Stormy Night Publications Publishers of BDSM and Kink Erotica
Chapter One
Ethan
This entire fucking meeting was chaos.
Actually, technically it hadn’t even begun yet, but already there were too many alphas in one small contained space for any of us to be even remotely comfortable. It seemed like every pack from the wilds had a representative and that didn’t even count all the random alphas that had been banished from the city that were here too.
Too much testosterone. Even I knew that.
The wildlands were overwhelmed with alphas now. It wasn’t just here in this oversized hut. This meeting had been called to deal with this particular problem specifically. A few weeks ago, thousands of alphas had been forced out of the city, the result of some sort of suppressant gone wrong. I didn’t know much about what happened within the walls, but I could guess that it hadn’t been good. The city’s airborne drug system was supposed to keep alpha instincts completely suppressed. Whatever had caused such a massive number of alphas to awaken at the same time must have been bad.
It had been some time since I’d been within the city walls, but I imagined the powers that be weren’t particularly happy about it.
Absentmindedly, I wondered about the omegas. If there were that many alphas, it was likely a similar number of omegas had either gone into heat or had awakened themselves. It was a worrisome thought.
An alpha growled to my right and I sighed, watching as another clenched his fists by his sides, ready to strike at any moment. Since the massive influx of alphas, it had been like this. Alphas now fought against other alphas in the wilds for claim to lands, territory, and resources and it had resulted in the slaughter of many. It had to be contained. These new men didn’t know the rules of the wilds. Most important, they didn’t know that claimed omegas were forbidden to them.
Should this carry on unchecked, it would become anarchy.
Our lands couldn’t have that. Thus far, peace was tenuous at best between packs, but now all of that was threatened. Alphas killed other alphas. Packs blamed other packs and it devolved from there. If this wasn’t handled, and soon, the wilds would descend into civil war. No one wanted that. I especially didn’t want that.
War would destroy our world. It would take our freedom and worst of all, it would hurt the ones we cared for most. Our women, our children. I’d seen how men behaved when they thought no one was watching. They became reckless. They took what they wanted, when they wanted, and they didn’t care if they destroyed those weaker than them in the process.
A foul memory tore at my thoughts.
I rolled my lip, remembering that poor omega’s face. Her screams as that disgusting excuse for a guard tore at her clothes, knocked her to the ground, and forced his knot inside her even though she wasn’t prepared for it.
I shook my head, forcing the rancid memory far from my thoughts. No, I didn’t want to think about that time. I didn’t want to think about the moment that had changed my entire life. I didn’t regret it for a second.
“Order!” a man named Wolfe yelled loudly. He was another alpha from the wilds. He was the leader of the Thalos pack. His brother Ivan sat beside him, along with a man from the city who I recognized, Alix. If I remember correctly, he’d been one of the scientists who had worked at Genwell. Between them sat a tiny little omega. Her hair was dark brown and descended down her back. I’d heard them say her name once. They’d called her Raven. Upon closer inspection, I recognized her too. She’d been one of the youngest scientists at Genwell, rather famous for her research on the airborne suppressant system.
Raven lifted her icy blue eyes, staring at another group sitting on the other side of the room. I turned my head lazily, catching sight of another omega woman, this one with flowing bright red hair. Another scientist from the city I recognized. Triss.
Interesting. Two omegas from the city.
Triss wouldn’t look at Raven. She kept her eyes on the ground, the look on her face one of abject shame and boundless regret.
Hmmm…
Surrounding Triss were another three alphas. Two men from the wilds. I think their names were Garret and Lothgar, but I wasn’t really sure. Their packs were quite a fair distance from here and I wasn’t even sure if Garret was part of one. He had the air of a loner, someone who didn’t particularly like being part of a pack. The last member of the group was a man who startled me. It was Ravick, the once extremely powerful leader of the city’s defense. He had even higher clearance levels than I had and here he was, out in the wilds, a full-fledged alpha.
