Chapter 45
Zayd
Epilogue
There is nothing more relaxing than watching my mates frolic and crash into the ocean while I sit on the back porch of our little beach house. Sutton has offered to teach me how to swim, but I have yet to take him up on it.
Swimming is not a skill Throkyn’s have ever had to master.
And, frankly, the idea of it is completely absurd.
I grew up on a planet without large bodies of water.
I have explored the vast expanse of space, where there are at least stars and planets to see.
I can do without an ocean voyage where there is nothing but water for miles and miles, and all it wants to do is kill you.
I am perfectly happy, sitting in the shade of the grass roof until Layla and Sutton wear themselves out, collapse in bed, so I can proceed to wear myself out pleasing them.
However, it appears that is not how today will end when, to my complete shock, Kydax and Ellie-Mae walk along the beach in our direction.
“Oh, my God!” Layla squeals and runs toward them as I step off the porch and take careful, measured strides through the shifting sand to which my legs have not yet grown accustomed.
Sutton joins me as Ellie-Mae runs to meet Layla with a full-bodied hug as they fall into the sand, giggling wildly.
“I can’t believe you’re here,” Layla says, struggling to catch her breath as they stand. “I thought we’d never see you again. And I just hated the last picture we left you with.” Layla blushes a deep blood red.
“That’s one of the reasons I insisted on coming. I—we both,” Ellie-Mae wraps her arms around Kydax’s waist, “wanted you to know that there are no hard feelings.”
“Of course not,” Layla says, coming to stand between Sutton and me.
“I am guessing that is not the only reason you are here,” I say, reading the concern in Kydax’s wrinkled brow.
“Come inside,” Sutton offers. “Might be better if we all sit down to talk about whatever serious shit has brought you here.”
“Yes. That would be best,” Kydax agrees, and he and Ellie-Mae follow us back to our home.
“This place is so cute,” Ellie-Mae says as Layla invites our guests to sit on the smaller of the two wicker sofas, lined with soft, brightly colored cushions.
Sutton, Layla, and I sit across from them on the larger, matching sofa.
“It must feel like you’re on a permanent vacation,” Ellie-Mae says, looking around at the exposed tropical wood structure and the nets of fresh fruits and vegetables hanging from the kitchen ceiling.
“Most of the time, it’s paradise,” Layla tells her. “Until you go to the market on the wrong day and a slaver tries snatching you off the street.”
“That happened?” Ellie-Mae clutches her chest.
“It won’t happen again.” Sutton’s pride in protecting our mate thrums along the bond.
“You killed the guy?” Ellie-Mae gasps. “You weren’t arrested?”
Earth had not been the most lawful of planets when we left, but murder in the market streets would not have been ignored in the same way it is here. There still would have been an arrest and an investigation for Strykr to decide if the act was justified.
“Things are different here,” Sutton explains. “It’s not entirely lawless, but if your actions are witnessed and considered justified by those witnesses, then there’s no need to involve the law.”
Ellie-Mae shakes her head in disbelief. “So, it’s like the wild west out here.”
“Pretty much.” Layla shrugs.
After a moment, after Ellie-Mae comes out of her stunned silence, she elbows Kydax in the side and whispers, “You have to tell them.”
“What is going on, Kydax?” I ask.
“After you left, things started going wrong. The alphas you arrested refused to speak with us, and the omegas… Every single one of them insisted that they had willingly gone with those alphas.”
“What?” Sutton sits forward. “But we know that’s not true. After what happened to us.” He gestures between himself and Layla, and our bond freezes with his panic.
“Strykr confronted the alphas with this information, and they claimed he was not one of theirs.”
“But he had their location encrypted on his comm,” I say, mixing my confusion with Sutton’s panic, making our poor omega press herself deep into the cushion between us. “It is okay, Layla. No one will harm you here.” I calm myself and send that calm to her.
“They said that alpha, and others like him, is why they came here. We believe that is why that alpha attacked you,” Kydax tells Sutton and Layla. “The omegas they saw as easy targets were gone, so they started looking elsewhere.”
“What is Strykr doing about all of this?” I ask.
“Regular hunting parties are being sent out. We have already brought in three. We are not sure how many more there are,” Kydax says.
“And what of the other pack? The one I brought back.”
“Strykr did not know what to do with them. He did not know if he could trust them. But he did know that he could not kill them and risk hurting the omegas if they had bonded willingly with them. It would have gone against everything we hold sacred. But those alphas still broke the Accord, claiming them outside of the matching system. So…” Kydax takes a deep breath. “He exiled them.”
