Freedom’s Dawn and Mated Bonds (Cursedblood Omegaverse Trilogy #2)

Chapter 1

Nyxeris

Three Months Earlier…

It worked. I can’t believe it actually worked.

My heart pounds hard and fast as I grasp at my chest, try to catch my breath.

You put up a good front, Nyx. Nobody noticed how absolutely freaked the fuck out you were. Great work.

At least I didn’t get us all killed.

When Mira and her pack told me about what happened while I was playing stupid mandated war games, and then about how Aubrey was going to be sent away in the morning, I knew that I had to do whatever I could to get them out of here.

I never told anyone that I’d once been able to examine an old prototype collar control box years ago, and I knew that I could short the shield around the explosive charge.

But shocking the charge itself was… not great.

As in, doing so, created a small crater in the earth and scared me so bad I peed myself.

I’m not ashamed to admit it. I was fourteen and had never seen the destruction those explosives caused. And having one around my neck, and the necks of everyone around me, was terrifying.

It still is.

Now, at 24, I’d seen the devastation of those explosions more times than I could count. And the last thing I wanted was for my friend and her mates to end up blown to bits.

Or me. I don’t have a death wish.

I took a gamble that I could control the flow of electricity with enough delicacy that it would disable the shields on all four collars at once, then another gamble that Rai would be able to use his curse to disable the explosive charges without killing us all.

And we won.

I’d never gambled a day in my life, and I went straight for the highest stakes the first time around.

I don’t know if I should keep this train rolling or quit while I’m ahead, but there’s one more thing I have to do to help cover our tracks.

I stuff the four control boxes into the pockets of my hoodie, breath coming fast and ragged, then open the door to the hall.

Where I’m headed, I have no clue, but it doesn’t matter when I come face-to-chest with a rumpled white button-down shirt, the top few buttons undone to reveal a small smattering of chest hair.

I know who it is before his unique ocean breeze and bluebell scent fills my lungs and threatens to draw a whine from my chest.

I peer up into evergreen eyes behind wire-framed glasses and steal a gasp of air. I’ve never seen Andrew Laurant, headmaster of this military academy and undoubtedly my fated mate, wearing glasses. Nor have I seen him look so… ragged.

“Nyx,” he breathes, his eyes tight, that brown hair mussed like he’s been running his fingers through it again and again. “Did they make it out?”

I blink up at him, not surprised by his question.

Colt had said Laurant knew about the rebellion, even told him to get his pack out of here.

But although Laurant is most certainly connected to me by fate, someone I long for so badly it makes me ache everywhere, he’s also technically a member of the Global Beta Enforcement.

He’s their tool, despite being one of us. Cursed.

His own collar glows bright gold like a halo around his neck, the small control box dangling above his parted shirt.

Can I trust him?

Something slithers inside my chest at the question, an unfamiliar coiling that makes me grasp my sternum again.

Before I can decide anything, Laurant grabs my closed fist at my chest in his large but gentle hand. “I’m not the enemy.”

I jump, lips parted, stare into his green eyes. He just spoke… inside my head. Like Colt.

I never knew he could do that...

It’s then that the alarm begins to wail.

Shit. They’ve already been discovered!

“Please. Come with me.”

He pulls on my hand, and I let him lead me from my room into the hallway, where we take no more than ten steps before someone shouts angrily from behind us, “Nyx!”

I whirl, but again, know who it is before I see his face or even scent him.

Cinnamon and clove envelop my senses as a dark presence barrels toward us.

Erich, his black hair hanging in his pale blue eyes, black tribal flames climbing up his neck beneath his glowing collar to lick at his jaw, flowing down his arms and across his fingers.

His silver nose ring and eyebrow bar glint in the overhead lights.

His dark brows are drawn tight, jaw set as his gaze flicks from me to Laurant and back.

Then, he grabs my free hand and pulls me from Laurant’s grasp, places himself between us.

“What the fuck do you think you’re doing?” he growls.

Laurant looks… exhausted. His whole body slumps, but he remains standing. When he opens his mouth to respond, I hold my free hand up to him in a halting motion, then place it on Erich’s chest, drawing his attention back to me.

“We were going somewhere to talk.” My voice is quiet, drowned by the siren screaming around us.

Erich’s brows twitch as he runs his tongue over his teeth behind those luscious lips. Then he says with a deadly glare at Laurant, “Not without me.”

I’m somewhat surprised when Laurant doesn’t argue, and instead, gestures down the hall for us to follow.

Erich doesn’t release my hand. He takes the lead to the door Laurant stops in front of and uses an old key to unlock. He waves us into the darkness beyond with one word. “Stairs.”

Erich raises his free hand in front of his chest, and a tiny ball of fire flares to life between his fingertips, lighting our way down some narrow stone stairs.

Behind us, Laurant closes and locks the door.

The alarm becomes more muted as we all travel down a spiral of stairs, well past the three floors that would bring us to ground level.

Despite my trust in Laurant, albeit fleeting, my body tenses the further we travel, and at some point, Erich’s thumb begins to rub the top of my hand in a light, soothing, back-and-forth motion. The move surprises and calms me, despite only seeing his muscular back as we continue to descend.

