I Met My Fated Alpha Inside a Dream

"What are you doing in this territory?"

The boy's voice cut through the deafening rain, a low, hostile growl.

I wiped freezing mud from my cheek. He stood blocking my path in the dense, dark forest. He looked my age, maybe eighteen, with sharp cheekbones and eyes that glowed an unnatural, piercing gold.

"I don't even know where I am!" I shouted over the thunder.

He stepped closer, his expression twisting into a harsh sneer. "You shouldn't be out here. How did a weak thing like you get past the borders?"

I crossed my arms, shivering violently in the downpour. "Then why are *you* here?"

He didn't answer. He lunged forward and grabbed my wrist. His skin burned like a furnace against my freezing flesh.

"Move," he commanded.

"Get off me!" I fought against his grip, but his fingers were like iron.

He dragged me through the wet brush until a rotting wooden cabin appeared in the gloom. He shoved the front door open with his shoulder and pulled me inside, out of the violent storm.

"I'm Owen," he announced, shaking the rainwater from his dark hair. "I'm the Alpha of this pack."

"Pack?" I backed away from him, bumping into a dusty table. "Alpha? What are you talking about?"

Owen tilted his head. He stepped into my space, leaning down until his nose hovered inches from my neck. He inhaled deeply.

"I can smell your scent," he murmured, his tone heavy with disgust. "You must be a regular Omega, right?"

"Omega? What is an Omega?"

Owen scoffed, crossing his arms. "You really don't know?"

"No! I just want to go home!"

"Watch."

He stepped back into the center of the room. A sickening crack echoed through the small cabin. His spine bowed backward at an impossible angle. Thick fur erupted from his skin, tearing through his clothes in seconds. The arrogant, handsome boy vanished.

A massive, terrifying wolf took his place.

The beast snarled, baring teeth the size of kitchen knives.

I scrambled backward and hit the wooden wall. My gaze darted upward in sheer panic. A rusted clock hung crookedly above the doorframe.

The hands pointed exactly to one o'clock.

The wolf lunged at my throat.

Blackness swallowed me.

***

I bolted upright in bed, gasping for air.

The digital numbers on my nightstand glared in the dark room: 5:00 AM.

Sweat soaked my forehead. My pulse hammered in my ears so loudly it drowned out the hum of the air conditioner.

I threw off the blankets and stumbled to the bathroom, splashing freezing water on my face. I stared at my pale reflection in the mirror.

It was just a nightmare.

But my wrist still tingled exactly where Owen had grabbed me.

"Get a grip, Vivian," I whispered to the empty room. "It wasn't real."

I dried my face with a towel, trying to calm my racing heart. Dreams faded. That was the rule. You woke up, and within ten minutes, the details slipped away like sand through your fingers.

But this didn't fade. His name. Owen. The golden eyes. The exact shape of the rusted clock. The bone-snapping sound of his transformation. Every detail remained burned into my brain.

***

The shrill school bell rang, snapping me back to reality.

Lockers slammed in the crowded hallway of Oak Creek High. Students pushed past me, complaining about homework and weekend plans.

"Earth to Vivian."

Lily snapped her fingers right in front of my nose.

"Sorry," I said, shoving my history textbook onto the top shelf of my locker.

"You look like a zombie," Lily noted, leaning against the metal door next to mine. "Did you stay up playing video games again?"

"I had a nightmare."

"About the math midterm?" she joked.

"No. About a boy."

Lily raised an eyebrow, a smirk forming on her lips. "A nightmare about a boy? Usually, those are the good dreams."

"He turned into a wolf, Lily."

Her smirk vanished. "Excuse me?"

"We were in a forest. It was pouring rain. He was so incredibly rude to me." I shut my locker with a loud bang. "He asked me why I was in his territory. I asked him why *he* was there. Then he dragged me into an abandoned cabin."

"Okay, weird flex, but go on."

"He told me his name was Owen. He said he was an Alpha." I gripped the strap of my backpack, my knuckles turning white. "He smelled my neck and called me an Omega. Then his bones broke, and he turned into a giant monster."

Lily burst out laughing.

"It's not funny!" I hissed, checking the hallway to make sure no one was listening.

"Vivian, listen to yourself. Alphas? Omegas? Giant wolves?" Lily shook her head, her blonde ponytail swinging. "You've been watching too many horror movies."

"It didn't feel like a movie. It felt real. I can still see his face perfectly."

"It's just a dream," she insisted, linking her arm through mine as we walked down the hall. "Don't overthink it."

"But what if it means something?"

"It means you need more sleep." Lily rolled her eyes playfully. "Werewolves don't exist in the real world. Have you ever seen a guy turn into a dog?"

"A wolf."

"Whatever. Dog, wolf, same thing. They aren't real."

"I know," I muttered, though my stomach remained tied in knots.

"Exactly. Have you ever seen a werewolf walking down Main Street?"

"No."

"Have you ever met anyone named Owen with glowing eyes?"

"No."

"Case closed. So stop stressing. We have real problems to worry about, like passing Mr. Miller's class."

I forced a nod. "You're right."

"Of course I am." Lily smiled. "Now hurry up, or we'll lose our seats in the back row."

We hurried into the classroom just as the final bell chimed. I dropped into my seat next to the window, pulling out a notebook. I tried to focus on the whiteboard, but my pen moved on its own, sketching a round circle. I drew a twelve at the top. A six at the bottom.

Lily leaned over my desk. "What are you drawing?"

"The clock from the cabin."

"You're obsessed."

"I'm telling you, I've never had a dream this vivid."

"Tell me about this Owen guy, then," Lily whispered, keeping her voice low as Mr. Miller walked to the front of the room. "Was he hot, at least?"

"Lily! He was a monster."

"Before he turned into a monster. You said he looked our age."

"He had dark hair. Golden eyes."

"Golden eyes? Like contacts?"

"No, like they glowed in the dark."

"Spooky." She popped a piece of gum into her mouth. "Maybe he's a manifestation of your subconscious desire for danger."

"I don't desire danger. I like being boring."

"You are pretty boring," she agreed, grinning.

"Thanks."

"I'm just saying, don't let a stupid nightmare ruin your day."

"I'll try."

Mr. Miller clapped his hands together, silencing the room. "Alright, everyone, settle down. Before we start on chapter four, we have a new transfer student joining us today."

My pen stopped moving.

A boy walked through the classroom door.

He wore a dark jacket, rain dripping from his broad shoulders. Dark hair framed a face with sharp cheekbones and a strong jawline.

My heart stopped.

He turned to face the class.

His eyes were a piercing, unnatural gold.

"Introduce yourself to the class," Mr. Miller prompted.

The boy scanned the room. His gaze locked onto mine, and a familiar sneer pulled at the corner of his mouth.

"I'm Owen," he said.

His voice was the exact same low growl from my nightmare.