Page 35 of Claimed By the Alpha Wolves

I don’t answer. How can I? At best, he would believe me and do something that would lead to Kurt coming after me even more. At worst, he’d be just another alpha who pretended like I must be wrong because I’m an omega. Neither of which I think I’m strong enough to handle.

“Well, I know the answer, but we can pretend that I don’t.” There’s a note of anger to his voice that I don’t understand.

I fold my arms over my chest. “Whatever you want to think.”

He sighs. “I can understand. Pack Obsidian is powerful, with many warriors, and few women and children. Not many packs would want to cross them.” He hesitates. “Still, even they aren’t above the laws.”

I give a humorless laugh. “Right.”

Touching my chin just below where Kurt had punched me, he studies me. “How long will this take to heal?”

I bring my hand to my cheek, wincing at how tender it feels. It’s going to take an expert hand to cover it up with makeup tomorrow morning.

“Weeks,” I say softly, and Ezra swears under his breath.

I shrug. “That’s how it is for omegas.”

He doesn’t look happy. “I’ll be speaking to the council about this in the evening, when the games are over,” Ezra says, his voice hard, his eyes far away.

I remember what he said about leading his people, creating a community, and realize he thinks that going to the council will be the best thing for me. As an alpha, he doesn’t understand what it’s like to be an omega in this world. He doesn’t understand that when all of this gets looked at I’ll most likely be blamed for going to my room and being a temptation for Kurt, rather than him being to blame for any of his actions.

Except maybe fighting with Ezra, although Ezra might get in trouble for that.

Besides, I’ll be heading home soon, and what happens here will matter back home.

“No, Ezra,” I say, leaning forward and taking his hand in mine. It’s large and weathered, dwarfing my own in comparison. “Please don’t go to the council. Kurt—his pack’s territory borders mine. If I fight back against him now, he won’t hesitate to come and hurt me when I get home.”

“Faye,” Ezra says, his eyes serious. “He’s going to keep hurting you like this if you keep letting him. You have to stand up to bullies, or they’ll never stop. Things will only escalate.”

“That’s really easy to say as an alpha,” I say, pulling my hand back and already regretting it, wishing I had the contact back.

Ezra looks down at our hands like he’s thinking the same thing.

“Touche,” he says finally, and when his eyes meet mine, there’s something new and determined there. “Faye, that’s exactly right that it’s easy to say as an alpha, but omegas are not without protection themselves. You just need an alpha by your side. You need to take The Selection seriously, or this guy will have nothing stopping him.”

“He’ll get bored,” I insist, praying internally that it’s true. “I don’t need an alpha. I just need to get through this and go home so I can continue on with my life.”

I can tell from the way Ezra sighs that he doesn’t agree with this, but to my surprise, he doesn’t keep arguing with me about it. He just wraps his arms around me, pulling me into his chest and holding me while we sit on the floor together. The room is quiet and peaceful, a nice, stark difference from the rest of the day so far.

If I could, I’d lay with Ezra like this forever.

“Then what do you want to do, little one?”

I take a shaky breath. “If we’re not back at the games soon, we’ll be in trouble.”

He’s quiet for a long minute. “Then we’ll go back to the games.”

“In a few minutes…?” I rush out.

He holds me tighter. “In a few minutes.”

SIXTEEN

Ezra

There’s one more event of the day, but the alphas and omegas are getting a short break before the event and dinner. Already, I’m over this day. It feels remarkably long.

It’s strange. I’m accustomed to going over spreadsheets of pack accounting. I’m accustomed to running with my pack and hunting meat for our storage freezers. And yet, I find The Selection more exhausting than anything I’ve done back home.

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