A strange relief comes from Layla. “You’re on an escort mission.”
Kydax dips his chin, confirming Layla’s assumption to be true.
I understand Layla’s relief now. Kydax and Ellie-Mae brought humans with them. Human women she can talk to and with whom she can become friends.
“Why escort them? Why not just send them off the way you did with us?” Sutton asks, annoyed and a little offended.
“Strykr wanted another omega to accompany them. There is still a chance that those omegas are not acting of their own free will. We don’t know the kind of things their mates are telling them through the bond. Threatening them? We just don’t know.”
“No one talked?” Layla asks.
Ellie-Mae shakes her head. “That’s the other reason we’re here. Strykr wants you to pick up where I left off.”
“What?! No!” Sutton is on his feet in an instant.
“You will join their pack. Report to the Center if the omegas ever change their story or they show signs of being mistreated,” Kydax continues, ignoring Sutton’s outburst.
“We are our own pack now,” I say in support of Sutton’s concern. I like the life we have built here. I do not wish to risk it, getting involved with the wrong pack of alphas.
“Exactly,” Sutton says, firming his stance. “You kicked us off our home planet, kicked Zayd out of his pack, and we like it here now. What incentive do we have to put ourselves, and especially our omega, at risk of losing the home we’ve found here?”
“If the three of you integrate with their pack, it will provide us with the assurance we need to welcome you back,“ Kydax says.
“But we like it here. We have no interest in moving back to Earth,” Layla says.
“Then, you will have the freedom to visit. You will no longer be exiles,” Kydax offers.
Feeling both Sutton’s and my reluctance to accept, Layla speaks through the bond, “It would be nice to know that we could go back, if we wanted to.”
“I don’t like it. We’ve gotten into a good routine here. Joining a pack to spy? This plan has trouble written all over it,” Sutton says.
“It is our duty to protect omegas,” Kydax chimes in as though he had a tap on our bond.
Though his response feels like an intrusion, I am thrilled to see him aim his assertion at Sutton as well as me.
Showing that he has, at least in some way, accepted Sutton.
“You would only need to monitor them long enough to know that the omegas are as content with their mates as they claim to be.”
When I sense Sutton’s urge to fight, I stroke the bond with a calming purr and tell Kydax, “The best we can do is take some time to consider it.”
Sutton settles beside Layla again, and we spend the remaining daylight hours catching up before Kydax and Ellie-Mae have to say goodbye.
“I hope we get to see you again,” Ellie-Mae says, jutting out her bottom lip.
“You are always welcome to visit us here,” Layla tells her, pulling her in for one last hug.
“It was good to see you, brother,” Kydax grips my hand and pulls my chest to his, slapping his other hand on my back. Pulling away, he shifts his focus to Sutton and says, “Both of you,” as he grips Sutton’s hand and offers him the same brotherly embrace.
“Thanks, man,” Sutton says, choking up a little.
If we never get the approval of our pack back on Earth, I can die happy knowing we earned the approval and have been accepted by my best friend.
Regardless of our decision to take on the task Kydax presented us, I will never forget the kindness and respect he showed us today.
“So… What are we going to do?” Layla asks once our guests are gone.
“You would be taking most of the risk,” Sutton says to Layla. “Which is why I say, absolutely fucking not.”
“But what if everything is above board, like they say? I would hate missing out on making new friends.”
Sutton slumps his shoulders and rubs his temples.
“I love you, Sutton, but I was friendless for years before we ended up at the Center. I understand why you kept me hidden, but I don’t want that to happen again. I miss Ellie-Mae and Angie. If I can make new friends here, I’d really like to.”
“It’s already dangerous enough for you here,” Sutton says.
“But she never has to be alone,” I say.
Sutton huffs. “If they find out we are spying on them…”
“We don’t have to spy on them,” Layla argues. “We don’t have to say anything to Strykr unless there is actually something to say. Let’s just meet them. See what happens.”
“Our little omega is quite brave,” I say.
“And smart,” Sutton adds.
Layla’s cheeks turn pink when she smiles. “Tomorrow,” she says, taking my hand and Sutton’s, leading us back outside. “Tonight, I want to play with my mates.” She runs down the beach and splashes into the tide before calling back to us to join her.
“You’re going to need to learn some time,” Sutton reminds me.
I grumble a protest under my breath, but follow Sutton off the porch.
The things I will do for my mates are endless.
And absolutely worth it.