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Ava hugged the phone to her chest. “Thank you, Dave.”
Lexie grabbed her and wrapped her arms around her, hugging her tightly. “I’m here if you need me, any time of the day or night. And I’ll be on that call with Maia in the morning.”
Ava nodded into her shoulder. “Honestly, I’ll be fine Lex. I’m a big girl.”
“No, you’re a strong as fuck omega, Ava. Don’t forget it.”
Ava’s eyes were wide and glassy as she stepped back. As were Lexie’s. Maia and Lexie had been good for her. They’d cracked the shell Ava had built around herself, the one that was painted like a perfect omega. Watching Ava slowly peek out from behind it when they were around had brought me hope that maybe there was a place in the world where she could be safe.
“Okay,” Lexie said, with only a little crack in her voice. “Let’s get to work.”
The others moved away until there was only Ava, Nick, River, Ryder, and me, standing over the unconscious alpha.
An echo of faint laughter drifted through the silence surrounding us. I’m pretty sure fate was laughing at me.
It was time to stake my claim.
three
Istoodonthefront steps of the Palace, besieged by memories as I stared at the doorway in front of me. It was an impressive oak double-sided door with iron rivets surrounded by a stone archway. The doors curved and came to a point at the top that was more than twice my height. When the rogue military unit that had taken over the Palace left an hour ago, they hadn’t bothered to close the doors behind them. They were wide open. I could see the marble floor beyond, as well as the lower steps of the elegant, sweeping staircase that led to the second level. Only it wasn’t the doorway itself that had me halting, more the memories of the only other time I’d walked through it.
When walking the grounds of the Palace, the omegas usually went out through the atrium or the common room at the rear. I hadn’t walked through these ornate entry doors since the day I arrived as a newly awakened teenage omega a decade ago. Back then, the sight of them had filled me with trepidation, adding to the heavy load of guilt and longing I’d been carrying. I was a much different woman now. Nerves didn’t swirl in my belly at the sight. I’d grown beyond that. But the guilt and longing were even stronger.
I’d had no belongings back then. The Palace discouraged omegas from bringing anything of their old life with them. I still had no belongings beyond the cherished bluebird bracelet on my wrist. The one that suddenly felt like a heavy weight, where it had always brought comfort in the past. I’d hidden it the last time I walked through these doors, but I wouldn’t hide it now.
I felt a solid presence at my right, slightly behind me, as I let out a deep sigh. Cary didn’t say a word, just gave me his silent support. As he always did. I briefly wondered if he knew how much I depended on it, even through all the unspoken words that haunted the space between us. I realized the day he arrived was probably the last time he’d walked through these doors, too.
Before I could second-guess myself, I reached behind me and impulsively grasped his hand. Proving the barrier between us had been nothing but air all along. I didn’t need to search around for his hand. I was always hyper aware of his body, almost as if it was an extension of my own.
I felt a flicker of wonder from him before he wrapped his fingers tightly around my own and stepped closer alongside me. The moment felt charged, yet laden with promise. An electric tingle ran up my arm and spread slowly over my body, making me feel warm and alive. I wanted to turn to him and bury myself in his warmth, but now was not the time. Not when River and Ryder were silent sentinels behind us, and I hadn’t yet exchanged a word with either alpha. Even though my every breath felt choked with them. I could feel their eyes on me. Branding me, the same as the giant alpha’s touch had earlier.
As if I’d called him to us, I felt River approach on my other side. He hung back slightly, though. Staying out of arm’s reach. I wondered if it was me or himself he didn’t trust right now. Neither was a good outcome. My two worlds were colliding, and I didn’t know how to navigate the fallout without people getting hurt.
“Are you okay?” He asked in a low, rumbling voice that had me closing my eyes briefly so I could luxuriate in the sound. If only for a moment. They were the first words he’d spoken directly to me since he’d appeared out of the darkness and back into my life. The three simple words felt packed full of emotion. They had questions swirling within me, and I was suddenly sick of keeping them inside. Yet, now was not the time for them either.
“Yes,” was all I said in reply. I was grateful when my training kicked in again and my voice came out clear and steady. My composure was a lie, though.
River hesitated a moment, and I hated it. We’d never hesitated around each other before. Our greetings had always been eager and joyous. All I really wanted to do was throw myself at him, but I wasn’t sure if that would be welcome anymore. Or if my own feelings would allow it. A simmering anger and grief was tugging me away as fast as his dark chocolate scent was trying to pull me in. I realized for the first time that I may have irreparably broken something vital to me. The thought tore at me.
So many nights I’d dreamed about the twins breaking down these damn doors in dramatic fashion, coming to rescue me. Clearly, they were just girlish fantasies. I felt Cary’s hold on my hand tighten as I mentally shook myself out of my reverie. I grasped it in return, a lifeline in a surging sea.
“I’d like to go in first, with Ryder, and check it out. Make sure there’s no-one hiding in there, or any hidden traps,” River finally announced. His voice had cooled and become impersonal, matching my own. I shook off my regrets and focused on the next steps as well.
River’s plan sounded good in theory, only I already knew we weren’t alone. The grand foyer behind the doors was mostly dark, the moonlight only filtered in so far. Yet there was a faint light coming from somewhere out of sight. It was enough for me to spot a small face surrounded by golden curls that had peeked around the corner, curiosity written all over it with an impish grin. The face had disappeared quickly, as if someone had yanked them back out of view. River must have been so focussed on me he’d missed it, which surprised me.
“Thank you, River,” I replied as I stumbled slightly over his name, while avoiding looking directly at him. I hated how formal I sounded with him, but it was the only way I could get the words out without losing myself. “We have company, but I don’t think there’s any danger. Cary and I should go in first and talk to the omegas. Alphas going in hot may scare them. We don’t know what they’ve been through lately. I promise we’ll only go inside the entrance and stay in sight.”
The cherubic face appeared again briefly, followed by a hissed admonishment. But that grin reappeared too quickly, and the young girl slipped away from whoever was trying to keep her back. I knew from experience how elusive she could be. She was a sweet, yet determined, little hellcat.
“Ava,” she cried out as she launched herself through the ornate entryway, a determined missile heading directly for me. A dozen worried omegas appeared behind her, ranging from their late teens to early twenties. I recognized a few faces.
I sensed River relaxing slightly behind me. I dropped Cary’s hand and rushed towards the young omega, dropping to my knees on the marble in front of her as she threw her arms around me.
“Angel,” I admonished her with a grin as I shook my head. She was a mischievous spirit, and I’d come across her quite a few times over the last few months on my secret travels around the castle. She’d been hiding from her beta handler, the same as I was. We’d hidden behind the curtains in alcoves and giggled together. She was a shining light in the coldly elegant Palace, full of affection for anyone that would give her a moment’s kindness. She’d once even covered for me. Stepping out and allowing her handler to find her before she could discover me, too.
Angel was young to be at the Palace, though. Far too young to have reached puberty and presented. I figured she was about five years old now. She’d been here for about a year, but we hadn’t seen much of her at first. Her full name was Angelica, but everyone called her Angel.
I’d always wondered how they had found her. I knew now it was probably the same blood test they’d used on Maia. Back then, the fear of what the Palace was up to had kept me up at night. I’d grieved and despaired, thinking of all the ways they could break her infectious spirit. So far, they seemed to have left her alone. They had created a playroom for her, and they mostly confined her to it. It was a lonely existence for a child, though, hence the frequent escapes.
