Knot Their Soldier, Part Two (Omegas Fight Dirty #2)

Prologue

Halley

Guilt eats me alive with every heavy step I take away from Scorch Squad.

I shouldn’t have left that way.

The second I used the Command on them, something inside me broke.

A fragile internal thread, already strained, suddenly snapped.

When I reached for a part of me that only exists when they’re near, I found emptiness.

My vision blurred for a moment. My nose bled.

I wiped it away and told myself it didn’t matter.

But it did. Something shattered that I can’t ever get back.

Using my Omega Command to stop them from following me was dirty, underhanded, and cruel, but I can’t think of another way they’d let me go.

Knox will never go AWOL. He’d never desert his duty and come with me to find the Omegas. And the others… well, I know what it’s like to be torn from your loved ones. The four soldiers are deeply bonded and I won’t force them to sever those ties. So, I made the decision for them.

They’re better off together.

Better off away from me.

I can’t be what they need and it was foolish to string them along.

I did the right thing.

As the afternoon wears on, the ache in my chest deepens as the realization I’ll never see them again settles in my soul.

They’ll be fine. They have each other, their little found family.

And me… I have to find my own family. Dazz, Ember and Flicker are out there waiting for me.

The trees thin the lower I hike into the valley. Short, spindly branches provide no cover or protection from the wind. It howls over the exposed plains, buffeting me with force, whipping the steadfastly rebellious stray hair around my face in a frenzy.

The town isn't far now. I can see the warm glow of lights spilling from a jumble of buildings on the edge of a river.

The sun slips behind the mountain, casting long shadows and leaving the land in an eerie twilight.

Cicadas trill loudly, creating a miasma of white noise, drowning out my loud thoughts.

I pause, looking at the lights in the distance, and sigh.

I don't want to go into the town. The idea of being surrounded by strangers makes my skin prickle in warning. I doubt there is an Alpha living in such a small outpost, but if Shade taught me anything, it’s that Betas can be just as lethal.

I have to avoid crossing paths with anyone.

I'll take a page out of Blaze's book and become a ghost. If I wait until the cover of darkness, sneak into the outskirts of town, I might be able to find a car to steal.

Ideally, I'd use the scope on the sniper rifle strapped to my back that I swiped from Viper to find my target before engaging.

Never go in blind. Knox’s voice echoes in my mind, drilled into me during one of his many, many theoretical lessons.

But with the dwindling light, it'd prove fruitless.

Adapt and overcome. A mantra Shade would calmly recite whenever I'd reach a roadblock in training. ‘We might not be as strong as an Alpha, but we’re smart and there's always another option.’

My backpack straps creak as my fists tighten around them, and I weather another wave of guilt and longing.

It’s barely been a few hours and, already, I miss them so much it hurts.

They're ingrained in me. Every lesson, every touch, every training session resides within me like a living thing.

I roll my shoulders as if I can slough off the ache of loss.

I've got this. I just have to apply the theory and training to this practical experience.

Easy peasy, right?

The wind picks up, and dirt particles sting as they whip past.

I march forward, determined to get this done. The faster I get off the road, the less likely I'll be spotted.

I make it a few feet into the scrub when I hear the rumble of an engine in the distance. I glance over my shoulder, and the sight of twin headlights bouncing up and down on the uneven dirt road fills me with a sense of dread.

"Hide, you cockwomble,” I say to myself. I search for cover, but the sparse trees offer no such sanctuary.

I sprint over the uneven ground, not daring to look behind me. “Frack, frack, frackity, frack.”

My boots skid on the loose gravel, and I lose my balance.

The ground rushes up to meet me. There's no Alpha to catch me anymore.

My chin hits the ground with a jarring impact. Pain blooms, and red spots of blood drip onto the shale rocks below.

I peer up the slight incline, my eyesight swimming, but keep my throbbing head low as the truck comes closer. I hold still, hoping I blend into the scenery. With any luck, it'll just pass and trundle on its way.

Like some cruel joke, the brakes squeal as it comes to a halt.

Why would I think I’m that lucky?

The vehicle sits idle by the side of the road, its headlights casting a bright beam of light onto the dirt track. The smell of burning fuel reaches me on the breeze.

It's then that I notice the scattering of beer cans and cigarette butts on the surrounding ground. This is a hangout spot.

I want to groan and smack my palm into my forehead.

Fracking brilliant, Halley.

If this were a training exercise, Knox would be giving me the filthiest, most exasperated look. ‘Omega Sparks, get your ass into gear!’

