Chapter 2

Hayley Thornton POV:

The crushing weight of the Alpha's Command pressed down on my spine like afalling boulder. My knees shook violently, hovering less than an inch above the dark gray carpet.

Johnston looked down from above, his cold gray eyes devoid of mercy as he waited for my final submission.

Right as my kneecaps brushed the fabric of the rug, an ancient, dormant power-the royal blood of the Silverbane White Wolf-erupted like molten lava through my veins. In our world, genetic rank is fixed at birth, yet an awakened royal White Wolf stands far above any ordinary pack Alpha.

I clenched my jaw until my teeth ached and pushed back against the suffocating pressure, straightening my legs inch by agonizing inch.

My joints groaned under the colliding forces, but I locked my spine straight and met Johnston's stunned gaze head-on.

"How is that possible..." Jalyn slapped a hand over her mouth, staring in disbelief as a supposedly powerless Omega secretary stood tall under a direct command.

Johnston's pupils shrank to pinpricks. Clearly, he had never imagined his prized Alpha's Command would fail completely on me.

I raised the back of my hand, wiped the smear of blood from the corner of my mouth, and whipped the metal security lanyard across the air. It slammed onto his mahogany desk with a loud crack.

"Your command doesn't work on me, Johnston. Just like your pathetic trust, it's worth nothing." I stared at him, my chest steady and completely free of warmth.

"Hayley, do you have any idea what you're doing? Without Apex, a weak Omega like you won't even survive a week in Veridian City!" Johnston barked, his voice tight with anger as he tried to intimidate me with reality.

"That's my business, Alpha." I curled my lip into a mocking half-smile, seeing right through his god complex.

"I officially resign," I stated, each word dropping heavy and clear into the quiet room.

"And our six-year secret relationship ends right now. Starting today, I am not your secretary, and I am nothing to you."

Johnston's face turned livid, his jaw clenching so hard the veins in his neck bulged. From the arrogant glint remaining in his eyes, I could tell he assumed this was just another petty trick to grab his attention.

"You think a little tantrum like this will force me to compromise?" He let out a harsh laugh, his fingers reaching out to tap the cigarette pack on his desk. "Walk out that door, and don't ever expect me to toss you another scrap of resource."

"Save your scraps for the stray dogs who actually want them."

I turned my back on him without a second glance and marched toward the office exit.

"Stop right there! Did I give you permission to leave?" Johnston's furious roar echoed behind me, followed by the crash of folders being swept off his desk.

I didn't slow my pace for half a second. I grabbed the heavy brass handle and pushed the door wide open.

Outside in the hallway, three junior assistants who had been pressing their ears near the doorframe gasped and scrambled back to their cubicles.

I walked down the long corridor with my chin high and my back straight, the steady click of my heels cutting through the tense, gossip-filled air.

A loud thud came from the office behind me as Johnston kicked his leather chair over, yet a wave of pure relief washed through my chest, making every breath taste clean.

At the end of the hall, I stopped in front of the brushed-steel elevator doors. My reflection stared back at me-a red mark across my left cheek, but eyes burning with the fierce, untamed light of a wolf finally out of her cage.

The elevator chimed and the doors slid open. Just as I lifted my foot to step inside, frantic, uneven footsteps clattered down the corridor.

"Bitch! Do you really think quitting lets you walk away from treason?" Jalyn's shrill scream tore through the hallway.

I pivoted on my heel. Jalyn was marching toward me flanked by two burly Pack security enforcers in black uniforms.

Both male wolves gripped heavy riot batons, their eyes scanning me with the casual disdain strong warriors reserved for bottom-tier Omegas.

I narrowed my eyes, my heartbeat speeding up as adrenaline pumped hot and fast into my limbs.

Jalyn stopped three feet away, lifting her chin as she pointed a finger at the cardboard box of personal belongings I had scooped off my desk on the way out. "Smash her box open! Check every scrap of paper for stolen secrets!"

One of the enforcers stepped forward immediately, reaching out a thick, hairy hand to rip the box from my arms.

I shifted my weight and sidestepped his grab cleanly, my gaze dropping to absolute zero.