“Again, Sutton is human. That must be a trait reserved for Throkyn kind,” Razyr answers.
“Which brings us back to the Accord and the relations between Alphas and humans,” Strykr cuts in. “If we allow the union between the three of you to continue, we risk other alphas deciding that they should be able to claim an omega that has a human mate or worse, one bonded with another alpha. Just lookat the alphas you detained. They killed their own kind to kidnap those omegas. Sutton may be human, but if he is an alpha, that is all they will see.“ Strykr pauses, considering us for a moment.
The more they have talked about us, the more I’ve realized that whatever comes next, the three of us are going to have very little say in it. This meeting isn’t just to figure out what’s going on with us; it’s to decide what should be done with us. For the sake of the pack.
Strykr stands taller, making his presence as pack leader known. “I have no other choice. I will not allow that kind of thinking to infect the pack. I cannot condone this union.”
I make to charge at Strykr. “You can’t split us up. You can’t—” Zayd and Sutton hold me, sandwiched between them. Not just to stop me from doing something stupid, but, I think, to stop anyone from taking me away from them.
“Out of respect for your position, lieutenant, I will leave you to make the choice. Either Sutton and Layla return to their home in the colony, and you remain here to take an omega of your own, or for the three of you…” Strykr’s face betrays his willingness to deliver the alternative. Finally, with a set jaw, Strykr says, “Exile.”
Everyone in the room gasps.
Then, Strykr adds, “If the three of you are determined to pursue this relationship, you will not do it here.”
“I have no objection to that,” Sutton says confidently and tells Zayd, “Layla and I would be happy to welcome you into our home.”
“No,” Strykr breaks in. “You do not understand. Exile not from The Center or the colony. You will be exiled from Earth.”
“But where will we go? How will we survive without the pack?” I cry, trying to break away, wanting so badly to take out my anger on Strykr.
“Please, Layla,” Zayd says, handing me to Sutton, who wraps his arms around me. Zayd turns to Strykr. “May we have a moment to discuss our decision?”
“Of course. We will wait outside. Do not take too long. We must settle the unrest amongst the pack as soon as possible.”
“I understand,” Zayd says before the door closes, leaving the three of us alone.
“This isn’t fair. I have friends here. Your pack is your family,” I say, like Zayd doesn’t already know it. “Maybe we should just go home,” I say to Sutton.
“You two are all I have,” Sutton says, and my heart sinks. “I’ve lived without you, Layla, and it almost killed me. The connection we have with him now, I think it would kill both of us to leave Zayd.”
“Well, yeah, but what if what Zayd wants is to claim his own omega. One he doesn’t have to share. Asking him to leave with us would deny him that.”
“Regardless,” Zayd says, taking my hands, “I already made my choice. Last night. If they designate Sutton as an alpha, I will have lost the respect of the pack for not killing Sutton and claiming you for myself. I knew this, and yet I could not deny myself the pleasure of being with you. With both of you. Even if my only choice now was to let the two of you leave, I could not. I would not.”
Sutton stretches out his arm and invites Zayd into our embrace.
It feels right. I’m convinced the three of us are meant to be together, but I’m still scared. “Where will we go?”
“The planet we found the missing ship and kidnapped omegas on was not without its problems. In addition to being a pleasure planet, a lot of shady characters come and go to do business in less-than-legal trades on Tilopria, but it is a beautiful planet, and our relationship would be accepted,” Zayd says.
My heart is racing. “This is insane. Having to make a decision like this already. We don’t know what’s going on here, and they’re asking us to give up everything.”
“Do you doubt that the three of us are meant to be together?” Zayd asks, stepping back.
“I don’t,” Sutton answers before I can. “I know you’re scared, Layla, but if any of your fears or doubts are about how I feel and whether or not I’m here to stay, I swear to you, I’m not going anywhere.”
I don’t have to think before I tell him, “The fear of you leaving is long gone. I’m just afraid of what we don’t know. I am afraid of finding out that Zayd can’t claim me because you already have, and so he never gets to claim an omega because he can never come back. I want this to work, the three of us, but I’m afraid that it won’t, for some reason that is out of our control, and there will be no going back for any of us.”
“I cannot tell you how, but I know, in my heart, that this will work. We only need to find the way.” Zayd joins us again, placing an arm around me and a hand on Sutton’s shoulder.
“And we don’t need to be at the Center or on Earth to do it,” Sutton adds, pulling Zayd into our embrace, bringing their foreheads together above my head.
“Then it is settled,” Zayd says after placing a kiss atop my head.
Sutton does the same, then says with conviction, “Call them in.”
Chapter 26
