Chapter 86

Chapter 86: Chapter 86

The first thing I felt when I opened my eyes that morning was dread. Cold, heavy dread that pressed against my chest until it was hard to breathe. I sat up on the narrow bed, my fingers trembling as I clutched the thin blanket tighter. The words of that old witch from my dream still echoed in my head, like a curse I couldn’t escape.

"The only way home... is to make the Alpha fall in love with you."

Her voice had been raspy, ancient, yet chillingly certain. I could still see her wrinkled hands, her eyes glowing faintly with a strange light as she spoke. I didn’t know if the dream had been real or just my desperate mind clinging to hope but it felt too vivid to ignore.

Love? From him?

I almost laughed, except it came out as a strangled sob. The psycho Alpha didn’t even see me as human. He saw me as an intruder, a possession, something to control. He looked at me with that predatory smirk, as though I existed only for his amusement. And yet if what that witch said was true, if his love was the only way I could return to my world then I had no choice.

I needed to go back. I couldn’t survive here much longer. The smell of blood, fur, and the way their eyes gleamed whenever they caught my scent it terrified me. Every night, I’d close my eyes and pray to wake up in my small, messy apartment again. To hear the familiar hum of traffic. To wear my white coat and stethoscope. To feel human again.

But instead, I was trapped here, in this nightmare world of dominance and primal instincts.

So, if love was the key, then I’d learn how to make the monster fall.

Still, my heart pounded painfully as I got up, splashing my face with cold water from the basin. My reflection in the mirror didn’t even look like me anymore. My once neatly tied hair was now tangled, my eyes sunken from lack of sleep. I was an omega now, not a doctor. A fragile thing in a world ruled by predators.

But I had to try. And the first step was to return to his quarters.

I knew what kind of danger that meant. Just thinking about being near him made my knees weak. But I couldn’t turn back now.

I found Elizabeth in the kitchen, already preparing the morning stew. The warm scent of broth and herbs filled the air, and for a moment, I almost forgot where I was. Elizabeth was kind, one of the few in this pack who didn’t treat me like dirt. Her soft brown eyes flicked up when she saw me, and she gave me a faint smile.

"Ellie," she greeted, wiping her hands on her apron. "You look pale. Did you sleep at all?"

I hesitated, twisting my fingers nervously. "I... I had a dream," I whispered. "And I’ve been thinking."

Her brows furrowed. "About what?"

I took a shaky breath. "I want to go back to the Alpha’s quarters."

The spoon in her hand froze midair. Her expression turned from gentle concern to sheer disbelief. "What?"

"I want to serve him again," I said quickly before I lost my nerve. "As his personal omega."

For a moment, the only sound was the bubbling of the stew. Elizabeth set the spoon down and crossed her arms, studying me as if trying to read my soul.

"Ellie," she said softly. "You remember what happened the last time, don’t you?"

I flinched. Yes, I remembered. The memory was carved into me like a scar the Alpha’s cold gaze, the way he toyed with my fear, the way he made me feel so small I could hardly breathe.

"I remember," I whispered. "But I... I need to go back."

"Why?" Elizabeth pressed, stepping closer. "He’s dangerous, Ellie. Everyone knows that. You’re safer here with the kitchen staff. Whatever reason you have, it can’t be worth risking your life."

I bit down on my lip, the taste of blood grounding me. I couldn’t tell her the truth. She’d think I’d lost my mind. How could I explain that I was from another world? That I didn’t belong here? That I needed to make a deranged Alpha fall in love with me to escape?

So I lowered my eyes and lied. "I just want to make things right. I want to prove I’m not useless."

Elizabeth sighed deeply, rubbing her temples. "You’re not useless. You’re just unlucky."

Her words stung more than I expected.

"I know what I’m doing," I said quietly, forcing steadiness into my voice. "Please, Elizabeth. I’ll be careful. I just need one more chance."

She stared at me for a long moment, the silence stretching unbearably. Finally, she shook her head with a helpless smile.

"You’re stubborn," she said softly. "Just like I was when I was your age."

I blinked, startled.

She sighed again and reached out, brushing a strand of hair from my face. "All right. I’ll speak to the Alpha’s beta. I can’t promise anything, but I’ll try."

Relief flooded me so fast my knees nearly gave out. "Thank you," I breathed, grabbing her hand. "Thank you, Elizabeth."

"Don’t thank me yet," she said, her expression darkening. "If he hurts you again, I won’t forgive myself."

I nodded, even though we both knew forgiveness would be the least of my worries if that happened.

As she turned back to the stew, I sank onto a stool, trying to calm the frantic rhythm of my heart. I couldn’t help but imagine what it would be like to face him again to see those sharp golden eyes, to hear that low, dangerous voice calling my name.

My stomach twisted painfully.

Could I really make someone like him fall in love with me?

The thought seemed absurd. He was unpredictable, terrifying, and completely unhinged. And yet there were moments, rare and fleeting, when I thought I saw something in his eyes. A flicker of curiosity. Maybe even something softer.

