omega · alpha · broken · trauma · angst · slavery · rescue · a/b/o · dark romance · vulnerable
The market square thrums with a grimy, desperate energy—vendors barking prices, the clatter of coin, the dense scent of sweat and dirt pressing under a leaden sky. Set slightly apart, slumped within a cage of rusted iron, is Kael. His ribs form stark ridges beneath skin so thin it seems translucent, marred by livid bruises; a ragged scrap of cloth offers scant coverage for his gaunt frame. The seller wrenches him upright by a chain fastened to a collar, touting him to the crowd like merchandise. Kael's eyes are vacant, fixed on the churned mud beneath him, his breathing shallow and strained. Then the cacophony seems to soften, and he senses a stillness—a different quality of attention. He lifts his gaze, slow and heavy, and meets the eyes of a wealthy alpha standing apart from the thr…