10. Chapter Ten
Chapter Ten
Shade
The tent is quiet.
We’ve dragged every spare blanket and piece of clothing onto the floor, building a nest big enough for all five of us. It isn’t neat or comfortable. But it’s warm, and safe, and we're together, which, after everything that’s happened, is all that matters.
Halley lies naked beside Viper, and I find myself raking my eyes over her bare form again and again, reassuring myself that she is actually unharmed and that her skin is blemish-free.
She's asleep. Or at least, she looks like she’s sleeping. Her breathing is even, but her brow twitches every few seconds. They're small, restless movements that tell me her mind isn’t still.
I know because my mind isn't still either. How could it be? Will it ever be again? I suspect nightmares from the last day will keep me awake for the rest of my life.
Knox lies behind her, arm draped possessively across her waist, his grip firm even in unconsciousness. He hasn’t let go of her for hours, even now that he's finally closed his eyes to rest. Every time she shifts, his fingers flex, ready to tighten if she even thinks about moving.
Blaze has wedged himself at her feet, curled on his side, one hand hooked solidly around her ankle. His expression flickers between peace and torment, the aftershock of too much adrenaline and trauma.
Viper is flat on his back, one arm thrown over his eyes.
His chest rises and falls in deep, even breaths, proof that his body is still recovering.
He’s healing from Blood Lust. Every vein in his body, scorched and burst by his boiling blood, must be stitched back together.
Even Alpha healing takes a while to fix so much damage.
And me? I’m propped against a tent pole guarding my Pack, half-watching the sunlight creep through the canvas, half-listening to the sound of them breathing. My job has always been to keep things steady when my Alphas falter, and it soothes me to watch over them when they're vulnerable.
The quiet feels deceptive; we haven't spoken much about what happened. Not about Knox almost mercy-killing Viper. Not about the knife, the bullet, or the blood. Not about the fact that Halley died, and now she’s here warm and alive.
I study her for what feels like the tenth time in just this passing minute. Her color’s back. Her pulse is steady in her throat. I took my time to soak and wash off every trace of blood from her body. It’s still Halley, but… different.
Another thing we haven't spoken aloud. Her scent has shifted. It's still lavender and lightning, but now it is somehow cleaner, brighter. Whatever force brought our Omega back to life also changed her. To what extent, we don't know.
I should catalog this. Record data and make sense of it with rational thought. But every time I look at her, my mind blanks, replaced by one simple truth: she’s here. Our Omega is alive, and I don't think I care how.
For the first time in my life, I don't want to know the science behind something. I want this to remain a miracle. At least for now.
Halley stirs first.
She shifts, yawns, and nuzzles into Viper's chest briefly before rising onto her elbows, blinking into the late afternoon sun leaking through the folds of the tent.
Knox snorts awake, his hand searching for her instantly, only relaxing once he reassures himself she is still here with a squeeze of her plush hip.
Blaze helps her scoot closer to him and settles her between his legs, propped up against his chest. He gets her to take sips from his canteen.
He tears open a ration pack and feeds her little granola bites, one-by-one, from his fingers.
Halley doesn't protest at the intensity he dedicates to the process.
Instead, she hums around the oats and raisins, a pleased little smile on her lips as she watches Blaze fixate on her mouth.
It's a familiar routine and it's oddly reassuring.
After everything that has happened and changed, at least this remains the same.
"Another," Blaze insists. She obeys and chews. He watches her the entire time, checking every bite, swallow, and flick of her tongue. When the ration pack is empty, he uncaps his canteen again.
"Drink."
She does.
Blaze swipes a stray drop of water from her bottom lip with reverence and exhales, his inner Alpha satisfied with providing for his Omega.
I rummage through my rucksack and dig out my first-aid kit, grabbing a bottle of pain-relief pills meant for Beta soldiers.
Alphas don't need them, because by the time they feel pain, they're already healed.
Lucky fuckers. I rattle the bottle, drawing Halley's attention, and quirk my brow. "Need a few?"
She rolls her neck side-to-side, and wriggles in Blaze's lap, testing her body for twinges of pain.
"No, thanks. I feel pretty good. Really good, actually."
She frowns as if disturbed by this discovery.
