fool.
Without lowering his eyes from the wolf, Aldric spoke, voice firm but low.
"Don't move."
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Kyle bristled at the tone — that same I-know-better voice Aldric had used when telling him not to eat questionable berries the day before.
"I'm not—"
The wolf's head tilted a fraction, ears flicking forward. Its gaze sharpened.
It took one step closer.
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The wet leaves gave the softest crunch. Kyle felt it in his teeth.
The sound was small, but the intent in the movement wasn't.
His breath caught — not from fear, but something else he couldn't name. His palms felt damp inside his gloves, and his heartbeat quickened just enough to make him aware of it.
The horse under him shifted, muscles rippling under the saddle. He could feel the change in rhythm — the animal's breathing fast, ears angled back toward the wolf.
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Captain Rhen eased his mount forward, slow enough not to draw attention but close enough to intervene.
From this angle, he could see the Alpha's shoulders tighten under the dark riding cloak — subtle, but the kind of preparation only someone experienced in close encounters would notice.
He also saw the Omega's posture: relaxed in the wrong ways, alert in the wrong ones.
The boy didn't understand predator language.
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The wolf's tail was down, but not tucked — neutral, yet steady. It wasn't spooked.
If anything, it was interested.
Aldric kept his voice even. "Eyes down. Keep your breathing slow."
Kyle did neither.
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He didn't look away. He couldn't.
There was something about the wolf's stare that felt… familiar. Not in a way he could explain — more like catching the scent of something from childhood and not knowing where it came from.
The wolf blinked slowly, and for a fleeting second, Kyle thought its eyes softened.
Then it moved again — two steps this time, close enough for him to see the faint ripple of muscle beneath its fur.
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The captain's horse gave a sharp, nervous snort. That broke the moment.
The wolf's head turned sharply toward the sound. Its posture shifted — weight pressing forward, shoulders slightly raised.
Aldric's bowstring creaked.
"Kyle." His voice was calm, but it carried that do exactly as I say weight. "Turn your horse. Now."
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