by River Ramsey
“Your father’s banishment is meaningless to Eternus law,” says the commander. “You are now the natural successor to this pack.”
“Successor?” I cry. “I’m an omega! I can’t lead.” Only female alphas and betas get that privilege.
“Be that as it may, you are still the High-born Lady of this pack. Of course, you will still need to take a mate, and whomever is chosen will become the new Alpha Lord,” she adds casually.
“Of course,” I mutter. “Same cage, different owners.”
“I doubt you’ll feel that way once you understand the nature of our laws,” she says, leaning in. “You may not be permitted to lead as an omega, but you are permitted to choose your own mate.”
My eyes widen. Is she serious? There’s not a hint of humor on her face, so she has to be. “You lost me.”
She actually smiles, but somehow it’s colder than her blank expression was. “Our ways are not nearly as brutal as Marok’s. In our packs, she-wolves are permitted to choose a mate from among the highest born unmated males within the pack. As it so happens, the four contenders at last night’s ceremony fit the bill.”
“You want me to choose one of them?”
“Precisely.”
It takes me a second to come to terms with what she’s saying. It still feels surreal, but the only question I can think to ask is, “Why?”
“Because it is custom,” she answers with a shrug. “And between you and me, these transitions are easier to manage if a new Alpha Lord is chosen from among the original pack rather than installed.”
Now I’m starting to piece it together. “You want to quell any resistance before it starts,” I murmur. “And you know whomever I choose will keep the others in line.”
The commander smiles. “Clever girl. I suppose the stereotypes about you lot being uneducated are unfounded.”
I bristle at her condescension, but I’m planning on choosing my battles. “And I’m free to choose any of them? Even Rowan?”
“Your choice is your own,” she says, growing somber once more. “But remember that if you do not choose wisely and this pack becomes a threat, it would not be the first failed conquest to have to be disbanded.”
I gulp. I only know a little about the Eternus wolves’ habit of disbanding packs that cause problems for them, and it’s hard to separate the facts from the conspiracies. I don’t want to take any chances on calling her bluff. “You make a compelling argument.”
“I’m glad we understand each other.”
Oh, I understand her perfectly. She’s Adam with a ponytail, and I feel about as liberated as I ever have.
Chapter 5
A few days have passed and there are still Eternus guards everywhere. They watch all of us come and go, and while the women and children have been released to return to what’s left of our daily lives, the specter of surveillance weighs heavily on all of us.
I was instructed by the commander to avoid telling anyone of my new role. She’s worried the others will see me as a target for their rage and insubordination, and I can’t say she’s wrong. I don’t trust most of the people I grew up with any more than I trust the civilized soldiers who claim they want to protect me. We’re all living in a war zone, and I feel like I’m the flag both sides want to plant in a hill.
I’m under no illusion about my importance to the commander and her forces. They need a high-born omega to dangle in front of an alpha who will do their bidding and keep the others in line. In some ways, I’m as much of a political pawn as I ever was, maybe more. But the chance to choose my mate is something I never thought I would have.
The obvious answer should be Christopher, but I’m still reeling from the realization that he was going to fight for my hand. Or rather, for the power it would afford him. It breaks my heart to wonder if I can even trust him, but I wonder all the same. Then there’s the fact that choosing him would put a target on his head, and it would jeopardize the entire pack if he can’t bring the rebellion to heel.
The other males may be collared, but you can’t cage a Marok warrior for long. Sooner or later, the rebellion will rise, and I’d never forgive myself if Christopher was hurt because of me. That leaves Rowan, who’s probably the obvious choice for the pack’s wellbeing, but I know he wants vengeance for his father. Choosing him is almost a guarantee that the pack will rebel, and if that happens, how many more lives will be lost?
Then there’s James, a wild card in every way, and I’m sure that even the Eternus wolves aren’t crazy about the idea of having a hybrid Alpha Lord among their ranks. That leaves Mace, who’s probably the least controversial choice for all involved—if I could put aside my own hatred for the man, and that’s a big if.
My life went from simple to the point of torturous to overtly complicated overnight, and so much rests on my shoulders even though I was raised to be nothing more than something pretty to look at. Not only do I have to choose an alpha I can stand to spend the rest of my life with, I have to choose one strong enough to lead this pack through these troubling times.
I’m starting to wish I could go back to the old days, when my life was already laid out for me. At least that existential dread was easier to accept, considering it didn’t come with the heavy weight of impending guilt that settled on my shoulders as soon as the commander told me about the choice I have to make.
In the meantime, I’ve been trying to keep some semblance of normalcy for the orphaned pups who’ve fallen into the care of the unmated females in the pack, including me. For now, no one knows about my newfound responsibility, so they’re all sticking me with the least desirable babysitting shifts.
Not that I really mind. I’d much prefer to spend time with the pups than hear about how this is all my fault somehow. As if I had anything to do with Eternus deciding to invade during the Trials I wanted no part of in the first place.
I haven’t talked to Christopher since I found him in the hospital, but it’s not from lack of trying. When I went to visit him the last time, they said he’d checked himself out and volunteered to be collared, even though most of the males had to be sedated.
