Page 40 of Knot Our Omega

“What else was in that drink? You lied to me. It wasn’t just supplements or whatever you said. That odd taste?”

“Oh, shifting suppressant, just a dash. I was afraid too much would keep you out of heat. Mother has quite the medicine chest. How do you think they control the larger pack?”

Fuck.

“Were you born evil, or did something happen when I presented as omega to make you hate me this much?” I leaned my back against the wall, studying her face, so much like mine and yet different in ways that only emotions could carve. Even this young, her expressions were set in dissatisfaction and meanness.

“Hmm, I could ask you if you were always this helpless and pathetic, but I won’t. We both know the answer. We were supposed to rule together, but that’s obviously off the table. You’re only useful to me as a brood mare and servant now. I have to go up to the house for dinner, now, or Mother will know something is wrong. I think she’d be fine with my plan, but I don’t want to bother her with it. And I am not sure what Father would say. Be a good girl and don’t make a fuss, and I’ll send you down something to eat later on.”

Chapter Twenty-Five

Vargas

“You sure nobody saw us cross onto the lands? We’d have known if someone entered ours.” Penn crouched beside me in some brush just inside the tree line. We had a good view of the buildings on the land from here.

“No, I can’t be sure of anything,” I murmured in as low a tone as I could manage. “But I don’t see any signs of it.”

“Wilder should be back by now.” He’d gone in wolf form to reconnoiter about fifteen minutes before. “The alpha house is all lit up, and it must be close to dinnertime. Somehow, I doubt they’ve invited our omega to eat with them, so they’ve got to have her stashed around here somewhere.”

We’d been afraid three strange wolves tripled our chances of being caught, and Wilder drew the long straw, but if he didn’t return soon, I was taking my fur.

A crunch in the dry grass off to my left had me on full alert until I spotted the wolf who’d stepped on the stick. Even in his fur, Wilder was less graceful than we were, but he’d won the right to go search fair and square.

Waiting until he was back in his skin, I asked, “What did you find out?”

“She must be in the barn. I just saw her bitch of a sister and her pack leave there. They put a big padlock on the door and headed up the hill to the alpha house, talking about what they were having for dinner.”

“What assholes,” Penn growled.

“Goes without saying,” I snarled. “But that means this is our one shot at getting her.”

“Oh, and listen to this. They are planning to put her on a heat accelerator, and her shift is suppressed as well.”

“Better living through chemistry.” Penn was on his feet. “ Or dying in their case, once we get to them. Let’s go.”

“We need a plan.” I pointed to Wilder. “Get dressed, and we’ll let Penn take his fur for the next phase. Here’s what I think we should do.”

Five minutes later, we’d skirted the barn, keeping to the shadows and the brush as much as possible. The door was indeed padlocked, and we didn’t have a crowbar with us, so we did some more searching of the area to find a useful tool. Farms, at least messy ones like this, always had old tools lying around, and I feared the iron bar we came upon was too rusty to do the job, but when I slid it behind the latch, and Wilder and I each took hold of an end, the hinge popped right off. They really needed to take better care of the barn ,or it would end up falling down around their heads one day.

I didn’t hate the idea as long as our omega was far away when it happened.

Easing the door open, I cringed at each creak, knowing how sound carried in the quiet of the countryside. A soft gasp had me pivoting and leaping on a figure huddled in a nearby shadow.

“Shhh,” I warned. “Another sound, and I’ll snap your neck.”

“Don’t!” Our mate’s voice carried to us from the darkness of the structure. “Lily? It’s you?”

We knew of her friend and how much Rumor worried about her. I placed my mouth near her ear and hissed, “Shhh. If you’re Lily, nod. And if you are lying, well, you know what will happen.” Her form was slight, and she was shaking so hard, my wolf registered no enemy.

She nodded, and I moved my hand. “I was bringing Rumor some food, but then I saw the door was locked and I heard you all moving and…” She whimpered. “You’re hurting me.

I was holding her too tight, her slight form in danger of severe bruising. “Sorry.” I released her.

“Reyna wanted to use Rumor to have babies for her pack.”

So that was it? They’d used her as a servant before and now they intended to…to… “Look, you hide back where you were before until we get Rumor out and it’s safe, okay?

She nodded again, rubbing her arms, still trembling. “Yes.” Melting into the shadows, she made me wonder how often she did that for her own safety or to avoid unwelcome notice.

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