Chapter 49
Chapter Forty-Nine
Halley
I lead a group of weary survivors to Blackreach Pass, retracing my earlier steps. They’re exhausted, wary, and injured, which makes travel slow.
Blaze hovers somewhere nearby, hidden and unseen, and I can feel his hypervigilance simmering at the edge of my awareness through our newly formed connection. It’s like a distant hum of electricity, a wire buzzing just below my normal range of hearing.
He’s on high alert, his predatory instincts hunting each member of our band like they’re an immediate threat to my health.
It’s not a bad thing. My Omega likes feeling protected by her strong Alpha.
"Where did you say you came from?" I ask the woman I'd negotiated with. Despite her young age, she holds a role of authority within this ragtag group of survivors.
With every step alongside me, her grimace deepens, a limp growing more noticeable the farther we go. It’s probably an injury from the village attack, but I don’t dare draw attention to it. Like a wounded wolf, she hides her pain behind a fierce exterior, her eyes flashing with warning.
I can’t imagine the sheer desperation clawing at her, the feeling of utter hopelessness.
"I didn't," she clips.
"Ah, well, I guess I wanted to say I'm sorry you had to leave your home.”
The crunch of rocks beneath our feet makes the answering silence loud. I start to apologize, explaining I hadn’t meant to offend her, but she cuts me off with a shrug.
"Wasn’t much of a home lately. Half of us died last winter, slowly starved to death. This winter would've been worse."
"Didn't… Why didn’t The Capital send relief supplies?"
She rolls her eyes. “They sent relief alright.”
My throat constricts at her bitter tone. Oh rut, that doesn’t sound like a happy story.
“Alphas from the military came and made us an offer: enlist and your family gets fed. My brothers signed up so I could eat.” Her weak leg stumbles over a loose rock, and I have to squeeze my nails into my palm to stop myself from reaching out to steady her.
“The food never came, and I haven't heard from my brothers since. I figure they’re dead on some battlefield.”
No wonder these folk don't trust Alphas. The last ones who promised salvation betrayed them in the most heinous way.
“You don’t know that, they might be alive…” I trail off, feeling naive and stupid. She doesn’t need my false platitudes.
“I hope they aren’t alive. Better to die fighting beside comrades than starve to death alone.”
Frack. That's grim.
Maybe she’s right and I’m a pampered Omega princess sheltered from the harsh realities of living in Fathim. The Omega Division wasn’t that bad… I certainly never felt like death was knocking at my door.
I swallow the thick saliva. What do you say to someone who’s lost everything?
"Well, I’m glad you’re still here.”
“Barely.”
“You must have put up one hell of a fight to escape and survive the enemy.”
With a brief, dismissive glance, she shrugs. "Before my eldest brother left, he taught me how to fire his gun. Only good thing about Humans is they die easy. Wish Alphas did… tough bastards."
I lick my lips, shove down the lurching feeling of horror, maybe it’s a mistake to bring her to the camp. There are a lot of Alphas in Zero’s troop, not to mention my Pack. What if I’m bringing a threat to their feet?
I know that Blaze has radioed in on my mission progress, but I wish I could personally warn them. Our internal communications cut off about half an hour outside of the processing camp. The tethers in my heart didn’t weaken though. They stayed just as taut and golden as always.
Shade will be interested in the data for his research, but it just means I’m flying blind and I miss the reassurance that they’re just a thought away.
I glance at the girl again. The blood stain on her thigh has grown and looks wet. She’ll need medical attention immediately. Hopefully, that means she’s too weak to put up much of a fight.
Well, it’s too late to turn around now, so I focus on the mountains looming larger with each step. We're in its shadow now, the sun dipping below its crest. We will reach the campsite as darkness falls.
"Alphas aren't any better than Humans, in the end," she adds. "Both want us dead."
I bite the inside of my cheek. There is no use arguing with her, not when her convictions are so strong.
"You know there are Alphas at the camp where we're going to, right?” I hesitantly ask. “Is that gonna be a problem?"
"It'll be fine if they don't mess with us."
"They're not like that," I rush to say. I can't speak for the soldiers at the processing camp, but I know my Pack will keep them from harming innocent civilians.
“Alphas are always 'like that'.”
She’s wrong.
"You'll see."
"Yeah, I bet I will."
We walk in silence for a few minutes.
"It's Maddie."
