One of the rules of this adventure is that every unbonded omega wears the patches, and alphas put on dampener patches that suppress their scents and heightened emotions, just a tad. Enough to make everyone manageable. My scent is muted; the peanut butter cookie only found if you press your nose to my skin. I can’t remember when I smelled it last. I’ve spent ten years burying myself in drugs, but that’s what happens when you get rejected. When the media picks up the story and does a smear campaign on my family and its entire lineage. When my pack sits back and just continues to date and live a carefree life while I suffer.
Do I love them?
Fuck no.
Hate would be a much more appropriate description of my feelings. Loathing. Disgust. Abhorrence. There is no love, no like left in me. I have zero good feelings or will towards them. They chewed me up and spat me out; that was one thing, but they hurt my family. I won’t let anyone hurt my family. Especially not my dad.
It occurs to me that this might be a gift from the universe giving me an opportunity to get even, but I am a professional, and I will not risk my livelihood on the first day.
If I’m going to get even, I’m going to break them.
“Time’s up, ready or not, nature is calling!” I shout. “Let’s get this adventure started!”
Meg slips out, grinning smugly and dabbing her mouth. “Ready, boss!”
I let out an irritated sound, which makes her smile wider, but then I hoist my backpack and start walking. I do not look at them.
Not even once.
Dakota
“Is this really happening?” Cyn asks again. I grit my teeth and resist the very reasonable urge to punch him in the dick.
Rory rolls his eyes, shoulders his pack, and starts walking, leaving us behind. Vale says something under his breath, stands up, and hits me with a look that tells me nothing has changed.
Nothing has changed.
We have a mission to accomplish. We’ve finally narrowed down the possible identity of serial killer Marrow who has been taunting us for ten years. He’s here in this group, and we’re going to end him.
Everything has fucking changed,I argue in my head.
I pick up my pack and follow Rory, still wondering at this omega who is hard and confident. She’s turned into a diamond. We researched this family. There was no mention of her. Sanderson Adventure Tours is owned by a male alpha. Our investigations should have shown that she was his daughter. We got slack.
Stupid mistake.
But this is too good of an opportunity to miss. Over the years, I’ve thought about this mysterious omega and wondered what it’d be like. I’ve dreamed about her. Perhaps I can answer my questions, sate my curiosity.
Find out more about her…
My gaze finds her again. The high ponytail of straw blond hair bounces with health and life. Her green eyes had flashed with irritation at seeing us. She’s matured in the last ten years, going from innocent little lamb to this cold omega who looks like she would dropkick us off the nearest cliff if we let her. The vibe has me hard!
I will never admit it out loud, but she looks incredible now, an omega I would want to spend a couple of vicious hours in a sleeping bag with. The kind of omega who will scratch up your back and wear my marks with sensual arrogance. My mouth waters, and I find myself plunging headlong into a smoking hot fantasy.
“Oh, boy, I can’t believe we’re out here. Dakota, I have absolute faith in your ability to keep me entertained,” the nasal voice says beside me, tearing me out of my daydreams.
I have to resist the urge to roll my eyes, hard. Quincy Leahman is a puppy of a beta. He’s excitable and not too bright and got to the position from sucking up and riding the coattails of people better than him, and he knows it, too. But he’s not a bad beta, just a weak one.
He’s got wide grey eyes that are always red-rimmed and a bit of a gut. He’s uniquely short, only as tall as my shoulder, and feels a constant need to chum it up with alphas to try to prove that his designation isn’t what’s holding him back, when it’s possibly the only thing helping him move forward.
There are three companies out here. Alphawise, which is ours. Betastrong, which Quincy and his friends run, and Allied Track, which is headed by Kevin, Nathan, and Rojer. Most of the people here are from Allied Track, and everyone thinks we are looking to merge.
We aren’t.
“It’s come as a surprise. I had no idea I had the job of entertainment,” I say flatly, wishing he would go away. Being out here with these guys for three weeks is going to kill me. Or them. Why am I entertaining him?
He chuckles and increases his stride to keep up with me. “It’s just totally something I would not do. I’m much too busy. This place is amazing, though.”
Quincy jabbers on, not even really listening to my remarks, while I glare holes in Rory’s back. He glances back and winks, the asshole.
