Page 71 of Hunting Their Omega

The skeletal male sneered. “And risk you trying to run?”

“Why would I run?” I asked tartly.

“Ah, there’s that fire we saw when we took you,” Lenny said thoughtfully, rubbing the fresh scratch on his face.

I ignored his comment. “I don’t know where I am, and my head is throbbing. I’m tired.” I let tears spring to my eyes. “And I justwant to survive. What difference does it make if it’s with you or the wolves who won me?” Bile rose in my throat at the lie, but I forced it down. I needed them to believe me. “You’re all the same anyway.”

It was quiet apart from my sobs, and when I felt a tug on the ropes, I almost gasped.

Freed from my bindings, I pulled my arms to my front and cradled them to my chest, unwilling to make any sudden movements.

“Stay between us, or we tie you up again, understand?” Lenny said, his dark eyes pinning me in place.

I swallowed hard, tugging at my bond with all my might as I nodded at my captors.

We continued toward the door, my heart racing as I came parallel to the barely visible knife in the corner.

I only had one opportunity, and if they caught me, I wouldn’t get another.

I stumbled, falling to the hard wood with a shriek. My ass and hands hit the dust-ridden ground, and I used the distraction to stash the small knife in the back waistband of my pants.

“Get up.” The thin one lifted me, his hands gentler than I expected.

“Thanks,” I said meekly, moving between them once more.

The front door to the cabin opened, and a dense forest loomed before us. The males nudged me toward it, and I kept pace, the picture of complacency.

As we walked, I tugged at the bond with all I had.

Chapter 26

Wynn

Alaric stood beside me in the Enforcer security building with his top Enforcers: Valor, Bowen, Silas, and Leighton. Though it had only been twenty minutes since discovering Isolde had been taken, every second without Isolde hollowed out a space in my chest. I was responsible. I failed to keep our mate safe.

“. . . they’ll be too preoccupied with getting Isolde to their territory to take breaks,” Silas argued. “They wouldn’t risk stopping. They knew they only had so much time before someone noticed Isolde was gone.”

“Silas is right,” Bowen stated. “The unsanctioned pack may be desperate, but they’re not stupid. To be caught outside the protection of their pack, with a stolen Omega no less, would be a death sentence. We need to track them as soon as possible while our numbers are greater than theirs.”

Valor crossed his arms over his broad chest, his golden mane of hair pulled back in a low bun. He scanned the map of the surrounding forest as if he could see the trail they left behind. Maybe he could. It was well known that he was Goddess-blessed with gifts that made him one of the best trackers of our age. No one could outrun him.

“Here,” he said, running his finger along a path from the east gate to the Icramel and its stony gray peaks. “It provides thebest cover, and the terrain is harsh and unyielding—perfect for a covert escape.”

“Especially when they’re counting on us never venturing that far,” Leighton added.

Alaric looked at me, and I nodded. The plan was sound, especially with our bond as dark as it was.

“All right, gear up. We’re moving out in five minutes,” Alaric ordered.

The men filed out of the room.

Before Leighton could leave, I caught his eye and waved him over. We’d been orchestrating a clandestine collaboration with a witch who could lend us the edge we needed after Alaric introduced the possibility. It was a shock, considering his history, but that was Alaric. He would always put the pack before his personal grudges. Though we still had some reservations about working with one, I recognized that we couldn’t punish an entire group of people for the crimes of a few. Leighton assured me this witch could be trusted. I was determined. I wouldn’t let the Council dictate the fate of my mate and any future life she carried within her.

“They think they can outrun us,” I muttered. “But they’ve underestimated our dedication.”

My Enforcer nodded in silent agreement. We were committed to shielding our pack, safeguarding not just Isolde and our future offspring but every Omega who might fall prey to the Council’s insidious plans.

“The witch . . . any word?” I inquired. Waiting for a shred of hope amid the turmoil was agonizing.

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