[EDITING] ALPHA UNIVERSE #5: DESIROUS

CHAPTER 11

It was a seismic shift in society when two individuals of the same secondary gender ended up together—a defiance of tradition that many called a sin.

Alphas were meant for omegas. Betas, free to choose, could form unions with any gender.

But if two of the same secondary gender chose each other, whispers followed. Judgment loomed. They were anomalies, defying the natural order society so desperately clung to. Yet their children, rare and unparalleled, were treated like gods.

Pureblooded alphas. Pureblooded betas. Pureblooded omegas. They were treasures in a world that revered the untainted, a world that sought to preserve the scarcity of purity.

But what about the parents? What of the struggles faced by those who dared to challenge the boundaries of tradition? What about their pain?

Harin had lived it.

She never thought her status as an alpha would be the reason she lost what once seemed like an almost perfect relationship.

"You'll never satisfy me enough."

The words echoed in her mind like a broken record, their edges sharp, cutting deeper with each replay. She had believed that love could shatter stereotypes, that love alone could bridge the gap between societal norms and personal truth.

But love hadn't been enough.

An alpha could never truly satisfy another pureblooded alpha. The boundaries of what she could give were too defined, too rigid, too... limited.

Harin's day unfolded as it always did.

Teaching had become her solace. Her days were filled with guiding students through movement, refining their strengths, and perfecting their fundamentals. The rhythm of dance offered her a reprieve, an escape from the relentless weight of her thoughts.

Yet, the end of the day was always the hardest.

When the music stopped and the last student left, there were no more distractions. The filters she worked so hard to maintain crumbled, and the memories of her past seeped through, raw and unfiltered.

Especially now, with him back in her life.

It was only 4 p.m., and Harin already felt the exhaustion in her bones. The sun hung low, its rays less direct than earlier in the day, but its lingering presence mocked her, reminding her that time was still moving forward, even if her timeline felt perpetually stuck.

Most days, she left the building between 6 and 10 p.m., avoiding any chance encounters. But today, she felt the pull to leave early, to escape the growing possibility of running into him.

She sighed, gathering her things and preparing to leave, only to halt in her tracks at the sight of another pureblooded alpha ascending the stairs.

Two months. Two pureblooded alphas.

Her luck was a joke.

"Nana called you," a familiar voice said, drawing her attention.

Harin turned to see Jeno, his expression neutral but his eyes betraying his concern.