My fierce tone made a few of the omegas flinch, which made me feel horrible. Virgil squeezed my arm aggressively as a sign for me toshutup.
“Virgil, explain,”Gunnersaid.
The black-haired alpha nodded. He didn’t look at me as he began to speak. “This is one of the omega compounds. It houses the miscellaneousomegas.”
None of what he said made any sense. I growled, “Miscellaneous omegas? What doesthatmean?”
“It means, they’re not viable for whatever reason, or they cannot be trusted to live on their own in the government assignedhousing.”
Not viable? Government assigned housing? What the hell is he talkingabout?
“When you say not viable,” I began warily, “youmean…”
“Not fertile. Too aggressive to approach.” Virgil didn’t blink as he spoke. “The ones that can’t be trusted have expressed wishes of harm against Gunner or Scarlet Ridge as a whole, so they have privileges taken away. We can’t take anyrisks.”
“You can’t do that,” Isnapped.
Virgil’s dark, cold eyes met mine. “Gunner can do whatever he wants. He is the top alpha, and this is his pack. You would be wise to know yourplace.”
I noticed now that Gunner was listening intently to our little conversation. I shut my mouth angrily and held my tongue. I didn’t want to blow my chance at seeing Niko when we were already thisclose.
But I couldn’t just stand here and watch this happen without doing anything about it. Once Niko was safe, we needed to formulate a plan to help these other omegas. My omega friends at Indigo Mountain - Charlie, Mason and Wesley - they had all been lucky enough to escape somehow. None of the omegas here had that same luxury, and it was clear that Gunner was extremely paranoid at this point. A mass escape wouldn’tbeeasy.
“Here we are,” Gunner said in a chipper tone that made me want to claw hisfaceoff.
He stopped at the very last cell with his arms crossed behind his back. For some reason there was an aura of satisfaction about him. I wanted to push him out of the way, but I kept my cool. I had waited all these years to finally see Niko again, and now it was finally time. My heart felt like it was going to burst out of mychest.
“Niko,” Ibreathed.
Virgil and Delta let go of my arms. I fell forward into the cell, breathless and off-balance from my overwhelmingemotions.
The omega in the cell had his back to us. His hair had gotten longer, but it was the same dark sandy color that made my heart ache withfamiliarity.
“Niko Lamb,” Gunner said with a smile. “There’s someone here toseeyou.”
My pulse wasonfire.
Slowly, the omega turned around. Dark circles ran under his glassy green eyes and contrasted with his pale skin. His cheeks had hollowed out and he looked almostgaunt.
I couldn’t breathe. ItwasNiko. He seemed exhausted and weak, but it was my mate without a doubt. It took everything in me not to leap at him and pull him tightly against mychest.
But… something about this was wrong. Verywrong.
Niko’s eyes were glassy and distant, the same way every other omega in this building looked. But that wasn’t whatbotheredme.
There was no flicker of recognition inhisgaze.
My mate, my love, looked at me as if he didn’tknowme.
“Niko?” I askedsoftly.
Still nothing. I might as well have been a stranger standing there. The excitement in my heart shattered like glass, and my chest welled up with a horrible tar-likefeeling.
“Niko, it’s me,” I said. “It’sDavid.”
My mate stared at me, confused and almost agitated. He shook his head slowly, then said, “I don’t know whoyouare.”
