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“What d’you say?” He plants his hands on his hips and glares daggers at the three scavengers who are totally speechless.
“Is this…for real?” the younger one asks.
“It’s not a fuckin’ joke.”
“That is…exceedingly generous. My sons and I would like the opportunity to prove ourselves beyond…” The older man gestures at the dark rags he and his sons are wearing. “This.”
“Will. Promise.” Adam nods jerkily. “I’ll come talk to you in a minute. Until then, Vi, help ‘em get set up. Get ‘em new clothes, too.”
“There aren’t many spare sets to go around.”
“Just take the spares packed for me.”
In a cloud of shock, the Alphas and Betas meander off into the forest. I immediately start off to follow them, but Adam grabs me by the arm and jerks me to his body. He presses his lips to the center of my forehead. They’re warm. “Can’t fix the world, but can fix my city. Need your help to do it, though.”
“I…I told you already, I’m happy to help.”
“Means you can’t leave.Don’t keep lookin’.”
And then my treacherous, small voice breaks on a whisper, “Don’t leave me behind.”
“Won’t. Swear it.”
“You already swore it once.”
“Fuck you, Omega.” He grabs me by the neck and tips my head back with the easy pressure of his thumb.
I stare up into his eyes and am betrayed again by my own words. “Why…” I lick my lips.
“Why what?”
“Why have you stopped calling mewife?”
I expect him to laugh, to tease or to mock me, but he doesn’t. Instead, his expression stays hard and mean. “I’m waitin’,” he growls, fingers tightening around my neck.
“For what?”
“For you to call me husband.” He releases me and crunches over the forest in his retreat. It’s the first time he’s ever been the one to put distance between us. He touches the collar at his neck and breathes in a lungful of air that causes his meaty, scarred chest to inflate. I want to present for him.I miss him.
“Dragnovic, Echo,” Balcazar says, crashing back towards us through the trees. “Another group a’ scavengers showed up.”
“How many?” Adam says, all business, like I’m the only one struggling.
“Four this time.”
“Make ‘em the same offer I made the last three. Make any Betas that show up the same offer.”
Balcazar shakes her head. “Will do, but thought you might wanna meet ‘em.”
“Why’s that?”
“They’re from Trash City.”
33 | Adam
Garden of Echo
It’s been five days and we’re still here sortin’ through the chaos that is Echo’s garden in Paradise Hole.Yaron’s gettin’ antsy. I’m gettin’ antsy. Echo seems to be comin’ into her own.