For the moment, the rebellion has been stifled, considering that a young alpha male already met his end trying to attack an Eternus guard. The blade inside the collar activated and sliced through his jugular. He bled out in a matter of seconds in the town square, and that’s a scene none of us have forgotten.
As I sit on the edge of a fountain in the garden watching the young ones play, most of them still choosing to romp in their puppy forms, it’s easy to pretend like things are back to normal. The garden is nestled within the heart of the pack, so there aren’t as many guards, and I’ve managed to talk them into keeping their weapons sheathed around the children so there are no “accidents.”
Collars or no collars, if a single scrap of fur on those little ones’ heads is harmed, even Eternus knows there will be a war.
Aspen is playing tug-of-war with a small brown-and-white pup across the lawn, and I can’t help but smile. He’s in better spirits than he was before, but unlike so many of the others, he had nothing left to lose that awful day.
“That one is your favorite, isn’t he?”
My spine stiffens and my blood runs cold at the sound of the smooth voice I’d be happy never hearing again. I refuse to turn around as Mace sits down on the edge of the fountain next to me. He’s the only alpha I know who actually bothers with aftershave. Even to my sensitive nose, it’s admittedly a pleasant scent.
“What do you want, Doctor?”
“Come, now. I’m vying for your hand, same as the others. I think you can call me Mace.”
I turn to shoot him a glare that’s about one percent of what I actually feel toward him, all of it malicious. “Shouldn’t you be tending to patients?”
“We heal quickly. Most of my patients are fine, and the ones who were too far gone have already left us.” He speaks so casually about the dead, but I guess I shouldn’t be surprised. It’s not like he has a
conscience to trouble him.
Mace is nothing if not adaptable, and I doubt he’s so much as lost a wink of sleep over the whole affair. It’s all about power for him. He’ll make himself useful to the Eternus wolves the same as he did with Adam. Playing both sides comes easily when you’re a psychopath, I guess.
“They give you a lot of freedom, don’t they?” I notice that even he’s wearing a collar, but he’s one of the only alpha males I’ve seen allowed on the grounds where the she-wolves tend to congregate. The Eternus soldiers act like we’re all made of glass, which is annoying in its own way.
“I am a doctor,” he reminds me. “They need me, and I’ve taken an oath to do no harm.”
I snort in spite of myself. “That’s a laugh.”
He smiles in that half-visible way that drives me insane. Like he’s on a whole other level and everyone around him, myself included, is a source of constant amusement for him. “Believe it or not, I take my duties seriously. I’m simply able to compartmentalize my role as a doctor from my role as a warrior.”
“That doesn’t surprise me.” I know being outwardly hostile isn’t going to get me anywhere, but if he thinks we’re going to be on friendly terms now just because we’re both in the same boat, he’s wrong. “Again, what do you want?”
“I just came to see how you were doing. I’m sure it’s hard to adjust to all your newfound responsibility.” He watches me with a knowing look in those cold eyes. “You may be more capable than most, but you’re still an omega, and for what it’s worth, I think it’s wrong of Eternus to burden you like this.”
His words raise my guard immediately. I’m too alarmed by the implication that he knows about my meeting with the commander to be properly offended by that remark. “Excuse me?”
“I know about the role reversal,” he explains. “All four of us do, including your boyish playmate.”
I bristle at his condescending mention of Christopher. “If you know, then you understand why she told me to keep it a secret.”
“Of course,” he answers calmly. “And your secret is safe with me. Believe it or not, I care about your wellbeing.” He reaches to touch my cheek and gives another infuriatingly neutral smile when I swat his hand away. “I still have every intention of becoming your mate.”
“Bold words for a man who no longer has a choice in the matter.”
He chuckles. “You’re a smart woman, Danica. I’m sure you’ve realized by now that you’re still a pawn, even if you’ve been captured by the other side.”
I set my jaw and try to remind myself that slapping him is only going to cause a scene. Besides, he hasn’t really done anything to deserve it yet, other than being himself. Old grudges die hard.
“You think that means I’ll choose you?”
“Consider the options,” he says diplomatically. “I think you’ll make the right choice. I have faith in you.”
“Go to hell, Mace.”
His eyes are light with amusement as he stands. “It’s a beautiful afternoon,” he remarks, looking up at the clear blue sky. “Let’s hope it doesn’t rain.”
I watch him leave, trying to will my blood pressure to lower. The most infuriating thing about Mace is that he’s usually right. He’s by far the most clear-cut choice I have at the moment, even if the thought of being his mate makes me want to torch the entire forest. I’ll work with him for the good of the pack, for now, but I will never forget what he’s done, or what he’s capable of doing.
I know what happens to people who stand in his way.
Chapter 6
One Week Later
There was a period of peace after the first rebellious alpha was killed without the invaders having to lift a finger, but it was short lived. Marok has a reputation for brutality for a reason, and it wasn’t long before another group attempted to mutiny. A couple even managed to get their collars off, but the Eternus guards were alerted and gunned them down before they could even shift to fight honorably.
