Resistance

Chapter 4

Omegas had always been considered weak, submissive creatures that served no purpose other than to mate with an alpha and bear their children. They were inferior among our kind, and for the longest time, I believed there was nothing that could be done to change that. That was until I had witnessed my mother die at the hands of her mate, an alpha that had claimed her, but had not let her claim him in return. From that moment on, with the memories of her blood-curdling screams strengthening my resolve, I'd been fighting what I was. I would prove that I wasn't weak. I would show everyone that I would never submit to any alpha that crossed my path, no matter how my body responded to them. But above all else, I would prove to myself that it was possible not to be ruled by what I was, an omega.

I would keep the promise I'd made to my mother as she lay dying in a puddle of her own blood, her hand tightly clasped in mine. That I would never let an alpha mark me.

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Eren's scent clung to my skin, a deep blend of black sand and spiced vanilla. I wanted to be repulsed by the smell that mingled with my own, but something inside me prevented that from happening. I was both soothed and excited by it. Even when I couldn't stand how it made me react, I couldn't help but bring my wrist up to inhale that delicious scent again and again. There was no getting used to it. It hit me anew every time, although it was beginning to fade now. Soon enough, it would be gone entirely, and he would have to scent mark me once again to keep me from aching so much. There was a part of me that couldn't wait for that to happen.

Irritated with my behavior, I gathered up a clean towel, a change of clothes, and my small bag of toiletries from on top of my dresser. Not everyone was lucky enough to have their own apartment with a bathroom. There were some people, like me, who were forced to use the communal showers, where anyone on the first floor could come right in and get a view of you buck naked. For some reason, that bothered me more than usual. Most days I could get through my morning routine without a problem, but something was making me hesitate. Something foreign and unusual that I'd never felt before. Then it hit me all at once. I didn't want anyone to see me. I didn't want to anger my alpha.

Dammit. For the last time, he's not your alpha. You don't belong to him, and he doesn't belong to you. It's just your instincts telling you otherwise.

Swallowing down the unwelcomed emotion that invaded my senses and demanded that I stay put, I strode out of my room in determined strides and immediately came face to face with Eren. Surprised, I jerked to a stop and threw myself back against the door to get as far away from him as possible. I'd been smelling his scent all night in hopes of somewhat desensitizing myself to it, but now that he was standing right in front of me, I knew that I hadn't succeeded in the least. This close, his scent was irresistible.

"Sorry," Eren said, taking a few steps back to give me more room. "I didn't mean to startle you."

"What the hell are you even doing here?" I snapped.

"You told me to come down here before breakfast to scent mark you again, remember?"

Breakfast didn't start for another two hours. Did he think scent marking took that long? Or was he using that as an excuse to come be alone with me? I was guessing the latter, and I was not having that, even though I craved his presence. "I still have to shower," I said as I walked past him, doing my best to ignore the way I wanted to go to him. "So get lost until I'm done."

He kept in pace with me without a problem. "Wait, you don't have your own bathroom?"

"No. Unlike you, oh privileged alpha, I only have a small room to call my own."