Epilogue
General Stone
I always knew this day would come. It’s loomed on the horizon for years. Stopping it was impossible, so I did everything in my power to delay the inevitable.
And now, all of the pieces have fallen into place and there are no more moves to make.
It’s time.
Fathim is about to fracture into a thousand pieces.
I’m not blameless in this mess. I became as fat with complacency as my fellow leaders. In my youth, I petitioned for an Omega and kept her as my own. She didn’t choose; someone Commanded her to obey.
Despite the ugliness of our beginning, she loved me, and I loved her.
The love of my Dorothea opened my eyes. She shifted my perspective of the world and made me reconsider the treatment of Omegas.
After all, she was the light of my life, the sweetest creature ever to grace my presence.
How could I condone the mistreatment of other Omegas who were just as loving and kind?
I couldn’t.
I’m a fair man, but somewhere along the way, I’d lost my moral compass. I’d allowed corruption and greed to twist my intentions. The only thing I could do was make it right with the time I had left.
It was Dorothea’s idea to encourage a politician in the capital to establish The Omega Division as a public relations stunt in his political campaign. A safe place for Omegas to escape the harsh realities of their designation.
I enlisted the help of discreet government officials who directed Omegas towards the sanctuary when they presented. We spent years passing legislation, greasing the right palms, to ensure that once an Omega was enlisted in the military, they couldn’t be forcibly removed.
Except, the unmated Omegas were too tightly controlled and their hope for an Alpha mate was too great. Most were identified at birth due to their unique physical features and closely monitored until they presented.
Therefore, in the last decade, only four Omegas have come under my care at the Barkrood Base Omega Division. Four individuals who’d slipped through the cracks and were declared defective with definitive red stamps decorating their files.
The future for an Omega not suited to mate an Alpha is unthinkable. Sent to the ‘Companionship Program’ to become nothing but a convenient whore for Alphas with power and money. A fate not fit for such a loving designation.
At times, The Omega Division felt like a failure. After all of our efforts, we only saved four, but those four pitiful lives made my Dorothea’s eyes shine with pride and made me feel worthy again.
Except, she wasn’t done making me a better Alpha.
She encouraged me to share my worries for the future and the seemingly endless war with the humans.
I told her about the civil unrest rising daily, a melting pot that our law enforcement barely kept from boiling over.
I lamented our weakening ranks. The flood of Alphas defecting from active duty, disappearing into the expansive Blackreach Province, and the rise of Blood Lust killing our greatest warriors.
I told about my concerns that Betas were growing bold with their discontent.
A loud faction had begun questioning why we fought the humans if the Beta designation could assimilate with the humans.
Of course, they’re wrong. Betas are still a mutation, and the humans want to purge all traces of genetic impurity.
If the Betas try to form an alliance with the humans of Hampcourt, Fathim will burn.
My Dorothea was a tireless reader, and a voracious scholar.
Each night, she’d regale me with her research.
She’d tell me the history of the Packs and the strength and power they possessed.
The way they could turn the tides of entire battles.
She showed me the research that proved the key to that power was a compatible Omega at their core.
An Omega capable of Commanding strong soldiers, even Prime Alphas, to create unbeatable Packs.
It was a lightbulb moment.
Fathim’s salvation lay in the delicate hands of Omegas.
That was how I would prove the worth of the Omegas and set them free from their lives as brood stock. I’d raise them from the bottom of our society, creatures to be bartered and kept from their potential, and make them the key to the end of this endless war. The rightful queens on their thrones.
When Dorothea died, it was with hope in her heart and a demand on her lips. She begged me to protect the four Omegas in The Omega Division.
And so, I put the pieces into play and began our experiment.
I collated a pack of compatible soldiers. The best of the best, and pushed them into missions that, if survived, would bond them irreparably.
I thought I’d lost the game when Blood Lust took a Pack member, but just as Dorothea predicted, an Omega brought him back.
The board is set and the pieces are positioned perfectly. Victory is so close.
A bonded, powerful Pack with an Omega jewel at the center. An Omega loyal to me and the military, taught to follow orders and obey. The key to victory. The key to strength for our great nation.
The experiment went well, excluding a few hiccups. The Omega hadn’t learned obedience before developing her powers, but we still had time.
And then, the storm hit and all my plans were torn asunder.
Fathim exploded from within.
Dunefold Fortress fell. Human Allied forces breached its defense and stormed through the border.
Soldiers deserted their posts.
Civilians rose up.
The storm is crashing on both sides.
I still have three lives to make my plan work.
Three Omegas left to keep my promise to my sweet Dorothea.
I have no time to waste.
Tonight, we retreat.
Tomorrow, we chase the future.