Page 185 of Ruled By The Alpha

Chapter 6

Maddox

I don’t know if I’m lucky, or if I have the worst luck in all of Whitshell. I didn’t expect to find one omega, let alone two. Father won’t be happy, especially when he discovers the female is a rebel, a traitor to his rule. And there is no doubt in my mind he will eventually find out about her background; he’s got spies everywhere in the city.

Not to mention that Father has been on the hunt for another omega himself. When I come back with two bonded to me, he’s going to take it as a personal slight. He won’t care that I only claimed the second omega to save her—Hell, he’ll probably tell me I should have let her hang for her crimes against Whitshell.

But despite knowing the trouble this second omega will bring me, I couldn’t stop myself from saving her, not when my little mate begged me to. I couldn’t very well let him down so soon after our mating.

I find a secluded alley in the mid zone and gently set my male down on the cracked concrete before sliding the female off my shoulder and into my arms. I look her over for the first time, taking inventory of all her visible wounds. Her clothes are much like my little mate’s were before I claimed him, ragged and stinking of death. My guess is that the stench allowed these omegas to evade capture from another alpha, as well as the obvious lack of meat on their bones.

Omegas who are unable to eat a proper diet won’t undergo an estrous until their bodies are better equipped for the four-day cycle. During those four days, they hardly eat anything, and because of this, they require energy stores. Their bodies will use up these stores during estrous, allowing the omegas to focus solely on being knotted over and over.

My cock pushes against my pants at the thought of an estrous with not one, but two omegas.

I shake off the thoughts and focus on the female in my arms once more. Her head wound is still bleeding, and there’s not a single part of her that isn’t bruised and bloody. She’s in rough shape, and she’s not even twitching.

I’ll need to summon the healer as soon as we get back. For now, I need to focus on marking her before we get to the high zone, lest another alpha sniffs her out and tries to challenge me. I got lucky with the guards; they were much weaker alphas and there were only two. High zone is littered with alphas and I could easily be outnumbered.

Gently I tilt the female’s head to one side, exposing her slender neck, and lean down, teeth already bared. I make the bite to her gland as quickly as I can, not wanting to further aggravate her already wounded body. Pulling back, I tend to the new mark while my little male flutters his hands over her prone form. Once it’s done, I deftly strip her down to her bare skin and snarl.

Weston whimpers, his hands fluttering more frantically once the full extent of the female’s injuries are exposed. She’s nearly purple and black everywhere. Her stomach and ribs the worst of it. Seeing the damage done to this poor omega, I desire nothing more than to head back to the square and rip those two guards to pieces. It doesn’t matter whether they were the ones to inflict this damage on her because even if they weren’t, they fucking stood by and watched her hang from the pyre.

I do my best to temper my rage and instead gently pass her into my male’s arms, making quick work of removing my torn shirt. And, just as I did with Weston, I pull the female’s—Eve’s—arms through the sleeves and pick her back up. Instead of hauling her over my shoulder again, I keep her pinned to my chest with my arm around her waist, leaving her legs dangling between my own. Next I stoop and lift Weston, tucking my arm under his ass and giving him a little seat to rest on.

He protests, but I silence him with a purr. I could let him walk, but I can’t bear to let either of my new mates go. My instincts are demanding I see them safe and tucked against me. My grip on them also ensures that my clothes remain wrapped tight around their small bodies, shielding their nakedness from prying eyes.

The moment Weston melts into me, I start the trek home.

*

I pace my den, a steady, quiet growl thrumming through my chest that I can’t stop when the healer has his hands all over my female. Logically I know he’s just doing his job, but I hate how close he is to one of my new mates. The other, my little male, is pressed into the corner of the room where I can guard him. He’s tried numerous times to go to Eve and I gently, but firmly, put him back in the corner, much to his dismay.

My male isn’t leaving the corner until the healer is gone, and that’s final.

The only thing keeping me semi-calm is seeing the visible changes in my female as her wounds slowly knit shut. The cut on her forehead is closed, and her bruising has already faded to a sickly yellow. It won’t be much longer until she’s completely healed, thank fuck. I already had the healer look over Weston to make sure my male was in good health before I shoved him into the corner.

Finally, after what feels like hours, the healer stands with a weary sigh. “She’s fully healed, and I expect she’ll awaken soon.”

“Good,” I bite out through gritted teeth. “Thank you for your assistance.”

I eye him as he bows his head and slowly skirts around the room, never once showing me his back as he leaves. Once the door closes behind him, my growl fades, and this time I don’t stop my male from running to Eve. Because my instincts are a bitch, I watch through the window to ensure the healer is truly gone before locking the front door and turning to my mates.

Weston is smoothing the hair off my female’s face with a sad smile. I don’t like that look on his face. Not at all. My mates should always be happy and content, not sad and anxious.

“Off to the nest with you, little mate,” I grumble, lifting Eve and preparing to tuck my little female into the nest with Weston, where I can cuddle them both for the remainder of the night.

My male is nervous. I can see it in the lines around his eyes and mouth, though I suppose it’s normal to be unsure in any new pairing. Both of them will grow accustomed to my nearness and will eventually seek me out on their own. For now, I’m not against coaxing them to spend time in my presence. It’s important for our new bond.

I head through the hallway to the left, leaving the simple living space behind, Weston’s soft steps following me as I lead him farther into our den. We pass a couple doors, one guarding my office, the other my bedroom, before we get to the room in the deepest part of the den.

Our nest.

At Weston’s soft gasp,Ican’t help but puff out my chest, masculine pride swelling inside me. It’s a good nest, one I’m certain two omegas would be very content with. It’s dim and small, the soft bedding and ample pillows consuming the entire floor. There are two doors: one for the walk-in closet and one forthe massive bathroom. There are small lights hanging from the ceiling, giving off a soft glow for my mates to see by.

If I can thank my father for anything, it’s for his genius in getting alternative energy sources kickstarted immediately after the world fell to ruin. Without his quick thinking, we’d have been in an even worse state, left without electricity and running water. It’s how he came to rule Whitshell; no other alpha wanted to challenge him when it was clear they would benefit far more from allowing him to rule.

Fifty years ago, my father stepped into power and never looked back. He was a kind man once, but seventy years of compassion disappeared the moment he stepped in as lead alpha. And to think, it will be another thirty years before he’s ready to pass the reins over to me, a downfall of us all living to around two hundred. Thirty years before I can step in to fix what his arrogance cost us all.

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