I have literally dreamed about her for years. I could never see her face, but there’s enough I recognise.
I’d watched them run in through those gates, and it was like a lick of fire to my insides, instant and irrevocable. I’d taken one look at her and known she was mine. There was no question; it hit me like a falling star, exploding into my landscape and changing the face of everything I thought was real.
She is my life.
How bizarre. And yet, how deliciously right. I slide my palm across her belly and bury my face in her hair, memorizing that distinct scent that is hers.
A rumble slips out when she shifts, and she stills, letting out a panting mewl. I lick up the side of her neck, ignoring the vicious growls of the alphas watching me. I need to know her flavour. It’s sweet with a hint of citrus and that forest scent that seems to be soaked into her skin.
“Wait,” she whispers, and I pull back enough to give her space.
She fights to pull herself together and steps to the side, turning so she can see all of us. I reluctantly let my fingers slide off of her, pursing my lips, unpleased with this development.
“Keres, the infamous omega herself, I have heard many rumours of your skill, kindness, and wisdom, but no one has ever mentioned how beautiful you are.”
To my extreme amusement, her cheeks turn red, and she drops her gaze, unable to continue looking at me. Instead of pushing her, I turn to the alphas in front of me. My competition.
“Who are you?” My challenge is thrown down, and I see the instant blaze in both their eyes.
The dark-haired one who is a fraction shorter blinks and lets out a deep, animalistic growl. I feel like I should know who he is, like there’s information in the back of my mind, but I can’t pull it. His eyes don’t leave me. He doesn’t blink. He just stares as if he’s promising me that he will end me the moment he gets a chance.
“Mordecai,” Keres says gently, trying to calm us before we escalate.
I switch my gaze to the other, studying him intently. He’s massive and has an aura of calm danger that has me hesitating. I cock my head to the side. He’s as beautiful as the alpha beside him. Deadly, striking, dangerous. I’ve always had a thing for dark-haired beauties.
“Mordecai Haspian?” I purr andstalk towards him.
I step into his space, and, to his credit, he doesn’t step back, but I lean in, my head only comes to his chin. It should feel intimidating, but I can’t help but wonder how it would feel to be held by this alpha, to be fucked by him. I tilt my head back, peering up at him. The same sense of feeling like I should know them hits me, and hits hard.
I look down and see him licking a trail up my stomach, my fingers buried deep in his hair. Interesting, I reach out, touching the spot where he touched me in the vision. His eyes flicker, and the blue gets brighter.
That icy gaze holds me, and I have a desire to lift my throat and submit to this alpha just to mess with his head. Instead of doing that, I drop my eyes and take in every curve and hard muscle on this alpha. A slow perusal that has an instant reaction. I flick an amused glance back up at him.
I lick my lips, but I’m not stupid enough to turn away from the alphas and focus on the omega. It would be an act of supreme disrespect and invite an attack.
“How long have you been here, Jarek?”
The soft voice steals all my attention, but I dare not take my eyes off the alphas, especially not when they have just tensed in a way that has me waiting for them to swing. It would be a shame to ruin their pretty faces.
“Alphas,” her voice is a whip crack. “Cadel!”
They take their eyes off me first, but then I look at her, and she steals the literal breath from my lungs. This omega packs a power that I don’t even think she’s aware of. If she asked me to, I’d kneel before her and let her kill me. The plain clothing she is trying to hide in doesn’t even dim her luminance.
“Enough. We’re not fighting each other when the Path are going to murder us.”
I mean, she’s got a point, but still, fighting wasn’t what was on my mind.
I offer her a friendly smile, which has her watching me warily.
“I’ve been here for four days. A few easy targets have been attacked by rogue Path pledges. They haven’t started hunting yet, but people are trying different ways to escape. As you can see, the wall on this side is mirror-smooth.”
They look at the wall and curse. I can see the dismay in her eyes, and I’m forcefully reminded of the crappy situation we’re all in.
“If you run out of the gates, they kill you as soon as they see you,” she murmurs, her eyes cloudy with grief.
“The girl?”
She nods.
