The sting of betrayal was intense, distracting me momentarily from my situation. What sort of game was he playing?
“Eh, I don’t think he’ll care,” growled the beta, though he didn’t seem quite so sure of himself now. His hand fell away from my jeans. If nothing else, he’d been planning to do something to me unobserved and he’d been caught out.
“That one won’t be useful if he’s been damaged.” Agelius waved a dismissive hand in my direction. “But if you want to continue, it’s your funeral, not mine. You can explain to your Alpha how you lost him a fuck-ton of money.”
Agelius turned around and walked back inside his cabin, leaving me to my fate.
My jaw dropped. Outraged indignation lodged itself in my throat. How could he do this to us? He’d taken advantage of Talius’ good nature, pretending to be down and out, and here he was as confident an alpha as any I’d seen, right in the middle of Zarbius’ violent pack! And he’d left me here in the hands of this beta who’d been attempting to rape me only moments before. Anger faded. The betrayal hurt, and tears of misery filled my eyes.
I scarcely noticed when the beta released me completely, giving me a shove in the direction of the toilet block. As I stumbled into the amenities block, shocked and dismayed, I sent my feelings of hurt, disbelief and betrayal to Talius.
Agelius is here.
Chapter 09
AGELIUS
Irian.
I knew it was him the moment I stepped out my cabin door and caught sight of a small person being manhandled up against a wall by a larger one.
I couldn’t see his face, but I’d seen him often enough on the farm or in the Alpha house to recognize him. The brown hair – though that was common amongst omegas – the shape of his head and neck and slim shoulders, the way he moved. I was certain it was him, and as if to confirm it, a slight puff of breeze wafted a faint trace of his scent towards me.
He was in trouble. I knew what was happening and I had to stop it. But I couldn’t give myself away either. My omega’s safety depended on me passing myself off as someone I wasn’t. Perhaps Irian’s safety did too. I drew myself up to my full height, reminded myself I was an alpha, and a young and strong one at that.
“I wouldn’t do that, if I were you,” I announced, loud enough for my voice to reach the men.
“What the fuck…? What’s it to you?” The larger man, a beta, paused what he was doing long enough to turn and stare at me belligerently. I didn’t recognize him as one of the betas I’d met yesterday, so he didn’t know me, but he would have knownofme from the others. And it smacked of poor pack discipline that he would speak to an alpha like that.
“Not to me,” I returned, trying for a tone that was superior and confident. “But I don’t think Zarbius will be happy if you damage that one.”
“Eh, I don’t think he’ll care,” said the beta, getting ready to resume his groping of the younger man.
“That one won’t be useful if he’s been damaged. But if you want to continue, it’s your funeral, not mine. You can explain to your Alpha how you lost him a fuck-ton of money,” I said, aiming for just the right amount of disinterest, and shrugged, heading back inside my cabin as though the outcome was of no consequence. My heart pounded. Adrenaline coursed through me, causing my hands to shake a little.
If this didn’t work, I was going to have to intervene, but that would mean revealing myself and the outcome ofthatwasn’t certain. If the beta called for reinforcements, I wouldn’t be able to take them all in a fight. And even if he didn’t, once I’d freed Irian, I’d have to leave, and that would leavemyomega at the mercy of this pack. Once Irian was gone the pack would be expecting retribution from Talius and his pack when he learned who had taken his mate, and they might move on as quickly as they had the last time. I might not find my omega again.
I watched from the window of the cabin as the beta hesitated. And exhaled a quiet hiss when I saw him reach a decision. Heroughly pushed Irian away from him and towards the door of the amenities block but made no attempt to follow him in.
Irian was safe for now. At least until Zarbius returned. And then… I didn’t know.
Chapter 10
TOSCA
The morning after the truck and its mysterious cargo had arrived, we still hadn’t seen who or what was locked in the isolation shed. The omegas who’d served dinner for the betas in the food hall the previous evening reported that they’d overhead the betas talking about an omega they’d ‘grabbed off the street’ and how Zarbius was going to be ‘so impressed’ with them for their audacity. The omegas had also overheard references to the ‘Alpha’s mate’ but didn’t know what that was about.
We wondered if Zarbius’ mate had been found and brought home and was now currently locked up in the shed awaiting punishment.
There was only one way to find out.
It was decided that one of us should take food out to the shed and insist the betas let us deliver it to the omega inside. Owen being the bravest, and perhaps also the most curious, had volunteered to do it. We’d prepared a tray of food and water, then watched anxiously from the windows as Owen trekked across to the shed.
At first, it didn’t look like the betas were going to let him in, but he stood his ground and argued with them, and eventually the shed door was opened and he went in. After a few moments, he came hurrying out and headed straight towards our shed.
He ignored us as he rushed into the house, throwing open the door of the cupboard where we kept the bedding, and pulling out a blanket. As he stalked to the door, he snapped, “Those idiot betas left him in there all night without a blanket. He’s half dead with cold.”
Owen rushed out the door and back to the shed, arguing with the betas again until he was allowed back in. A few minutes later he came out accompanied by the omega wrapped in the blanket. We heard the tail end of a heated discussion, and one of the betas shoved Owen. The other grabbed the captive omega by the arm and dragged him off towards the general amenities shed.
