Chapter 3

The moment I stepped out of the dorm building, I saw Caleb and Jasper facing off.

To be precise, it was Caleb relentlessly snapping at Jasper.

Jasper just stood there, eyes downcast, ignoring him.

He was tall, with handsome features, and his messy hair fell across his forehead. He hadn’t changed out of his training uniform yet.

He stood tall and striking, with a hint of an unspoken melancholy that made the Omegas walking by steal glances at him.

The instant I walked down the stairs, he seemed to have a built-in radar, snapping his head up to look at me.

It had always been like that. Even when I was a Beta with no scent, he could always find me first in a crowd.

The first person I’d ever babbled a name to wasn’t my parents, but this neighbor boy, a year older than me.

"Rowan."

He strode towards me, reaching for the box in my hands.

I dodged, stepping aside.

The breeze he brought with him carried Ashton's scent.

An Alpha, when marking an Omega, is also marked by the Omega’s scent.

Jasper’s hand hung in mid-air. He looked at me, hurt.

His voice was hoarse. "Rowan, I'm sorry. It was just an accident. You know you’re the only one in my heart."

Suddenly, I released my own pheromones, letting them clash with his. We both winced.

But then I smoothed my face into a smile. "I’ve differentiated into an Alpha too, Jasper. We’re completely impossible now."

"You can make a better choice." I looked upstairs, and he understood what I meant.

I knew that his and Ashton’s pheromone compatibility was actually very high.

"My best choice is you! I only love you!"

He stubbornly grabbed my arm. I yanked my hand away with force.

"But I won't be with an Alpha. I’m going to find an Omega from now on."