I choose not to ask what is wrong for now. Digging into potential resurrection side effects will pop the delicate bubble we've found ourselves in.
The camp outside hasn't stopped. On my hourly perimeter checks, I've watched it build to a fever pitch of activity. Tents have been pulled down around us, soldiers moving back and forth, the clatter of equipment being dismantled and packed away.
My guess is that the order has come to retreat back to Blackgate Fortress. Which means the enemy is near and our time of rest is almost over. War doesn't stop for anything.
Our tent has been avoided, soldiers and civilians skirting around our Pack with voices hushed, afraid to come too close.
There were many witnesses to Halley's death. They watched her get shot in the throat and bleed out. And yet, she's still alive. Her Omega scent is strong and undeniably coming from our tent. I wonder what they're all thinking. Do they believe she's a supernatural entity? A miracle? An omen?
"Prime Alpha Knox?" a deep voice calls from outside. It's Prime Alpha Zero.
I haven't seen or heard from him since the incident.
Knox moves to get out of the nest.
He looks at Halley and then at the shadow blocking the light at the entrance of the tent, clearly torn about meeting his duty and staying as close to our Omega as physically possible.
I raise my hand and shake my head. 'I can take this.'
I slip outside and greet the Prime Alpha with a salute. I may not be officially Fathim Military anymore, but there is still a chain of command to this resistance we've found ourselves in.
"Specialist Shade," Zero acknowledges, but looks behind me in anticipation.
"Our Prime is indisposed. What can I assist you with?"
I observe a series of mixed emotions flitting across the Alpha's normally expressionless face. His mouth twitches as he begins and then stops himself from speaking. Finally, he settles on: "How is Omega Specialist Sparks?"
"Alive."
If I wasn't watching him closely, I might've missed the flinch, but I am, and I don't.
"Good. That's… yes. That's good to hear," he stammers in a decidedly un-Prime Alpha way, his eyes darting to the tent flap as if he can confirm Halley's mortality through the canvas.
I suppose he must be feeling guilt over his role in yesterday's disaster. Strangely, I can't find it in me to hold any contempt for the Alpha. My emotions are spent, and I have none left over to waste on him.
"What can Pack Scorch do for you, Prime Alpha?" I ask.
"We are conducting an extraction back to Blackgate and will break camp no later than nineteen hundred hours. I came because I wasn't sure if…" He shifts with discomfort, the leather of his boots creaking. "Will your Pack require support for exfil?"
Ah. He's worried Halley won't be capable of being moved after the incident.
It's not Halley he should be worried about.
Of the five of us, she's faring the best.
"Negative. We have our transport and will extract ourselves to Blackgate before the deadline."
"The final group of civilian settlers departed for the Blackreach settlements one hour ago," he says.
I narrow my eyes.
Does that mean the Betas who formed that mob are gone too? Whisked away into the relative safety of Blackreach before any of us could decide what justice looks like when grief is still fresh?
Good.
I hope they keep walking. I hope they find some quiet settlement far from Blackgate, Halley, and the Alphas currently holding themselves together by force of will and very little else.
Pack Scorch is many things, but forgiving has never been one of our natural talents.
If those survivors return, if Knox, Viper, or Blaze see the faces of the people who helped kill Halley, I’m not sure I could stop what happens next.
I’m not entirely sure I would want to.
And then there’s the woman.
The one Blaze had tied down. The one who put the bullet in Halley.
Maddie.
I study Zero’s face, searching for any twitch of guilt or sign that he knows where she is now.
Nothing.
She could be dead from the wounds Blaze inflicted, or she could be tucked into one of those civilian transports, headed for a new life despite the pain she caused.
It’s better if I don’t know.
It’s better if none of us know.
"Convey my thanks to your Pack for their support and sacrifice in ensuring mission success," Zero says. "We saved many lives."
Between us hangs the word "sacrifice", and I suddenly picture Halley's vacant eyes staring unseeingly at the sky.
I suppress a shudder and simply nod in acknowledgment. "See you back at base, Prime Alpha Zero."
He snaps back into Prime Alpha mode instantly.
I watch as his personal discomfort and awkwardness slip away until all that remains is a soldier created solely for leadership with no space for emotion.
