Page 94 of Of Daggers and Deceit

“I know,” I whispered sadly. “But it is the fighting I do not want.”

The Omega before me ignited something so fierce and fearless within me yet made me feel so safe and seen in his arms. So, for the both of us, I stole that single moment when I tipped my head up and allowed my lips to gracefully glide over his own. Just one last time.

He met me softly, his lips languidly following my movements, as if relishing in my touch. He moved his hand to wrap around my lower back, drawing me closer, the other moving up behind my head to grip my hair. I noted every sensation, every movement, every smell, burning them into my memory. It was too brief.

When we parted, he kept his forehead resting against my own, his eyes closed, our breaths mingling.

“You deserve the world, Riley. I-I hope he gives it to you.” He faltered on his words, breaking our magnetic haze.

I smiled brokenly, the last slip of my emotions I would give him. I turned my head to look out the window to the Outer Ring, my purpose for moving forward.

“Even if he doesn’t, the community deserves more, and I intend to deliver it.” I spoke confidently, betraying the emotions roiling inside me demanding me to reassure him. I didn’t want to lie to him. He would see it every day.

I stepped back, his expression pained for a moment until the mask he so often wore slid back into place. It was like nothing had ever happened.

“Shall we?” he asked, my stomach dropping.

I looked at him one last time, the moment forever etched into my memory. No matter how brief, I was grateful for this.

“Yes. Let’s get this done.” Side by side, we walked to the elevator, taking it down in silence until I dipped to the side to hide before the doors opened, in fear of other guards around.

Sly, confident as ever, strutted forward and gave me the all-clear, moving us outside towards the corner of the garden I so often frequented. It was clear he had executed his portion of the plan well, with no guards in sight.

The smell of the roses was cloying tonight, that sickly sweet scent aggravating the nausea already present in my gut. We pressed forward into the familiar corner of the garden, the setting sun casting a warm glow over every inch.

Sly grabbed a backpack from under a hedge, and I opened it to check we had everything we needed. Rummaging around, I nodded up at him to confirm it was all good. We would likely not be speaking from here on out.

He grabbed my hand, and I felt the prickling effect of his power glide over my skin, rendering me invisible.

“Keep your footsteps light, Riles. There are more guards patrolling the streets tonight,” he murmured under his breath.

I squeezed his hand back in acknowledgement, following behind as we pushed through the gap in the hedge.

The streets were unnervingly quiet as we slipped around corners closer to the second hedge. Sly pulled my hand forward to another small gap in the hedge separating us from the Outer Ring, tucked behind a building and out of sight.

Hand-in-hand, we slipped through.

With no guards in sight, he pulled me forward again towards the tube and through the tunnel to the desert. Everything was eerily still, save for the last embers of the flickering sun casting its final glow, illuminating the pink and purple striations of the cliffs. At a time like this, the landscape was a work of art.

I eyed the compound in the distance where I knew the Alphas would be busy preparing for the night ahead, not aware that the true predator would come from behind them.

We stalked forward, the wind slightly picking up the further we progressed, a reflection of the increased pace of my heart burdened by the nerves in my gut.

Our toes touched the bottom step of the compound far quicker than expected, clearly distracted by my incessant internal chatter.

Sly typed the first and second codes into the pin pads that granted us entry to the winding staircase. The only echo was the light tap of our feet on sandstone with every step downward. The air turned cooler, almost unpleasantly so, forcing a shiver up my spine in response.

Clearly, I was unprepared.

The minute we reached the floor, I inhaled a sharp breath. Sly’s hand was the only reassurance I could seek.

This was it. My first political move.

The tiny light flicked green as the door creaked open, and we stepped into the space, all eyes on the opened doorway.

“What the fuck was that?” one of the Alpha’s piped up, everyone else drawing their weapons to silently face the empty space.

We padded into the room, working our way around the perimeter, and I pulled the gun I’d strapped to my holster, a gift from Sly for the night.

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