16. Opal
Chapter sixteen
Opal
O nce again, I laugh like old times with Belle and Ella, and it’s like we have never been apart.
Somehow, our friendship seems even stronger, and I can’t believe I ever thought that these girls could hate me.
They have not mentioned the warden once. As if they are too afraid to trigger me somehow, but I see the pain in their eyes.
That man haunts them, too.
It seems I am not as alone as I thought.
So, I finally saw fit to show them my tattoo as I pull down my lip.
We’re sitting in the food court at the mall. An Alpha showed up from each of our packs to keep an eye on us all.
Belle and Ella lean in closer. Belle covers her mouth. Ella looks as if she wants to stab someone.
Even Zayden stares at the tattoo with horror.
Of course, I haven’t shown him the tattoo yet. It never felt right to.
But if anyone deserves to see, then it's these two.
Since they bear the same marks.
“Oh, God… Opal,” Belle gasps.
I let go of my lip, returning to my coffee.
It's not the most dignified way to show someone your tattoo, but there’s a reason the warden had it placed inside my lip.
He needed to ensure my identity remained secret.
Zayden grips my hand, squeezing it tightly, and I meet his hazelnut eyes. I never thought I could ever be so happy.
I not only have Zayden back, but Belle and Ella, too.
I imagine how we must look to onlookers. Like a group of friends who have known each other for years.
I used to gaze enviously at all the various friendship groups that formed back at the Academy.
Omegas understand each other better than anyone else. Yet, I never got close to any of my schoolmates.
I had to keep my distance for obvious reasons.
Zayden glances up at Magnus. He sits with Leo and Kellen at a separate table. The Alphas wanted to give the Omegas some space.
They’re joined by a dark-haired Alpha with a matching beard, and it takes me a moment to place him.
Now, I know I have seen that face somewhere.
“Hey, Barret Hart’s here,” Zayden remarks casually.
Belle’s eyes widen, and then she jumps to her feet, whirling around when she spies the familiar Alpha.
That’s when her gaze lands on Mila, and my heart clenches.
Fuck.
I am not ready to face her. Not after what happened.
“Are you okay about this, Opal?” Zayden peers at me.
I suck in a breath. “Sure. Have to face the music somehow.”
He nods just as Mila arrives.
Belle hugs her sister, but Mila has her eyes on me the whole time.
I’m too afraid to meet her gaze. I tried to kill her Alpha. Of course she is pissed at me.
“Opal,” she says, cutting straight to the chase.
I find her soft green eyes. They really are lovely.
“Yes, Ms. Hart?”
She smiles sadly. “It’s just Mila.”
I nod, gazing into my empty coffee cup.
All that’s left is the dregs.
I'm a dreg.
This is awkward.
Mila doesn’t speak. She just comes to my side and takes my hand. “It’s fine, Opal. I understand.”
I’m speechless. I have no idea what to say.
Mila breaks the tense moment with an awkward laugh. “Hey, you’re not the only one who's thought about killing Gryphon. I know I thought about killing him when I first met him.”
My jaw hangs open.
Shocked, Belle looks around the mall in case anyone heard Mila talking about killing the governor.
It seems she’s safe.
No one looks ready to arrest Mila.
We're good.
So, does this mean she forgives me?
I guess that has yet to be determined.
***
Mila and I talked for hours by the waterfall, and I’m learning so much about her.
For one, she only joined the Beta Trials so she could look after her sick father.
The man has since passed, but she still keeps in contact with the nurse who took care of him and their old dog, Pepper.
Pepper had been her father’s pet.
She’s currently showing me a picture of the puppy with the Beta woman. It seems Jane still updates Mila on the dog's life.
“Pepper is adorable,” I say.
“Yeah,” Mila sighs, gazing down at the dog. “She grew pretty close with Jane during my dad's end-of-life care. So, it seemed fitting to let Jane take her home with her.”
I regard Mila curiously now. There is no missing the pain in her eyes.
“Do you miss your dad?”
It's a dumb question. Of course she does, but as someone who can’t even remember her parents, I find her incredibly lucky.
I wish I had a family to miss.
“Every day. But I know he is in a good place.”
She meets my gaze and falters. “You all right?”
I startle at the question. Just then, there comes a commotion, and we turn around.
It seems Kellen and Barret are armwrestling over on a bench, and everyone is cheering them on.
Of course, Brody and Ella cheer on Kellen, but Rian and Belle have Barret’s back since he’s Jeremy’s cousin.
Magnus keeps score with a stopwatch.
Zayden sits off to one side, rolling his eyes. His gaze finds mine, and he waves.
“It’s funny how all our packs are getting along. It feels like I have an extended family now,” Mila notes.
Her words take me by surprise.
Our packs…
That’s where she’s wrong. I don’t have a pack.
Not really. I’m still an outsider.
Mila gazes at me. “I know that look. Trust me, I felt like the spare for so long, too. But I found my place in the pack eventually. Now, I can’t imagine my life without them.”
Honestly, I feel the same way.
I can’t even contemplate a life without Zayden now. The same is true with Levi and Magnus.
Heck, even Reed.
When he placed his hand on the back of my neck the other day, I felt something between us.
I never lasted long, but it was as if I had felt him in my mind.
Whereas I should have felt violated by the intrusion, I found that I enjoyed his company. It was not at all like when the warden was inside my head.
Not one bit.
Reed felt like my missing piece.
The arm wrestle ends, and it looks as if Barret is the winner as he gazes at Kellen smugly.
The redheaded Alpha pouts like an overgrown child, but Brody and Ella are there to console him.
Rian and Belle cheer for Barret.
Barret finds Mila’s gaze. “How does it feel to be bonded to a winner, sunshine?”
Mila scoffs. “I think you mean a wiener, Barret.”
The Alpha’s face falls, but Mila laughs louder, and I can’t help but smile along with her.
That’s when my body freezes.
Then my skin flushes red hot.
Oh, no…
Mila sighs. “It’s nice when he gets the chance to get out of the house. He’s always having to babysit Lachlan. Which means one thing… Lachlan must be in chains again. Fuck… I should get back home before he breaks these ones…”
She looks at me then. “Opal?” The Omega inhales, getting to her feet. “Shit! Zayden! Magnus!”
I don’t know what happens next. One moment, I’m standing, and the next, I’m lying on the floor, body spasming.
What happened?
That’s when a pain like none I’ve ever felt before splits me apart at the seams. It shatters all my senses, and I grow numb from head to toe.
What the fuck.
Then I’m lifted in strong arms, and through the haze, I hear several voices.
“It will be okay, Opal, it will be okay…”
Belle and Mila. And Ella, too.
Shit.
I have gone into heat.
And it’s worse than I ever imagined.
I black out, and then everything goes dark.