Page 26 of Knot All Is Ruined: Part 1

Walking down the hall of the barracks, the other soldiers got out of my way, nodding their respect as I passed. I’d never been one to need or want that kind of shit from people. Growing up just like all of them with humble beginnings, I didn’t feel it was right to get that kind of response from people. Just because I happened to be a technology wiz and could handle anything computer related that was thrown at me didn’t make me better than them. It was something I struggled with a lot, but Petru kept telling me just to let people do what they wanted and accept their feelings on the matter. He and I had been best friends since we were toddlers and grew into something more as we got older. While it wasn’t common for Alphas to end up in a physical relationship with each other, I don’t think it could have happened any other way for us. We’d loved each other forever, it seemed. Designations, be damned. Then Cristofor joined our unit, and he seemed to fit perfectly into the relationship Petru and I had.

I knew Cris had slept with all the guys when he first joined, and it didn’t matter. Who was I to judge who he shared his body with? In the end though, Cris chose to become our third exclusively. I knew Sorin cared for him deeply, even if it hadn’t manifested into love. Victor shared his affection by being overprotective of Cris. He ensured none of the other units or soldiers messed with our caring and happy-go-lucky Beta. I’m not sure Victor could love anyone, but he certainly had a soft spot for the Beta he’d never admit to.

Swiping my keycard for the lock to our room, I watched the green light blink a few times before the chirp sounded, meaning the door was open. Shoving the door open, I entered our common space which had a couch, armchair, TV, and coffee table. Off to the side was a small kitchenette that provided us with a sink, microwave, fridge, and cabinets to store basic food or snacks. This was our home when we were out on a mission, which seemed like always these past few months. I couldn’t remember us staying here longer than a few days before we got our next order. Petru and Cristofor were already there with Cris sprawled on the couch, head in Petru’s lap, eyes half closed as Petru absently stroked fingers through his hair.

They both turned to look at my entrance, and Cris smiled wide. “Look what the cat dragged in. I didn’t think we’d get you to leave that room the way you’ve been so vigilant.”

“Yeah, well, she’s awake if Sorin didn’t tell you that already,” I shared as I grabbed his legs, lifting them so I could sit. “That woman’s got a mouth on her, that’s for damn sure. Ended up with Beth kicking me the fuck out of the room because I was upsetting her.”

Cris snickered and Petru just smiled, shaking his head. “You mean to tell me there’s a woman out there immune to your smooth manner?”

I flipped Petru off since he knew I had never tried to attract the attention of the women who swarmed around me. I had Cris and Petru for lovers; the other two were brothers and family—why would I need anyone else?

Sorin walked out of his room reading something on his phone with an odd expression on his face. Almost as if he was conflicted about something. The front door opened, and Victor walked in with two duffle bags that he carried right into his bedroom. We’ve learned over the years not to bother asking what he might be bringing back with him because it was always harder to sleep when you knew he had liquid TNT stashed away under his bed. He was the best there was when it came to shit like that, so we trusted him not to get us all killed—most of the time.

A moment later, he returned and flopped down in the armchair watching Sorin expectantly. “So, what’s the big deal you had to pull me from the workshop for?”

Sorin didn’t respond right away instead he held up a finger telling us to give him a moment as he responded to something. Finished, he tucked his phone into his pocket, crossed his arms, and put his feet in a wide stable stance. This was our Major’s biggest tell when he had something to tell us that we might not like. It’s as if he was stabilizing himself for us to be upset and take it out on him.

“I had a rather interesting phone call today,” Sorin started, his tone neutral so we couldn’t tell if he was upset about this or not. “An old friend, who I honestly never expected to hear from, reached out. He needed a favor, and it just so happened that I’m in a position to help him out if and only if the rest of my team agreed.”

The frown I felt deepening on my face matched the other’s expression. Cris slid his feet off my lap and sat up as we waited for Sorin to give us the terms of the request. None of us had ever heard him talk about a childhood friend before, or even someone outside of his cousin who was like a brother to him.

