by P. Jameson
I should go check, in case Evander was hurt and needed me. But there was an equal possibility whoever was out there wanted to take me as a prize. Something that belonged to the alpha.
Did I? Heat surged through my body at the thought of it.
“Rielle!” A voice that I’d recognize anywhere made me bolt upright in bed. Ashla. “Rielle, if you’re in there, open this damn door!”
Shit, Ashla was in trouble. Solen had said something about the armory. She didn’t work there anymore, but after our own break in, she could be suspected of causing more trouble.
I ran to the door, my hands trembling as I attempted to open it. The door wouldn’t budge.
“The code,” I yelled so she’d hear me through the glass. “What’s the code?”
“I already tried that. It’s not the same as the castle grid,” she said. I realized Kathryn was with her. It made sense, because she would’ve had to go through the clinic to get into the courtyard.
Evander would be so pissed about my next request. “Take one of those rocks and break the glass.”
Ashla’s mouth formed an O, and Kathryn waved her arms behind her, like she was telling me to stop.
“Break the glass!” Heat rose inside me, and I was losing all reason. If my dear friend was in trouble…
They weren’t doing anything.
There was an end table near the couch. My hands shook as I carefully placed the lamp that sat atop of it on the floor and picked up the table. My muscles protested its weight, but it would do the trick.
The ladies screamed as broken glass rained over the concrete in the courtyard.
It was only then I realize the full impact of the battle. The constant pop of bullets being fired, the screams of agony, and the smoke. I hadn’t noticed that it hung over the city like a blanket.
I covered my mouth with my hand, mourning the loss of so many things that never belonged to me.
“RiRi, you shouldn’t have done that. You won’t be safe now,” Ashla said as she ducked and stepped into Evander’s quarters
Kathryn didn’t follow her. “You need to come back to the clinic, Rielle.”
“No.” I probably said it too quickly. Neither of them had noticed my heat—yet. Time would tell if I was able to disguise it completely. But that stupid windowless clinic probably had a whole host of machines that would beep like crazy, broadcasting my business to everyone. “I’m feeling better. Strong.”
Still hasty, but logical. Two days ago, I could barely stand up on my own, and now I could throw an end table through a double paned window. So maybe not that logical. I needed to get Kathryn out of here before she made the connection.
I wanted to fight. Where did that come from?
The nurse frowned at me. “Is Evander here?”
I shook my head.
“He’ll want you to be safe.”
Another explosion. We all jumped and I hated the expression on Ashla’s face. I’d never seen her look so defeated. Oh yeah. She was in trouble and my duty first and foremost was to her.
“Anyone who gets in here has to go through the clinic first. So as long as you keep that place locked tight, I’m technically safer here.” I motioned to the courtyard, and the doors on the other side of that beautiful garden. My eyes had to be playing tricks on me. The flowers had a fine dusting of soot on them, a casualty of the explosions. I hated that the violence touched even this private beauty. The tenderest part of my alpha.
I did it again. I claimed him as my own, even after Solen so easily took him away from me.
There were many times in my life I’d felt pure vengeance for the king, but never more than now.
Ashla hugged me and she wouldn’t let me go. “They think I did it, RiRi. They think I conspired with the betas to break into the armory.”
I hated that I had to ask. “Did you?”
“No.” There was so much fear in her eyes. “Most of the betas are fighting in opposition of omega rights, which is gross. But there’s this crazy faction of them that are trying to destroy the castle and institute a new government.”
“No one is safe.”
She shook her head. “I’m terrified for Zelene. She’s so pregnant now. The baby’s coming any day. Those codes were weak, Ri. That’s how the betas figured them out. I would never give secrets away to an enemy.”
“But you helped us get the military vehicle.” None of us were looking good in this attack.
She dipped her head, and tears fell. “We have to help Zelene. I came to tell you because you had to know what was happening. You were so upset we hadn’t told you everything that had happened so I couldn’t leave you in the dark about this.”
There was more to it than that. She’d come alone. Tavia and Charolet were definitely the types to kick ass first and ask questions later, but if the situation was as dire as Ashla claimed, they wouldn’t leave her by herself. Which made me wonder if the accusation had caused a division among the queen’s court.
No. We hadn’t let anyone come between us for this long. We weren’t going down in the middle of some ridiculous beta dispute.
She hadn’t mentioned anything about my heat. It was possible she was too panicked, too wrapped up in her own trouble to notice. But omega women never missed a heat.
We could definitely work with this… later of course, when the battle was over and cooler heads prevailed. Right now, my omegas needed me more than ever.
“Let’s go protect Zelene.” I tugged her arm, and ducked to avoid scraping my skin against the broken glass.
“Rielle, no,” Kathryn protested. “You can’t go in your condition.”
She still saw me as an invalid. If Ashla didn’t sense my heat, she wouldn’t either. She was a beta, and that had to give her an opinion in this fight. People she loved were in danger too. I couldn’t trust her, even if she claimed to be still working for Evander.
I glanced down at myself. I was still wearing the thin gown that I’d left the clinic in. Nothing Evander had in the house would fit me.
