Chapter Four
Halley
Five Years Ago
"Careful, Flicker," I call to the petite Omega twirling in the snow, her tongue out to catch falling snowflakes.
The stone is slippery with frozen patches of ice.
The sun never quite reaches this small courtyard off the side of the Barkrood Base kitchens.
The abandoned garden has frosted spider webs strung between the brown stalks of long-dead plants.
"How'd you score us this little excursion, Sparks?
" Ember asks next to me, leaning against the railing, her head tilted back as if she can still catch rays of sunshine despite the looming shadows cast by the concrete buildings.
She inhales deeply, her breath puffing out in a white cloud.
"Mmm, didn’t realize how badly I needed fresh air. "
She's a couple of inches taller than me, her skin a deep bronze.
She has on a pretty, ice-blue scarf today, wrapped tightly around her neck, the ends whipping in the wind. I have no clue where she got such a decorative piece of clothing when everyone on base wears a variation of camo-green.
That's Ember, though. She's a force of nature. If she wants something, you'd better give in or get out of her way.
"It's all about who you know," I say with a mystical tone, wiggling my fingers in her face.
She snorts and bats me away with a grin. "Must’ve been fracking good blowjob."
I slap her hand in mock outrage.
“I bet if you’d cupped the balls like I taught you, we’d be somewhere warm,” Dazz grumbles, pouting at me with his burly arms crossed.
Flicker swans over, entwining herself with him, and tugs on his sleeve insistently. "Dance with me, Dazz. It'll keep us toasty."
Honestly, if she asked him to juggle flaming snowballs, he’d try. That’s the kind of dumb, loyal love we live on.
Dazz doesn't need to be told twice before he's swinging her around the small courtyard, slipping on the ice in a clumsy attempt at a ballroom-inspired waltz.
Ember and I look at each other. We're used to Dazz's dramatics and Flicker's whimsical nature, but the two of them together is a recipe for trouble. It’s only a matter of time.
“They’re one pirouette away from a concussion and a mandatory lecture on personal safety from Everlyn. I'm not covering for them again,” Ember sighs fondly. She’s the kind of friend who complains and then helps you bury the body.
Soon enough, Dazz's big feet get tangled up between Flicker's, and they both fall in a heap of limbs and laughs.
Ember and I rush forward to help them up, laughing and shivering, breaths fogging in the air.
Flicker giggles.
She's a tiny thing, shorter than even my five-foot-nothingness and thin as a wisp.
She's also the youngest of our little group, with white blonde jaw-length wavy hair and big, wide, ethereal blue eyes filled with mischief.
She could pass for a woodland sprite. You'd think it would make her stand out, but she's so good at disappearing when she wants to.
She's the only Omega who can sneak around without getting caught. The rest of us aren’t so stealthy and have to resort to other ways of circumventing the base restrictions.
I pull my hat down lower over my ears to try and trap the heat in.
My wavy brown hair hangs down my back, blocking some of the chill, but the wind continues to cut through to sting my cheeks.
I've never been a big fan of the cold. I've always preferred fall, when the air has a slight bite, but it's still a tolerable temperature.
A throat clears from behind me, and I turn to see Jason tapping his watch.
I sigh.
Reality calls, and it's time to head back.
I didn't suck anyone’s cock to get this short vacation from our boring lives; it was Everlyn who arranged for a Beta soldier called Jason to escort us. He's been trying to court her for months, and I think this is her way of testing the poor guy.
I like Jason. With his laid-back attitude and calming presence, he’s a good match for my high-attitude friend.
"Come on, time to go," I announce, herding our little Omega family towards the exit.
"Good," Dazz's teeth chatter. "I can't feel my toes. I'm going to get frostbite."
Ember pokes Dazz’s toned bicep. “All this bulk and not an ounce of strength. Truly tragic.”
Dazz pouts and talks to his hard-gained muscles, “Don’t listen to the mean old lady, you have plenty of strength.”
Ember can’t help but laugh at his silly antics as she leads the way back to the door, but I can see the concern on her face.
If we get caught, there will be consequences.
Last time, we weren't allowed to leave our dorms for a month.
Omegas are social creatures who do not thrive in solitary confinement.
"Thanks, Jason," I say, as we slip inside the warm kitchen. "I owe you one."
He grins and winks. "Put in a good word for me with Everlyn, and I'll consider us even."
I bite my tongue and don’t mention that I’d been championing his cause for months. I’m almost positive the soldier is going to get lucky tonight.
We're silent as we walk, and a soft glow of contentment settles over my shoulders, the tight fist of anxiety loosening in my belly.
That was fun.
It’s so good to see my Omegas getting to enjoy the little things in life. We do our best to celebrate birthdays and milestones, but… there’s only so much joy to be had within the confines of our sanctuary.
I’d risk anything to keep them safe. Maybe it’s my protective Omega instincts. Maybe it’s just me — but I’d set the world on fire if it meant they'd be okay.
In the outside world, we’d have Alphas and pups to love and fuss over. But the four of us are special. Outcasts and rejects with nothing to call our own except each other.
They’re my family, and I intend to protect them until my dying days, unconditionally.
Dazz, Ember, and Flicker will always come first.
As we're about to turn left at the corner towards The Omega Division, something tickles the back of my mind. An insistent itch which draws my attention. My feet pivot without my permission, and I’m heading in the opposite direction of safety.
It's a strange pull, like my body is moving of its own accord, and I feel lightheaded. I should be worried, scared, but instead my lips tug with the whisper of a smile.
The itch feels… good.
I take three more steps, forgetting the cold that had ached my bones as warmth crackles through my veins.
My instincts tell me that somewhere in this direction is something important.
It isn't a scent. It isn’t sound. It’s like gravity briefly changed its mind, and every part of me leans toward it.
A hand lands on my shoulder, wrenching me backwards, and noise floods back in.
"Halley! What in rut are you doing? That's towards the Alpha dorms!" Ember hisses in my face, and I blink at her while trying to process her words.
"I…" I pause, and look over my shoulder. The pull is gone, and the warmth drains from my veins, replaced with an odd sensation of loss.
"Come on, we need to go. I don't know what's got into you." She drags me along, her hands still cold as ice from the frosty outside air, before adding, “If I get pneumonia from this little winter joy ride, I’m haunting you, Sparks. And not in a sexy way.”
When we're safely back in the dorms, the others quickly say their goodbyes and disappear into their rooms, but I stand at my window and face the direction of the Alpha dorms.
Something over there was calling to me.
A powerful, ancient pull.
Whatever it was, it felt like a lot like a promise.