Chapter Fifty-Seven
Halley
I jolt awake when Knox abruptly pulls off the road onto a hidden track. The enormous vehicle crunches vegetation underneath its hulking wheels until it’s lodged deep in the undergrowth, hidden from the road.
“Where are—?” I begin to ask, but the others are already jumping out of the truck and grabbing their packs from the back.
They move with practiced precision, mounting equipment on their backs and clipping some to their belts. They each have a sidearm strapped to a thigh, and a rifle slung over a shoulder.
Viper has the most, his arsenal vast and heavy, and it barely looks like it bothers him.
I twist my heels in the dust, biting my lip, unsure what my role is or where I stand with them after my outburst yesterday. They don’t seem to have the same issue, entirely focused on getting their gear prepared.
I suppose this is where they’re most comfortable, in the thick of action, with a plan to execute. Sitting still at training camp must have been a challenge for them.
“Omega Sparks. You’re with me,” Knox says. He passes his pack off to Blaze, who straps it to the front of his chest. He kneels in front of me, presenting his broad back.
“Uh?” I blink at his back and look at the others for clarification.
“We’re going to be moving fast across difficult terrain. You’re still not recovered from your heat, so Knox is going to carry you.” Shade provides the answer. His voice is rough and slightly slurred with exhaustion.
I squint at him and protest. “Shade is in worse shape than I am. You should carry him instead.”
The others aren’t acting too concerned for the Beta’s wellbeing, and it irritates my Omega. She hates seeing him in pain.
When I bite my lower lip and huff, Shade steps closer, softening his voice. “It’s fine, Halley. I’m healing, and moving my body is what I want right now.”
I scan his expression, seeking the truth. His face is so swollen, he’s almost unrecognizable, but his earnest tone convinces me.
“Get on, Omega. We don’t have time to argue,” Knox says in his no-nonsense tone, and I reluctantly agree. I don’t like how exposed I feel standing out in the open. I know my scent is strong, and the longer we linger somewhere unsafe, the more risk I’m putting the team in.
I slip my arms over Knox’s shoulders and lean on his back. Before I get situated, he stands, dragging me with him. I squeak and wrap my thighs around his waist, squeezing them tightly to hold on.
Blaze chuckles and I shoot him a glare.
Knox jumps lightly to adjust my position and catches under my thighs, tugging me firmly against him.
I moan.
He flinches.
My tender core is pressing against his firm back muscles, his heat seeping through the layers of clothing like a caress.
“Uh. Sorry?” I squeak, mortified by my reaction. “Still a little sensitive.”
“Hang on,” he grunts, but doesn’t make a fuss, and I appreciate it.
We don’t say a word about the volatile fight we had before my heat when I nearly choked the life from him. Now is not the time.
I grit my teeth and brace myself.
Knox bends his knees and then leaps forward. My breath catches in my throat as the forest blurs around me.
We’re running fast. Really, really fast.
The realization hits me just how much they’ve been holding back while training me.
They’re made for physical endurance. It’s ingrained in them and it’s fascinating to see how they travel as a squad.
Blaze, despite having two bags strapped to him, is out front, scouting our path with light steps.
Shade shadows Knox like his namesake, and they somehow silently communicate between each other with only hand gestures and grunts.
Viper brings up the rear, his heavy, consistent footsteps thumping against the forest floor like a drum. They move as a well-oiled machine.
Knox’s hands hold me steady as his powerful thighs carry us easily over the terrain. He doesn’t get tired, doesn’t even slow. We run along a stream for a time, crossing back and forth to disguise our trail, before making a sharp turn up a steep incline.
His breathing doesn’t change, even though I’m certain I’d have tapped out long ago.
It’s clear how much I’d hinder them in the field. I’ve been making progress with my physical strength and combat training, but it’ll never be enough. I’m just not built for something like this, and I’ve been kidding myself. My body is just not created for this sort of punishment.
I don’t know how far we’ve covered, but the sun is high in the sky, illuminating the forest floor in bright patches as Blaze finally comes to a stop up ahead, and Knox slows to a jog.
We emerge from a tree line and my jaw drops.
A majestic waterfall thunders from high above, careening down to a rippling pool below, a small oasis carved out of the sheer rock by the powerful water.
The clearing is small, a window of blue sky peeking out over the crest of the waterfall.
Gray mountain rocks and soft green ferns borders a pool of shimmering water.
Knox slides me off his back and onto the soft, mossy ground below.
