Chapter Eleven
Halley
A shaky hiccup escapes my lips, born of both jitters and exasperation, and I vigorously rub my eyes to dispel my blurry vision.
Summoning a surge of determination, I propel myself from that wretched seat and shuffle toward the rear of the vehicle.
The aftermath of sitting in darkness has skewed my depth perception, so my attempt to climb out of the rear doors results in an awkward stumble.
My arms flail like unsteady wings, and I tumble ungracefully onto the unforgiving ground.
“Ow!” I yelp loudly.
Rocks embed themselves into my knees and elbows, their sharp edges sending a searing jolt of pain through my body, causing my breath to catch.
The Beta soldier grumbles lowly, like my pain is an inconvenience to him.
His hand reaches down, seizing my upper arm in a firm grip, pulling me upright onto unsteady legs.
He lets go immediately, like he’s been burned.
It was fast, but long enough for my body to hum to life. His touch felt nice. Really nice.
Frack, my hormones are out of control.
As he strides away, he mutters, “She’s all yours now… remember, stick to the plan.”
I blink rapidly, forcing my eyes to focus. A thin stream of blood trickles down my shin from my knee, staining my trousers.
I bite back a groan of embarrassment. I’d wanted to appear as capable as possible, but with this one act I must seem nothing short of a clumsy fool. I’ll heal quickly, not as fast as an Alpha, but the wound will stop weeping soon and scab over in an hour or so.
My vision finally steadies, and I take in my new home. It’s nothing like I was expecting.
Nestled within a small clearing, deep within a forest, a cluster of tents sit snug against a formidable wall of craggy rock. The camp is on a flat patch of ground which tapers off into steep slopes. Towering ancient trees loom above, their branches creaking in a slow, mournful dance.
It’s not a military base at all. In fact, it resembles more of a makeshift camp with barely any amenities.
And it’s quiet. Really fracking quiet, and I’m unnerved by the striking absence of life. The entire camp exudes an eerie quality, like the moment in a horror movie when the plot line takes a chilling turn.
Yeah. If I’m gonna die, it’s probably going to be in this place.
There is a thud at my feet and my backpack rolls to a stop in the dirt.
I turn to say thank you to the Beta, but my mouth chokes with dust as the troop carrier accelerates away.
I watch it pull around the back of one of the tents, hidden but still accessible.
For all the hate I directed at that vehicle, my situation didn’t feel real while I was sitting in its horrible dark cabin, but out here, reality is coming at me hard.
I inhale, sighing deeply, and choke on a thick scent.
Unmated Alpha.
My whole body freezes, and ever so slowly, I slide my gaze up.
My hands shake, and the perspiration beading on my forehead has nothing to do with the crisp morning sunlight filtering through the trees.
My encounter with the Alpha in the ICU seems so long ago, and hardly the same situation.
I don’t have the pumping adrenaline to mask the enormity of being in an unmated Alpha’s presence.
And it is enormous.
He is enormous.
His towering figure casts a shadow over me.
A squeak of terror escapes me.
The man standing before me is an apex predator. His height makes me feel tiny.
Muscles ripple beneath tanned skin, a gift from the Alpha mutation which makes building muscles effortless. Neatly clipped hair, short back and sides, without a single stray hair out of place – not even a five o’clock shadow tarnishes his sharp features.
Every aspect of his being radiates a sense of duty and self-discipline, a man who had forged himself into a living embodiment of strength and capability. A rifle is strapped to his back, and a knife clipped to his leather belt. His jaw is clenched tightly, straining and twitching with tension.
The pressure of his gaze is drilling into me with increasing intensity.
I have no clue what comes next. I feel like I’m standing on a precipice, staring down into the unknown. Taking three steadying breaths, I immediately regret my decision.
His scent is dizzying.
The intoxicating smell of ink and spices instantly clouds my head. My body sways, drawn to him like a magnet.
I swallow a whimper as he looks me up and down, assessing.
“Omega Sparks.” I startle at the deepness of his voice. “Follow.”
My body feels like a rubber band, stretched to the point of snapping and ready to break. I don’t know how to react. I don’t know what’s expected of me.
I stand frozen, my feet rooted to the ground.
“I–I’m to report to Prime Alpha Knox,” I say, stammering my way through my words. My mind is still sitting in the back of the cab in the dark.
The Alpha’s nostrils flare as he glares at me.
His mouth sets in a hard line, and his brows furrow.
He seems pissed off by my presence, like he hates me without knowing me.
It’s not how I thought my first official, non-life-or-death meeting with an unmated Alpha would go.
I wasn’t too sure how in control either of us would be.
I shouldn’t have worried.
It seems like control isn’t a concern for this particular Alpha.
“We don’t have all day. Come now,” he growls at me before he spins in his polished combat boots and strides towards the camp.
I blink, his abruptness leaving me dazed and confused. After a moment of hesitation, I scoop up my backpack and skitter after the retreating Alpha. His steps are long and purposeful, each footfall sending a shockwave through the ground beneath my feet.
I feel like a baby deer stumbling along, barely able to keep up. A tiny little thing with no place in this world. For every one of his steps, my legs pump thrice.
He pauses after a few meters and looks back at me.
“Keep up.” His tone is sharp and accusing.
I flush with embarrassment and hurriedly try to find a pace that doesn’t leave me gasping for air.
Four tents stand in a neat row from one end of the space to the other. Their dusky olive green color blends with the foliage seamlessly.
He leads me straight to the largest tent in the middle. I glance around, trying to gain my bearings, and my alarm continues to grow over the lack of movement in the camp.
Where are all the soldiers?
I was told I’d be joining a team. Surely that means a group of Beta soldiers led under the leadership of this Prime Alpha.
The Alpha stops at the entrance to the large tent and pauses. He looks over his shoulder at me and purses his lips. His eyes scan me, and I have to stop myself from fidgeting under his gaze.
“Don’t touch anything,” he snarls, as if he expects me to act like an errant child and paw at every object within my reach.
He lifts the flap of the tent, and I follow him inside.
A wall of scent hits me, and I stagger to a halt.
The air is thick with the most intoxicating blend of aromas.
I blink rapidly, swallow my pooling saliva, and take in the five beds arranged on the outskirts of the tent.
It’s sleeping quarters.
And the heady scent is unmistakably unmated Alpha.
And not just one, but many unmated Alphas.
My muscles tense, instincts on high alert.
This is not normal, right?
Why would there be more than one unmated Alpha on this team?
Having multiple full-blooded, unmated Alphas on one team would surely be a recipe for conflicts and chaos. Especially around an Omega.
Why would General Stone send me here?
I know very little about military dynamics, but I know the basics.
Alphas are leaders. They lead their own teams of Betas and young, inexperienced Alphas, and a Prime Alpha commands multiple teams. The Alphas who sleep in these beds don’t smell like new, young recruits. They smell primal, strong, and virile.
A warm hum of arousal trickles through me and I can’t help but slide my gaze over the Prime Alpha’s form. I let my eyes linger on his thick thighs, and I lick my lips.
As if he can hear my scandalous thoughts, he spikes me with a glare.
My cheeks heat and I clear my throat as I force my gaze away.
“Sir? Uh… I’m to report to Prime Alpha Knox. Can you take me to him?”
His expression of disapproval deepens, and I’m suspecting it’s a permanent scowl.
My eyes zip down to his chest, and I read his name tag – T. Knox. Beside it is the Capital A encircled by a red ring, the symbol of Prime Alphas.
“I am Prime Alpha Knox.”