Laurant must see the movement in the firelight, or sense my unease through his curse, because he awkwardly places a hand on my shoulder from behind me, the warmth of his skin seeping through my layers of clothing and easing the chill the stone confines wrap around us.

It isn’t until we’re what has to be two to three levels below the ground floor that we reach the bottom of the stairs and set foot on rough stone.

“This way.” Laurant slips out from behind us and takes the lead, heading around one corner, then another, until we reach a door that he opens and gestures for us to enter.

Erich’s expression is severe, cast in the light of the fireball in his palm. His free hand still grasps mine as he enters the dark space first, lighting the way until Laurant enters, shuts the door securely behind him, and smashes a light switch.

Bright light fills the room, revealing a clinical space, clean and sterile. Empty metal shelves line two of the four walls. Old tech screens are laid into the other walls, none of them turned on. Despite the cleanliness of the space, it looks as though it hasn’t been used in years.

“What the fuck is going on?” Erich all but growls, his fireball vanishing within his grasp as he releases my hand.

I bite my lower lip, brows drawn as I peer from Laurant to Erich and back.

Laurant’s forest green eyes are calm and soothing as his head inclines to one side, his lips flattening.

“This is one of the only safe spaces to speak freely on the entire campus,” he says, his deep, soothing voice tinged with that trustworthy British accent of his putting me at ease. “Tell us what happened.”

Another lip bite followed by a sigh, and I do as he says. I tell them both about Mira, her pack, how Aubrey was auctioned and would be taken away to the Kingdom of Russia in the morning. “They were desperate,” I say.

“I would be, too,” Erich hisses, his muscular arms crossing over his chest as those pale blue eyes focus on me.

“So, I helped them.”

Erich blinks, lips parting when Laurant interjects. “You combined your curses.” It’s a statement, but I give him an affirmative nod.

“I disabled the shields over the explosive charges in their collars, and Rai immediately disabled the charge.” I dig into the pockets of my hoodie and pull out the defunct control boxes, two in each hand, holding them out to each of them.

“Once they were free, they ran.” I lower my arms and shake my head as I go on.

“Rai knew the alarm was going to sound quickly, so they headed for the helicopter landing pad.” There’s a pinch in my chest as I whisper, “I hope they made it out.”

For a moment, none of us says anything. Then:

“Why the fuck didn’t you go with them?” Erich roars, enraged, fists clenched, and I jump at his outburst. But deep within his gorgeous eyes lies something other than anger.

Fear.

“He’s afraid for your well-being.” Laurant’s voice is quiet. “As am I.”

I frown, look back and forth between them before breathing, “I couldn’t leave.”

“What are you talking about?” Erich rages. “You had the perfect opportunity—”

“I couldn’t leave you!”

The outburst claws its way from my soul and out of my mouth, completely unexpected, and met by eerie silence. My heart races as a myriad of emotions pass over Erich’s face: confusion, realization, gut-wrenching devastation.

Laurant’s hand passes through his hair, his eyes shut tight as he lets out a long breath.

And then, he’s beside me, arms wrapped around my body, pulling me into his chest where my nose buries into the exposed triangle of skin below his neck, taking his combination of ocean breeze and bluebell scent into my lungs and holding it there for as long as I can.

Tonight is the first time that I’ve touched either of my Alphas for more than an accidental instant.

Part of me expected to be uncomfortable, or even angry that they’re choosing now to comfort me, but in Laurant’s arms, all that is washed away by comfort and something I’ve never felt before: Belonging.

Erich moves behind Laurant and takes the control boxes from my grasp, prompting me to reluctantly pull away from Laurant.

“Do you think these are still explosive?” He asks the question of Laurant.

He looks grim. “Possibly.” His frown deepens. “Perhaps I can contain it. I’ve never done this before, but it’s worth a try.”

Erich places the boxes in a pile on the tiled floor and steps back.

Laurant’s brows draw tight with concentration, his arms extend toward the boxes, palms facing them. It’s a moment before he nods. “Do it.”

Erich waves me backward, and I take a few steps as requested, before he takes a breath, holds it, waves one tattooed hand over the boxes, and closes his fist. Fire engulfs them, contained by an invisible dome.

My eyes flash to Laurant, his concentration unwavering, then to Erich, as a bead of sweat rolls down his temple, over his cheek, and drops off his jaw to his chest.

It doesn’t take long for the boxes to turn to ash on the ground without any explosions.

The three of us take a collective, relieved deep breath once Laurant releases the containment and Erich snuffs his flames.

“I suppose it’s easier for the GBE to handle the collars if they’re not explosive unless engaged.” Laurant’s hand slides to the back of his neck, rubbing as he rolls his head from side to side.

The itch in my fingers to massage his ache is so strong, my feet shuffle toward him before I stop myself.

He may have embraced me in a moment of weakness, and I may have helped my friends escape so they could be together, but we’re all still in danger here. And I won’t let my selfish desires put my Alphas’ lives at risk.

I’ve held back for almost half my life. I can keep it up.

“The guards will ping our locators soon enough,” Erich says on a disgruntled sigh. “I still have a lot of questions.” Those ice blue eyes focus on me. “But I know they’ll have to wait.”

“We can return here in a few days, once the dust has settled,” Laurant offers.

I nod absently in agreement.

But we would never get that chance.