“Manuela?”
The woman’s face softens. “Do I know you?”
“Veda.” I swallow thickly. “She told us your name.”
The name lights up her eyes, but she reels back from me, a frown between her brows.
Mom always said Omegas can sense intentions. A nurtured Omega can’t be lied to. I know Omegas in captivity aren’t as healthy as they should be, but I’m hoping there’s a little inside still. I stand there with my eyes on hers, begging her to read me like a book. No one can miss how much I love Veda. It’s stamped all over my face.
I hope her mother can see it too.
“I didn’t think she knew that,” she says carefully. “I thought the bastards made sure to hide it all from her.”
“They let it slip.”
Slowly, her gaze softens, and she chuckles. “Don’t they know a name is everything? They gave my daughter my name, and now she can find me.”
She waves her arms around as if the name is what brought us there. I don’t dare to correct her. I’m more than happy if she thinks the universe brought us to her door.
“Manu…” the one called Indie practically growls.
But Manuela shakes off her concern. “Use your heart, Indigo. What do I always say? We are much more than what they know. Use your senses and read him.”
Suddenly, all eyes are on me. My skin prickles, but I stand there, letting them sense whatever they want. I know that my heart is true. I just need them to see that too.
An Omega to the right nods, her shoulders relaxing, and then one by one, they do the same. Last is Indie, who reluctantly accepts. I don’t blame her at all. They’ve been through a lot. It’s good that they don’t trust anyone coming through the door with guns in their hands.
Manuela smiles softly to the Omegas before turning around and opening the wardrobe. My heart will never recover from the shock of finding that the baby was sleeping in there all this time. She takes Mirasol into her arms, cooing softly when she complains, her little fists in the air. I’m shaking head to toe, when she comes closer and puts the baby in my arms, as if I know what I’m supposed to do.
She’s so tiny, with the cutest button nose. I’ve never seen something so beautiful in my life, and I’ve seen her mother.
“He likes to torture me,” Manuela says. “He brought her to me, telling her she was my granddaughter because he knows how much it hurts when they take them from me.”
What St. James is doing goes against any law, and not only the ones made by men. Any Alpha pack that works with him is ruining itself, destroying the part that makes them an Alpha. We are made to protect. We are stronger, taller, and bond because it’s our job to take care of the most precious beings on this goddamn earth.
Words fail me, but in the end, it’s not just me affected by the rawness of her statement. Dominic shakes in anger beside me, his jaw set.
“I’ll make sure he pays for everything he has done.”
Manuela nods, something behind her eyes I can’t quite read. Maybe she doesn’t trust Dominic completely, but I can hear the promise in his voice. He won’t stop until he ends this.
The baby in my arms moves, and my focus returns to her. “Hey there.”
She takes my pinky finger with her whole hand, gripping too firmly for her size. Her big brown eyes open, and she stares right at me, as if she understands every word coming from my mouth. I hold myself not to buckle under the weight of her gaze. She already has me wrapped around her finger.
“Let’s go home.”
forty-one
Veda
The dust rises beyond the ranch gates, and I kick off in a run.
“Veda!”
Jesse and Derrick call after me. They tried to keep me inside the whole day while we waited, but I couldn’t. The sun is setting. Major left more than twelve hours ago, and my heart has been in a state ever since.
The truck turns in a bend, getting closer to us, and I realize it’s truly his truck. A sob climbs up my throat, tears stream down my cheeks, and I take off in a sprint.
