Chapter Forty-Two
Viper
"Alright, boots on the ground," Knox says as he brings our truck to a stop at the entrance to the Blackreach Mountain Pass.
The Pass is a narrow road threading through a gap nestled between two mountains.
Steep cliffs on either side funnel travelers from the governed realm of Fathim to the lawless land of Blackreach Province.
Unless you're willing to brave the treacherous climb over the mountains, this is the only way through.
To me, it doesn't look like a passage. It looks like a jagged mouth ready to swallow anyone who dares enter. A trap disguised as a road.
Just before the Pass, nestled in the mountain’s shadow, sits a temporary camp of tents. The processing facility.
General Stone’s soldiers are scattered throughout the camp, watching us with narrowed eyes and fingers resting on their weapons.
I help Halley down from the truck. It's easy to forget how small she is when her presence takes up so much space in my head. For her, the drop is less a step and more a leap. I take the excuse to hold her a little longer than necessary before I set her gently on the ground.
“What are they doing?” she asks, her eyes scanning the camp beyond the soldiers.
Beyond the line of tense soldiers with weapons at the ready, the camp buzzes with movement. Armed personnel and scattered volunteers, most wearing uniforms without insignia, guide anxious Beta civilians through a maze of checkpoints.
“They’re interviewing the displaced,” Shade answers. “Recording names, skills, anything useful. Each settlement in Blackreach can only take so many people, and they try to match survivors to the places that need them most.”
She nods, chewing on her bottom lip.
"They're not mistreating anyone, are they?"
‘Ah. My soft-hearted girl.’
Shade shakes his head and gestures toward a supply tent.
"They're giving out food, water, hygiene items, and bedding. It's all very orderly and organized. The General might be a manipulative old dickhead, but he knows how to run a smooth operation."
Halley’s shoulders relax.
"Omega Specialist Sparks," a voice calls out, and a Prime Alpha strides towards our Pack. "I received word you were joining us."
"Prime Alpha Zero," Halley squeaks in surprise, her voice high-pitched.
Her scent shifts sharply, turning sour enough to make all of us tense. Whatever it is about this Alpha, it’s setting Halley on edge.
If he laid a hand on her, if he hurt her in any way, I’ll make sure he regrets it. My brothers and I will make him pay for it tenfold.
I slide my hand to the small of her back. If she gives me the signal, I’ll have her out of here before he blinks.
“I didn’t expect to see you…” she says, her voice thinner than usual, eyes locked on the ground.
The Prime Alpha raises a brow in something close to accusation.
“After you sent me away in Rheamont?” he finishes for her.
Halley flinches, so slightly I might have missed it if I weren’t touching her. Through the bond, a flood of what feels like guilt hits me.
Guilt?
What could our sweet Omega possibly feel guilty about?
“I looked for you at Blackgate,” she says, quiet and careful. “I wanted to apologize.”
The Prime Alpha’s brown eyes are ringed with gold, which almost appears to glitter in the sunlight.
“Yes?”
She swallows and shuffles her feet, but doesn’t retreat. “I shouldn’t have Commanded you like that. I… it got away from me and I lost control.”
Oh.
That’s why she was alone in Rheamont. Not because she’d been abandoned by General Stone’s soldiers, but because she’d sent them away.
Zero looks at her for a long while, his eyes studying the Omega like he’s searching for something. Finally, he seems to find it. “Apology accepted, little one. The task given to you wasn’t fair. The mission was compromised and I’m glad you got out safely.”
Halley releases a breath she’d been holding. “And did you and your men make it out okay?”
He inclines his head. “No casualties.”
“Good. Good,” she mutters.
An uneasy silence settles over our group.
Zero doesn’t seem bothered by Halley’s discomfort. He tilts his head slightly, eyes raking over her with the detached precision of a Prime. Assessing a soldier for their potential.
His eyes clap on me.
“I see you’ve joined with an Alpha,” he says, voice clipped and cool. He’s clearly not an individual for small talk.
“I have,” she replies as her cheeks flush. She lifts her chin with quiet challenge and adds, “More than one, actually. This is my Pack.”
She gestures to us, and I feel my chest tighten with pride.
Knox steps forward and wraps an arm around Halley’s waist, pulling her firmly against his chest. It’s a deliberate show of dominance, one any Alpha would recognize for what it is.
Halley doesn’t protest his domineering manner, not like she used to. Instead, she softens against him, her body pliant. She tilts her neck slightly, offering that vulnerable curve in quiet submission.
Huh. That’s new.
But not unwelcome. For the sake of our Pack’s balance, it’s a damn good sign.
