Chapter 22 – KNIGHT
KNIGHT
carry him.
alpha who sometimes wears a bird mask.
know his scent.
sharp and clean.
not first time we met.
remember lab.
remember his face through glass.
pretending to be a white-coated god.
didn't belong.
one of red-haired omega's alphas.
strange to hold him now.
limp.
unconscious.
weight nothing to me.
but memories are heavy.
so heavy.
Moon wants this.
don't understand why.
could have killed him in palace.
would have been easier.
wouldn't have liked it, but easier.
cleaner.
but Moon said alive.
Moon said questions.
so I carry.
his blood drips on ground.
blood from where Moon hit him with statue.
Moon is fierce.
Moon is violent.
Moon is chaos wrapped in silk.
alphas think omegas are soft.
weak.
wrong.
Moon is deadliest of all.
just different weapons.
poison instead of claws.
words instead of teeth.
but still predator.
still killer.
makes me wonder.
does she want me to kill this alpha?
later?
after questions?
hope not.
strange feeling.
don't want to kill bird-mask alpha.
owe him something.
this alpha and his pack were kind.
but will do it if she asks.
"Knight, this way!" Moon calls.
her voice cuts through thoughts.
always does.
follow without question.
through palace gardens.
past perfect flowers.
crushing them beneath feet.
guards see us.
of course they do.
hard to miss a giant carrying a prince.
"Halt! Drop the—"
crack.
guard falls.
blood sprays from head.
then another crack.
another guard down.
shot between eyes.
clean.
too perfect.
look back.
golden-hair alpha perched on wall.
white-hair alpha beside him.
covering us.
working together.
strange.
usually want to kill each other.
even wolf and lion hide fangs for goddess.
more guards coming.
one-eyed alpha fires first.
blocks Moon with his body, but he is flesh and bone.
I am more.
shove bird-mask alpha at him.
he grunts.
catches weight.
staggers slightly.
I am better shield.
metal doesn't bleed.
flesh does.
grab Moon.
pull her against me.
she makes small sound.
surprise.
not fear.
never fear with her.
bullets crack against stone.
close.
too close.
cover her with body.
with metal arm.
one-eyed alpha fires back.
covering us as we move.
"They have the prince!" someone shouts. "Hold your fire!"
guards hesitate.
confusion.
perfect.
"Perfect timing," Moon says against my chest.
can feel her smile.
even now.
even with death singing around us.
she smiles.
heart does weird twisting things in chest.
dying?
hope not.
need to stay alive for her.
one-eyed alpha leads us around building.
knows where to go.
fires more shots.
keeping guards back.
then we're in trees.
blessed trees.
hate palace.
hate stone.
hate perfect gardens.
trees are better.
move faster here.
know how to navigate.
step over roots.
slip under branches.
carrying bird-mask alpha slows one-eyed alpha.
but he doesn't complain.
just grunts and keeps moving.
respect him.
sounds behind us fading.
guards don't follow into woods.
smart.
or stupid.
depends.
finally safe enough.
set Moon down.
gently.
always gently with her.
she is precious.
more precious than anything.
"Thank you," she says.
pats my arm.
warmth spreads from touch.
always does.
footsteps approaching.
tense.
ready to kill.
but one-eyed alpha lowers gun.
"Just us," golden-hair calls out.
he and white-hair emerge from trees.
both breathing hard.
both splattered with blood.
not theirs.
Moon rushes to them.
she touches golden-hair's face.
checking for wounds.
then white-hair.
he freezes at her touch.
like he can't believe it.
jealousy burns in my chest.
hot.
sharp.
but push it down.
no one owns moonlight.
can't capture it.
can't hold it.
can only bask in it.
"Are you hurt?" Moon's voice cracks, silk showing through steel. "You're bleeding."
she touches golden-hair's chest.
pulls hand away wet and red.
"Not ours," golden-hair says, wrapping bigger hand around wrist.
voice gentle, even in war.
relief touches moon's face.
no time for more.
"Where the fuck do we go now?" white-hair asks.
still staring at Moon.
like she might disappear.
understand that look.
one-eyed alpha growls.
