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I whip around, glaring at her. “I can. I am your guardian, I am your Alpha, I am your king!” Then, I call a guard to come from down the hallway. He hurries to me, sweating and nervous. Good. He should be. I inhale deeply, trying to scent for the traitor. Not finding it, I say, “Ensure that she does not leave this room. If I find her outside of it, if I hear that she has managed to get loose, I will not hesitate to cast out the guard or guards that allowed it.”

The guard’s face turns white. “Yes, sir.”

“Augustus!” Aurora shouts, coming toward the door, “I am not another captive! You can’t—!”

I turn and shut the door in her face, locking it just as she grabs the handle and starts to yank on it. Stepping back, I push down the regret, the sorrow, the uncertainty about what I’m doing.

And, as I turn and walk down the hallway, I ignore the echoing sounds of her screams, her cries, her pleading to be let free.

Chapter 29 - Mylah

Two more days pass, and I am alone in my room. The guards bring me my meals. When they do, there’s a new routine check of my space. They run their hands over the locks on the windows and check every nook and cranny. Like they might pull down a poster and find a tunnel I’ve been digging for escape.

It reminds me of the night I was kidnapped. All that time I spent circling my home, checking the locks. Except I was trying to keep something out, and these guards are tasked with keeping me in.

After the third day of being alone, I start to feel crazy. No more notes from Augustus arrive, if that first one was even from him.

I feel like I can smell him everywhere, his scent crowding in just outside the door.

But it’s my imagination.

He’s not coming, and I decide that I should prepare. I decide to ask the guards for books about the Oceanic pack—it’s not near us, but it’s the only other pack I’ve ever heard of. I know they’re south.

The guards have already told me that I can ask for any books I want. I’d thought that was Augustus showing me he cared, but maybe it’s just a way to keep me more content in this room.

Finding out more information about the Oceanic pack might give me a plan. Perhaps I could escape from here, from this frozen tundra, and go somewhere nicer. Maybe the Oceanic pack is even kind to omegas—if such a thing happens in any pack.

So, after three full days of being alone, I creep up to the door slowly, trying to get a feel for which guard or guards are outside my door today. Whether or not I ask for the books will depend on who is on guard—some of them are kinder than others.

When I get close enough to the door, I can scent the guards out there—two of the nicer ones. I also smell Augustus here, though that can’t be possible. He hasn’t been to my room. I’m not able to ask my question, because they’re already in the thick of a conversation.

“Are you serious? They’ve been courting for, like, a whole year now? You’re telling me you really had no idea they were engaged?”

“No—was there an announcement or something? What, we’re supposed to read about that in a bulletin, right?”

The guard on the right laughs, “I don’t know! Just pay, like, a little bit of attention next time. I can’t believe you didn’t notice her visits, man. Not like there are a lot of omegas around here. Just the sister, and she mostly stays in her room.”

“Or used to. Before this one.”

“Yeah, but that’s done now. Guess the king cracked down on that.”

“Why does he have this one locked up, anyway? I heard someone say something about interrogating her about Gavyn, but what kind of information would an omega have about that anyway? Like Gavyn’s over there sharing all his state secrets with a woman?”

“Hey—my mom was a general’s adviser.”

“Your mom’s an alpha, though, that makes sense. You know what I mean.”

“Whatever. Not my job to speculate about it—king wants her here; I keep her from leaving.”

“Except the time you let her escape.”

“Shut the fuck up.”

A pause. I can barely breathe, my mind racing to try and put information together.

I can’t believe you didn’t notice her visits. Not like there are a lot of omegas around here.

An omega is coming here? To visit? My stomach turns as my mind races ahead, already putting the pieces together, presenting the whole of the information before I even gather more.