Leaning forward, I studied the omegas’ necks. Each of them had three scars indicating that they had been claimed by three separate alphas.
Well, that was rare. One omega with multiple alphas. These things didn’t happen every day, but I suppose we weren’t dealing with normal times anymore. The longer I sat there, the more I came to realize that something big was going to take place. Something that would change the future of our entire world.
Ravick stood up. He rolled his shoulders back and lifted his chin confidently. Triss leaned against his leg, running her fingers up and down his calf.
Lucky fucking bastard. What I wouldn’t give for an omega of my own.
He cleared his throat. He gave off the aura of a confident man who was used to leading and speaking before a large group of people. I’d always liked the manner in which he led—cool, calm, and in a way that demanded respect. He’d once commanded me when we served in the city together, but that had been some time ago.
“Alphas of the wilds, we gather here today to come up with a solution to our problem. The only way we can do that is if we focus and put aside our petty arguments and disputes for the time being. So please, sit down and let’s call this meeting to order,” Ravick began.
“Hear hear,” I responded in kind, a bit more loudly than the others.
His eyes turned toward me and I saw a spark of recognition there. He was a big reason I had been banished myself and not put to death for what I had done. With a single nod, he acknowledged me, and I bowed my head slightly in deference. I was grateful for his assistance during my criminal trial and I wouldn’t make an enemy of him now.
All around me, men grunted their displeasure but ultimately everyone sat down in the massive straw-covered auditorium. Circular benches lined the walls, allowing us all to stare at one another for the largest Central Gathering to date. There were at least a hundred of us gathered here today.
A gradual hush fell over the room and Ravick moved toward the center.
“Through the banishment of Tharia’s alphas, the city leaders have initiated a massive alpha/omega imbalance, the largest we’ve ever seen out here in the wilds. Many of these new alphas were soldiers like I was, and they don’t know how to manage their new alpha instincts, nor do they know the rules that have been decreed from past meetings of the Central Gathering. With this many new alphas here in the wilds and no subsequent increase in the number of omegas, unsurprisingly, peace between the packs has devolved,” he continued.
He was right.
“From my position in the city, it was part of my job to monitor the happenings of the wilds, at least remotely. In my experience, I’ve never seen this much instability in my life. Alphas are fighting against alphas and many of those fights have resulted in death. Some of those fights have killed an already claimed alpha, leaving his omega to suffer the loss of the one she was bonded to for life. These city alphas have forced pair bonds on these shattered omegas and have no idea how to care for such a broken mate,” he said, and I snarled at the news that it was far worse than I had thought.
I would never stand for the abuse of an omega.
“We must do something to correct such a massive imbalance,” he continued.
“What would you have us do?” I asked and he turned back toward me.
“Thanks to an omega that escaped from the city,” he started.
“Her name was Ellie,” Triss interrupted and Ravick turned his head toward her, his look only slightly scolding. Instead of reprimanding her, he softly stroked the top of her head with his fingers.
“Yes. An omega named Ellie had given us critical information about the happenings in the city since many of us were banished from its walls. An anti-suppressant awakened the once dormant alphas and omegas. The city decided to keep the omegas within the dome and banish the alphas, fixing their own problem by forcing it on us. All the omegas are being kept in the omega sanctuary, which has been significantly expanded to hold them all,” Ravick continued, his eyes turning to mine. I growled softly, deep in my throat.
He’d know what I was thinking. The two of us had a history and it wasn’t particularly pretty, at least it wasn’t for me.
I’d once been an elite soldier under his command. I held many top-secret security clearances until that one fateful day where I’d thrown everything away to rescue an omega. I’d been on a mission to garner information about a smuggling ring that was based on the outskirts of the omega sanctuary when I’d come across one of the guards forcing himself on one of the omegas who lived there. I’d lost it. I’d torn him off of her and beaten him to a pulp. I’d killed him in order to rescue her. Once the guard was no longer a threat, I’d carried her to the hospital myself and ensured that she’d receive the best care. She’d survived thanks to me.
