CHAPTER 1 - IN HEAT

Orlando, Florida, Monday, 8:57 a.m.

"George!" A fierce voice rippled through the silence. Catching George's attention. He felt something burst behind him. Like an airbag popping.

He quickly broke eye contact with the lion. Feeling his weight being lifted off him. Deaf-threatening sirens went off, and blood pounded in George's ears. He glanced at his savior.

"Karl!" Under his red flashing vision. Karl had come to his rescue. But how?

Out of the corner of his eye, a pair of double doors opened. Scientists were storming through heading for them. Karl must have noticed it too, because he refused to waste any more time.

"Get up now!" Karl howled. George scrambled to his feet. His wrist was firmly grabbed by Karl's hand. And was guided to a multi-colored portal. It seemed to be fighting reality, struggling to stay in one place. 

George looked back at the scientist's faces of horror. The ones that were after them had stopped dead in their tracks. Afraid to go any further.

Though a pang of guilt hit George, he saw the Alpha forcing a smile. Nodding to go ahead and seemed strangely happy for him.

The tightening grasp Karl had on his arm was encouraging him to leap into the portal. He followed with no choice. Turning himself, he saw the red flashing lights of the scene close right behind him.

George looked down below him and saw nothing but colors. I'm floating! He clung himself to Karl. If he were to let go, he would fall into a spiral of death. 

The Omega frantically kicked his legs, but the movement to do so was impossible. His legs tensed, and his body was reacting to the trippy feeling. 

It almost felt like they were a blur. The brunette's eyes caved, and an indie-core-like feeling carried the air. Reflecting Karl's personality, he turned to the boy at the thought. He saw Karl's pale skin reflecting the blinding colors. Abruptly, a white patch of color much greater than the rest was coming in front of the two. Dilating George's pupils into thin black lines.

"Here!" Karl jerked back his head before pushing forward. His ears held high with determination. It seemed like the air heard Karl's cry. Now swaying the two towards the white sun-like brightness.

Karl is a pale gray wolf with fluffier brunette hair than George. His worrying scent came in waves. With his Beta scent hiding underneath. 

The wolf's ears and tail revealed their true beauty in the sun. George had known the Beta for years and knew he had many secrets. Though, he never imagined anything like this. Under his ecstatic cover, what lies beneath is unknown. But this was one of his secrets.

The fantasy they were floating through matched Karl perfectly. This was his home, this was the 'unknown' to everyone else.

He was quickly chased out of his thoughts. The white patch had now covered his vision. Every other color was behind him. 

The duo were harshly spat out from the portal mouth. Thrown onto the sleek vinyl of a high school floor. Like restless seniors fighting. 

George heaved, sprawled out on his back. His chest rose and fell rapidly. But he lacked physical movement. Nevertheless, he was glad to be feeling gravity again, though his body battled against it.

"Cramp!" George pushed himself up clutching his calf in desperation to stop the pain. Karl stumbled over on his knees and pressed against it with harsh power. The brunette felt the spasm in his muscle refusing to relax, sending his body into imposing pain. George's calf throbbed but soon gave in to Karl's skills.

"How do you stop it so quickly?" George gasped for air as his lungs finally began to settle. "It's a common reaction when you time travel." The wolf spoke with his head down. Releasing his grip and sitting on his legs.

"Time travel?" George echoed, his eyes wide in shock. Time travel was only ever a myth. Right?

"You fell into one of my portals, the sun had sparked my stopwatch and it opened one," Karl explained, a sorrowful tone laced in his words. "I- I'm sorry. I never meant for you to get hurt" The wolf looked like he was trying to reassure himself more than he was trying to reassure George.

"I didn't get hurt, but where did I even time travel to?" 

"You traveled forward in time, what happened?" Karl answered but questioned. 

Forward in time? Bitterness rose in George's throat. Did that mean that was going to happen at any point from now? He thought about the needles and what marks they left. He looked at his biceps. No residue was left there anymore.

He realized Karl was waiting for an answer. George shifted uncomfortably as a bitter feeling crawled down his spine. He needed to find a reason for a lie to not worry his friend.

"Oh. I was just looking around and someone… Fell on me." He cringed at his white lie. But the Omega still felt the lion's presence. His plastered smile lingered within him, remembering the lion's apology before Karl made an appearance.

