EMERY
It was finally the weekend, and I couldn't have been more relieved.
I was finally free from you-know-who. No more yelling, no more reports, no more meetings where my boss acted like I was some kind of punching bag.
Mr Donovan, or as I liked to call him, Pain-In-The-Ass Donovan, had driven me completely nuts all week. He shouted over every little thing like the printer being jammed, it was my fault. The coffee wasn't hot enough/ somehow, it was still my fault. A client sneezed during a meeting? Heck, it was still my damn fault. Bla,e it on the poor Emery.
So yes, I was more than happy to say goodbye to my job for atleast the next two days. I needed this weekend like a starving man needed food.
Weekends were my little escape from the madness of the world. No deadlines, no angry glares, and no endless to-do list, it was just peace, quiet, and the thing I loved most… which are books.
Reading has always been my favorite thing in the world. While some people drowned their stress in alcohol or partied all weekend, I chose fiction. Stories helped me forget how exhausting life could be.
Books let me step into a different world, even if just for a few hours, and today, I had my sights set on finding a new one to dive into.
I rushed through a quick shower and pulled on a simple grey hoodie and dark jeans. Nothing too fancy, just comfortable. I grabbed my wallet and keys and headed out.
The air outside was cool and calming, and the streets were quieter than usual. Most people were probably still in bed or binge-watching some show, but not me.
I had one destination set in mind, the old bookstore down the street, "Whispers and Pages." it wasn't the biggest store around, but it had character, and the owner always managed to stock the best fantasy and werewolves novels. I couldn't wait to see what was new.
The bell above the door chimed softly as I stepped in, and the smell of paper and dust immediately wrapped around me like an old friend. I sighed in contentment.
"Morning, Emery!" the owner, Rose, greeted from behind the counter.
"Morning, Rose," I smiled, "any new arrivals?"
"Plenty. Check the display near the back, they just came in this morning."
"Perfect… absolutely perfect."
I headed straight to the back, weaving through the narrow aisles, my eyes scanning the colorful spines of books lined up like soldiers. Then I saw it.
A single book stood out on the display table. It wasn't flashy, with no glitter or over-the-top cover design. In fact, it was kind of simple. A dark blue, almost black, with silver lines outlining a large full moon and a lone figure standing in the woods. The title was "The Fate of the Omega."
I paused and stared at it.
There was something weird about it, I couldn't explain it. It wasn't just the way the book looked; it was the way it felt like it was pulling me in. I felt this strange attraction towards it like the book wanted me to pick it up.
My fingers reached out before I even thought about it, and the moment I touched it, a jolt of warmth ran through my hand. I blinked and shook my head.
"Weird," I muttered under my breath, but still, I was hooked.
I turned the book over to read the back, and it felt way weirder. There was no author bio, no review quote, just a short line:
Some stories choose you. Be careful which fate you follow.
That was it… that line alone gave me chills.
I didn't think twice, I marched over to the counter and paid for the book, gripping it like it was some kind of precious thing I had been waiting for my whole life.
As soon as I got home, I kicked off my shoes, dropped everything else, and climbed into bed. I lay back against my pillow with the book still held tightly in my hand like I was scared someone might steal it.
I opened it.
The first page wasn't what I expected. Instead of a dedication or a quote, there was a warning written in bold and bright red ink:
"Once you open, you get drawn into the world that leaves you craving for more. Can you change the fate of the omega… or be killed at first instinct?"
I raised an eyebrow and chuckled, "damn, that's a brilliant hook," I whispered.
I smirked. I was impressed. The author clearly knew how to pull readers in. It was dramatic for sure, but it worked because I was already intrigued.
Without wasting another second, I dove into the first chapter.
The story starts with a young omega named Elias, born into a world where he was seen as weak and disposable.
Right from the start, I was pulled in.
His pack treated him like trash; he wasn't allowed to speak unless spoken to, and he wasn't to eat until everyone else was done, but he was clever, and he had a spark in him that I admired.
The deeper I read, the more I felt like I was there. In the forest with Elias, feeling his hunger, his anger, and his loneliness. Every page gripped me tightly.
The emotions were real, the fights were intense, and the pain in Elias' voice was so raw that I found myself clenching my jaw as I read.
There was one part that made me sit up:
"The omega's heart burned with a rage he didn't understand. Not just pain, but something more. Something waiting to be awoken."
I shivered.
I didn't know why, but those words hit me in the chest like they weren't just about Elias, but about me too because of my childhood past.
I was a foster kid who had no one to rely one and I was often look damn miserable, so because of that I was the perfect target for bullies.
No matter how angry I was with them, i couldn't fight back because I was weak, so instead I channelled my anger into training and also reading of books to calm me down. As crazy as it sounded, I felt connected to him.
Before I knew it, I was halfway through the book.
I had not eaten, I had not checked my phone, and I did not care. The story had completely taken over me.
The I reached the final chapter, my chest was tight with emotion. My eyes were tired, but I didn't stop. I needed to know how it ended.
When I finally turned the last page, I exhaled deeply and stared at the ceiling.
"Wow," I whispered.
The story had taken me on a rollercoaster. I had felt every emotion: rage, sadness, fear, and joy. It was everything I wanted in a book. It was perfect.
I slowly closed it, letting the final words settle in my chest, but just as I set the book on the bedside table, the lights in my room started to flicker.
I sat up immediately, totally confused, "What the fuck…?"
The light blinked again, this time faster, and then suddenly everything went dark.
"Okay, that's weird," I muttered.
I reached over to grab my phone for the flashlight, but before I could get to it, a loud buzz filled the air, like a surge of electricity.
Then I felt it.
Something hard struck me.
A sharp, forceful pull yanked through my chest like I had been struck by lightning. My whole body froze. I couldn't move, and my heart pounded hard in my ears.
"I found you, you think you could escape from me?" a deep husky voice said from the shadows and before I could react, something struck me again.
The last thing I saw before everything went black was a bright light, it was so intense that it filled my entire vision, and then.. Nothing.
Just darkness and silence.