49. Cliff
Cliff
My worst nightmare is coming true, and I am powerless to stop it.
I don't resent being a Beta most of the time, but I wish right now that one of the Gods had Blessed me with a beast capable of protecting my mate from all dangers.
Instead, I'm clueless about what we can do to protect Zoe.
"Zoe!" I turn to see Dominic running toward us, shouting my mate's name like he deserves to taste it on his lips. "Zoe. We have to bond. Right now."
I move in front of her, keeping him from getting any closer. "What are you talking about, Dominic?" I try to communicate just how much I hate this bastard as I spit his name, but I don't know if I manage. The amount of animosity I hold for him far exceeds three syllables.
"My father is going to find out what you are. He'll take you. I can't let him do to you what's being done to the other Omegas."
The sincerity in Dominic's voice almost fools me, then I remember he used my girl as a footstool, and I turn off any part of me that could ever trust him.
Zoe leans around my shoulder to look at the Alpha. "The community Omega thing?"
"How do you know about that?"
"Not important," I snap. "Why are you here?"
He casts a cursory glance at me and writes me off as not a threat.
Fucking Alphas.
Some are good people, but most are like Dominic. They underestimate Betas at every turn and see us as below them.
"If you're bonded to me, as my scent match, they can't take you and put you in rotation." Rotation? Oh, that's fucking gross. "Scent matches are holy unions. They won't be able to break us up. Please. You don't know my father like I do. He's not who everyone thinks he is."
Zoe gently pushes me out of the way and stands abreast of me. Viv moves to her other side, protecting it.
"I know who he is. I know that his finding out what I am is a death sentence." Zoe is still crying; I can hear it in her voice, but I won't call attention to it. She can still get shit done while crying. It doesn't make her weak. "What I want to know is why you care about my fate all of a sudden?"
Dominic runs his fingers through his dark hair, leaving the strands sticking up at odd angles. "It's not all of a sudden. I never wanted my father to know about you. I had to keep you away once I knew what you are."
I roll my eyes. "Easy to say that now that you want her bond."
"It's the truth! I don't care if you believe me, Beta. This isn't about you."
A low growl rumbles in Zoe's throat. "Really bad idea to insult my bonded Beta when you're trying to convince me you deserve a bond, too."
He blanches and does a good impression of contrition. "I'm sorry. I didn't know."
Viv scoffs. "So you'll only treat him well now that you know he belongs to her?" She turns to Zoe. "Okay, I get it now."
Dominic ignores Viv. "I don't deserve your bond. I know that I'll never convince you that I do. I don't think it's possible at this point. But I need to save you, Zoe. If everyone knows we're scent-matched and that we've bonded, my father can't hurt you. He couldn't take you from me."
"I'm not yours to be stolen." The hard edge in her voice makes me want to bare my throat, even without a beast inside me.
"We don't have time to argue about this, Zoe. You can spend the rest of your life kicking me, spitting on me, whatever you need. As long as you have a life. Let me do this for you. Let me save you, please."
Viv turns her back to Dominic. "We can find Ray. I know you're still mad, but—"
"Ray is the better option," I interrupt. "Let's go."
"Wait!" Dominic grabs Zoe's arm, and she spins, slapping him hard across the face.
"Don't touch me, Dominic Bradly. I let you break me too many times. I'm not allowing it to happen again."
"You're in so much danger, Zoe. You have to believe me." He's begging now, pleading with her to do as he asks, but my girl is smarter than that. She holds her chin high, not falling for his bullshit any more than I am.
"I do believe you. That's why I'm going to go find Ray to bond me."
He follows us through the classroom building. The crowds are thinning; most people are already at the chapel. We move in the opposite direction, heading to the Alpha dorm in hopes that Ray is there.
"My father will kill him." Zoe stops abruptly, but she doesn't turn and look at the Alpha. "I'm his son. His progeny. He won't kill me. It would be too suspicious. But some nobody Alpha? He wouldn't stand a chance."
Viv crowds the Alpha, poking him in the breastbone. "He's not a nobody. Our parents are commanders."
