Page 78 of Hunting Their Omega

“We mean it, Isolde. You’re not their Omega anymore—you’re Isolde of the Hidden Creek pack, the Alpha female. Let them know it,” Wynn said. His unwavering tone terrified me when I first arrived, but now it made slick drip down my thighs.

Damn, it wasn’t the place or time for those thoughts.

I flushed as his words sank in. I’d never thought of myself as an Alpha female before, but I was.

The Enforcers spread across the parlor room of our den. I met Valor’s eye, and he nodded, assuring me he would stay close. Slowly, the others mimicked the gesture in a show of solidarity and respect. I knew they would stand by me. They were already risking everything to protect me and my unborn pup.

I wouldn’t let them down.

The two Council representatives knocked on the door at exactly noon. The room was quiet as they entered, guards in tow.

Councilman Rollo, whose name I had learned the day before, was like an aged dinosaur. His skin was wrinkled and leathery, but his eyes were shrewd. Rumor had it that he was one of the few wolves over seven hundred years old.

Looking at him, I believed it.

Councilman Raza stood beside him with a smug look on his face. I did my best to hide my surprise. He wasn’t supposed to join the expedition.

I glanced at my mates. Their expressionless faces told me they hadn’t expected Raza either, which meant his presence served a purpose.

It was clear he wanted to throw us off for some reason.

“Good afternoon.” Raza made a point to look at everyone in the room. “Alpha Wynn,” he said, dipping his head respectfully. “Beta Bishop, Gamma Alaric.” Finally, he settled his shifty eyes on me. “Ah, Omega. It’s so nice to see you again.”

I held my chin high. “My name is Isolde, Councilman. Please, take a seat.”

The corner of his mouth twitched, and he sat next to Councilman Rollo. The representatives scrutinized me, roving their eyes up and down my form as if they could determine the contents of my womb by sight alone.

Creepy.

Wynn’s growl forced them to look away.

Councilman Rollo cleared his throat. “Well, as you know, we’re here to test Isolde.” His eyes flicked to me with distaste. “We need to see if she is with child. Hidden Creek’s failure to notify the Council hasn’t gone unnoticed.”

“There is no reason to notify you,” Alaric said, arms crossed as he glared at the ancient wolf.

“We’ll be the judge of that. Frankly, it’s unlikely you’re telling the truth,” Rollo spat.

“Are you insinuating that we’re lying?” Bishop replied with just as much venom.

“Of course not. We’re simply saying that an Omega taking this long to conceive is a rarity,” Councilman Raza smoothed over with false sincerity. “However, it is my duty as a councilman to remind you of the consequences that follow a positive test result. Namely, losing the sanctioned status Hidden Creek has just reestablished.”

“Is that a threat?” Wynn asked, eyes narrowed.

Councilman Raza smirked. “No, I’m just informing you of the rules. Any attempt to deny the Council their right to the Omegas we swore to protect would disqualify your pack from the Hunt and the protection of the Council.”

The two men stared at each other, and the room seemed to shrink with the heat of their wordless battle. Neither one backed down, refusing to submit until Rollo’s withered hand landed on Raza’s shoulder.

“Let us move on with the testing,” he said with the tone of a man used to getting what he wanted.

Reluctantly, Raza tore his gaze away from Wynn and pulled a small cup from his purple robes. He handed it to me. “Place a sample in that cup for me, my dear. One of the female guards will follow and watch you.”

I bit back an insult, knowing it was part of the process. This moment would either save our asses or condemn us.

The guard, a Beta female with light brown hair, walked into the bathroom and checked for anything hidden that could disrupt the results. When she felt it was clear, she gave a nod to Raza, who gestured for me to continue.

Raza exited, and I walked inside and made a show of being flustered as I removed my pants and squatted over the toilet. The guard’s eyes never left my hands as she ensured I wasn’t angling the cup toward anything other than the juncture between my thighs.

“This isn’t a free-for-all, perv,” I gritted out.

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