Page 47 of Omega Alliance

Even the terrible odor of the dye is almost bearable when matched up against Dani’s gentle ministrations and soothing voice as she croons softly and combs her fingers through my pink hair like gossamer thread before sectioning it off and rubbing small portions of the dye into each chunk. "Today my little bird is migrating," she quips, and I am happy to be in her flock.

I relax into her, into this moment, knowing it could be one of our last. And in what feels like no time at all, she guides me into the shower so that we can rinse the extra dye away.

When I emerge, the bright pink strands of my hair shimmer with a deep chocolate brown that glints with copper undertones in the light.

Dani smiles and admires her work as she moves a few stray hairs from my forehead. "You look amazing," she says softly then brushes her lips against mine.

A feeling of strength courses through my body. Here I am, bold, brave, and beautiful. But more than that, I'm real. One more marker of the OA's ownership has been toppled. Bit by bit, I am reclaiming the girl who lay hidden underneath.

Dani hands me a new outfit she purchased for me at the store. It's simple cotton and at least two sizes too big, but I’m grateful for it. The clothing covers most of my artwork, but Dani still applies a fresh layer of concealer to further hide my ink from view.

"What do you think of this look?" she asks, thumbing through an endless stream of beautiful pictures on her phone until at last she settles on the one she wants to show me.

I gasp. "You can really make me look like that?" The photo in question is of a gorgeous woman with a cute, upturned nose, angular cheekbones, and huge blue eyes.

"The magic of contouring," she reveals, then tickles my nose with her thick powder brush.

The process of covering my tattoos and changing my face with makeup takes almost as long as dying my hair did. The final step is to insert false contacts into my eyes so that we can hide their stark violet color.

Now I am brown-haired, blue-eyed, beautiful but also normal. I don't look like myself, but somehow this new appearance feels closer to the real me than the woman I've been seeing reflected back at me in the mirror for the last many years.

She grabs both of my hands to pull me to my feet and motions to the closed door.

"Are you ready for the grand reveal?" Dani shouts, tapping out a drum roll on the doorframe. And then she opens the door and pushes me out into the main room.

Either Kieran or Levi gasps. Maybe it's both.

"Why, hello, stranger," Levi crows, wrapping me in a tight hug and pressing a kiss to my cheek.

Kieran simply nods. "We need to get going. We're already late."

I feel a slight tinge of disappointment at his lack of acknowledgment, but I also know he's right. The men have already packed our scant belongings while Dani worked on my appearance in the bathroom, so all that's left for me to do is to grab my phone, my gun, and the old photo I like to think of as a lucky charm.

And we're off.

twenty-two

SIN

Isit up front with Kieran while Dani and Levi pile into the back. We're supposed to be posing as two ordinary beta couples crossing the border on routine business. Both the guys and I took hormone suppressants to help with the ruse and Dani has given me an excellent makeover. Still, I worry it won't be enough. The Alliance has eyes everywhere, and they're all looking for me.

Our drive to the border checkpoint is a short one, but it seems to take forever. Every second not knowing our future, every second spent waiting, is agony.

And there's another problem…

"I can't get through to Jax," Dani says from the back seat, a sharp note of anxiety in her usually calm voice. "Do you think he's okay?"

"He's the safest of all of us right now," Levi reasons beside her, placing his heavy palm on her knee. "Probably just busy with work."

"And you shouldn't be calling anyway," Kieran grumbles as he navigates a sharp turn. "We need to lay low, remember?"

"Yeah, but he's pack, and I was missing him after… you know.”

I turn and catch her blush, which fills me with fresh warmth. Yes, I do know. It was the best moment of my life, and I'm thrilled it meant so much to Dani too. Still, I worry about Jax. Why can't we get in touch with him? Has something happened?

"No more calling Jax without my permission," Kieran dictates, and I feel something snap inside me like the flipping of a switch. His alpha command is so strong.

"Yes, Alpha," Dani mumbles and shifts her eyes to her lap, and I move my eyes to the road ahead, trying to count the little yellow divider lines before they disappear under the car. At least it gives my brain something to do, even if it's not exactly productive.

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