“Yes, you’ve said that,” I murmur. “Doesn’t mean I can’t try, though.”
He glances at me over his defined shoulder. “Is there a reason you want to know how to create protection wards? I already have several up around this cave.”
I shrug. “It seems like a useful skill.” It’s a vague response. But I don’t want to elaborate on why these might be helpful in my future. “I can’t exactly take down Alphas physically, so developing a mental ability seems a more appropriate route.”
“And what Alphas do you intend to take down?”
I glance at him, confused for a moment. Then realize I uttered that last part out loud. “Oh, I don’t know. But I’m a Z-Clan Omega. Knowing how to defend myself is a natural need.” Not a lie. Not the full truth either.
Why did I voice that last bit out loud?I wonder, giving myself a shake.
Sometimes talking to Grey is a little too easy.
Which is why we need a subject change.
Umm…“Can you tell me more about Nikiski?” It’s the first question to scroll through my mind and I almost immediately regret voicing it.
Only, I actually would like to know more about her. More about Grey. More about their past.
“Maybe it’ll help me understand my visions,” I explain out loud, feeling a bit like a floundering dolt.
I blame the knot,I decide.Grey should not flaunt that impressive specimen in my presence. It clearly alters my brain chemistry.
As well as other things…
He stares at me like I’ve lost my mind.
Probably because I’m acting erratic.
But I’m a seer. This sort of inane behavior should simply be accepted. Especially by a Z-Clan Alpha. Or, er, a hybrid one. Whatever.
“Please,” I say, needing him to speak again. Anything to shut up the babbling in my head.
He grabs a towel to dry his hands and turns to lean back against the counter, his long legs crossed at the ankles as he studies me. “What would you like to know?”
“Anything.” There’s a hint of desperation in my tone that I wish wasn’t there. But I can’t help adding, “Everything.”
He folds his arms across his chest. “Do you know why I live in Lunar Sector?”
“I know your mother is a V-Clan Omega,” I tell him. “So I assume it has to do with that.”
He nods. “About a century ago, during the height of the Infected Era, Cael’s parents were trying to round-up missing Omegas. My mother was one of them.”
That makes sense. During that period of time when the zombielike plague was ravaging humans, supernatural powers were also shifting. Sectors were being created. Alliances made.Omegas taken…
My visions during that period were… unpleasant. The slave trade began then, or rather, found renewed strength. Alphas trading Omegas wasn’t a new concept, but many Omegas were displaced during the upheaval. And certain monsters chose to take advantage of that.
Monsters like Prince Tadhg.
“My father was taking us all back to Kodiak Sector,” Grey goes on. “He couldn’t shadow, so we traveled on foot.”
I frown. “Why didn’t you just shadow them?”
“Because my father had me collared,” Grey says flatly, the words making me wince.
“He throttled your abilities,” I translate.
“With a literal collar,” he replies. “Yes.” He glares down at the watch on his wrist. “I’ve never been a fan of metal on my skin as a result.”
