I pulled her aside while Dagger changed.
“Thank you for doing the right thing.” I kissed her cheek. It was brave of her to go against the crowd. There had been whispers of an uprising before I left the Badlands. Some of the omegas saw our union with the alphas as a chance for revolution. “Things could’ve gotten ugly out there.”
“I told your mother I’d look out for you.” That was a kick in the gut, considering I didn’t keep my promise to bring Jacoby back. I’d make her understand he was happy there. “Didn’t expect it to turn out like this.”
My eyes burned with exhaustion and emotion. “It will get better soon.”
“I hope so,” she let out a heavy sigh. “They’re talking about revolution, Tavia. A revolt against the castle. But if things are better with the humans, I worry we’ll lose good omegas and we won’t have what we need to win this fight.”
“Keep me posted. You aren’t betraying anyone’s trust by telling me their plans. I’m fighting for you.” I turned to Dagger, and it messed with my head to see him dressed as an omega. In burlap instead of leather. But it sent a message. We were all equal.
We slipped through back allies, back to my cabin. Before we entered. Dagger backed me against the wall, and cupped my cheek with his hand. His dark gaze claimed mine. It was different after my heat. Like I could actually see the place where our lives had intertwined. The moment that I couldn’t live without him.
“You were amazing out there, my little firecracker.” His thumb brushed against my cheek, even hotter than the desert breeze. “But the proudest moment was when you told them I am your mate.”
“They’re organizing—” I didn’t get to tell him the rest of it because he slanted his mouth over mine, and took all my concerns away. In that moment, the Badlands could burn around us. We weren’t alpha and omega. We were one.
“Oh, hell.” Rielle’s voice jerked me back to reality and I broke the kiss with a groan. “I hoped Charolet was delirious from dehydration and heat. This is the last thing I thought I’d ever see.”
Ashla was with her. The two of them had snuck up on us without any warning.
“Cover yourself, Tavia.” Ashla motioned to the sheet that had slipped during the kiss. “Just because the heat has passed—”
“You’re dealing with desperate men who have no idea how to control their urges.” Rielle’s glare was only for Dagger. “We have a long way to go before we change that.”
He opened his mouth to argue but I beat him to it.
“Who’s in Luxoria with Zelene?” I asked.
“Char headed there.” Ashla said. “We came back here because…” She hesitated and looked to Rielle. “The omegas plan to rebel against the castle. If anyone saw you, like that, there’s no telling what they’d do.”
The omegas already had all the ammunition they needed. I looked at Dagger and he nodded.
“We better get to the castle. Now.”
Chapter Seventeen
Dagger
I straightened my leather coat and took a deep breath, eyes never leaving the filigreed wood of the door that separated me from the rest of the Generals in King Adalai’s office. In minutes, they would receive my report and I would announce my resignation. Finally, I would be free. Not free the way all alphas were in Luxoria, but free in other ways that mattered a hell of a lot more to me now.
He’s my mate. Tavia’s words to her people cemented my determination to always put her first.
Upon arriving at the castle, she had rushed off to speak with Zelene, but only after promising to meet me here so we could speak with the king together. She was late.
I cleared my throat. Adjusted my sleeve.
She would come. She’d promised. Tavia wasn’t one to break her word.
Beyond the heavy door, I could hear my friends arguing. It was odd that I wasn’t in there with them, challenging the king’s opinion. But I’d never really belonged there anyway. Not the way things were.
Adalai was my friend before he was my king. I hoped he would listen to me now, when I told him what we’d found at the human keep.
Voices echoed through the corridor and my inner wolf came to attention. Mate.
“I’m doing this, Z, whether you want me to or not. I need this.”
“It’s not that I don’t want you to…”
“His Majesty will have to answer some hard questions if he wants to keep the faith of the omegas.”
“Will you slow down? I can’t keep up with you. Crutches, remember?”
