Page 39 of Knot Their Soldier: Part Three

She rolls her neck side-to-side, and wriggles in Blaze's lap, testing her body for twinges of pain.

"No, thanks. I feel pretty good. Really good, actually."

She frowns as if disturbed by this discovery.

I choose not to ask what is wrong for now. Digging into potential resurrection side effects will pop the delicate bubble we've found ourselves in.

The camp outside hasn't stopped. On my hourly perimeter checks, I've watched it build to a fever pitch of activity. Tents have been pulled down around us, soldiers moving back and forth, the clatter of equipment being dismantled and packed away.

My guess is that the order has come to retreat back to Blackgate Fortress. Which means the enemy is near and our time of rest is almost over. War doesn't stop for anything.

Our tent has been avoided, soldiers and civilians skirting around our Pack with voices hushed, afraid to come too close.

There were many witnesses to Halley's death. They watched her get shot in the throat and bleed out. And yet, she's still alive. Her Omega scent is strong and undeniably coming from our tent. I wonder what they're all thinking. Do they believe she's a supernatural entity? A miracle? An omen?

"Prime Alpha Knox?" a deep voice calls from outside. It's Prime Alpha Zero.

I haven't seen or heard from him since the incident.

Knox moves to get out of the nest.

He looks at Halley and then at the shadow blocking the light at the entrance of the tent, clearly torn about meeting his duty and staying as close to our Omega as physically possible.

I raise my hand and shake my head. 'I can take this.'

I slip outside and greet the Prime Alpha with a salute. I may not be officially Fathim Military anymore, but there is still a chain of command to this resistance we've found ourselves in.

"Specialist Shade," Zero acknowledges, but looks behind me in anticipation.

"Our Prime is indisposed. What can I assist you with?"

I observe a series of mixed emotions flitting across the Alpha's normally expressionless face. His mouth twitches as he begins and then stops himself from speaking. Finally, he settles on: "How is Omega Specialist Sparks?"

"Alive."

If I wasn't watching him closely, I might've missed the flinch, but I am, and I don't.

"Good. That's… yes. That's good to hear," he stammers in a decidedly un-Prime Alpha way, his eyes darting to the tent flap as if he can confirm Halley's mortality through the canvas.

I suppose he must be feeling guilt over his role in yesterday's disaster. Strangely, I can't find it in me to hold any contempt for the Alpha. My emotions are spent, and I have none left over to waste on him.

"What can Pack Scorch do for you, Prime Alpha?" I ask.

"We are conducting an extraction back to Blackgate and will break camp no later than nineteen hundred hours. I came because I wasn't sure if…" He shifts with discomfort, the leather of his boots creaking. "Will your Pack require support for exfil?"

Ah. He's worried Halley won't be capable of being moved after the incident.

It's not Halley he should be worried about.

Of the five of us, she's faring the best.

"Negative. We have our transport and will extract ourselves to Blackgate before the deadline."

"The final group of civilian settlers departed for the Blackreach settlements one hour ago," he says.

I narrow my eyes.

Does that mean the Betas who formed that mob are gone too? Whisked away into the relative safety of Blackreach before any of us could decide what justice looks like when grief is still fresh?