Avery ends her phone call with her brother in a huff.

He scolded her for training teenagers without his approval, to which she responded by questioning his authority over her. He told her to watch her temper, and it was safe to say she nearly lost it with him.

It's almost time for lunch, so Avery slams her laptop closed, wincing with regret as soon as she does.

Adjusting her bun as she walks down the stairs, she notes how quiet it is in the house - it's eerie compared to usual.

She had been locked in her room with her music blaring before her call, so the silence is startling.

Wandering to the dining hall, she finds it empty, so she walks towards the kitchen area where she keeps seeing people vanish into.

"Hello," she nods to a lady who looks at her a little strangely.

Strolling into the bustling kitchen, she sticks to the wall, out of the way of everyone.

"Are you here to work or to watch, dear?" A man calls over to her, glancing over his shoulder while he shakes something into a pan.

"Watch?" She calls back, furrowing her brows as she observes everyone.

They all have a task, but none of them will look her in the eye.

Her eyes widen as she realises that they must be omegas.

She didn't expect the Alpha of equality and peace to have such an outdated tradition.

Omegas were the so-called runts of the pack. Most packs, including her own, had abolished the tradition of Omegas long ago. It wasn't fair, and it didn't let a pack work to it's highest capability.

"Um, is anybody here between the ages of 12 and 18?" She asks awkwardly, projecting her voice as loudly as possible.

One or two girls raise their hands hesitantly, and Avery nods.

"Did you hear about the training at the swamp at 3?" She asks, and they shake their heads slowly, their movements seeming fearful.

"Okay, well, now you have. I'll be training you all. Can you shift?" She asks quietly, walking over to them so that their conversation is a little more private in the madness of the kitchen.

One of the girl's nods and one of them shakes their head sadly, looking at the floor.

"Okay, well you can just help me monitor the speeds," she nods, "Tell anyone else you know. I want you all there, and your Alpha knows. You should have been told."

Irritated and disgusted, her tone displays her anger, and to her horror, the two girls shrink back slightly.

"I'm not angry at you two," she says softly, "I just don't agree with the system your pack carries out."

Seeing that the two girls are ready to pass out from fear, she gives them a nod.

"I expect to see both of you there, and I will come to get you if you don't show up. You should all know how to defend yourself," she nods, keeping her voice quiet and gentle.

Walking out of the kitchen, she sees Carolyn wandering up to the table with a notebook in her hand and a pen behind her ear.

"You guys still have Omegas?" Avery calls to her, and Carolyn stops with a wince.

"I was wondering how long it would take you to figure that out," she sighs, shaking her head.

"I don't agree with it," Avery firmly states, and Carolyn nods.

"I don't either, but we don't control the pack," she mutters to her, as the room starts to fill a little more as the mealtime bell is rung loudly.

The two women sit in comfortable silence, both mulling over things privately.

"So Alpha Roman is gonna help you train the kids? Sounds like a date," Carolyn says suddenly, wiggling her eyebrows as she turns to look at Avery.

"Oh, you're worse than a teenage girl! You're worse than my brother," Avery gasps, swatting at Carolyn, who's smirk widens.

"I've heard he's fine, so that's okay," she winks, and Avery swats at her again.

"Who's fine?" Ryan smirks, wrapping an arm around Carolyn's shoulders, kissing her temple.

"You, of course, babe," she says innocently, snuggling into him.

Avery smiles at the cute display before her attention is pulled to the hulking entrance of Alpha Roman.

He takes his seat, and the meal is served quickly, Avery deciding to have a bowl of pasta.

Lunch ends faster than she would like, and suddenly it's almost half two.

A knock on her door rouses her from her quick nap.

Opening the door, she makes eye contact with Roman, who looks a little impatient.

"I've been here for five minutes," he grumbles, and she raises an eyebrow.

"I was asleep, my world doesn't revolve around your location," she responds snarkily, closing the door in his face.

"What the hell? We have to go," he yells, and she rolls her eyes.

"I have to change, I'm not wearing jeans to training," she hollers back, her scowl becoming more pronounced, as she hops into a pair of training shorts.

"I could have watched," he mutters, and her sharp ears pick up on this comment, but she tries to contain her irritation.

"Come on, it's a long walk," he adds loudly, and she lets out an exasperated screech, quickly throwing on a sports bra and grabbing the closest hoodie.

She storms out of her room, shoving by him.

"You're planning on parading like that in front of teenage boys?" He asks with a raised eyebrow, and she unleashes her most vicious glare on him.

"Yes. If they can't contain themselves, then it's a feeble reflection on your pack," she responds with a withering death look shot in his direction.

They get outside, and Avery can feel the sun on her skin, but as they enter the forest, she gets a lot colder.

Slipping into her hoodie, she hears a chuckle from behind her.

"You look good in my clothes," Roman smirks, and Avery freezes in horror, looking down at the black item of clothing covering her upper half.

"Shit," she whispers, walking behind him.

His packs teenagers were going to be able to smell their Alpha off her. And then there would be pack-wide rumours.

"Shit," she repeats, and he shrugs.

"I'll shut them up if they say anything," he says casually, and Avery lets out a slow hiss of air through her teeth.