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Turning to the guards, I scowl at them, “We’ll talk about letting her out later. For now, you head back to the castle and gather forces. Bring as many shifters as you can. Ensure Noemi gets back to the Southern territory safely but follow our scent in the outskirts with every other man we have.”

The lead guard—the larger one, with a round face—blinks at me, his eyes sliding sideways toward Aurora. “Sir, do you want us to bring her with us?”

You have no idea what it’s like, brother. You’re an Alpha. Even if you weren’t king, you wouldn’t have to fear for your life. For your body. You think that doctor was dangerous? Try being an omega in this world.

I turn and look at Aurora, who holds her helmet in her hand, stares back at me defiantly. Our conversation from before continues flashing through my mind.

Imagine being treated like nothing, like you don’t have a brain, just because you’re biologically wired for having children? A couple of organs, a hormone cycle that triggers a heat, a scent that attracts alphas, and all of a sudden, I’m not a person? I’m more fertile—which, apparently, is a gift from the goddesses—and instead of celebrating that, we treat omegas like they’re nothing.

“No.” The word comes out before my brain has fully authorized it. Even my sister looks shocked to hear that I’m acquiescing to her demands. “Aurora, you can come with us, but you will stay back. Only go to Mylah if you’re sure it will cause neither of you harm.”

She wants to protect her friend. Wants to remedy a mistake she made.

I hope it’s not a mistake to allow her the opportunity.

Aurora stares at me. For a second, I think that there might be tears welling in her eyes, then she just nods and re-situates her snowmobile so she can follow us.

Growing up, both of us were in training together until it became clear that Aurora would grow into an omega, and I an alpha. I can only pray that the little self-defense work she got will be enough for what’s about to happen.

The guards swing onto their rides and head back down the hill, the sounds of their engines echoing loudly. Zade, Denvil, and Brack all shift back into their wolf forms.

Before I can, Aurora says, “Aug.”

I turn to her, thinking she’s going to thank me for letting her come. Thinking that now is not the time for making small talk—we can have a sibling moment later.

But then she drops her gaze, clears her throat, and says, “There’s something you should know. About Mylah. Whatever tonic you gave her…it didn’t work.”

It doesn’t compute, at first. It’s still hard for me to think with the adrenaline pounding through my body, the wolf howling and whining to come out again. To get to my mate.

Tonic—I left a tonic for Mylah the day after her heat was finished. It was for aches and pains.

But there’s one other thing that omegas typically take tonics for.

The moment I begin to understand I’m turning, this transition coming fast, my paws hitting the ground as I take off in the direction of the tire tracks.

Gavyn took Mylah.

He took my mate.

My pregnant mate.

They’d better be ready for a fight. Back-up or not, I’m going to kill Gavyn and every single one of his fucking goons. I’ll rip apart every single shifter who dared to even breathe in her direction.

And then I’m bringing her home and never letting her set foot outside Kault Castle again.

Chapter 37 - Mylah

“…maybe he’s just not coming.”

This time, when the guard speaks, Gavyn doesn’t snap at him right away. After hours of sitting here and waiting, the strange, too-bright lights shining on me and giving me a headache, they’ve finally stopped taunting me. They’re in the kitchen on the other side of the wall, their voices only slightly muffled.

They don’t care about me hearing them, even as they’ve been discussing Gavyn’s plans for the pack. That can’t be a good sign.

And, apparently, as embarrassing as it is for me that my mate isn’t coming to rescue me right now, it’s equally as inconvenient to them. They’ve been complaining about the time for the past hour. Maybe there’s supposed to be some solace in that, but I can’t find it.

I am thoroughly hopeless.

As if my revelation that I’m not able to save myself isn’t enough, I’m also faced with the fact that it’s likely nobody else is coming to save me, either.