Page 40 of Omega's Reign

My heart aches at his admission. I had suspected that there was more to it than Beckett just having a lead. I wonder if he was afraid to face the Pack Regimes because he feels he has too many shortcomings to lead by my side. It doesn’t help that the Pack Regimes have been denying him for months now. It ignites anger in me just thinking about it. All of this could have been avoided had they just told me exactly what was on their minds.

“If this is too much—”

“It’s not. I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have said anything. It’s just I was so scared when I saw you.” Isaiah pats the driver’s seat, getting Lilac’s attention. “Turn up here. There’s been an alert of an accident.”

I hadn’t realized that Isaiah was partially focusing on his phone which now glows with a message.

He doesn’t let me see it though and turns it slightly.

“An accident?” My heart will never recover, constantly bouncing around with my nerves. If there was an accident…

“There’s our vehicle,” Isaiah says, pointing toward the windshield.

Several bullet holes pepper the car, and the back window is completely smashed away like Hector shot it and glass flew everywhere.

Lilac pulls to a stop, and Isaiah flings the door open, climbing out without me. He shuts the door, attempting to keep me in my spot, but I go out the other side, spotting three people near the driver’s side door. I spot the blood on the passenger’s window, and I cover my mouth. Something terrible happened.

“Holly, go wait in the car,” Isaiah commands, blocking me.

I shove against him, standing on my tiptoes. “Is he dead?” My voice cracks with my question. I can’t see much from my spot. Just the blood. The aftermath of a fight.

“Please, princess. You need to let me handle this now.” Isaiah touches my shoulder, and I cringe at the pain of his fingers caressing unseen bruises.

I shift out of his way, trying to push past him again.

Legs dangle out of the driver’s side door. It’s a body.

My heart freezes at the sight. I can’t see anything else because people block the way.

“Andrew?” I ask, my voice ringing out. “Move. I need to see.”

One of the betas frowns and shakes his head, stepping just a foot out of the way.

I drop to my knees with a gasp, the unfamiliar shoes not belonging to Andrew. It’s another guy. Another member of the Righteous Waters Pack.

But where is Andrew?

I spin and crash into Isaiah’s open arms. “It’s not him. We need to find him!”

The beta who let me see the aftermath crosses his arms. “I’ll get the surveillance for you, Your Majesty—”

I ignore him and turn to Isaiah. “Call a meeting immediately. Put the entire territory on lockdown. Hector must be found. Now!”

19

Alpha Hunt

Holly

I sit in the throne room, my legs curled up to my chest as I stare at the empty pews before me. In this moment, I’m torn, wanting to reject my duties as a pack leader and just give away my position of power to someone who wants it. I thought this was the life of my dreams. I thought that I could make a difference. What I didn’t expect was to meet an adversary every step of the way. Maybe this is why omegas don’t lead. I’m just so tired. My heart hurts. I just want to go into my nest, curl up, and never see another stranger again.

But people count on me. I have to prove to not only the Pack Regimes that omegas are capable of doing anything, but I also must prove to myself that I’m the right omega to show the world.

Right now, I’m doubting myself and my abilities. I can fire a weapon. I can strategize a war. But I can’t protect my own pack. I can’t provide the protection that they require, because they have a deep-seated need to do the same with me.

We have our orders for a reason. If only omegas hadn’t been taken advantage of for so long.

A knock sounds on the ornate doors before they crack open and Beckett stands in the entryway. I haven’t seen him since his text message informing me that he wasn’t coming to the meeting, and I’m caught between being angry and relieved that he’s here. His stoic expression gives nothing away, and he strolls down the aisle, not giving me a chance to get up.

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