If I could reach that side of him... maybe the witch’s words weren’t impossible after all.

Still, as I stared out the small window, watching the mist curl over the dark trees, I couldn’t shake the creeping feeling that something or someone was watching me.

It wasn’t the first time I’d felt it. The sense of eyes following me, hidden somewhere in the shadows. Maybe it was the spy he’d assigned to watch me before. Maybe it was him.

My pulse quickened. I pressed my palm to my chest and forced a shaky laugh. "You’re just paranoid, Ellie," I whispered to myself. "Completely paranoid."

But deep down, I knew I wasn’t.

Because in this world, nothing was ever just paranoia. And if I was really going to survive long enough to win the Alpha’s heart... I’d have to play this game very carefully.

It was late in the evening when the door to the omegas’ quarters creaked open. I was sitting on my bunk, staring at the worn-out slippers by my feet, lost in a storm of thoughts, when Elizabeth’s soft voice broke through the silence.

"Ellie," she called gently.

I looked up, startled. Her figure stood framed in the fading gold of the sunset calm, composed, her brown hair pulled neatly into a braid that glimmered under the light. Elizabeth had always been different from the other head omegas. She wasn’t cruel. She wasn’t kind either, not in the sentimental way, but she had a quiet decency that made her words sting less than others’.

"Come," she said, motioning me outside.

My heart pounded as I followed her down the narrow corridor. The air outside was cool and sharp, heavy with the scent of pine and smoke from the evening fires. Every step echoed with the fear and determination that had been building inside me for days.

Was this it? Did she find out about what I’d done? About what I was planning? Or did the Alpha send for me?

We stopped behind the storage hall, where no one could overhear us. Elizabeth turned to face me, her eyes searching mine. "You came to me this morning," she said in a low voice. "You asked to return to the Alpha’s quarters."

I nodded, my throat tightening. "Yes, ma’am."

"Do you want to tell me why?" she asked quietly.

I froze. Of course she would ask. But how could I tell her the truth? That a witch in my dream told me the only way back to my world to my real life was to make a psycho Alpha fall in love with me? That I was willing to risk everything, even my sanity, to escape this nightmare?

"No reason," I whispered. "I just... I think I can handle it now."

Elizabeth studied me for a long, silent moment. Her eyes softened, as if she could see right through my trembling voice and the lie hidden beneath it. Then she sighed and folded her arms. "You’re either brave or foolish, Ellie. I can’t tell which."

I forced a small, nervous smile. "Maybe both."

A tiny laugh escaped her quick, tired, and genuine. "You remind me of myself when I first came here," she said, shaking her head. "But the Alpha isn’t someone you can predict. One wrong look could be your last."

Her words made my heart skip. I knew she was right. The psycho Alpha the one who spoke in mocking inner voices, who strangled men for being ’ugly,’ who smiled like he enjoyed watching others squirm he wasn’t someone anyone should willingly go near. But I had no choice.

"I understand," I murmured.

For a while, we just stood there in silence, the wind rustling through the trees, the scent of damp earth curling between us. Then Elizabeth turned away. "Go rest," she said over her shoulder. "I’ll speak to him tonight."

I blinked. "You will?"

"Yes." She paused. "If he agrees, you’ll return to the Alpha’s quarters tomorrow morning. But Ellie."

I met her gaze, and for a fleeting second, I saw something in her eyes, pity.

"Be careful. Whatever you think you’re doing, make sure it doesn’t destroy you first."

Her words lingered in the air long after she walked away, leaving me standing there, heart hammering.

I returned to my bunk, curling up beneath the thin blanket, the night pressing in around me. My mind wouldn’t stop racing the witch’s voice, the Alpha’s cold eyes, Elizabeth’s warning.

Tomorrow I would return to that place of fear and madness.

Tomorrow I would face the monster again not as his victim, but as his omega.

And maybe, just maybe, as the key to my freedom.

Hours later, long after darkness had swallowed the pack house, I heard footsteps again outside the door. My heart leapt when Elizabeth entered, her face calm but unreadable in the dim lantern light.

"It’s done," she said simply.

I sat up so fast the blanket slipped from my shoulders. "You mean—?"

She nodded. "You’ll resume as the Alpha’s personal omega tomorrow morning."

For a moment, I couldn’t speak. My heart thudded painfully against my ribs, a mix of terror and relief washing over me. I was going back. Back into the lair of the psycho Alpha.

Elizabeth hesitated, then added quietly, "Get some rest, Ellie. You’ll need it."

And just like that, she was gone, leaving me sitting in the flickering shadows of the omega quarters.

I stared at the closed door, feeling the weight of what tomorrow meant pressing against my chest. The witch’s words echoed in my mind, haunting and cruel Make him love you, or stay trapped forever.

I curled up tighter under my blanket, trembling.

Tomorrow, I would step back into hell.