Needing a moment to think, Chase dug his hand into his pocket for a smoke, only for his fingers to latch onto the pouch Lucky had entrusted to him an hour ago.He pulled it from his pocket, examining the small item that could have changed his life irrevocably.
He couldn’t believe Ford had almost been shot.
He’d never given the old Gods much credence, because he hadn’t seen how or why they would interfere with the free will they had given their people.
According to history, Azrah and Omha were real people who had foresight, increased strength and wisdom, and power beyond measure.They were elevated to legends for their great deeds that changed the face of the world long before written records were common.Omha had broken the mould for omegas, and Azrah had been the first alpha who had treated his omega like an equal.Together, they had created the beginnings of the world Chase and Lucky lived in, and implemented the cornerstone of the freedoms they enjoyed.
He’d always thought the story was for kids, to explain how the world had evolved from slavery and ownership to love and equality between alpha and omega.
Seeing the prominent hole in the pouch, he wondered about the Gods.If that Seer hadn’t been at the festival, if Ford hadn’t found her and known Lucky would want a reading, if Lucky hadn’t spared the time to talk to her, if she hadn’t given Ford the pouch, so much could have been different.
Rubbing his forehead, unable to work, Chase considered the possibility that Ford was right and he shouldn’t discount Lucky’s belief in the Gods.
* * * *
Lucky
Chase was waiting outside Lucky’s first class, dutifully fulfilling his role as on-site campus chaperone despite his own schedule of classes, looking so relaxed that Lucky hoped he hadn’t been waiting long.Professor Vert often ran late, but today had been a new record.
“Were you waiting long?”
“No, and it wouldn’t matter if I had been.You’re worth waiting for.”He winked, as cheeky as ever, and handed him Ford’s pouch back, to be repaired.Lucky hadn’t wanted to risk taking it with him into Home Economics in case it got damaged.
“Grant went ahead to pick up your friends.”
He kissed Chase’s cheek, overwhelmed with affection for that thoughtful, caring admission, and followed him to the quad.The others had beaten them back, which was no surprise.Lucky spent a few minutes catching up before he cracked his books open for a study period.
Professor Milliner had asked the class to choose one topic from their last debate and write an essay to support the argument.Even if they all wrote the same thing, he wanted their personal view of the topic, which sounded easy.The assignment had been given two days before and Lucky hated that he still hadn’t started.His goal for today was to write notes.
Grant flipped between two pages with obvious confusion.“Either I’m missing a page or this says that an alpha can ignore the bond, but if they do…the omega can go into a contact heat, even before their official age of maturity.”
Caroline smiled knowingly, because they’d been taught that harsh truth their entire lives.The law insisting that an alpha had every right to keep the bond secret, if they believed waiting was in their best interests, was illogical, like most other alpha-written laws regarding omegas.
“If the alpha doesn’t tell the omega within a year, the omega can go into heat just from contact.”Grant read from the book only to look up with obvious concern.“Is that true?”
Lucky tried not to laugh, while Caroline returned to her reading.“Yes.”
Grant cleared his throat and leaned over the book.“Cananyalpha spark the contact heat?”
Lucky contemplated lying to mess with Grant, but this information clearly wasn’t being taught to alphas.“Only the true mate alpha.You’re safe.I already have mine, but you should be careful the next time you pass Caroline a pencil.”
Grant froze and levelled a narrowed gaze at Lucky.“You’re a cheeky shit,” he complained, though Caroline gave a cute snort that had even Chase struggling not to laugh.
“You gotta admit, you walked into that one.”
Grant went back to reading.“Can’t deny that.Doesn’t mean you had to let me.”
* * * *
Ford
“You said you had an update?”Ford perched on the edge of Jesi’s desk, eager to hear what they’d come up with while he was kept off the case.Since his bond with Lucky had been revealed, Wynna had refused to keep him updated or allow anyone to pass him paperwork.He’d even been shut out on the computer, only allowed to view cases that didn’t involve Lucky, which really pissed him off.He didn’t care about those cases when his mate was at risk.
“Do we ever.”Jesi grinned, swivelling his desk chair with a pleasant smile.“Sykes followed the lead we got on Scratch.He was a mine of information.”
Sykes grinned, happy to take over as he sipped from a cup of coffee.“Absolutely.He knew exactly who we were talking about the minute I showed him the surveillance stills.He says they’re low-level drug dealers, but they’ve been getting turfed off their usual ground around the Introductory College.”He seemed to know what Ford was about to ask, because he raised a hand to stop him.“When we arrested Alette, they thought they could move back in, except someone bigger came on the scene with Mania.”
“That’s where the Mania’s coming from,” Ford murmured.His ORTa pal Roby had been tracking an influx of Mania for nearly a year, unable to pinpoint how it was coming onto the street after being mostly off market for eight months.This new strain was more potent and dangerous than the last, but every time Roby got a lead it either fizzled out or became compromised.They had been on the verge of suspecting an ORTa was tipping the crew off.