My actions had not gone unnoticed. The next day, I’d been relieved from my duties and court-martialed for murder. Ravick had played a role in the trial and through his recommendation, I had been banished from the city walls instead of being put to death.
The omega sanctuary was a sad place, one of abject poverty, unhappiness, and constant abuse. I highly doubted it had changed from when I’d last seen it myself.
“Thousands of omegas are imprisoned within the city. All of them. With an increased population of women kept in the sanctuary, conditions have worsened considerably. Stories of abuse and poor conditions run rampant,” Ravick said, as he stared into my eyes. He knew this would anger me and he was right, I was furious.
Omegas were meant to be mates to an alpha, meant to be cherished, adored, and subdued by their bonded men. They were strong, feisty little things that sometimes needed a strong hand, but ultimately, they were a gift of nature. To us alphas.
“The city has taken what is rightfully ours,” Ravick continued and the men sitting beside me roared in anger. Triss lifted her head, her angry green eyes catching mine briefly and a small glimmer of a smile raised on her lips.
“We must take back our omegas, but that would mean entering into a battle against a technologically superior army who’s highly trained and prepared for something like this. Take it from me, the city is afraid of what’s on the outside and to be honest, they should be,” Ravick said next.
The alphas surrounding me chuckled knowingly.
“If we’re going to succeed against the vastness of the Tharia beta army, we’re not going to be able to do it alone. We’re going to have to have help from the inside. We’re going to have to enlist the help of the omegas,” he explained.
The Central Gathering of alphas was silent. All around me, men sat at the edges of their seats, waiting for what Ravick would say next.
He’d always had that effect on people.
“But that’s not all. We’re going to need someone on the inside,” Ravick said next.
The room remained silent and then a solitary man stood up. I recognized him as an alpha from the wilds. His name was Viktor. He was sort of a rule breaker, unafraid of getting his hands dirty in order to achieve whatever he wanted done. It was whispered that he was involved with some sort of smuggling ring that extended into the city. I suspected it had something to do with the omegas too.
“I know a man in the city. He’s a beta by the name of Damiyen. He’s been my friend for many years and has always disliked the government of Tharia, especially when it related to the treatment of the omegas within the sanctuary. He’s always hated its existence and specifically, the abuse the omegas withstand within their confinement there. He knows a lot of people that would be especially willing to help oust the current regime in charge,” Viktor suggested. His jaw ticked. Clearly, he was bothered by the existence of the omega prison too.
Ravick nodded, his expression darkening as if he was deep in thought.
“Would we be able to arrange a meeting with this beta friend of yours?” he asked Viktor. The lone alpha shook his head.
“He won’t meet with you. He’s involved in a few questionable enterprises and is very careful about who he seeks an audience with,” Viktor replied, his own tone a bit evasive.
Yeah. I bet he was just as involved with those questionable enterprises too.
Ravick was quiet for some time and the rest of the men remained silent as they waited for what was next to come.
“We must prepare ourselves out here beyond the walls for what is to be the biggest battle any of us have ever seen. All of us must gather every man at our disposal, from the very farthest reaches of the wilds. Use any and all allies that you can scrape up. We must take back what is ours. We must free the omegas and take them back,” Ravick said, his voice growing stronger and much bolder now.
The alphas of the gathering roared in approval.
“But at the same time, I need a small convoy of men to break into the city and begin to prepare the omegas for that battle. They’ll need weapons, training, and guidance on how to best work with our forces to ensure our victory,” Ravick explained. “It would need to be a small group, no larger than three to ensure complete secrecy and stealth.”
Viktor cleared his throat.
“I’ll volunteer. I’ll make contact with Damiyen and between the two of us, we’ll ensure a healthy supply of weapons for those on the inside,” he offered.
“Good. Then I’ll need two more,” Ravick replied, his gaze searching the room.
I stood up.