I glance at her and find her staring ahead at the path we're following back to the Pass. The wind is picking up, and the trees make creaking sounds as they bend and arch.
"What?"
"My name, Omega. It's Maddie."
"Maddie," I say, testing the name on my tongue, and give her my biggest encouraging smile. "It's nice to meet you. I'm Halley."
She scoffs. "Relax, Omega. I don't wanna be friends, just need someone to know my name, ya know? Evidence that I was here in case things don't go well at this Alpha camp of yours."
My smile fades and I don't respond to her surly attitude. I'm sure once she's settled into a settlement in Blackreach, she'll be grateful for the help.
As we top a small incline, the sounds of the bustling camp come into earshot, and a sea of tents spreads before us.
I pause for a moment to let Maddie take in the scene.
Her eyes dart rapidly as she watches soldiers herd civilians from one processing station to the next, preparing them to embark on to their next destination.
Viper, Knox, and Shade’s proximity has their presence flaring in my heart once more.
I sigh in relief.
‘There you are, baby girl.’ Shade purrs in my mind, and I grin.
‘Nearly late, pretty girl. Was about to come drag you home,’ Viper joins.
Home. They’re my home now.
‘Blaze, she better be in pristine condition.’ Shade warns.
I can feel the smug satisfaction from Blaise as he responds, ‘Brought her back safe and sound, although her ass is in used condition.’
There is a beat of silence and then the Pack explodes into bickering as Blaise dances around the topic.
‘What did you do, mutt?’
I don’t intervene and let my cheeky Alpha have his fun.
They ask graphic questions, and Blaise answers with scandalous detail. ‘Guess what? She can take a knot back there.’
‘You didn’t!’
‘Oh, I most certainly did, and our girl loved it.’
I should feel shame and embarrassment, but instead, a sense of contentment washes over me. It’s nice to have the Pack behaving so… normal. My soul and heart are full of them, and it’s a powerful sensation.
The only thing missing is Knox’s voice, but I know it’s coming. Our relationship is repairing, and when we finally have sex, it’ll all snap into place the way it should.
A guard alerts the rest of the camp to our arrival, and my Pack is already at the gates waiting.
Viper stands with his arms crossed, and Shade is scanning the surrounding area, no doubt for signs of our rebellious Alpha.
Behind them, Knox looks as intimidating as ever, his gaze sweeping over me, checking for injuries before scanning my Beta companions.
A quick, genuine smile touches my lips as I flash each of them a grin. I’m overcome with relief at seeing their faces again. Leaving them on this mission was necessary, but it also proved just how much I don’t want to be parted from them. I belong at their sides.
I want to run and fling myself in their arms, but I keep my feet planted.
“Why are they waiting for us like that?”
Maddie is twitchy, her eyes wide and breathing erratic.
She glances at me. The distrust is still there, but also a new kind of feral desperation. Now is not the time to tell her she’s consorting with an Omega who is entangled with not one, but three Alphas and a particularly dominant Beta.
Her hand curls around my upper arm, and squeezes far too tightly, lashing herself to me like I’m a flotation device keeping her from being pulled under by a rising tide. I don’t let myself flinch. Any outward sign of pain will send my Pack into a frenzy.
I grit my teeth and pat her hand reassuringly.
“Hey, it’s fine. You don’t have to deal with Alphas while you’re here. I’ll speak to the Prime Alpha in charge, get you processed quickly, and by Betas only. You’ll be heading to your new life in Blackreach before you know it.”
Before I can request his presence, Prime Alpha Zero appears, looking as cold and emotionless as ever.
Maddie makes a choking sound beside me.
"Mission complete, sir," I say.
"Omega Specialist Sparks, well done. I'll take it from here."
I’m about to make the request for Beta-only supervision when a sharp pain bites into me.
I yelp.
Maddie’s nails have dug painfully into my skin, and I’ve finally noticed the abrupt shift in the atmosphere.
Dust kicks up as the terrified survivors behind us scramble, their cries of alarm escalating.
“What’s wrong? Maddie, what’s happening? Why are they reacting?”
She stiffens, her spine straight, and her hand vibrating with a tremor. Except, it’s not from fear. Rather, the sharp, acrid scent of hatred and rage stings my nostrils.
“It’s him,” she hisses below her breath, not for my benefit, but for her own.
“Who is—”
The cold barrel of a gun presses against my temple.