“I’m late. You take your time, though. I’m sure His Majesty won’t mind waiting for you.”
Tavia rounded the corner looking all fierce and leather clad. Both of us had cleaned up for this meeting. If I had my guess, there would be no more fancy dresses for her. The leather armor suited her better anyway. Her eyes flickered with awareness when she saw me, and even from a distance away, I could smell her scent twist into something sultry.
Inside, my wolf rumbled as I watched her hips sway, bringing her closer. She stopped mere inches away, our chests nearly touching.
“Hello.” Her voice came out breathless.
“Mate.”
Her eyes went soft when my hand brushed her dark hair from her cheek. She was beautiful. Even with worry lines creasing her eyes. She cared so much for her people. Their pain was hers, and the idea of her hurting made me want to do something drastic. Anything, to fix it for her.
I pulled her in and pressed a kiss to her forehead.
“Have you spoken to him yet?”
“No. They’re still discussing.”
“Without you? Bastards,” she whispered, and I almost grinned at the way she was annoyed on my behalf.
The doors to Adalai’s office swung open and we stepped apart. Zelene, limping on her crutches, finally rounded the corner at the same time.
Cassian stood on the other side of the entrance and tossed me a smirk. “The king is ready for you.”
Tavia and Zelene followed Cassian inside.
I strode into the lush office with the same confidence I always exuded, even though I didn’t feel it. Whatever happened here today would seal my fate. Either the king would listen and changes would be made… or I would become his enemy. Because if the omegas rebelled, this time, I was going to be on their side of the line.
The thought hit me like a brick to the face.
Was is such a short time ago that I was determined to win back my place at the king’s side? Now I was eager to give it all up. No regrets.
I bowed slightly in Adalai’s direction. He sat straight and tall in his wide chair, expression stony.
“Cassian tells me you were not able to retrieve the omegas from their human captors.”
“Correct, Your Majesty. As it turns out, the omegas don’t consider the humans their captors. Rather, they are allies.”
Adalai shifted uncomfortably in this seat. If I’d had any doubt about his knowledge of the human alliance before, it was squashed now. Until Cassian’s report, he hadn’t known. None of them had. And the fact that the information had evaded them, meant they weren’t in control.
Being an alpha, I knew how important control was.
“What shall I tell their families in the Badlands?”
I stared hard at him. “It doesn’t matter, king. They already know, and they’re organizing a revolt against the castle.”
Adalai’s gaze flicked to Zelene, looking sad for a beat before he exploded out of his chair.
“Goddamn it, Dagger. You were supposed to fix this, not make it worse.”
Tavia stepped forward, without thought, putting her body in front of mine. “He did everything he could,” she snarled. “Did Cassian tell you that?” Solen and Evander stood as if to defend the king… or punish an unruly omega?
Over my dead body.
The same protective instinct that I’d felt for Tavia in the human keep rushed over me, and I shoved her behind. A fearsome growl erupted from my throat as I faced the generals.
“Don’t even think about touching her.”
Their shocked expressions said more about me than I wanted to admit. I had fooled them all so well. Played the part so good. I wasn’t born to be in this castle, serving a king. Being alpha was something I’d inherited from my father, but I also had his heart. His ability to see things the way other alphas didn’t. For the first time ever, it felt like a gift instead of a burden.
It was time I embraced who I really was.
It was time they all know the truth.
“I’ve mated the queen’s sister. No one will lay a finger on her.”
Zelene’s gasp was the only sound in the room. And I didn’t dare look at Tavia.
King Adalai raised an almost amused eyebrow. “Mated. Does this mean you’ve also shifted?”
“Yes.”
The king’s gaze moved to Tavia. “You accepted him?”
Shit. Was he really asking if I’d taken her against her will?
I couldn’t look at her.
But just like before, in the Badlands, she took my hand in hers and stepped to my side. “Of course. He protected me during my most vulnerable time. He treated me with care. He listens to me, to my concerns. There is nothing more I could ask for in a partner. Dagger is my mate.”
