My temper crashes into the room, and the scent of my forest pheromones, which is bitter with my rage, alerts every alpha in the vicinity.
Mordecai looks up and stares at me. There is no apology on his face, which turns the bitter air scorched as I struggle with my temper. This is why I don’t do people. This is why I stay far away from alphas.
“Who is Taryn, and why is she so important?” I speak softly but with deadly menace, never shifting my eyes from the alpha who feels like mine.
“Taryn is an omega who is very important to our mission, and I will tell you when I can tell you everything. It's no good telling you in parts and pieces,” he says with a closed expression. He’s the only one not reacting to my fury.
He’s not going to give me more, I withdraw into myself, closing off from him and everyone else. Fine. Just fine.
Bear sighs and scrubs a hand over his face. “They can stay here while you and Legion go out and look.”
“I will do no such thing!” I snap.
“It’s not safe—”
I glare at the leader of the Resistance. “Try locking me up. Just try it, and you’ll find out why my name is so nefarious.”
Jarek laughs. “What she said.”
“We’re going with him,” I say and jerk my chin at Mordecai. “Right until the moment I decide you’re not worth it, and then you're on your own, Alpha. You, your omega, and your Resistance.”
Mordecai stares at me. I don’t know what he’s thinking, but it’s probably a good thing. The room is getting almost uninhabitable from my temper.
Cadel slinks into the room and looks down at the roll of paper that Legion spreads over an ancient wooden table.
The two don’t seem to notice the tension in the room. It’s the first time an alpha, let alone two, has been able to ignore me so completely.
Mia comes in, looking red in the face. She holds out a short sword to me and a longer sword to Jarek. He shakes his head and points at his knives.
Cadel glances at the sword and takes it up, easily twirling it around like it weighs nothing.
I don’t need sword skills. It’s too late to wish I had them. I just need to stab whoever gets close to me and stay out of range of their sharp ends. Easy.
And so damn complicated.
“You should really stay here,” Mordecai says.
The betrayal flares up deeper, stronger, but I jut my chin and narrow my eyes. I shift the sword from one hand to the other and take three steps closer to the Resistance group.
“If you think for one second I’m staying here, you’re dead wrong. I don’t know you. I don’t trust any of you. You have the answers I want, and I’m giving you a chance to share them, but if you choose not to when we find this omega, I will leave you all to die, and I won’t feel a single slither of shame over it.”
“So, so cold,” Legion whispers. “Who hurt you?”
I turn a look of pure loathing on him. “Everyone.”
Mordecai clears his throat, dragging my attention back to him. “Okay, come with us, then, but keep up.”
Cadel shoves Mordecai hard enough that he slams into the wall. The other members of the Resistance reach for their weapons, but Legion holds up his hand, stopping them.
“You will show respect to our omega or I’ll cut your useless cock from your corpse.”
“Get off me!” Mordecai snarls, struggling hard.
Cadel shoves him harder against the wall and growls. It takes three long seconds, and then Mordecai lifts his chin, exposing his throat, panting. Submitting.
Jarek laughs again, but I ignore him, waiting as Cadel stalks towards me, snatches up my wrist, and tows me out of the room.
We wait outside, none of us wanting to be around the Resistance. Being away from the alphas is enough to have me pulling myself back under control. The clouds are thicker today, darker, more menacing. Rain might fall. I’m not sure if that would be in our favour or not. It would suit my mood. If I wasn’t so angry, I might cry.