I inhale deeply, tilting my head back and closing my eyes. Mist from the waterfall hangs like a haze, making the air feel moist and fresh.
The surrounding dense tree line makes the space feel intimate and secluded, like a hidden paradise waiting to be discovered. I’m sure few people have ever seen this part of the forest. It’s too difficult to get to. Too remote.
My Omega purrs with approval. I’m safe here.
I open my eyes to see Knox staring at me with an odd expression. As we watch each other, I tilt my head. He’s looking for something. Is he waiting for my approval?
“This is beautiful,” I breathe, and a hint of pride flashes across his handsome face.
I’m not sure what to think. It feels odd to have Knox seeking my validation and letting me see a vulnerable side of him.
He nods to himself, rubbing his hands. “We’ll make camp here for the night.”
The squad quickly gets to work setting up a campsite.
Blaze gets a small, smokeless campfire going alarmingly fast, with small twigs on the shoreline. The little pyromaniac shoots me a smug grin before disappearing to hunt for larger firewood.
Viper skulks off to secure the perimeter with motion sensors he digs from Shade’s pack.
Shade has collapsed against a tree and is shoveling fistfuls of jerky into his mouth as he tenderly pokes at the yellowing bruises on his high cheekbones. He’s healing quickly. I’m not a doctor like Everlyn, but I know it’s faster than a Beta usually heals.
Another mysterious anomaly, and one that I’m too emotionally drained to investigate. Somehow, I just know it has to do with my O-space and the bond between me and the squad.
Knox spreads out a blanket I recognize from my nest on the rocky surface beside the small, crackling fire that chases the slight chill from the air.
I raise a questioning brow at him, and he gestures to the blanket awkwardly.
I fight a smile. How unexpected. In the midst of a highly regimented ‘bug out’ protocol, Prime Alpha Knox broke rank to pack a blanket for me. It’s entirely out of character and has me feeling a flutter of butterflies.
Alpha provides. My Omega chirps happily.
“Thank you,” I utter and sit down.
He surprises me again when he sits beside me and hands me his canteen. I mumble another thanks before drinking heartily.
I sit a little stiff, my back straight, as I wait for him to reprimand me. Surely he was softening the blow before he rips into me for letting my hungry, hungry pussy get us into this mess.
He pokes at the fire with a stick, causing little sparks to burst above.
Knox clears his throat. “You can relax. We’re safe here, Halley.”
I whip my head to stare up at him. Even sitting, I only come up to his shoulders.
Did he just say my name? My first name? In a non-condescending tone, no less. He always calls me by my last name or designation.
As I must have looked horrified, he responds with an amused snort. “I can take a break from being Prime Alpha.”
I purse my lips and hum, studying him with narrowed eyes. “So, it’s a choice.”
It’s strange, despite our camp being attacked and the Omega in his care turning into a sex-crazed Omega Commanding lunatic, he looks more relaxed than I’ve seen him before.
I guess it makes sense.
He’s designed for action. Trained extensively in high-pressure situations. Sitting still and playing nice probably didn’t feel natural to him. This is where he thrives. It must feel like a wild animal being returned to the jungle after spending time in a zoo.
Without his permanent scowl, he looks devastatingly handsome. It’s almost a crime how effortlessly attractive the Alpha is. The scar over the bridge of his nose spans across his entire face, and I trace it with my gaze.
The injury looks purposeful and neat, like a blade carefully carved the mark into his skin. It’s symmetrical and suits his sharp features perfectly.
I’m once again struck by a strange sense of familiarity, like I’ve seen or met him before this all began. It’s silly because I certainly haven’t had interactions with any unmated Alphas. My vivid imagination and daydreams don’t count.
“What’s a choice?” He cocks his head slightly, and it gives him an almost innocent quality.
“Being a dick,” I say dryly, watching him carefully for the Prime Alpha persona to return and for him to punish me for my insubordination.
Instead, he releases a husky laugh that makes my toes curl in my boots.
Oh. That’s a nice sound.
“I guess, yeah, you could say it’s a choice,” he nods, running a thumb over his lower lip.
My eyes track the movement, and the hunger builds. Ever since Shade touched me, it has felt as if a dormant creature has stirred awake, ready to spring into action with the slightest trigger.
And the way Knox is acting right now feels like a mighty provocation. It’s doing stupid things to my insides.
If he isn’t behaving like a Prime Asshole, then how am I supposed to resist him?