My chest crackled with emotion at her words, but I kept my expression tight. In minutes, we could be banished. Not even the omega queen could stop the King Alpha from doing so.
The air was tense, all the alphas in the room needing order, waiting for the king’s command.
The silence was interrupted by Evander. “We need to erect the gates. Protect Luxoria at any cost.”
“What about the omegas?” Adalai asked.
Evander’s mouth formed a grim line but his eyes held shame. “They’ve made their choice. They can stay in the Badlands. If they try to enter the city, we do what needs doing.”
Tavia’s hand squeezed mine hard enough to ache.
Cassian frowned. “You propose another Division?”
“War isn’t pretty,” Solen grumbled.
“But we aren’t at war with the omegas.”
“They intend to rebel against the castle. What do you call that? We need to strike while we still have the upper hand.”
“No!” Zelene had been silent up until now, but her painful plea was like a bell bringing us all back to sanity. “No, you can’t do this. You’ve promised the omegas we were one people. One pack. You can’t take that away from them now.”
Adalai went to her, pulling her into his arms while he whispered something in her ear. He looked past her to me, his expression frustrated.
“How do we keep the omegas from revolting without force?”
“It’s simple. Not easy, but simple.” I knew because it had worked with Tavia. I looked at her as I said the rest. “Tell them the truth.”
She gave a small nod, her eyes telling me I’d made the right choice. Made her proud. I wanted her to always look at me like that.
Solen shook his head. “It will never work.”
“Maybe not,” Tavia answered, turning her gaze to the king. “But honesty will go a long way with them. Right now they’re scared and hurting. They don’t feel safe. Don’t feel like they’re part of this kingdom even with all the declarations you’ve made. It’s all words, and words don’t matter to them. They need to see action.”
“I showed action by sending an army to retrieve the omegas. You see how that worked out.”
“Yes, and the next step is clearing away all the shit… if you don’t mind my bluntness, Your Majesty.” Tavia lowered her gaze before continuing. My omega was pushing boundaries. Even in this tense moment, my body responded to her boldness, growing hard behind my leathers, my heart picking up pace. “Things aren’t as we thought they were. Whether you tell them or not, the omegas will learn the details about the human alliance. But if you go before them and tell the truth… then they can make their choice.”
“Their choice?” Solen growled.
Tavia nodded. “Which side they want to be on. You’re going to lose some. There’s no getting around it. You already have.”
“No, my king,” Evaner interrupted. “We cannot admit that we were blindsided by our enemy. The pack will lose respect for you.”
“A third of the pack has already lost respect,” Tavia argued. “He must take responsibility for this.”
“The king mustn’t do anything. He’s alpha.”
“If he wants to be worthy of this pack—”
“Enough!” Adalai boomed, pulling away from Zelene to pace the room.
Seconds, minutes, ticked by while we waited for the king’s decision. I would either be leaving this castle for good… or standing with the king while he came clean. Either way, I would have Tavia at my side.
Adalai turned, facing the window that stared down on the castle garden. “Prepare for an announcement. I will speak to the omegas. Tell them the truth. If they choose to ally with the humans, we will protect the city.” He looked at Zelene. “We must. I won’t have innocent blood on my hands ever again.”
Chapter Eighteen
Tavia
“Has Adalai ever gone against his word?” I asked when we got to Dagger’s quarters.
He leaned against the closed door and raised an eyebrow at me. My wolf rumbled from inside, not only because he looked sexy as hell like that... in fresh dress uniform, all tight leather with his hair in its signature disheveled state, but also because the room smelled like him. His true, earthy, wolfy scent that I wanted to bury my face in and breathe deep, because when I did, I knew all my problems would fade, even if it was only until I exhaled.
“Come on, don’t tell me you’re going to make me call him His Majesty when it’s just us, alpha.”