Death is a member of our pack now, and she seems intent on staying. I don’t know whether I should laugh or cry half the time. Sometimes I still feel like I’m barely holding it together. Our numbers are dwindling, and with fewer alpha males than females, choosing a mate to secure the legacy of this pack is more crucial than ever. The sooner we have defined leadership from within, even if we are being puppeteered by Eternus, the better for everyone.
I want these soldiers with their guns and their sense of moral superiority out of my home. While I once wanted nothing more than to run, I know the truth now. For an omega like me, there is no sanctuary beyond these pack walls that provides anything resembling true freedom. There’s only the freedom we take, the freedom we wrest from our captors, friend or foe.
I’m done being a victim. If this is my lot in life, so be it. I won’t let any more harm come to my pack, and that starts with throwing Eternus out of it.
The commander called me in last night to give me a not-so-subtle lecture on the importance of my decision, and to silence me into waiting even longer to make it. Without a mated pair to lead, they refuse to leave the pack, and I have three months to choose the new Alpha Lord. Enough time for Lumos and her soldiers to dig their claws in deep and weaken our pack structure even more.
I have a clear understanding of what’s expected of me now. Some of those expectations are the same as the ones I’ve borne all my life. Act like a proper omega, take a mate, have his young, raise them up to be good citizens of the standing order. The new ones thrown in complicate things even further.
Choose a mate, but not because I love him. Choose the one who’s strong enough to protect the pack against the outsiders and cunning enough to play ball with them just enough to keep the peace. To keep the bloodshed at a minimum.
Before, the pack was my cage. Now my ribs feel like iron, framing me, constricting. Every move, every breath is monitored and must be calculated, not only for my own survival but for everyone else’s.
Choose a mate I can stand, or the one who can protect them, even if it means every waking moment is locked in enemy combat.
The days turn into weeks, and the four men courting me in silence feel like additional prison guards, even if they’re all in shackles of their own. Even Christopher feels like a stranger.
All I can do is wait and observe and strengthen my resolve. By the time the first evidence of winter comes, the heart of the pack is already long frozen. As I sit on the fountain watching Aspen play in the freshly falling snow, I realize this is it. This is the new normal. This is as peaceful and as good as it will ever be from this point forward.
Footsteps crunching in the snow fill me with fresh dread. When I see the commander, it intensifies to hatred. She stares at me calmly, something in her right hand. “Good to see you out and about. The fresh air is lovely, isn’t it?”
“It’s fresh,” I answer as she walks over to me. “Is there something I can help you with?”
“No, but I wanted to give this to you,” she says, holding out a small black remote. I frown in confusion, until I see the same insignia that’s printed on the alphas’ collars.
“What is this?”
“It’s a detonator. Specifically, it works with the four collars of the males who will be courting you,” she explains.
“Why would I need this?”
“It’s one thing to hold power theoretically and another to hold it in the palm of your hand.”
I frown, taking the remote if only so she won’t have it. Although I’m sure there are plenty of others where that came from. “You keep speaking of courtship, and so far, I haven’t even been able to tell the pack.”
“In time,” she says knowingly.
“And when will that be? After you’ve plundered every bit of information and resources you want?”
The commander’s stare grows icy. “Know your place, Lady Danica. You may be of biological and cultural importance to this pack, but there are things your sheltered mind simply does not have the ability to f
athom.”
“How kind of you to protect me,” I say bitterly, watching as she leaves.
Power. Maybe if I had the kind she wields so recklessly, that would be something, but the way things are now, I feel like nothing more than a toy.
Chapter 7
The snow is up to my knees, and I haven’t seen any sign of Aspen all day. As I search the perimeter of the woods, since that tends to be where he likes to run off to, I tell myself I’m going to put a bell on him. I know I’m not his mother, but I’m all he has and he’s just about all I have. If anything happened to him, I’d never forgive myself.
“Aspen!” I call, struggling to be heard through the wind. I catch sight of someone up ahead and I’m pleasantly surprised to find Aspen shifted back into his human form, all bundled up in a winter coat and hat. My relief is short-lived when I see who’s with him.
James is feared by everyone in the pack, and for good reason. Hybrids are as vicious as they are unpredictable, and as soon as I catch sight of my surrogate son with him, my maternal instincts kick in.
I rush through the drift and scoop the boy up in my arms. He’s digging for something in the snow with his gloves, and James looks at us both with a blank, unreadable expression. Everything about him is menacing and despite the fact that he’s not even wearing a coat, he doesn’t seem remotely bothered by the cold.
“What are you doing out here?” I cry, looking down at the boy in my arms.
Aspen seems startled by my tone, but I can’t help the fear coursing through me on his behalf. I set him down, giving him a scolding look. “Go back to town right now, and stay inside,” I order.
He looks crestfallen, but he runs off to do as I said. I turn to James, who’s bent down, reaching into the snow for something in the same spot where Aspen was digging. “Well, what were you two doing out here? He could have frozen to death.”