The engine cuts off. I hold my breath as doors slam, and two Betas step out of the cab followed by the click of a lighter, and two red points which flare to life in the dim light.

"One o’ these days, ya missus is gonna have ya balls for smokin' on the sly," the smaller shadow chuckles.

"Nah, she knows I duck off sometimes to have a drag. S'long as I ain’t doin' it in front of the rugrats, she don't mind." The second one replies, drawling his words like molasses.

We must be further north than I expected, in mountain country where the folk speak slower.

"You a braver man than me. Me mamma's in a right strop these days. She put ‘er foot down 'bout me goin' to the rally," he pauses, exhaling smoke into the night. "Says she don't want me goin' against no Alphas."

"There's strength in numbers, fella."

I purse my lips in confusion.

"Even if it's ten Betas to one Alpha, they'll still slaughter us like pigs."

Betas versus Alphas?

"Gotta do somethin’ though, don't we?"

"I s'pose," the younger Beta intones. He doesn't sound convinced, but his convictions aren't strong and it's only a matter of time.

“Alphas been ruling this country for generations. Makin' all the decisions. Spendin’ all our taxes on war instead of feedin’ the rest of us. They promise rations for families of the idiots who enlist, but have 'ya seen any ration drops lately, boy? Bunch o' liars.”

As simple as the explanation is, he’s not wrong. In my home village, hunger was a fact of life. The year our summer crops failed was the first time I discovered what real hunger felt like. In contrast, I never missed a meal living in Barkrood Base.

“They say we need ‘em to protect us from the Humans, but the Humans don't got beef wit' us. They got no problem with Betas. We’re only a lil’ different from ‘em, ya know? It’s the Alphas and Omegas they want gone ‘cause they’re the ones with all the fucked up mutations.”

“So, what? We go live wit’ the Humans?” the young Beta asks, blowing a long puff of smoke into the air, his gaze sweeping across the scrub in front of him.

I duck my head, pressing my forehead to my folded arms and steady my breathing. It’s dark enough that the shadows should hide me, but Blaze always reminded me that Alpha and Omega eyes have a subtle glow. My purple orbs might give me away.

“Nah, fella. You t’inking too small. We don’t gotta leave…” he takes a drag. “Them Alphas and their bitches do.”

I lay as still as I can and listen as they talk shit about their neighbors and the price of a good breeding goat.

"We better head back or me Ma will ‘ave me ass. She don't like me out after dark, not since those military guys came 'round lookin' for troublemakers. She's got me on a curfew in case they come back."

They finish their cigarettes, dropping them into the dirt and twisting the heel of their boots into the red glow.

"Righto, fella. Let's get ya back to ya mama's teat."

The doors slam shut, and the engine roars to life. The headlights illuminate the area, and I clench every muscle to hold myself as still as possible.

The truck lurches forward, the wheels skidding on the dirt. Once it's far enough away, and I'm alone with the shadows, I crawl onto my hands and knees.

The world really is falling apart.

Demi-humans are turning on each other.

The truck bounces and rattles slowly down the dirt track, and I follow its movements back toward the town while swiping the steady trickle of blood from my forehead with my sleeve.

When it comes to a halt outside the nearest house, I smile.

Finally, some good luck.

If I'm even luckier, those idiots will leave the keys in the truck.

I creep closer, using the surrounding scrub cover, and watch as they disappear into the town.

I'm so close now, I can hear the rumble of chatter and the clinking of glasses, even muffled laughter.

The truck is right there, gleaming under the rear-porch light of a house set further away from the others.

My body trembles with anticipation.

This is it. This is my moment.

I slowly approach the truck, keeping my steps light and silent, just like Blaze taught me.

I place my palm on the driver's side door and pause, listening.

No footsteps.

No sound.

I turn the handle and cringe as the door squeals open on rusty hinges, and I clamber in.

My fingers tremble as I search for the keys. They're not in the ignition, so I check the console, then the ashtray, under the floor mat, and finally the sunshade.

Nothing.

"Fracking hell," I hiss under my breath, hitting my palm against the steering wheel. I try to keep my frustration and disappointment at bay.

A twig snaps behind me, and I freeze.

Frack.

I need to leave. I need to get out. I need—

"Thought I smelled somethin' tasty."

Frack, no, no.

"Hands where I can see 'em, sweetness." The drawl is familiar. It's the older Beta from before, and this is his truck.