Chapter 27
AGELIUS
I saw the betas shepherd the group of omegas towards the truck, and I sprinted.
They were wasting no time in loading them into the back of the vehicle, and to my absolute horror I caught glimpses of a familiar blonde head with streaky strands in the midst of the milling omegas.
He was slender and shorter than most of them, and he kept disappearing from view, but every cell in my body knew him.
It was as if our short time together sharing his heat had created an intangible but distinct connection between us.
I had to stop him getting on that truck.
Sirens were drawing closer, and it wasn’t much of a leap to figure that Talius had set that in motion before leaving home.
Home. Goddess, I couldn’t wait to get back there, to take my omega and get back to where I belonged.
Despite the way I’d been feeling when I left on my run days ago, I now understood where home was. Would they still have me, though?
My breaths were scalding my throat by the time I reached the group and frantically began dragging the betas and omegas out of my way as I waded through them, trying to get to Tosca. His fair head was now dangerously close to the front of the jostling, milling group.
“Get out of the way!” I snarled, thrusting a reluctant beta aside. He’d been cramming up behind the group, pushing them towards the waiting vehicle, in my fucking way!
My relief was almost palpable as I closed the distance to Tosca, when oof!
suddenly he was gone. Someone had pulled him forward, out of the group.
He was resisting, pulling back, but as slight as he was, he had no chance.
The truck’s ramp was starting to close but had halted as they tried to fill the last space.
I roared. Two omega heads separated me from Tosca, and they turned and stared at me stupidly instead of getting out of the way.
Suddenly there was a flash of movement and a large omega willingly squeezed themself into the last place on the truck, leaving no room for anyone else. He looked out between the railings, eyes strangely forlorn, and the ramp clanged shut behind him.
I exhaled the breath that had been squeezing my chest tight.
Then brought my arm up to shield my face as the truck bounced away over the uneven ground spitting up a cloud of dust and debris behind it.
There was coughing and sneezing around me as I elbowed my way through the remaining omegas until I got to Tosca.
With a hand that I was very much trying not to let tremble, I gripped his lean shoulder. As I leant in close, his sweet familiar scent teased my nostrils. My body instantly responded in places that couldn’t be satisfied right now.
“Are you wearing my collar?” I murmured, shocked how gravely my voice came out.
“Y-yes, Alpha,” a tearful voice murmured. Turning, he pressed his face against my pecs, the tears wet against my skin. He shuddered, silencing a sob against my chest.
“What’s wrong, Tosca?” I asked gently. “I’m here. I’m going to get you out of here.”
“Owen,” the word caught in the hair on my chest, his warm breath drifting across my skin. He turned his head, resting his cheek over my pounding heart. “It was supposed to be me. Owen took my place on the truck.” Then he dissolved into sobs.
Before I could speak, sirens blaring, several vehicles raced into sight along the dirt track, pursued by dusty clouds as they careened towards the property. The gate was still open and they headed straight in without slowing.
“Quick!” I dragged Tosca back through the remaining omegas who were standing around in dazed confusion.
Minutes before they’d been idly speculating from the safety of their house, and now with the shock of losing half their companions, the chaos of the truck’s rushed departure, and the unexpected invasion of the compound by several police vehicles, blue and red strobes flashing, sirens screeching – it was almost too much to comprehend.
I cast a glance across to the other side of the field. A crumbled heap lay in the grass and Talius was disappearing around the back of the shed where his mates were hiding.
“We have to get out of here!” I said to the flushed face turned up towards me, eyelashes still glistening with tears. “Let’s go!”
It would look extremely suspicious if I was caught here – wearing no clothes - by the police who were almost certainly humans. And the presence of an alpha at a site where omega trafficking was taking place – well, it was likely going to be a shoot first, ask questions later scenario.
Behind the food hall, Tosca followed my lead and we shifted and faded into the forest. I took a last look back before the leaves closed in around us.
Another vehicle – a familiar ute – had pulled up beside the law enforcement vehicles, and several men jumped out.
I recognized Johnson and several other betas from the pack.
Talius’ backup crew were here to deal with the police.
Hopefully they’d take care of the omegas too.
Time to go.