"Do you think that matters to him?"
As much as I hate to admit it, I believe Dominic. If I had to sign someone's death warrant, it'd be his, but I cannot allow her to bond herself to him. I don't trust him. This could be a ploy, could be exactly what his father wants.
As soon as I have the idea, it rings true to me. Dominic's father must have told him to bond Zoe by any means necessary so they can use her, which means he knows what she is.
"You're why he's here." Fury I have never felt before fills me. "You told him about her."
Dominic looks at Zoe and then at his feet. "Yeah, I did."
She may have told him she wouldn't let him break her again, but his words have shattered her. Zoe falls to her knees, clutching her chest. When she looks up, her eyes are slitted, and her teeth are elongated.
I haven't had the chance to see her in her full dragon form yet, but I can tell that the beast looking back at me now is fearsome.
My Omega tries to speak, but the words come out garbled through her terrifying teeth and partially shifted jaw. Scales are flickering on her neck despite the garnet pendant.
I kneel in front of her. "Zoe, you have to rein it in. Get control of your dragon now, so you can hold back the shift at the ceremony. I know you can do it."
Dominic looks like he's the one whose heart is broken. "Please, Zoe. Please." Honesty rings out from his pleading words. He falls to his knees in front of her and bares his neck. "It doesn't need to mean anything. Let me protect you."
Zoe regains control of her dragon as the partial shift fades, then stands.
"The Hierophant isn't a nobody. The Archon won't be able to get rid of him easily.
We need to get to Cameron." She looks down at the Alpha supplicating himself in front of her.
"I'm sorry, Dominic. I'm not tying myself to you forever. "
It's risky, trying to get to Cameron in the chapel when that is where the ceremony is being held, but he really is our best choice. He's not expendable like Ray, nor a cunt like Dominic.
Yeah, he choked me out the first time we met, but I'm over that now. It showed that he'll protect her from anything and everything.
"Let's go, then. We have to be quick." I grab Zoe's hand and haul her to her feet, then lace our fingers together and take off for the chapel. Viv is right beside us.
I'm vaguely aware that Dominic is behind us, but I don't spare him a glance.
It's his fault she's in this situation.
The chapel is in view when Professor Hayes, who teaches Designation Hierarchy, steps in front of us, cutting us off.
"Oh, good thing I found you three! The ceremony is about to begin.
Let's get you to the chapel." He glances over my shoulder, confirming Dominic is still there.
"Thank you so much, Dominic, for gathering them up for us.
Are you going to watch the ceremony? We only have room for so many Alphas, but I know your father will have no trouble finding a place for you. "
Hayes moves behind us to walk abreast of the Alpha. Our chance of going for Cameron is gone for as long as we're under his watchful eye. Maybe Dominic can distract him enough for us to sneak off?
"I'll be there, yes. I'm… excited to see what happens." If Hayes hears the falseness of his words, he doesn't let on.
"Hurry up, you three. Let's go." Hayes is on our heels, and our window of escape is gone; the chapel is right in front of us. The only hope Zoe has now is of Cameron claiming her in front of everyone.
It looks like almost every Alpha from the institute is out on the grass in front. The doors are open wide, and a line of Betas is filing through. Some actually look excited, as if they might receive a Blessing this time.
Hayes stays on our asses until we're through the door and sliding into a pew.
I look around for the Hierophant, but Cameron is not on the pulpit.
Four high priests are there, each standing behind a podium with the stones.
They have cords woven into their robes in their God's colors, all having two except Ilota's high priest, who has three.
The Archon walks behind Cameron's lectern. He addresses the gathered crowd with a broad, blindingly white smile that doesn't reach his eyes.
"Thank you all so much for joining us for our first mid-year ceremony. Isn't this exciting?" There are murmurs of agreement from the gathered Betas, but just as many look unhappy to be here. I'm sure there are many who, like me, have no desire to be anything but a Beta.
The Director of the Institute steps forward and holds up a thick stack of papers. "Let's begin with Aaron Joesph."