Prime Alpha Zero watches the exchange with clinical detachment, though his eyes narrow slightly. He glances between the five of us, taking in the shape of what we are. His nostrils flare as he sniffs.
“We’re not mated,” Halley says, her voice steady, answering the Alpha’s question before he can ask it.
“Yet,” I add, meeting his gaze and holding it.
Zero nods, and a phantom of a smile tugs at the corner of his lips.
Ah, so he's not completely made of stone.
“I see. Congratulations, to you all. I've never heard of a Pack in our modern age, but things are changing, aren't they? It's reassuring to know such a powerful Omega will be supported by strong mates.”
His voice is level, almost pleasant, but something about the way he says powerful Omega makes the hair on the back of my neck rise.
He knows about Halley’s Omega Command, but how much does he know about General Stone’s plans for her power?
"Roger that, Prime. Your support is acknowledged and appreciated,” Knox replies in a tight, controlled tone. He switches into a professional mode. “Scorch Squad is combat-ready and standing by for orders. Provide mission parameters, and we’ll execute."
Zero gives a curt nod, then waves us forward with a brisk, almost impatient gesture.
Begrudgingly, despite my Alpha still bristling, feeling territorial with such a strong outsider close to our Omega, I find myself liking the stiff Prime Alpha. He doesn't linger on a topic once he has the information. He accepted us as a Pack and returned straight back to business.
We're led to a large tent on the edge of the small temporary base.
"You can bunk in here. I'm eager to have Omega Specialist Sparks working with us, I've seen what she is capable of. I can't begin to understand it, but I can definitely use her,” he pauses, searching for the right words, “negotiating skills with some of our more hard-headed visitors."
He casts a knowing look at Halley, and she replies with a watery smile.
"I'm at your disposal, Prime Alpha," Halley clips with a silly little salute and my belly flutters with affection.
Knox grunts low beside me, the sound sharp and short. I don’t need the bond to know it grates on him to hear her call another man Prime Alpha. To him, that title belongs to one Alpha only.
'Easy there, boss man,' I say down our internal link.
Knox’s jaw ticks, but he relaxes his posture.
"Thank you, Zero," I say, leaving out his rank to avoid triggering a certain someone’s ego. "We will support your mission to the best of our abilities."
Zero tilts his head in acknowledgment and then clears his throat. "I’ll leave you to settle in. Come find me when you’re ready to get to work."
"Wait, Prime," Halley says, stepping forward.
Knox's jaw ticks.
Halley flashes a sweet smile, all charm and softness, and it works on Zero almost instantly. His expression shifts. The harsh lines around his eyes ease.
I scent him again, testing for even a flicker of lust or hunger. Nothing. Not a trace.
He has lost the chance to claim the most perfect Omega. A rare jewel that no Alpha of his station would ever have the opportunity to meet, let alone mate. His instincts should be tearing him apart, yet he’s just... fine with it?
It seems impossible, but he’s looking at her like she’s a little sister he’s indulging.
Is that even possible? An Alpha unmoved by an Omega, especially one like Halley? Every instinct in me says no. She's soft and strong and radiant in ways that make the rest of us feel half-starved in her presence.
But he stands there, composed and untouched, as if all she stirs in him is protectiveness.
"Have there been any Omegas pass through the checkpoint?"
Ah. Clever girl.
“No,” Zero says, shaking his head. “You’re still the only Omega I’ve ever encountered.”
Then he pauses, brow furrowing.
“I did hear a rumor, but word-of-mouth intel is rarely reliable.”
Classic Prime Alpha. If it’s not verified, it doesn’t exist.
"I'll take anything you can give," Halley gushes and gestures at him to continue.
Knox makes a choked sound. She said similar words earlier, right before she took him deep in her throat.
“Some of my troops escorted a group of survivors to the farthest settlement,” Zero says, his tone measured. “It’s deep in Blackreach. Takes at least two weeks by truck, and that’s assuming no trouble from the locals.”
We all know what locals means. Rogue Alphas. The ones banished for crossing lines even Fathim wouldn’t tolerate. Feral. Lawless. Dangerous. Alphas without values, without restraint.
Zero continues. “When my men came back, they mentioned someone running the medic bay out there. A real spitfire with a sharp tongue. Had the entire outpost tied up in knots, if you catch my drift.”
An Omega.
Halley sucks in a breath. "I need to talk to those soldiers. Please. I have to ask them some questions."
Zero sighs and rubs his forehead, clearly weighing his options. After a beat, he nods. “Very well. I’ll see what I can arrange.”