“I offer my sword for the protection of the omegas,” I declared firmly, and a small grin turned up the corner of Ravick’s mouth. There was no doubt in my mind that he had expected I would volunteer. He’d know that I would want to ensure the safety and well-being of the omegas. It was just a part of who I was.
“Very good. We have Ethan and Viktor. Who else will stand with them to help lead the omegas into battle?” Ravick asked.
The alpha sitting next to me sighed heavily and then stood. I knew little about him other than his name, Alaric, and the fact that he never, ever backed down from a fight, which explained the number of scars all over his face and arms.
“Things aren’t too exciting here outside the walls for me, so I volunteer,” he replied, and then an excited expression crossed over his features. I snorted. An adventure seeker then, probably agreeing to come along just for the thrill of it.
“Good. Ellie and her alpha Ehsan will accompany you into the city. She’ll be your inside girl who will get you an audience with the omega leader, Nikki. Once you’re in there, she’ll function as our informational liaison, funneling key intel to our forces here on the outside,” Ravick added.
I nodded curtly.
“When will you have us leave on our journey?” I asked briskly, eager to begin preparations as soon as possible.
“Tonight. The sooner we breach the city walls, the better. We’re counting on you three,” he answered.
“I will protect the omegas with my life. In addition, I offer my knowledge of the city to our mission,” I replied.
“I give you my ax,” Viktor said proudly, hefting a rather heavy-looking two-handed battle ax over his shoulder.
“You’ve got all of my various weapons then too, I guess,” Alaric offered, his expression one of calm complacency. It was obvious he was now bored and wanted to get moving already.
“The three of you are crucial to the fate of us all,” Ravick responded proudly, his tone strong and true.
The crowd of men exploded into shouts and applause. The sound was deafening, but it set the blood rushing through my veins on fire with anticipation. Once, I had been a trained soldier, an elite among the masses, and my heart pounded in excitement to have the opportunity to partake in such an important mission for the first time in years. Not only would I have the opportunity to free all of the omegas who were forced to live within the confines of the sanctuary, but maybe, just maybe I would be able to claim one of my very own.
Perhaps I’d be lucky enough for one to claim me.
I grinned.
“Let’s fucking do this,” I smirked, and the gathering roared all around me.
We were all prepared to go to war.
Chapter Two
Nikki
The omega sanctuary was overcrowded. There were far too many of us. Once abandoned apartment buildings were now full, many just days away from being rightfully condemned, but we all knew the city never put any funding into this travesty of a place. It was just a prison for all of us and a Band-Aid for those who ran the domed city of Tharia.
Everything I had planned had gone wrong. There hadn’t been enough time to make it to the city walls after we had released the anti-suppressant, a drug we’d developed in the omega underground to counteract the effects of the airborne suppressant. All of the omegas I had planned to get out of the city had gone into heat, including me, far more quickly than any of us had planned for. The newly awakened alphas had been unable to resist us, and we’d all suffered. Some of us had lost our virginity that day, thrown to the ground and fucked through the worst of estrous, but not me.
My heat had only just begun when a group of alphas had targeted me, thinking they would best the leader of the omegas. I’d fought hard, putting a number of them down with my tranquilizer dart gun, but eventually they’d overwhelmed me, torn off my clothes, and captured me. They’d carried me off with the worst of intentions, but the beta army had been watching. Every single moment, they’d been watching.
They’d watched as the group of alphas touched me, pinched my nipples, and slid their fingers through the growing wetness between my thighs, a small hint that my heat was approaching soon. They’d watched when those alphas had pawed at the cheeks of my ass and spread me open to their view, despite my protests of shame. The alphas had growled with their dominance and the omega within me had faltered slightly, unused to that kind of power.
Just as the group of alphas that had grabbed me were about to throw me to the ground and fuck me senseless, the beta army had intervened. They’d fought off the furious alphas by sheer overwhelming force of numbers and taken me captive instead. A number of the alphas had died in that fight, and the rest involved with my capture were banished outside the walls.
