Ashes and Bread

Kingdom Pelugia — City Market

"Stop right there!"

The guards’ shout pierced through the bustling crowd.

Adele turned sharply, pulling her large hat tighter to conceal her face. Her pace quickened as she slipped the stolen goods into her shirt and leaped over a cart.

"Watch where you're going!" a man grumbled.

"My apologies," she muttered instinctively, but realizing her voice was too soft, too feminine, she quickly corrected herself.

"Sorry, sir," she repeated, lowering her voice to sound more masculine.

The man rolled his eyes, but Adele had no time to care. The guards were closing in, their heavy footsteps pounding against the cobblestone streets.

Her heart raced as she dashed forward, shoving past pedestrians.

"Halt, thief! By order of the law!" one of them bellowed.

The law.

The very thing that had driven her to this life.

The market was alive with voices—haggling merchants, clinking coins, and the scent of fresh bread mixed with sweat. She shoved through the crowd, movements swift and precise.

"Seize that thief!" another guard cried.

A Beta turned, arms spread wide to catch her. Adele dodged, skidding across the dusty ground. Frustration flashed across the Beta’s face as she slipped past him.

She didn’t know when or where she had lost them, but eventually, the sounds of pursuit faded.

Ducking into an alley, she paused, catching her breath. Just to be sure, she looked up and smiled.

The ladder.

She climbed quickly, swinging herself to the other side. With one last glance behind her, she grinned and disappeared into the city’s outskirts.

The Backwoods

"Adele has returned!"

The children cheered as she approached the shelter. Her hat slipped off, revealing her bald head and delicate features—covered in dirt and smeared with dried mud.

"Why did you take so long, Dele?" Nadine pouted.

Adele smiled, brushing her fingers over the girl's chapped lips before pulling out the stolen bread. The children's eyes brightened.

Breaking it into pieces, she handed it to them. They eagerly sat, munching on the stale meal, their smiles wide despite the meager offering.

She stood—but a familiar scent caught her attention. Without hesitation, she rushed toward Malik, falling into his arms.

His grip tightened. His heartbeat quickened.

He kissed her deeply, pouring all his pain and worry into the embrace. When he pulled away, he rested his forehead against hers.

"Every time you leave, I fear the worst. That you won’t return. That they’ll take you," he murmured, his fingers caressing her cheek.

"I won’t let them," she promised, turning to the others.

Their small group of six—five Omegas and one Beta—had built this shelter together.

Malik had helped them escape a breeding den, where they’d been treated like animals.

The city was too dangerous, so they had taken refuge in the Backwoods, a place no one dared enter. The rumors surrounding it kept the king’s attention elsewhere, while he gorged himself on the kingdom’s wealth.

"Yes, Adele, every time," Kaia added, her voice thick with concern.

"I know," Adele replied softly.

She pulled out the last loaf of bread and handed it to Malik to divide for the adults, giving her share to the kids. They needed it more than she did.

As she watched them, a bitter thought surfaced.

She wished they weren’t Omegas.

To be an Omega was to be bound to a life of slavery, shackled by fate itself.

Her fingers brushed her neck, remembering the heavy chain that had once been her collar. She wasn’t a breeder, but she had been forced to please the Alphas and Betas in authority—unable to produce the children they demanded.

The memory sent a shiver down her spine.

"Those days are behind us," Malik whispered in her ear, his voice steady.

She turned to him, her hand finding his. His warmth grounded her as the children gathered around the fire, eager for a story.

Adele stared into the flames, letting the heat offer what little comfort it could.

Malik’s words were meant to reassure her, but they did nothing to ease the gnawing uncertainty in her chest.

Something was coming.

She didn’t know what, but she could feel it in her bones.