22. Opal
Chapter twenty-two
Opal
I drop my coffee in shock, barely flinching when it shatters.
Zayden whirls around, looking at me in dread. “What is it, Opal?”
We're in the pack house kitchen. The sun is shining, birds tweet in the yard outside, and the innocent sound of children's laughter pours in from the open window.
Yet, it's far from a happy day.
No. This is a bleak day.
Turning my head slowly, I stare at Zayden, unsure of how I should tell him.
But the words still come freely when I whisper, “It’s… Reed…”
Zayden's face pales. "What… how can you…?"
I shake my head, bending to pick up the smashed porcelain pieces.
As if they matter…
My fingers are shaking.
Please, no. It can't end this way.
I never even told him goodbye.
Zayden yanks me up by the shoulders, shaking me out of my stupor. His eyes are desperate, the whites flashing as he demands, "Opal, tell me what happened? What did you see?"
More like what I heard.
Reed said he was sorry.
Why would he say that? Unless…
Before the words leave my mouth, Levi marches into the kitchen, his violet eyes shining. “Zayden.”
Zayden releases a shuddery breath, letting go of my shoulders as he closes his eyes. "I know. Opal just told me."
Magnus follows Levi into the kitchen, a perfect mask of calm on his face as he leans against the wall, crossing his arms.
Levi glances at me. “How?”
I shake my head, gathering my composure. "Reed spoke to me through our bond. He said he was sorry."
The whole room falls deathly silent.
Magnus is the first to break the quiet. "That fucker… he doesn't get to go out that easily. I told him I wasn't finished in here."
He directs his hand around the kitchen.
Reed's blood still stains the tiles after all.
Zayden snaps into action next, standing at attention for Levi. "Your orders, Alpha."
He's gone into soldier mode. The poor thing. I suppose it's better than crying on the floor in a panic.
Levi looks at Zayden, me, then Magnus. "The governor summoned us all to his office."
Even me? Why?
Levi glances at me again. "He asked for you specifically, Opal."
I blink in surprise. I guess I'm finally in the governor's good books.
Maybe... I still have a lot to prove.
And I will prove my worth by rescuing Reed.
He needs us.
Magnus sighs, looking bored as ever, and I truly envy him. How can he be so blasé in a time like this?
"Well, what are we waiting for? Let's save the bastard so I can bruise his other eye."
Zayden snaps at him as we leave as a unit. "Stop that, Magnus."
But Magnus is on a roll as he chuckles, glancing at me. "You tell that one-eyed creep that we're coming for him, Opal. After all, you're bonded now. He will hear you. Hear us , I bet."
I deadpan the Alpha. "No."
Yet the blond Alpha is still laughing as we get in Levi's vehicle, pulling out of the yard in a rush.
I know Magnus is joking, but I still close my eyes as I say through the bond, hoping he hears me.
"We're coming for you, Reed. Hold on."
***
We gather in Gryphon’s office. A rescue party is being organized for Reed, and it seems the time has finally come.
I am going to face off with the warden once again.
My fists curl.
Bring it on. I am not afraid of him anymore.
I will happily use myself as bait if it brings Reed back to us.
Everyone from each pack is spoken for, and I have no idea how we even fit in Gryphon's office.
It's a place I never thought I would be inside ever again, but at least I am on the right side of this war now.
I am no longer in league with the warden.
Now, I stand at attention with Zayden, Ella, and Brody.
Oliver and Mila stand in front of us, and when exactly did I join Oliver's squad?
I'm not exactly a soldier, and I have no military training. But give me a gun and I will shoot without hesitation.
I will happily shoot the warden.
"It's okay, Opal. I will protect you," Zayden whispers beside me, and I meet his hazelnut eyes. Warmth fills me instantly.
I grab his hand and smile. Ella snorts on my right, and Zayden and I look her way.
Zayden gripes. "What?"
"Get a room…" she mutters.
Brody rolls his eyes, shoving her with his elbow. "Leave them alone," he whispers.
Zayden scoffs at Ella. "Get a room? Are you serious, Titan? You and Brody were practically all over each other back in training."
Yet Ella only cackles louder, and her Alpha, Kellen, laughs along with her over at the strategy table with the other Alphas.
He's amused when she is.
It's cute, I guess.
Oliver turns, fixing his gaze on Zayden and Ella. "Quiet, you two. The Alphas are strategizing . And he's right, Titan. You and your Omega were at it like rabbits."
Ella smirks at her superior, and she really is on a roll today.
She looks at Zayden this time. "You're forgetting that Opal was once a Rogue, Z. And former Rogues are unstoppable."
Ella grabs my hand now and nods. I can't explain the sensation that comes over me.
Tears threaten to escape, but I hold my chin high and look ahead.
"We will both take him down, Ella," I tell her.
The Omega's eyes burn bright azure next, and it seems I've lit a fire in her.
"I can't wait," she whispers, and I shudder when the light shimmers in her gaze.
We both stand at attention again.
The door bursts open, and we all lock eyes on Belle.
She's supposed to be with her parents, the ones she shares with Oliver, but it looks like she didn't get the memo.
