Page 22 of Generation Omega: Revealed

The most delicate bond already connects us.

Sage mouths the word again, her brow furrowed. “Yours?” That’s what she’s silently repeating, while the SWAT team confers with their superiors.

Even distracted, I realize our good fortune in their uncertainty. These members of law enforcement, and those attempting to round up the unruly omegees wreaking havoc in the auditorium, aren’t Beta Dominion operatives. They are likely honorable humans who’ve been co-opted by forces beyond the scope of their knowledge. But they still may need killing, because a million ants can be as dangerous as one venomous spider.

Sage dramatically rolls her eyes, welcoming me back to the obvious. But still, she mouths the word again. “Yours?”

I hold her gaze, feeling feral, so touched by madness that a growl rumbles from my chest. She snorts, both charmed and annoyed that I just gave our enemies a hazardous confession of my new designation. But I don’t care.

Fury sparks at their intrusion into my business. It seems perfectly natural to open my mouth and roar, “Release me!”

Their instant struggle and utter shock intrigue me. Their weapons are in their hands and they know they should use them, but they can’t because I just shook them free from their foundation. This is what’s been lacking. Alphas have been called but have been cut down before they even glimpsed their true power. That is over.

“DROP YOUR WEAPONS!” I demand, releasing an alpha bark that shouldn’t be possible. I haven’t touched my omega yet. She doesn’t even know she’s mine. But when my tongue drifts over my lips and I taste her exquisite scent again, I realize exactly what’s happening.

The omega legacy is evolving. My omega’s fragrance is airborne and it touched me, changed me, chose me.

Guns drop all around us, metal clanking on the stage floor, and the handcuffs are removed by a soldier who mutters vile things while obeying the alpha in charge.

“Down on the ground!” I bark.

The thud of all those officers and their equipment landing on the floor is quite satisfying. I quickly free Sage, who was also cuffed while I was distracted by my reveries.

She grabs a few guns and nods toward the nearest exit. “We’ll need your new party trick a few more times before we get out of here.”

“I have to find her.”

“You have to stay alive first, but we’ll find your omega. Everything is ready. Trust me.” Sage looks almost wistful. “The omega legacy lives and you are now part of it,alpha.”

CHAPTER13

ETHAN

As the SWAT team storms the auditorium—the heavily fucking armed SWAT team threatening all these sweet, unarmed omegees—adrenalin surges through my body and I stand, placing myself in front of Tillie. Her only response is to rest her hand on my leg, a welcome confirmation that she’s with me.

From the back row, I watch as the crowd’s shock quickly fades, replaced by a worthy desire to create mayhem. The SWAT team expected instant submission from the omegees and seem genuinely surprised by their enthusiastic willingness to confront the police state. The highly trained officers are forced to duck as signed special editions launch like canons from the disgruntled audience. Books aren’t the only things taking flight—every item of merch these flower-loving omegees acquired sails through the air with impressive accuracy. There’s a life lesson to be learned here. Don’t fuck with a loyal fandom, especially one that reads like there is no tomorrow.

Conveniently, that lesson might actually be learned because this embarrassing moment for state-sponsored over-policing is being live-streamed by hundreds of phones in the hands of the omegees. The police and SWAT team yell and wave their guns, threatening tear gas and arrests, but for some reason, they aren’t doing what SWAT teams are meant to do. Theirshock and aweis a complete dud and they clearly know it, but they aren’t changing tactics yet, which means they haven’t been authorized to use excessive force. They aren’t the real enemies here, but knowingly or unknowingly, they serve my enemies, and they are just as dangerous while they block our exit.

I turn and squat down, my body still blocking Tillie from the excitement, my back a giant target they’ll have to go through to reach her. She’s pale and trembling, her shoulders rounding as she curls in on herself as though her heart needs protection.

With my bare left hand, I stroke her cheek, not caring about the instant burns on my fingertips. “Till, you’re going to be okay. I swear it. Tell me what hurts.”

Her hand claws her chest. “My heart. It’s connected to his… myalpha. He’s moving away from me. He wouldn’t do that if he had a choice. They’ve got him… we have to get to him.”

“We will.” My words are certain, and they carry a righteous fury. “First, I need to tell you something and then I’m going to get you to your alpha. Okay?”

She nods, her eyes more dazed as the distance grows between her and her alpha.

It’s excruciating to say what I need to say, but it must be done. “You aren’t the only one with secrets and you’re about to learn some of mine. I need you to trust me. I won’t let anyone hurt you, andIwill never harm you.”

Her focus returns with annoyance. “I know you would never hurt me. What’s this about?”

I clench my jaw as I imagine what she’s about to witness. “You’ll know soon. Just remember that I’m still me—who I’ve always been—and I love you and I will never hurt you.”

She quirks her eyebrow at me. “Giantduhthere, dude.”

I can’t hold back a smile at the faith in her gaze, while the world around us is exploding. “Alrighty then, mount up.”

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