Dagger grinned. “I won’t, but I’d hate for you to slip in public and forget to use it. There are few things the king likes more than his title.”
“I hope my sister is one of them.” I was still on point, my muscles tingling with the tension of the meeting. “Even more than I worry about His Majesty saying the wrong thing, I worry about The Badlands. You saw how tired everyone is there. They might not see it as enough. I’ve fought so hard because I want the omegas to experience unity. What it feels like to belong somewhere.”
He pushed himself away from the door, closing the gap between us. Now his heat mingled with that delicious scent. “You belong with me. No matter where, my home is your home too.”
“You were worried that Adalai would ask you to leave.” At one time, I would’ve rejoiced in Dagger’s failure. But now the thought of it made me feel sick.
“I’d planned to give my resignation,” he said, brushing his fingers so softly against my cheek. “Leave everything I’d known behind.”
“But this is your home.” I tried to remember a time when Dagger wasn’t a part of the King’s army, and I couldn’t. He hadn’t always been in charge of the Badlands, but he’d been in the mix. A prominent member of Adalai’s inner circle. “What would you do if you weren’t a soldier?”
“I would’ve gone with you, to the Badlands, and helped them rebuild.” He had a dreamy look in his eyes, like he’d been thinking about this for a while. My heart swelled. “Or give some of those people a sense of home for the very first time. I have a lot of wrongs to right.”
“We can still do that.” I closed the gap between us and went up on my tiptoes for a kiss. Our lips met, and he put his hand on the small of my back. I wasn’t sure how long we stayed there like that because time stopped. For the first time in far too long, I wasn’t scared. I wasn’t angry. I wasn’t fighting.
I didn’t have anything to prove. I was just Tavia, and I was ready to let this man love me.
Digging my fingers into the shoulders of his soft leather jacket, I parted my lips and welcomed him inside. This kiss felt different because I let myself enjoy it fully, except for that tired voice that told me to beware. That the king could go back on his word, that Dagger coul
d change his mind about what he said. I urged her to put her faith in this soldier. So far, he had not disappointed.
Without breaking the kiss, he lifted me off my feet and brought me over to the bed. The scent was so strong here, I could get drunk on it. He set me down on the edge and drew away, but came back for another kiss, like he couldn’t get enough of me.
He had no idea how much I needed that.
No, that wasn’t true. He did know. He was my mate. Our hearts beat to the same music.
I parted my legs slightly, inviting him to put his knee between them and push me down on the mattress. It was so soft, softer than anything I’d ever experienced. Somewhere in this castle, Zelene had secured a room for me, but I’d refused to take it. Because I didn’t think I deserved it. My place was in the Badlands.
“I’ll be right back.” Dagger pressed a kiss to the top of my head before he walked away. My mind flashed to Jacoby, and the expression he wore that I couldn’t identify with when I found him in the human keep. He was content. He had everything he needed. I’d never experienced that before, and I didn’t understand how it was possible until now.
This whole mate thing was turning me into a big mushy mess.
Dagger came back with a pile of sheets and blankets. He set them down beside me on the bed. “I want my mate to show me how to make a nest.”
A nest. For us. In his room.
Our room?
“I can do that.” I picked at the buttons on my jacket. “But first we should get rid of these clothes so our scents can mingle.”
He nodded, mirroring my movements on his own jacket. That first sliver of hard chest sent a ripple of excitement through me. It was so different to doing this out of want instead of desperate need.
In a way, it was like our first time together.
When we were both naked, I handed him a sheet. Taking another and unfolding it, I bunched it up, starting at the outer rim of the bed. Dagger joined me, twining the fabric together, bunching it to form a circle around us.
He placed the blankets, and let me adjust them, studying intently like he was thirsty to learn.
“I’d explain what I’m doing but I can’t exactly,” I murmured. “I just know when it feels right.”
His Defiant Omega (The Royal Omegas Book 2) Page 9
