AllFreeNovel
Share Us
I pull the radio strapped to my belt out of its holster, flicking the button on the side. “Two minutes ’til destination. Package secure,” I reply, answering the sergeant. I don’t get a response back. They’re probably waiting for me to get there with the omega.
We arrive, and I smoothly glide to a stop in the parking space closest to the door. The council headquarters looms before us. She’ll be under guard until they take her to Hidden Haven Manor.
Take us to the Manor, I mentally correct, shuddering at the thought of going back. She ran to avoid this life. Now she’ll have to date men with no choice in who stays or who goes. Men who’ll go feral to be the last ones standing. They’ll perform for the cameras in order to win society’s hearts, gain their favor to ensure their spots. Nothing will be real, and only someone who’s been through it before will know the truth of it. As the only two returning alphas, guess that’ll be us.
Despite my duties and commitment to this job, I almost wish she was successful. I almost wish the little omega had gotten away because Andrik has already fallen for her. I can already tell this won’t bode well. The only way to protect myself is to keep her at arm’s length. And possibly save my brother from his own stupidity if things go sideways like last time. Someone has to stay levelheaded.
By the time I climb from the SUV, Andrik is already at her door, scooping her into his arms. He wasn’t assigned to the auditorium detail, so after he handed the omega over, he came here to fill out his report. He has one of those stupid love-sick puppy expressions on his face and it makes my lip curl. I’ll have to remind him of the pitfalls of being involved with an omega. I can’t let him be swept away by her wiles.
“I can walk myself, Andrik,” she objects, pushing at his chest to get him to put her down. Not before I see her inhale his scent.
My twin lets out a laugh. “Your feet are still cut up and haven’t been cleaned. You don’t need to be walking on the filthy ground. The doctor should be here soon. Until then, I’ve got you, Precious.” Fuck. He’s gone and given her a nickname. This isn’t good. Not good at all. He’s a goddamn goner. What the hell happened out in those woods?
“Fine.” She huffs in a show of defiance, but as much as she puts up a front of not liking it, she seems to find comfort in his arms, drawing in a sniff of him once more.
The beta—Ryland, I believe she called him—throws open his door to follow her. I block his way and stare him down. The man is a few inches shorter, and while he’s muscular, it isn’t on the same level as an alpha. Our biological makeups are simply different. He fixes me with a fuck off glare, before trying to move past. I step in his way again, and his eyes flash with a hint of challenge. A confidence shining through that shouldn’t be there when faced with an alpha.
“Who is she to you?” He knows exactly who I’m referring to.
His jaw clenches so hard I think he might crack a tooth. Apparently, my posturing is getting to him, but the alpha in me can’t back down. He straightens his spine, looking me dead in the eye. Beta’s got balls, I’ll give him that. “She’s my friend, and I’m not about to abandon her just because she’s an omega. She needs to have a friend by her side with everything she’s about to go through.”
He’s more right than he knows. She’ll be alone. There won’t be any other omegas to discuss what they’re going through because she’s the only one this season. At every turn, there’ll be an alpha vying for her attention. I can already tell she needs him. Too bad she’ll have to say goodbye soon. “Be careful about showing how much you care about her. You know the laws about betas being with an omega. You’re fixing to walk into their headquarters. Don’t let them see even a trace of anything other than friendship.”
Ryland studies me before giving a slight nod of his head. We understand each other. Any hope for a relationship between them was dashed when the omega walked across that stage. Yet he’s still here. I have to respect the man. It’s too bad we can’t switch places. I want nothing to do with the delicious, pear soaked omega, and he has no chance.
What a fucked up world we live in.
Chapter 5
Verity
As soon as we arrive at the council headquarters, Andrik takes me inside and I’m whisked away from the two enforcers and my best friend. As much as I didn’t want him to carry me around, he was right about the cuts on my feet. With each step I take, a sharp stab of pain has me wincing. I keep catching glances from the betas working. Brief flashes of judgment. Like they can’t believe I ran and think I’m throwing away the picture perfect life they envision omegas have.
It only compounds when I’m bounced around from beta to beta as they put me through a set of security measures. They scan my fingerprints, my irises, and even take a sample of my perfume. All of which is followed by a stack of paperwork that has my eyes crossing. It’s exhausting and I’m still drained from my tromp through the forest.
Every single alpha has been cleared out, leaving only betas to check me in so as to not tempt them further since my pheromones are so potent. They all glance at me strangely but surprisingly none ask about my appearance.
Before long, a sweet female beta ushers me into a clinical room where a drop dead gorgeous doctor in a white lab coat is waiting for me. He glances up from his clipboard, and our eyes lock. It’s a clash of blues and greens from me and grays so light they’re almost blue from him. I subconsciously inhale his delicious scent and my eyes widen. Alpha. Dark chocolate with hints of something else… something sweeter. Something I want to sink my teeth into and have the taste explode onto my tongue.
Did I mention he’s gorgeous?
My feet seem to fail me, and the silence stretches between us as I stand in the entryway. His nostrils flare as he inhales my scent and I swear, for a moment, his eyes roll back in his head. It’s a heady feeling, and it makes my pears more pronounced. The beta ushering me lightly presses against my back and snaps me out of my trance.
The doctor wordlessly motions for me to have a seat on the exam table. I cross the space and feel the phantom stare of his gaze on my ass. My cheeks heat as I turn around and find him already watching me. He’s eyeing the various cuts mottling my body and a deep rumble of displeasure tumbles from his chest. “Hello, Miss Graves. My name is Emmett DeLuca, but you can call me Dr. Em if you’d like. First, I’d like to take a look at your cuts and scrapes, if you don’t mind.” His voice is strained, like he’s barely refraining from yanking my clothes off to examine my wounds further.
“Sure,” I respond. He reaches for some cotton pads and a bottle of saline before gently taking my arm and inspecting it. “So, you’re an alpha.”
He pauses his perusal. “I am.” He’s very to the point, but somehow I get the impression it’s because he’s struggling to hold back his alpha instincts. Once again, I find myself inhaling his chocolatey scent. My mouth fills with saliva, wanting a taste. He’s close enough I could bury my nose in his neck and mark him with my pears, but that wouldn’t be appropriate, so instead I avert my gaze. Can’t scent mark every alpha you meet, Verity. Sheesh.
“This might hurt a little,” he tells me before pulling the collar of Andrik’s shirt down, applying the solution to one of the deeper cuts on my collarbone. Pretty sure that’s the one where I got smacked by a tree limb. I hiss as the stuff hits the wound, but quickly realize it was more from the expectation of pain than the actual feeling. “How’d you manage all this?”
Having to explain the whole situation feels silly now. Especially when it’s becoming increasingly clear I never would’ve been able to avoid all of this. “I ran away from the ceremony. Obviously, I was unsuccessful.” I can’t keep the scorn from entering my tone.
Dr. Em raises his dark eyebrow. “Why would you do that? Does the matching process not sound appealing to you?”
“Having my mates selected for me?” My nose wrinkles at the thought. “Not even a little, it’s utter knotsense. As soon as I stopped fighting the idea that I was an omega, I ran. Little good it did me though, as you can see. I guess I’ll have to face the music after all.”
“Sounds like you’re a little rule breaker.” There’s a teasing sparkle in his gray eyes and something else I can’t place. Whatever it is, he seems to like the idea.
