Flint stopped suddenly. “What does you being an omega have to do with it?” he growled. He sounded intensely angry but I knew it wasn’t directed atme.
“We’re… not exactly as privileged as betas or alphas,” I admitted. “To be honest, if you’re an omega in Scarlet Ridge, you’re a lower class citizen only good for one thing - pumping out morealphas.”
The gravity of my words sank in and Flint’s face contorted with fury. “I cannot believe that,” he growled. “That’s no way to treat anybody, omega orotherwise.”
“I agree,” I said sadly. “But that’s just the way life isthere.”
Flint ran a hand roughly through his hair and sighed. “I’m sorry you had to go through that. You didn’t deserveit.”
I felt my throat tightening up. “Thank you. But as much as I hated it, there was one good thing to come out ofit.”
My gaze found my daughter, who was a few yards ahead of us romping in the dirt and having the time of her life chasingbugs.
“Casey,” Flintfinished.
I nodded. “Yes.”
Flint turned to me with a furrowed brow. “Her fatheris…?”
“I don’t know him,” I admitted. “It was an artificial insemination process. He could be anybody. Gunner’s plan was to build an alpha army, so he orchestrated every breeding in a precise way. He’s probably the only person who knows who Casey’s other fatheris.”
“I’m sorry,” Flintmurmured.
I merely shrugged. “Thankyou.”
“The alpha army thing concerns me, though,” Flint said with a frown. “What is that allabout?”
“Gunner wants to expand his territory, as if he doesn’t have enough,” I mumbled. “He thinks he needs an army of slavering underlings to doit.”
Flint’s expression was worried. “I don’t like that. Scarlet Ridge isn’t too far from us. That sounds like something we should discuss with the rest of the pack.” His gaze softened. “Would you mind telling them about Gunner’splan?”
“Of course,” Isaid.
Casey ran up to us, changed to human form and shoved a daisy towards Flint. It was freshly picked with dirt still dangling off the roots. “Here, Mr.Flint!”
“For me?” he asked, taking the flower. “Thankyou.”
Casey beamed. “Make sure to put it in water later,” she toldhim.
He nodded seriously. “Ofcourse.”
After about half an hour, we reached a wooden lodge with a metal sign hanging from the door that saidHunters Guild. It was an old building, but with solid architecture that made it look more historic than dated. The inside was like a chalet, with high ceilings and exposed woodenbeams.
“This place is amazing,” I said inawe.
“It is,” Flint agreed, glancing around. “It’s actually what inspired me to become a carpenter when I was apup.”
I smiled. “That’s reallycute.”
He grumbled andblushed.
“Hey, Flint!” someone called from across a table. I vaguely recognized his voice, but not hisappearance.
“Hey, Jericho,” Flint replied as we sat down withhim.
So that’s his human form,I thought. He was a handsome man, with unruly windswept blond hair that was tossed to the side as if he’d just been running. He grinned atus.
“Charlie, right?” heasked.
