Rejected By Five Alphas: Watch Me Thrive

A pungent, suffocating odor assaulted her senses. It was the stench of wild beasts and primal instincts, like an invisible hand gripping her throat. Alivia Sanford's eyes snapped open, her brain screaming a tactical alarm before she could even make out the dark, jagged walls of the cave.

In the torrent of memories, Alivia also grasped the fundamental laws of this strange world: a matriarchal society where women are revered and scarce, and a woman can have multiple male spouses. Men are subordinate to women, and their value depends on how well they serve and protect the women they choose. The original Alivia, though flawed, had the right to pursue Kane as a potential spouse-yet drugging him was still considered a desperate and shameful act. In this world, a woman's word is law, but she must also provide leadership and support for her harem. Having been a highly trained agent in her previous life, Alivia found this inversion both absurd and practical. If she could withstand Kane's wrath, perhaps she could turn this hierarchy into an advantage.

A heavy, burning sensation pressed down on her shoulders, pinning her body to the rough rock. A sharp, real pain shot through her back.

"Don't move," a voice growled, the vibrations coming from close to her collarbone.

Alivia's gaze focused. The man on top of her-no, a beast in human skin-was Kane Hensley. The name surfaced from the swamp of memories flooding her mind, accompanied by chaotic shame, despair, and an obsession that wasn't hers. Her agent instincts overwhelmed the emotional mire, quickly piecing together the tactical reality: the original Alivia had drugged him. She had tried to force herself on him.

And now, the drug is burning inside him, and he looks at her as if she were dirt stuck to the sole of his boot.

His silver eyes gleamed with a terrifying and wild light. His iron-like hand gripped her chin until her teeth ached and she tasted blood. "You think you can hold me back, you disgusting creature?" he roared, his hot breath burning her neck. "I'm going to destroy you now."

The murderous intent was real. It surged from him like a tidal wave, suffocating her. In that instant, Agent Alivia took control of her body. Panic, the disorientation of waking in a strange body-all vanished, leaving only the cold, hard instinct for survival.

This body was awful. Clumsy, sluggish, weak. But Kane straddled her, his weight pressing against her chest, his lower body completely exposed. He thought she was just a fat, helpless fool. He thought she couldn't move.

He was wrong.

Alivia stopped struggling. She relaxed her body and widened her eyes in feigned fear. Kane's grip loosened slightly, and a disgusted sneer appeared on his lips.

That's completely wrong.

Alivia took a deep breath, planted her feet firmly on the sand, and used all the strength her three hundred pounds could muster to thrust her right knee upwards. She aimed for his most vulnerable spot-the place where even the strongest warrior would crumble.

A muffled thud followed. Kane let out a suffocating groan of pain. The iron clamp on his chin disappeared, and he doubled over, his hands instinctively protecting his groin, his handsome face contorted in agony. He collapsed, his massive body curling up, unable to breathe for a long time. After a long while, he managed to lift his head, his silver eyes filled with shock and murderous intent as he stared at the woman who had subdued him like a well-trained assassin.

Alivia wasted no time. She shoved him in the chest, using his loss of balance to roll over. Her heavy body tumbled awkwardly across the cave floor, crushing the dry grass and kicking up dust, but she was free.

Kane fell to his knees, forehead pressed against the ground, a painful roar erupting from his throat. He raised his head, his silver eyes filled with shock and murderous intent as he stared at her.

Alivia struggled to her feet. Her lungs burned, her legs felt like lead, but adrenaline was a magical drug. Without looking back, she rushed towards the cave entrance, her bare feet slapping against the cold stones.

The sunlight slammed into her face like a heavy blow, blinding her instantly. Rough pebbles cut the soles of her feet, drawing blood, yet she continued running. She lunged behind a wind-eroded boulder outside the cave, her back pressed against the sun-baked rock.

Kane's roar echoed through the cave, followed by the sound of stones shattering against the walls. He was destroying the cave. He was furious.

But he didn't chase after them. Not yet.

Alivia pressed her hand to her chest, feeling her heart pounding like a trapped beast. She looked down at her arms. They were thick, grime-covered, and covered in red rashes. This was her body now. Three hundred pounds, riddled with illness, a shell despised by everyone.

A bitter laugh caught in her throat. In her past life, she could have torn Kane apart with her bare hands. Now, she was fleeing for her life like a frightened rabbit.

"Okay," she whispered hoarsely, "okay, assess the situation."

She closed her eyes, searching inward. Something should have been left behind. That bio-manipulation ability that made her a legend in the apocalypse-was it still there?

A faint warmth flickered in her dantian. Faint, like a spark compared to the raging fire she once controlled, but it was still there. Level one. Perhaps not quite there yet. But it was something nonetheless.

She opened her eyes, her gaze sharpening. She scanned the tribe's borders, noting the orc patrol routes. The forest beyond the mountains was her only option. It was dangerous, but it would keep her away from Kane.

Taking a deep breath, Alivia waited until the patrolling guards turned around, then, keeping her body as low as possible, slipped away from the rock and disappeared into the dense bushes, running towards the shadows of the back mountain.