I take a step and collapse to one knee.
I’ll just have a little rest.
The sounds of laughter wake me up because it’s too loud; no one from the Resistance laughs with such abandon. I stand up and pull out my sword, holding it warily in front of me.
The night grows long, dark and full of screams, and there’s nothing I can do but stand and wait for them to find us. Sweat runs down my back, and my muscles get sore from standing so tense.
“Keres!”
I rush to the door. “Kendric?”
“You got them in there, right? Your alphas?”
“Yes, there’s room for you—”
“No. You have to stay hidden. Stay safe. There’s so many people counting on us, on you. Don’t let Mordecai falter,” he hisses.
I hear something heavy land in front of the door. I grab the handle and shove, but it doesn’t open.
“Kendric!” I hiss.
“It was worth it, fighting. Being free. Goodbye, Kaida Keres.”
He takes off running, and it’s followed by a shout that gives me chills. I move back into the room and stare into the gloom.
I’m imagining the worst, but I know it’s probably not even close. The screams go on and on, and I realise the Resistance were sitting ducks. They probably waited for this exact moment to strike, just like I’d predicted.
An alpha roars, but the sound is cut short with a gurgle. Cadel gets up, his eyes aflame with fury. I rush to him and put a hand over his mouth.
“Quiet, Alpha,” I murmur.
He looks up at me, his eyes enraged. Mordecai groans, and I rush to him, pouring some water into his mouth. I wet a cloth and wipe him over and then move to Jarek, Legion, and Mia.
Mia is the most restless, and I end up tying her up and shoving a wadded-up ball of fabric into her mouth to silence her.
Jarek never makes a sound. I keep checking to make sure he’s breathing and counting the seconds before his chest rises. It’s an agonizing cycle of dread and then relief. Mordecai moves a lot, lifting his arms and reaching for people. Cadel ends up sitting with him, keeping his arms down and barking him into compliance.
It’s Legion who worries me the most. He curls up into a ball and cries silent tears that have his whole body shaking. I sit with him and stroke his hair.
He’s not my alpha or my omega. There’s no attraction, but I have never seen anyone carry the grief this alpha is holding in him. The stone-facedomega, the smart-assed second in command, is gone, and here is the raw truth; an omega almost broken by the things that have shadowed his life.
Who is he missing? Who is his heart broken over?
When he quietens, I turn away and sit down beside Cadel, who offers me a bottle of water. I drink half and rest my head up against the wall.
He doesn’t speak, just reaches out and puts a hand on my thigh, reassuring and comforting.
“As soon as they are on their feet, we’ll get out of here.”
Cadel rubs his thumb over my leg.
“I’ll go in and check for any survivors while you protect them.”
“No—”
I turn and glare at him. “They’ll be vulnerable and need someone strong. I can get in and out unseen. We need to know what happened to Bear, Taryn, and Kendric.”
Cadel grits his jaw, but he doesn’t remove his hand. The touch I would have balked at a few days ago is soothing and welcome now. But whenever I focus on it, I get a sense of dread, too.