Rian gasps by Gryphon's side when he spies Belle. He's helping the governor come up with a rescue plan.
They didn't have time to rescue Reed as they barely escaped with their lives, but I'm glad for Belle's sake that they made it back in one piece to relay information to us.
"I want to join the mission," Belle whispers, shaking.
My heart rises to my throat, and I look at Ella.
Gryphon sighs, "Belle, you've had no military training…"
So, neither have I?
Rian moves to her side, and they communicate via bond. I can tell by the expressions on Troy, Leo, and Jeremy that they can hear the conversation, too.
"I don't care if Francis is dead," Belle says out loud. "I will never forget what the warden almost made me do to Troy."
Troy sighs, running his hand through his dirty blond hair.
Oliver joins Rian's side, and he regards her as her older brother now. "It will be dangerous, sis. Are you prepared to face him again?"
Belle sucks in a breath and nods. "I am. I'm not exactly a damsel. I never was."
Oliver smiles, and is he proud of his little sister?
"Then get in formation, little sis."
Belle glances at Rian. He smiles at her sadly, knowing that she needs to do this. Then he lets her go, and Belle finally takes her place between me and Ella.
She takes our hands, and the three of us share a moment.
We will all take on the warden together, and I hope he is prepared for us.
He shouldn't have trained us all to be such proficient killers, and karma really is a twisted bitch.
He'll be sorry he ever messed with us.
***
Rian tracked the warden down to a new location, and my heart pounds when I realize just how much closer he is getting to the city.
He could invade whenever he wants. He's just biding his time, weakening all our defenses.
We already have several enemies within.
We just need to get to him first before he acts. He will already be expecting us.
It's why he captured Reed. To bait me…
Reed is alive. I sense him through the bond, and I'm glad we have the connection between us.
It's vital in war, I've found.
No wonder all the packs make such fantastic units. The ability to communicate over long distances is essential in times of unrest.
The Omegas observe the compound on one side while the Alphas take the other.
Most of us can communicate back and forth due to the various pack bonds, and a heaviness grows in my chest when I realize I am still not bonded to the pack.
I can't focus on that now. At least I have Reed.
That's all that matters now.
"He's alive," I tell Zayden, and the Omega sighs in relief.
"I know. I feel him, too, now that we're closer. Thank God."
He squeezes my hand as we both gaze down at the dark dwelling at the bottom of the hill. We're hidden away in the trees.
Armed soldiers surround the compound, but I made a quick head count.
Just seven. Good. I grab my knife.
Elle does the same on Brody's side, nodding at me in acknowledgment.
Even sweet Belle gets her own hunting knife out, and Rian gazes at her proudly, but also a little concerned.
It's good, though. We've all got her.
"You all ready?" Oliver says at the front of our party.
Mila is beside him, her gun at the ready.
"Yes, sir," we all say in unison.
"Just so you all know…" Oliver continues, fixing his gaze back on the compound. "This is the first all-Omega squad to have formed in our military. Four boys, four girls… All equally matched in strength and skill."
Zayden and I look at each other.
Four boys, four girls…
An even number divided by itself to make another even number.
Perfectly balanced. Just like the kids he envisioned for us one day.
We can still have that future. After we rescue Reed and defeat the warden.
Destiny awaits us.
Oliver peers back at us all again appreciatively. "Thank you all for making this dream of mine come true. I never thought I would see this day back when I was still wearing pastels back at the Academy. Now, let's all go and make history… Soldiers, move out!"
That's our cue, and now we move down the hill to fight those armed soldiers.
I take out one soldier as I swipe my leg out, knocking him off balance. Then I flip my knife around and slice him right across the throat.
Soldiers fall around us, and to my relief, my squad is still standing.
Even Belle managed to get the best of two soldiers, wiping the blood from her face.
Her ocean blue eyes are bright as she looks at me and smiles, and when we both turn, we find Ella standing over her own victim.
The Omega wipes the blood off her blade like it's nothing, and I shake my head.
We enter the compound, and it's eerily quiet.
A little too quiet for my liking.
Oliver glances at me. "You sense Reed?"
I close my eyes, tugging on our bond. It leads me to a trap door underground.
Of course.
Once we go in, there may be no coming back out.
Gryphon and the other Alphas have our backs if we need.
"Well, let's go," Oliver whispers, and this is it.
We go down the trap door in single file, climbing down into a dark tunnel that stinks of damp and sewage.
Nice.
We hear the sound of a ghoulish cry, and Zayden and I lock eyes.
"Reed," I say.
"No so fast, Pack Gold," Oliver orders us both. "This is definitely another trap. Keep your wits about you. This Alpha is highly dangerous."
"Yes, sir," we reply, letting the Omega lead the way.
The tunnel seems to go on and on, but we soon come to a cavern.
Reed is chained to the ground at the center, but my eyes land on the Alpha in the pristine black suit.
He turns slowly, eyes finding mine at once, and he's as foul as I remember. Long, graying hair, scarred face, and devilish smile.
"Long time no see, Opal."