“No way,” another exclaims. “He is my friend. No one’s going to fuck with him and his mate!”
“Is it true?” Forest asks. “She is also messing with my warriors?” he demands to know, furrowing his brows when she nods. He looks furious now, probably also because he just heard firsthand what Lissa said. It’s always different when we become a direct witness to something as opposed to only hearing it from others. “It’s unacceptable. This will stop now,” he says. He turns to Martin. “Martin, let’s go.”
Martin nods, immediately by Forest’s side. Forest turns to me before he leaves, his eyes softening. “Are you alright on your own?”
His words would be funny if it weren’t for his gentle gaze. “I am fine,” I assure him. “I will make sure to tend to Nina and the others. I am sure they have quite a few stories to tell.”
When Forest leaves, all hell breaks loose, as was expected. Pack members start to chat and gossip; the anger is greater than I expected. You don’t play with fated mates in our world. It’s why it was so outrageous that the elders from my own pack allowed Jordan to break the bond to me. It’s why Jordan lies through his teeth by telling everyone I wasn’t his fated mate to begin with. Not even his alpha friends would have his back if they knew that he’d broken the fated bond. At least, not all of them.
From the corner of my eye, I spot Dr. Francis—the man I met when I went to the infirmary, the pack elder. He has a smirk curling his lips when he notices my look and then shows me a thumbs-up. I know he has his own suspicions about me and my situation, but he has kept quiet. After my last rundown with a bunch of elders, his support means a lot to me. Next to him, there is another older woman, who watches equally as intrigued. She stares at me briefly and then smiles.
I am not sure yet if I can fully trust them, but maybe one day it will be necessary to have their approval. It’s good that they seem to be supportive of Forest’s and my work.
While I still juggle my thoughts, Elli pushes through. She basically rushes towards me, and I make sure to hug her, stroking her hair. “He is safe, isn’t he?” I ask her because only she can tell me for sure.
She nods.
“It’s over,” I say gently. “Your mate was very brave.”
twenty-five
Freedom
*ROSEA*
It’s late at night when I finally catch up with Forest again. I meet him, together with Martin and Griffin, in front of Griffin’s place. When Forest spots me, he rushes to me, grabs me by my waist and twirls me around. It makes me laugh.
His eyes widen. “First time I’ve heard you laugh, Rose,” he exclaims. “And it’s such a beautiful sound.”
“Don’t be silly,” I say, feeling how my cheeks heat up.
“I am not being silly,” he says. “Most beautiful sound I have ever heard.” He doesn’t wait for my answer, but takes my hand and tugs me along to the other two men.
“Now, that’s what I call a victory,” Griffin says with a grin, high-fiving first Forest and then me.
“What happened with Lissa?” I ask.
“She is in the cells for now,” Forest explains. “Two of the elite warriors are guarding her, because I don’t trust my father not to pull off something. I have also talked to our elders, and Dr. Francis will have her sent to one of ouractualprisons. They will deal with her sentencing there.”
“After all she’s done, it’s best for her to leave the pack,” Griffin says, a grin curling his lips. “In full disgrace, if I might add. I thought she couldn’t dig her grave even deeper, but she surprised me.”
I nod. “I agree. When you guys left, the pack members went crazy. It was tumultuous, and I can tell you, no one had any kind thoughts to share about her. On the plus side, I saw some of the warriors talk to Nina and some other omegas. They seemed to be genuinely concerned.”
“They didn’t like being called stupid,” Martin says. “But it was good that they heard it, and they noticed that to the outside they might appear callous at times.”
“Omegas are part of the pack,” Forest says. “The discrimination will end today!” He pauses. “Okay, it’s probably naïve to say it like that, but I will fight against it from today on.”
“We all will,” I say.
“What now?” Griffin asks. “What’s your next step?”
Forest and I exchange a look. We both have a few ideas we’d like to discuss with him, but Martin is here, and Forest still hasn’t made a decision about him. Martin must have sensed our hesitancy, too, because for a moment, he looks crestfallen. He recovers quickly and steps forward. “I know you don’t fully trust me yet,” he says. “But I’d do anything to prove myself.”
“It’s not like I don’t trust you,” Forest says. “It’s just that every step I take means I am taking a huge risk. And I am not just risking my life, I am also risking Rose’s and Griffin’s.”
“I know,” Martin says. “But I am not loyal to your parents or mine. I am loyal to you. How can I prove myself if I never get the chance?”
“What’s that with your parents?” Forest wants to know.
