Chapter 2

My entry to consciousness came as a splitting headache, threatening to send me back to the world of darkness. Blinking my eyes open, the sudden change in the light intensity sent a stabbing pain to my already tired head, initiating my reflex to close them again. I tried my luck at opening them again, this time slowly. Rejoicing at my successful attempt at regaining my sight, I took notice of my surroundings. My short burst of joy quickly depleted, morphing my expression into one of confusion. This wasn't my pack grounds and neither was it the forest.

Did someone knock me out on purpose? I wasn't tired and my stamina isn't that low to suddenly collapse from such a short run. I should have been paying more attention to my surroundings. I let my guard slip too much and now this is where it got me. I don't carry money on me when I go to run, so it couldn't be someone trying to rob me. Not to mention I still have on my watch and chain. These cost a fortune so if it was a thug, they would have taken it.

Am I kidnapped? I quickly ran to the end of what looked like an alleyway to see if I was trapped. When I successfully exited the alley, I let out a sigh of relief. I wasn't trapped here so it isn't a kidnap. So what the hell is it! Coming up empty in a situation as grave as this made me frustrated and there was absolutely nothing I could do about it. I decided to find my way back to the palace since it was already evening. It will get dark soon and tomorrow I have that damn ball to attend. For that I will need all the sleep I can get and that would mean getting back soon. I didn't recognize any of my surroundings and the street name seemed unfamiliar.

Stopping the first person to walk by, I asked which part of the city this was. He said a name that wasn't familiar to me. I don't think I have ever heard it before and its uniqueness isn't something I would easily forget. He looked like a Beta but I couldn't smell anything. Maybe he blocked it. I asked if he knew where my city was and after a negative reply, asked if I was a tourist. Tourist? Why would I be touring, I don't even know how I got here. Instead of saying that though, I answered no and asked if he knew where the palace was. He looked confused.

"Which palace? In England?"

"No, mine" I gave him my name and he merely looked at me strangely.

"Are you on drugs?"

"No"

"I have an interview to get to so I would appreciate it if you didn't waste my time joking around."

And he just left. Just like that. I'll have to look into him and see why he was rude. Did he not know I was who? Interesting.

I walked a bit and asked a woman I saw sitting in a park if she can direct me to the ball for the omega choosing and she looked at me as if I had grown two heads. She looked like an omega and since she asked me if I escaped an asylum, I decided to release some pheromones to teach her a lesson. Why was the people here so rude? She seemed unbothered by my release in pheromones, did I judge her wrong? Is she a Beta? Weird, I also can't smell her. The same happened to the third person I asked. What it this place? Is it a prison for rude and miserable betas? Because it sure seems as such. If that is the case then serves them right for being this rude.

Figuring out that I won't get any answers like that, I decided to change my approach. I inquired about the year and the date. His answer made me laugh. It was fifty years in the future and not even the same month that I left in. It was my turn to look at someone weirdly.

"Did you or did you not go to school that you are spilling such nonsense. Did we teleport fifty years into the future?"

He looked at me and just walked away.

The bar up ahead seemed a very enticing option right now. I could do with getting drunk and just ignoring everything for the night. I'll deal with this tomorrow and that ball will have to be pushed back. It's that damned ball's fault anyway that I left for a run in the first place.