“God damn it, boss, just tell us what the hell he asked,” Victor blurted when the silence seemed to just linger uncomfortably.

“The three Omegas we just found and brought back with us…he wants me to help smuggle them out and return them to Oscad,” Sorin announced.

My jaw dropped, not at all expecting something like that to have been the request. “How the fuck does this person know about them?” I demanded. “Is there a mole in our midst? It was Draza, wasn’t it? That bastard doesn’t know how to keep his mouth shut no matter what we threaten him with.”

“Boss, you can’t be serious. That Omega we’ve been watching over for the past few days is the key to crushing the Northerners. There’s no way you could let someone that valuable go,” Victor challenged.

Petru stood and started to pace. He was a man who couldn’t think unless he was on his feet moving about. He even started to rub his hand through his hair which told me how stressed he was about this request. We all knew what it meant to have someone like Danella in our grasp, and now someone was telling us to give her back to Oscad? Nah, that didn’t seem right to me. Why would Oscad care if they were the ones who shipped them out here to Asturg in the first place? I knew about the government change, but why would they extend the effort to worry about this when I’m sure there were other things to manage?

“Is this person reliable?” Cris asked, reaching out to place a hand on my bouncing leg. He hated it when I started doing that, and having his touch always seemed to help take the edge off my anxiety.

Sorin seemed to contemplate that question a moment before he nodded. “I don’t see any reason why he would have another motive than to bring the girls home and return them to their families. A lot has changed in their government and how they care for their Omegas. I also learned that no one knew the old leaders were selling out their own country. None of the families had any idea their daughters were being shipped off to Asturg and Shearia. Knowing that, I could completely understand why they would want to reunite them with whatever family they have left.”

“What if we send back the other two and keep the sassy one,” Victor interjected. “Really, she’s the only one we need. Those other two are like fragile little flowers that will get ground into the dirt if they can’t toughen up.”

“Pretty sure what they’ve already survived should have made them rougher and tougher. If that isn’t the case, they need to leave,” Petru reasoned. “They won’t be accepted into training and sending them to the city would be more work than we need. The placement test for non-military jobs is ridiculous, and since we found them we have to make sure they don’t cause trouble or run away.”

I knew Petru didn’t mean to sound as cold as he was, although growing up, he took care of his little brother and his cousins until he was old enough to enlist. None of those four kids would make it as a soldier, so he had to start their training from a young age by learning a skill that could be useful. Everyone in the South worked, pulled their weight, and helped the war effort in whatever way possible. All kids went to school to learn how to read, write, cook, and basically test their skills. If they had a gift for something, they would be fast-tracked into learning all there was about that specific skill so that they could be placed in the best position to further the cause when they were old enough.

We in the South fought smarter, not harder, using technology and our talents to build and produce weapons that could wipe out the North. Problem was, if we wiped it out it could ruin what was left of the drought-stricken land. With proper care and skill, it would be easy enough to bring back the North to the glory our ancestors tell us about. Taking adults who haven’t been raised the way we have and finding a place for them in the massive cog that runs the wheel of productivity in the South would be a lot of fucking work.

“I agree with all of you, which is why I didn’t say yes right away. What I’d like to do is offer our new friend Dani a deal. One where we get her friends out of here back to Oscad, and in return, she helps us with the North. If she’s willing to tell us all she knows about Commander Lucian, the army, how bad things really are, and what it would take to ruin them… we send her friends back home to Oscad,” Sorin explained.

The way I’d seen her protecting those two, I figured it would be an easy sell. What I wasn’t sure about was if the two would leave her.

“What do we do if she wants to go back with them?” Cris asked.

Sorin scratched at his beard a moment, then seemed to come to a conclusion. “I would tell her that once we’ve used the information she’s given us to take out whatever locations she can tell us about, she can go back too.”

“Just like that?” Petru challenged. “She helps us win this war, and we just send her on her way?”

“Would there be another reason to keep hold of her?” Sorin challenged.

Petru stopped his pacing to face Sorin head-on. “She’s our Omega. What more reason do we need other than that?”