I never learned any of their names. I didn’t even remember their faces.
Instead, the betas had forced me into a cell. Had injected me with suppressant and my heat had thankfully faded under the chemical intervention of the drug. All remnants of estrous had diminished within a very short time span, including the feverish heat and uncontrollable arousal.
I’d become myself once again in a matter of twenty-four hours.
Now I was back where I started. Prisoner within the omega sanctuary once again. And I blamed one person in particular for everything going to shit.
I fucking hated the city, but most of all, I hated Philip Savile. He was the leader of the domed city of Tharia, a beta who hated the existence of all alphas and omegas. He detested that omegas would never desire him, but most of all, he loathed that he was physically smaller and inferior to any natural alpha. He’d spent countless time and energy trying to expose every alpha and omega in the city. He’d even devised a way to permanently alter our kind and get rid of our natural instincts once and for all.
He’d been working for some time on something called ‘The Omega Solution.’ It was a scientific based treatment that worked by genetically modifying our DNA. Essentially, it would permanently erase our omega natures and would do the same to any alpha as well.
Since we’d been captured and imprisoned within the omega sanctuary, he’d been ramping up efforts to maximize development and approve its widespread use. Destroying our natures was something he’d always worked toward and he wouldn’t stop until he had accomplished that.
I also knew that no matter what he did, we’d never be free if we stayed within the city walls. We’d always be jailed and treated as animals unless we could make it out.
Since my last escape attempt failed, I didn’t know if we would ever have another chance. I hung my head in my hands, feeling like a failure. My mind was full of could haves, would haves, and should have knowns. It was difficult to focus on anything else.
I looked at a map, my eyes glancing over the mostly uncharted lands of the wilds.
I wondered if Ellie had made it safely outside the walls. It had been several weeks since I sent her out there. She was another omega who had lived in the omega sanctuary with me for a long time and had been a crucial part of developing the anti-suppressant here in the omega underground. During the chaos of our failed escape attempt, she’d been claimed and bonded to an alpha who went by the name Ehsan. He was a gentle merchant man and seemed to care for her. With his protection, I’d sent her out into the wild to meet up with Triss, one of the only omega women who had managed to escape with the help of her own three alphas.
I hoped Ellie had survived. It was a gamble, but we needed those outside the walls if we would ever make it out of here. Our only chance at escape was with the help of the alphas from the wilds and those banished from the city. If they were to agree to assist us, we’d have just the slightest chance at freedom.
Was it too much to hope for?
I lifted my head and stared down at the blueprints I had garnered of the city layout. Some of the blueprints were our own, underground tunnels that we’d dug and expanded over the years to travel to various corners. Right now, I was underground in the omega sanctuary, an area we’d kept painstakingly secret from any of the guards or government officials.
It was our own place, where we lived free from prying eyes and abusive guards, and where we planned our initial attempt at escape. It was where we conducted our own scientific investigations and developed our anti-suppressant, where we sold our wares and made food from what resources we had. It was the only place we called home. It was also the base of the Omegaborn, an organization I led that was devoted to ensuring the eventual freedom and escape of every mistreated omega forced to live in the sanctuary.
And now with the influx of all the awakened omegas from the city, it had gotten much more crowded than it used to be. Every apartment housed more than one woman, food was growing scarce, and clothes were hard to come by. We were suffering more than ever and as of now, I had no solution to any of our current problems.
It seemed hopeless.
A gentle knock on the door sounded and I lifted my head, trying to push away all thoughts of my defeat from my head. I sighed and shook my shoulders, putting on a strong and confident face. I had to stay strong for everyone who was suffering here. I was their leader and I had to act like it.
“Come in,” I called out and sighed in relief as Gemma entered the room. Her tender smile met my gaze and I grinned softly in return. I noticed that she looked like she’d lost some weight. I’d have to see that she received some extra portions, even if they were my own.