"Can't go back to the inn." he gives Moon look, sharp, scolding.
maybe I should rearrange his face.
"And we didn't have time to line up a safe house," one-eyed alpha continues. "Considering this was supposed to be a fucking reconnaissance mission."
Moon blinks.
innocent.
says pretty words in the tongue most of the gods used.
white-hair barks a jackal's laugh.
"What the hell does that mean?" one-eyed alpha demands.
Moon smiles.
sweet.
dangerous.
"It means," golden-hair says, lips pulling, "'he who does not seize opportunity by the balls ends up with opportunity's dick up his ass.'"
silence.
then one-eyed alpha grunts.
"Charming."
but corner of mouth twitches, almost laughing.
"We need to move fast," white-hair says. "Every member of the Surhiiran military is gonna be on our ass soon."
true.
can already hear distant sounds.
search parties forming.
we move again.
deeper into woods.
golden-hair and white-hair at rear.
watching.
protecting.
working together.
still strange.
"I need a gun too," Moon says.
white-hair pulls one from coat.
holds it out.
then pulls back when she reaches.
her small claws grasp air.
violet eyes turn black with rage.
"Can you even shoot?" white-hair asks.
"Geo taught me."
white-hair looks at one-eyed alpha.
questioning.
"Girl's a natural. And a natural pain in my ass," one-eyed alpha grunts.
Moon preens.
takes gun.
checks it like she knows what she's doing.
she does.
of course she does.
Moon knows many things.
dangerous things.
through trees, see metal serpent.
another train.
golden-hair points.
always sees faster.
"We could stow away this time."
one-eyed alpha considers and nods.
"Better than walking."
we approach carefully.
doors open already.
perfect.
look inside.
empty.
only boxes.
help Moon inside.
lift her up.
others follow.
we all make it.
so many boxes.
boxes and metal seats bolted to floor.
one-eyed alpha dumps bird-mask alpha in a seat.
bird-mask alpha's hands still bound behind back.
he's waking up.
can see pale blue eyes moving beneath lids.
train is moving now too.
screeching sound that hurts ears and stench of smoke.
train lurches.
I reach out to steady Moon.
she smiles up at me.
soft.
warm.
"So," one-eyed alpha says. "What exactly are we doing with him once we get what we want?"
golden-hair shrugs, casual.
"We could kill him."
no.
quiet growl escapes before can stop it.
but they hear.
all look at me.
surprised.
golden-hair blinks.
"Don't tell me you're a pacifist, big guy?"
white-hair scoffs.
"He wasn't a pacifist when he was eating my men."
true.
ate many men.
they deserved it.
but bird-mask alpha...
different.
cannot explain.
do not have words.
just feeling.
like debt unpaid.
one-eyed alpha snaps.
"No one is killing the prince." voice hard, stern. "A prince who also happens to be a member of the deadliest task force in the hemisphere." pause. "I'd like to have a shot in hell at some semblance of a normal life after all this bullshit."
"Oh, please," golden hair laughs. "As if there's a single one of us whose mug isn't painted across wanted posters from here to Columbia."
one-eyed alpha growls. "We're going to have to flee to Columbia after this."
Moon stands.
"Relax."
she walks to bird-mask alpha.
something in her eyes.
cold.
sharp.
like blade before strike.
"No one is killing anyone."
she stops in front of him.
tilts head.
studying.
"I just want to talk."
pause.
smile that isn't smile.
"Even if he and his little social club of masked freaks did kidnap and imprison me against my will and leave me in the hands of a psychotic warlord."
"Me, psychotic?" white-hair grumbles. "If that's not the fucking pot calling the kettle black."
but I don't hear the rest.
world stops.
freezes.
breaks apart.
reforms.
her words echo.
kidnap
imprison
memories crash together.
lab.
cell.
battle with another monster like me.
the red-hair omega's monster alpha.
bird-mask was her alpha too.
they were escaping.
I fought them.
don't know why.
rage consumed me.
but I did.
and they saved me.
showed me kindness when no one else did.
but Moon...
Moon was taken.
locked in cage.
just like me.
and the alphas that call themselves Ghosts…
it was them?
they were the ones who caged her?
oh.
KILL.