Karl seemed troubled but didn't reveal anything. George thought his lie wasn't a good enough cover-up. However, just before the Omega could add anything to his lie. The wolf changed the subject.

"Oh god, we have an assembly and I'm meant to be helping backstage," Karl hoisted himself up, and George repeated more sloppily. The wolf pulled a ring of keys out of his jeans pocket.  "Wait here." He ordered, flicking his tail as he went.

George awkwardly stood amidst the hallways. He heard clanking from where Karl disappeared. It reminded him of the clanking metal doors from the laboratory. He flinched at the thought. 

"Catch!" The time-traveler had re-appeared and had thrown George's school bag at him. Karl already had his own on his back. After slinging the bag onto his back, the two didn't exchange any more words and started to make their way to the auditorium.

Both striding towards the grand doors to the assembly room. They made a grand entrance almost as big as the doors. George glanced at Karl for comfort but the boy was gone. The Omega felt deserted in Karl's absence. He dragged his eyes across the ground. Too nervous to face the swarm of faces.

An aching feeling hit his stomach. Nerves probably. George pinched the skin on his hip, trying to distract himself.

He finally brought his eyes up. Skimming across the crowd, smelling Quackity's signal scent. The brunette spotted him and Sapnap waving him over in the middle of the row of chairs. Humiliated, he shuffled past people to get to them.

With a lot of "excuse me" and apologies. He planted himself next to Sapnap against the worn cotton-red seats. He put his bag at his feet.  "Where's Karl?" Sapnap started.

"He said he had to help backstage" George uttered. The scratchy fabric on the seat was making him itchy.

Sapnap is a Delta panda. Scruffy black-brown hair complementing the round ears that spiked through. His grey eyes held concern for his friend.

"What made you so late?" Quackity asked. George discouraged himself from answering the question. The lights dimmed, voices hushed to whispers preventing George's conversation.

Quackity is a Beta duck. His yellow feathered wings stuck out in awkward twists. Despite the oddly small size. He seemed like a closed-in person, similar to Karl. No one knew what lies beneath his beanie or his true self. No wonder they get on so well. 

Dream finally revealed himself on stage, his head held high. His blond locks shone in the unnatural lighting. Everyone perked to listen.

The main Alpha, Dream, was a golden retriever. His flopped dog ears lay silently among his hair. They wouldn't be noticeable if they hadn't had silver loops pierced through them. A scruffy tail followed behind him. Dream was known as the golden boy, never suppressing a challenge. High grades following his popularity.

The Alpha's green eyes spiked through the crowd before speaking. "Let's get this assembly out of the way. Let's start with...-" George slouched in his seat. Forgetting about the half-hearted words that echoed throughout the room.

A quenching feeling stabbed the brunette's stomach. something's not right.

——

George watched the clock in the far distance start to round towards 10 a.m. 

"Last topic for today." Dream rasped. Returned from offstage with a thick book, and flickered through the pages. "The up-and-coming: The Hunt."

The Alpha continued with a nod. "This game was popular in the 1970s. When Omegas still roamed peacefully." George's tail tip flicked with guilt. Trying to play it off as nothing.

"How the game works: Betas and no roles will be sent off into a big walled forest. Alphas and Deltas will be sent after them at the same hour. They will follow and search for their soulmate." Dream followed the words spoken in the book.

"You will be restricted to your animal form. For people who do not know how to transform yet, private lessons will be held." Dream flicked his tail in the light. A few ripples of chatter came through the crowd.

"It will last just over three days." The Alpha paused at his words. Reading through the next lines silently himself.

Groups and packs hurriedly turned to each other gossiping about who they wanted to get. A few scattered shouts got his attention.

"Will you be participating?" One questioned loudly. "How will you know who your soulmate is?" Another shot above the chatter.

Dream spoke once everyone hushed. "It says in the book, you will only pick up your soulmate's scent, and once found, you mark them on their neck." George noticed the Alpha cringed at the last few words.

"And I will be participating," He continued "But just remember it's a challenge. So have a little fun with it." The crowd hummed in agreement.

"The date and more will be up on posters soon. That's it for the assembly." Everyone erupted in ecstatic conversations, including Quackity and Sapnap.

George could only stare off, he was a disguised Beta. He sighed and decided he would follow Karl around on the day.