Page 54 of Hunting Their Omega

My questions hung in the air, and I wrestled with instincts that demanded I run, torn between confronting the beast in my mind or suffocating it.

Suddenly, the darkness in my chest fractured, and a kaleidoscope of cracks spread across the mass of sorrow and memory. Light and warmth broke through, and I could finally breathe again.

Greedily, I swallowed lungfuls of air, gripping my mates and drawing from their strength. I was vaguely aware of their hands on my stiff limbs as the scents of rain, leather, soil, and spice muffled my panic.

When my body hit the soft sheets of our bed, I could finally make out their whispers of acknowledgment and care. Their bodies surrounded me like an impenetrable fortress, and I closed my eyes, the beating of their hearts lulling me into blissful sleep.

Chapter 20

Wynn

I felt sick the following morning. Horror and disgust wove through my chest, echoing the acidic feeling of Isolde’s fear. After she’d opened up about her past, she fell into a state of disassociation. I knew we needed the information to plan for the upcoming Hunt, but it didn’t change how painful it was to hear the words cross her lips.

But now we had what we needed. We had evidence of the Council’s use of magic and possible dealings with witches, of their awareness and disregard for fated mates, and most importantly, of their need to place the Omegas under their heel.

All of these would increase our chances of allies.

I drummed my fingers on my desk, restless.

“We’ll have to approach with caution,” Bishop said.

I nodded. “It may be best to reach out to one or two Alphas at a time, keep things quiet until we can gauge their loyalties.”

“I’ll prepare for a soft query.”

“Make sure to have security tightened for the calls. We can’t risk exposure until we’re ready.” Bishop nodded as he took notes on his comms unit. “Has Alaric informed the Enforcers of their new regiments?”

“He’s with them now doing an overall assessment before reorganizing training spaces and needs,” he answered.

The Omegas were pawns constrained by stringent regulations, restricted from exploring their potential beyond fulfilling their mate’s desires. It sickened me, boiled the blood in my veins to see what the time in the boarding house had done to Isolde. Their limited autonomy encouraged ignorance, and the Council treated them as mere commodities while understanding the importance of their presence to every shifter living. While weaponizing it.

Not anymore.

The realization struck me hard—this was why Isolde knew so little, why her eyes turned wondrous at the smallest acts of decency and freedom. They deliberately stifled her education and retracted her right to learn and grow beyond the narrow confines set for her. And the Council took it a step further, denying shifters their natural right to their Goddess-bound mate.

Potions, she had said.

The very word chilled me to the bone.

The Council had given the boarding houses potions to use on Omegas.

Like the collars, they were something no shifter should have access to—especially the Council.

They created the bans. Dictated the punishment of anyone found guilty of fraternization with witches.

The more we discovered, the more flawed the Council’s approach appeared. The repression of the Omegas’ wolves was savage enough. It deprived their soul of stability and pushed their wolves to the brink, all but asking them to go rogue.

And now they were illegally drugging them with the magic of their sworn enemy—the very Witches who placed this cure upon their females.

“Contact Silver Fang,” I growled. “I want a meeting within the week.”

***

“When was the last time you shifted?” I asked, watching Isolde fidget nervously.

Her eyes widened, and she chewed her pink bottom lip, taking entirely too long to think of the answer. “Three months ago.”

I nodded, looking toward the forest. I planned to take Isolde with me for a run to see her wolf and assess the state of their bond. She said her wolf spoke to her often, always present enough to determine what was happening beyond her mind, which was a good sign.

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