“You must have something I can wear.” It wasn’t ideal, but it was better than this. “Some extra scrubs.”
After a month in that place, I had to be able to pass as a medical professional.
Kathryn opened her mouth to protest, but Ashla took a bold step toward her. “When all this is said and done, you won’t want to be one of the betas that defied the queen and put her in danger.”
The nurse turned on her heel, muttering, but moments later, she came back with a clean set of scrubs, and the ugliest shoes I’d ever seen. But I didn’t care, because it would keep me safe.
That was, until someone figured out I was in heat. But these clothes smelled like the inside of the clinic and it would go a long way to mask my symptoms.
Both of these ladies had seen me in much less, so I had no problem changing right then and there.
“Will you let us leave through the clinic?” I asked.
“Evander wouldn’t want this.” Kathryn steeled herself, crossing her arms in front of her chest.
“My queen needs my help. You might be willing to ignore that, but I’m not. I answer to the queen.”
Kathryn took a deep breath. “What do I tell Evander if he comes back?”
If. I couldn’t let myself think about what that word really meant. “Tell him I’m coming back to him.”
Chapter Thirteen
Evander
“We’ll never let the omegas take our place! King Alpha can’t protect them forever!” The beta rebel spewed his vitriol as I slapped shackles around his wrists. He laughed, the sound of a crazed zealot. “You think arresting me will help? There are more of us than you know!”
“Take him,” I barked at an alpha guard, shoving the male toward the rest of the betas we’d captured.
The armory was almost secured, but it had been gutted. The betas made off with most of the crucial weaponry. Bombs, lasers, swords and daggers, rounds of smart-ammo. Even bio weapons that had only been tested, never
used in battle. There was nothing left except body armor. It almost seemed as though the armor was left as a taunt. Here, protect yourself. You’re going to need it.
The beta betrayal made my blood boil. We were finally taking steps to heal our people, and some of them couldn’t leave well enough alone. I had to remind myself that it wasn’t all betas. It was one small faction of them. Small, but mighty enough to rip a gaping wound in our pack. No matter what, we couldn’t start seeing the betas as enemies. We had enemies, yes. The resistance and the humans. But our beta brothers and sisters weren’t all to blame.
I wondered if I was able to see things from this perspective because of my interaction with Rielle as a wolfling. I remembered thinking it was unfair that she suffered for the sins of omegas before her. That she was lumped in and labeled traitor when she wasn’t one.
I could appreciate some of the loneliness I went through without her if it meant my view could prevent another pack fracture. If it meant real change for our people.
I knew she wanted that more than anything. It practically vibrated from her, and I loved her for it.
Shit.
I loved her.
Even thinking it was enough to have me quaking as I walked back into the armory where other prisoners were being shackled. Their destination was the dungeon, where they would later be interrogated by Adalai himself. No doubt he would have them quivering with his alpha call. No beta could resist it. They would bow, and with it, all of their secrets.
It wouldn’t be long before every beta traitor was rooted out and the armory restocked. Luxoria was under siege but I didn’t doubt we would win this one.
I found my king taking stock of the nearly empty armory. “Your Majesty. I have received reports from the castle guards. Everything is secured. The queen is safe. There have been no more attempted breaches.”
He scowled at an empty artillery crate before kicking it and sending it crashing into the wall. “Doesn’t mean they won’t attempt it again. And with all of my weapons on their belts, they just might succeed. Fuck.”
“They won’t. No one will hurt our females.”
Adalai’s eyes snapped to me.
“You have omega support from the Badlands. You are respected among our people,” I reminded him. “Most will fight for you. Only a few, in comparison, are against you. Remember that. This is not a repeat of the past.”
His eyes dug into me, but it wasn’t a threat. “You’ve been with me a long time, Evander.”
I nodded. “A very long time.”
He made a noise that was almost a laugh, and pinched the bridge of his nose. “We were fucking kids, you and me. Didn’t know shit back then. Believed the enemy was our own people. Look at us now, trying to fix everything.”
I couldn’t tell him that I always knew there were good omegas beyond the wall. I fingered the little brown button I still kept in my pocket to remind me of the gap. I’d never fought a day without it. And the weight of Rielle’s military button necklace lay against my sternum, beneath my leathers, begging me to share all my secrets.
I planned to do just that, as soon as I could get back to her.
Maybe I would tell Adalai one day too. Maybe I’d tell them all.
“Say it to me straight, Evander.” The king sighed. “What am I doing wrong?”
I frowned. The king didn’t doubt himself. And he sure as hell didn’t say it out loud if he did.
“If you continue on the path you’ve chosen, I believe things will only get better.”
“Oh, fuck that,” Adalai roared. “I said tell me straight. No more bullshit. You’re my most trusted adviser. Fucking advise me. I’ve done everything I can think of to make our pack whole, yet we continue to fracture. I abolished The Division and welcomed the omegas back. I’m rebuilding the Badlands. We rescued the abducted omegas from the Human Keep. Shit, I’m making the moves that feel right. Yet… look at this. Look at us.” He shook his head. “Our people are worse off than ever and danger is at our fucking doorstep.”