Gemma had been the subject of much abuse at the hands of the guards here and I took it as my personal mission to look after her. Some time ago, the guards here at the sanctuary had discovered contraband on her, a cotton t-shirt bra instead of the regulation undergarments we were supposed to wear. They’d beaten her harshly and without a care, resulting in a multitude of scars all over her body. She hid them with long-sleeved shirts and pants, but both she and I knew they were there. At the very least, the guards had left her face unmarred.
As a result of that trauma though, she stopped speaking altogether. Instead, she communicated with her hands and with a sort of sign language the two of us had designed to talk to one another.
Hurriedly, she signed to me to follow her. I cocked my head and lifted an eyebrow. The expression on her face looked worried, a little relieved, and quite a bit scared. She adamantly signed at me to follow once more. With a sigh, I pushed myself up from my chair and followed her down the hallway, toward the entrance to the underground. There was a group of people gathered there and as I drew closer, I tried to figure out who they were.
The first person I recognized was Ellie’s sweet little face. Her soft brown eyes met mine as she pushed her dirty blonde hair behind her ears. She looked happier and more content than I had ever seen her. She appeared to be stronger, had put on some much-needed weight and seemed much healthier, likely under the guidance of the alpha standing right behind her.
“It’s good to see you two again, Ellie, Ehsan,” I murmured almost in disbelief.
Her bright brown eyes lit up when she saw me and she smiled, cocking her head sweetly to the side. I was happy to see they had made it back safely.
“I’m so happy to see you!” she exclaimed. She bounded toward me and swung her arms around my neck, and I gathered her in a hug.
“I’m happy to see you too,” I whispered in her ear.
It was then that I noticed that along with Ehsan, she’d brought back three strangers with her, three massive huge men who stood behind her and stared at me with inquisitive, challenging eyes.
They looked like alphas.
I’d sent Ellie out into the wilds in hopes of garnering their support. Instead, they sent three of their men, probably to take over my role as leader and undermine me here. I grimaced.
Fuck that.
One of them had dark, mussed hair that was on the shorter side and a full beard tinged with gray that gave him an intense salt and pepper look. His green eyes narrowed in my direction, full eyebrows angling slightly downward as he stared me down. He was big and beneath his buttoned-up forest green shirt, I could tell he was incredibly strong. The buttons of his shirt strained around his chest, indicating that he was hiding a chiseled physique underneath all that fabric. His shoulders were wide, his abdomen tapered down to lean hips, and his legs were thick and muscled. He stood with his hands behind his back, like a military man would do as he studied me. He was an intimidating sight. He was the one who worried me the most.
The alpha standing directly next to him looked like a warrior from a far-off land. His hair was a chocolate brown, pulled back into a tight bun at the back of his neck. He had a trimmed beard, but the tattoos across his face caught my attention. A single black line surrounded his eyes and extended to his ears, giving himself the aura of a powerful fighter who wasn’t afraid of anything. His dark eyes met mine and he grinned smugly. I shivered, running my eyes across the furs on his shoulder and the intricately carved leather armor covering his chest. Dark black pants extended down to leather boots. Leather bracers guarded his wrists. This man looked like he was ready for war.
The third alpha had dirty blond hair that was just long enough to run his fingers through. He looked at me lazily with deep blue eyes, almost as though he was deciding if I was worth the effort or not. He had strong features, a blond beard, and a tattoo that decorated his exposed right arm. He wore simple dark brown leather armor that covered his chest but left his arms bare and unencumbered. A thick leather belt hung low around his waist, holding up black cotton pants. He crossed his arms over his chest and leaned against the wall, just studying me as he did so. It was slightly intimidating, to say the least.
The sight of the three men unnerved me. They looked like they wanted to say something, to admonish me for my role here, and I just didn’t have the will power to deal with men like that tonight.
“I met with Triss,” Ellie began. “Outside the walls, the Central Gathering met, and it was decided that they would help us. They sent these three men to begin preparations, to help train the omegas and to coordinate our attack together,” she explained.