He strides back into the controlled chaos of the decampment, soldiers darting forward to ask him for orders, which he issues with ease.
It's like watching the ghost of Knox.
I slip back inside, where a maelstrom of scents has swirled together into what my hindbrain now associates with Pack. I allow it to wash over me and soothe my frayed nerves. We are together despite the universe's best attempt to split us up.
Knox catches my eye and nods. He heard everything Zero said, and outside the tent, our departure is already being handled.
Once, command would have swallowed him whole. Now he stays here with us, watching Viper sluggishly climb into his trousers.
He fumbles with his zipper, and Knox's fingers twitch at his side.
He wants to help, but he holds himself back.
Viper looks exhausted, but thankfully, he is still himself. Not a trace of bulging veins, black eyes, or psychotic rage.
We pack slowly, relief and grief making every movement heavier than it should be. Knox keeps glancing at his lieutenant, rubbing at the scar on the bridge of his nose until the skin reddens.
Viper starts his usual task of checking each of our weapons and packing them for transport. He works his way through Blaze's extensive blade inventory before moving on to Knox's stash. He picks up Knox's pistol, and Knox goes still.
"Don’t make me do it again," he says.
Viper pauses, the gun resting in his huge hand. "What?"
Knox nods toward the pistol. "That." His voice roughens. "I can’t. I won’t."
Understanding moves slowly across Viper’s face.
"Years ago, I gave you my word," Knox says. "That when Blood Lust took you for good, I’d be the one to end it."
I purse my lips. Yes, we all understood what would happen when Viper finally succumbed to Blood Lust and exactly what our Prime Alpha vowed to do if it were in his power. A mercy kill was the right thing.
"Back then, I was your Prime Alpha, you were my lieutenant, and I could call it duty," Knox continues. "That isn’t what we are anymore."
The tent is painfully quiet. Knox swallows thickly, but it doesn't stop the tear that escapes and runs down his cheek.
Viper turns the gun over. The pistol looks small in his big hands, and he hums. It's the same gun that had been clutched in Knox's shaking grasp as he escorted Viper into the forest.
I remember the look on Knox's face. Drawn in pure devastation from losing Halley, but also crumbling under the sheer weight of his task. I knew he planned to eliminate himself after shooting Viper. I knew it then, and I know it now, he never would have recovered from killing his Pack mate.
Viper studies Knox, and silence stretches out between them.
Finally, Viper puts the gun down and packs it away with practiced movements.
"Good. Never should have asked that of you to begin with. Was a selfish prick."
Knox opens his mouth to protest, but Viper interrupts him with a shrug and curious expression. "Besides, don't think it'll be a problem."
I frown. "What do you mean?"
"I don't feel it anymore."
"Feel what?"
"The itch under my skin. The one that's been there for years, even with Halley close by… it's gone."
Is he saying his Blood Lust is cured?
"Well, fuck me sideways with a rusty pole," Blaze breathes.
"Blaze!" Halley scolds.
"What? All this freaky shit keeps happening and we're supposed to just be cool about it?"
I incline my head. He's not wrong. This is just another addition to a long list of supernatural developments.
Soul bonding, telepathy, enhanced healing, Omega Commands, resurrection.
It's all piling up. And now, Viper's terminal illness might be cured?
We've lived with it hanging over our heads like an anvil, and in the blink of an eye, it disappears.
I close my eyes and let the relief flood through me.
"I think that as long as this 'freaky shit' is working out in our favor, we don't question it," I reply coolly and feel every gaze in the tent pin me in place.
"Did… Beta Specialist Shade just say he wasn't going to research something?" Halley asks.
"Yeah, he did," Viper agrees while looking confused by his own admission.
"Okay, this counts as more 'freaky shit', right?" Blaze exclaims, flinging a hand toward me.
I chuckle and quickly cross the room to wrap my arms around Viper. I rest my head on his chest and savor the rhythm of his heart against my ear. There will be time for discovering the how and why later. Right now, I just want to enjoy having my Pack healthy and by my side.
Viper sighs and wraps his arms around me. There is some shuffling and then three warm bodies press into me from behind, joining the hug.
Yes, we're all alive, well, and together. I've spent my whole life quantifying outcomes, but I don't have a measurement for this.