The king wanted easy answers, but there were none.
Change didn’t come by fancy words and glorified olive branches. It came with time and consistency. It came like a fist pummeling your face until you were bruised and bleeding. It was one step forward, three steps back, but it only came if you kept moving forward.
One promise at a time.
One discovery at a time.
One broken heart mended at a time.
I sighed. “You really want my advice then?”
“Yes.”
“Keep doing what you’re doing.”
The king blinked, clearly expecting more.
“You said it yourself. You’re making the choices that feel right. Ruling with your heart. Something your father couldn’t do. So keep doing that.”
Adalai considered it. “And what about the betas? What if the resistance grows?”
“Anyone who doesn’t want a unified pack is like poison. Root out the poison, and what’s left is healthy tissue. Healthy tissue grows. Thrives. Persists.”
Adalai pinched his chin as he began to pace. The king was a fight first ask questions later type of alpha, so the fact that he approached this decision in a thoughtful manner was a testament to Zelene’s effect on him. Which was confusing because she was known to cause more trouble than good. But no one could deny that she’d changed Adalai for the better.
Maybe when two lost pieces were finally united, they just… worked.
Like me and Rielle.
The urge to get back to her made it nearly impossible to remain at the king’s side.
“I have much to think about. Thank you, Evander. Now return to your female,” he said as if he could read me.
I shook my head. “There’s still fighting at the borders and skirmishes all around the city. And the betas have the weapons to keep going if they want.”
“Yes. But you’re no good to me if your female gets in trouble. Protect her first, we fight again tomorrow.”
I scanned the armory, finding Solen and Cassian approaching. Dagger and Tavia were several steps behind them.
“Let’s go,” Solen barked, jerking his head toward the row of vehicles at the back of the armory. “We’re on omega duty. I promised to find the missing one, and you have… things to attend to.” The missing one. Ashla. The one Solen somehow knew wasn’t part of the resistance.
Tavia glared. “Omega duty? Not cool. Guess that means I’m on alpha duty.” She looked pointedly at the king. “Time to get you back to the castle, Your Majesty.”
Solen raised a black eyebrow. “Take a joke, female.”
“Was it a joke? Male? Because it wasn’t like I could tell with how your expression never changes.”
Dagger shook his head as if he’d been listening to them fight all day. “Let’s go.”
“You promised she’d be safe,” Tavia reminded Solen.
“And I never break a promise,” he growled back.
The king ignored them all and headed for a nearby vehicle while I followed Solen to a different one.
As we maneuvered through the city, it was clear Luxoria was still in chaos. Several buildings were on fire. People fought in the street. At least the explosions had ceased.
“What a fucking mess,” Solen muttered.
“Do you know where she is?”
His gaze darkened to a glare as he stared out the windshield. “No. I’m hoping she came looking for Rielle. You didn’t think I was giving you a ride home for the hell of it, did you?”
We came to a bone jolting stop at the medical facility. Solen really needed to learn how to fucking park. Another inch and he would have hit the fence, Charolet style.
I wasted no time, my stride taking me through the courtyard to where I’d left my omega. Every step made me more and more anxious until I rounded the last flower bed.
I stopped short at the sight of Kathryn pacing in front of my… shattered front entrance.
“What the fuck happened?” I asked, rushi
ng forward. I had to get to my omega.
“She’s not in there!” Kathryn’s words sent a frisson of fear down my spine, quickly followed by rage.
I spun, glaring at the beta.
“She left with her friend. There was no stopping them.”
“What friend?” Solen demanded.
“Ashla. They were worried about the queen. She said… she said she’s coming back to you.”
Shit. Leave it to Rielle not to trust the king’s men to protect Zelene. They were too used to fending for themselves. Now my female was out in the open with her unpredictable heat approaching and wolves everywhere willing to break the law.
“We have to find them,” I told Solen. “Fast.”
Chapter Fourteen
Rielle
It took everything I had to keep up with Ashla. She moved through Evander’s district with purpose. So far, things didn’t look so bad. Ashla had a tendency to jump to the worst case scenario. I couldn’t give her a hard time about it because she was usually right.
Haze hung in the air, evidence of the explosions. The armory break in. I wondered if someone had framed her, to try to get her ousted from the castle. But why? Of our group, Ashla was the quiet, shy one, but she’d taken her job very seriously. Which until recently, had been ironic, because the stuff stored in that armory had been used against the omegas. Maybe it had given her some sense of control.
So this break in would eat at her soul.
“It doesn’t seem so bad.” I said, hoping she’d agree with me and slow down.
She shot a sharp look over her shoulder. “They don’t care about Evander’s territory, Ri. They want the king.”
That shouldn’t have hurt, but it did.
“Can we slow down?” I had to, whether she gave me permission or not. My hands were on my burning thighs, and I gulped smoky air.
Ashla looked me over, frowning, like she hadn’t actually seen me before. She’d been so panicked, so in need of a friend, an ally, that she’d totally overlooked my condition. I shouldn’t have come. But there was no way after that news I could’ve stayed in Evander’s house, alone, worried sick about everyone I loved.