“How is Triss?” I asked then, trying not to focus on the glowering alphas behind her.
“She’s doing well. She seems happy with her alphas,” Ellie answered and then I turned my attention back toward the men she had brought with her. I’d have to deal with them, at least briefly.
“My name is Nikki. I lead the Omegaborn,” I said, introducing myself to the three of them. The one who reminded me of a soldier stepped forward first.
“I’m Ethan,” he replied, then offered his hand. I took it and he shook it firmly and with respect as a military man was trained to do. With a step back, he moved aside, letting the others come forward to greet me.
“I’m Viktor,” the warrior with the tattoo across his eyes said. “It’s good to finally meet with you.” He stepped toward me and nodded in greeting and I smiled tightly in return.
“Alaric,” the blond man leaning against the wall offered. He didn’t move from his position at all. My gaze crossed over him, sensing that there was more to him than met the eye.
“It’s nice to meet you all. I’m sure you’ve had a long journey and are tired from it, probably hungry too. Gemma, see to it that everyone is fed and housed safely down here in the underground tonight. Ellie, come with me,” I commanded, and the alphas looked slightly put off at my dismissal of them, so I thought it might be best to pacify them, at least for now. “Let’s reconvene in the morning when everyone is well rested,” I offered then and that seemed to appease them, at least a little.
I turned and gestured for Ellie to follow me into my office. The two of us walked down the hallway together, back into my office. Her alpha came along with her and stood against the wall, watching and protecting her. I didn’t protest. Thus far, he’d never interfered with my role here and I liked it that way.
We sat down at the blueprint-covered table and talked a bit about her journey. I asked her more about the wilds and what they were planning, and she filled me in on most of the missing pieces. She told me that they’d snuck back in via the water drainage pipes that snaked deep underground and connected with our tunnel system. Then they’d made their way here. She had come in order to introduce the alphas from the wilds, so that they could help us begin preparations here in the city and connect us with some important allies among sympathetic betas that lived in Tharia.
Another omega knocked on my office door, interrupting us for a brief second to inform me of another attack. Recently, a higher number of increasingly bold guards had taken it upon themselves to punish the omegas.
“See to it that she’s well taken care of. If need be, move her down here and give her all the medical care she needs. Don’t be afraid to dip into the reserves if we have to,” I replied and the omega nodded, rushing off to fulfill her duties. I sighed and shook my head, rubbing my forehead with my fingers.
“It’s not safe for you here. You should go back to the wilds, where you’ll be protected from the monsters under this wretched dome,” I finally said, and Ehsan grunted his agreement. I looked up at him, meeting his eyes and I knew then that the two of us were on the same page.
“I will. When the time is right,” she answered confidently, and Ehsan sighed heavily. Ellie’s face fell just a little and she wiggled in her seat.
“If I had it my way, I’d carry her off into the wilds and fuck her senseless. It’s safer than this place, even with all the alphas running around out there,” he said, and I giggled softly at him. Ellie narrowed her eyes in his direction, her expression blatantly daring him to try. Ehsan uncrossed his arms and dropped his hands to his belt and Ellie quickly turned away, a practiced look of feigned innocence crossing her features then.
“Just you wait until you find an alpha that will tame you,” she teased.
“Not likely. I’m far too independent-minded for just any alpha,” I answered, and her face lit up with amusement. She didn’t answer and Ehsan snorted as he tried to stifle a laugh. I didn’t comment, choosing to ignore their response.
“You should get some sleep. I’ll meet with the alphas in the morning and together, we’ll devise a plan to prepare for the battle that is to come,” I added, and she nodded enthusiastically.
“Good night, Nikki,” she answered. “Be nice to the alphas. They’re good men,” she added.
“Sleep well, Ellie. Good work,” I replied with a grin and she gazed back at me, her expression unreadable.
I watched her walk out of the room and I sat back, lost in thought.
How was I going to handle this new development?