Destiny's Choice

by Kimberly Hunter

  Roan visibly tried to calm down. After he took a couple of deep breaths, he glared daggers at Ian. “Have you no honor, Ian? No decency?”

  Steven threw a couple of towels to Lillah. She used both to staunch the blood still trickling from Ian’s nose and tried to clean the rest. Her countenance was murderous as she shot daggers of hate filled glances at Rivera and Roan but remained oddly silent.

  “Honor? Decency?” Ian’s voice was muffled somewhat by the towel held to his nose. But his Peridot gaze was still glowing with anger as he gave Roan, then her, a scathing stare. “You’re going to murder me and my Mate in cold blood. Is that honorable and decent?”

  Rivera blinked with confusion, seeing the same expression on Roan’s face. He thinks his execution is murder?

  “You really don’t understand the seriousness of your situation, do you, Ian?”

  “I understand plenty.”

  “No.” Roan shook his head. “I don’t think you do.”

  Mikeal came to Rivera with a cold pack and an Ace bandage. “We’ll put this on your wrist and wrap it up with the bandage to keep the swelling down. Once we’re back at the main house, Flynn can take a look at it.”

  She could only nod, still thrown by what was happening around her as Mikeal wrapped her wrist.

  “You and Lillah committed a crime, Ian. A terribly heinous crime. It was pre-meditated, methodical, clinical, and cold blooded. The only remorse you and Lillah have shown is for yourselves. About how you can save your own hides. And now, to make matters worse, you want to force my hand?”

  “Spare me the analysis, Roan. We both know why you’re doing this,” he scoffed.

  “I-“

  Laying her good hand on his arm, Rivera stopped him. “Don’t bother, Roan. After all this time of living the lie, they’ve firmly convinced themselves what they’ve done isn’t wrong. Regardless of the crime against the Pack and me, in their own minds, they’re the aggrieved party here. Nothing you say will stop them from believing otherwise.”

  Giving her a wan smile, Roan nodded his head. “It was worth a try.” He leaned down and kissed her brow then gave Steven and Mikeal a steady look. “Do it.”

  They jumped into action, going to an overhead compartment and bringing down a large black duffle bag that looked quite heavy and sounded as if was full of chains.

  “I had hoped this situation wouldn’t escalate, you being the mild mannered professor and all. Seems that was also another carefully drawn persona. Unfortunately, trying to force my hand and hurting my True Mate leaves me with no other option.”

  After giving Steven and Mikeal a slight nod, the two quickly hauled a protesting Ian and Lillah out of their seats. They were cuffed, gagged, and bound in moments, then returned to their seats and strapped in. They immediately began to struggle and growl.

  “Before either of you think you can break out, let me disabuse of that notion. The cuffs are pure titanium. The chains binding you are titanium infused with pure steel. The gags are nylon ropes made with titanium thread and have a flexible titanium core. All three of these items have been tested and used on our elderly when the insanity strikes. None, I repeat, none have ever gotten free once bound.”

  Their struggles ceased, but the hate filled glowing eyes were deadly and aimed right at Roan. He didn’t seem all that concerned. Then again, with his power, he didn’t need to be.

  “Roan, Connor wants to know if you’re ready or if he needs to make another pass,” Mikeal spoke up.

  “We’re ready. He can take us in,” he said. Mikeal went to the cockpit then came back out as Roan and Rivera made their way to their seats.

  Once comfortable, Rivera tried to buckle her seat belt, but her good hand was shaking with nerves too bad to do it.

  “Easy, sweetheart,” he crooned as he helped with the belt then secured his own.

  “Thanks.”

  He took her good hand, kissing the knuckles. “Just breathe, Rivera. Everything will be just fine.”

  She did exactly that, breathing deeply and evenly. At least her shaken nerves kept her mind off her throbbing wrist. Still, it would be a while before the day’s feelings and images left her.

  Safely parked on the ground, Rivera was ushered off the plane where two black Rovers’ were waiting for them. A blond and dark auburn haired male were beside each one. Both males were shorter than Rivera, slim in build, and looked very young. The dark auburn haired male broke into a sunny smile as they walked his way. His eyes, so like Roan’s, she noticed with surprise, danced with happiness when he looked her way.

  “Roan!”

  When Roan and Rivera reached the young man’s side, Roan pulled him into a back breaking hug. Lifting him off the ground, the man joyfully returned it. Big smiles were on both their faces when they finally broke apart.

  “Rivera, this is my cousin, Dane LeGuer. Dane, my True Mate, Rivera Montgomery.”

  She reached out her good hand, getting his warm one and a questioning look at the other. “It’s nice to meet you, Dane.”

  “Trouble?” He nodded toward her wrapped wrist. His deep baritone belied his looks and stature. It somehow fit though.

  “It’s taken care of,” Roan said as Rivera noticed Ian and Lillah being taken off the plane.

  That smile bloomed full grown at the site of the two bound, then he turned back to Rivera, light eyes full of joy as he continued to hold her hand. “Can’t tell you how happy I am to finally meet you, Rivera. Roan is like a little brother to me, so you can understand my excitement at him having found his True Mate.” He patted her hand with his free one then let go.

  “Little brother?” She turned to Roan with confusion.

  Before Roan could reply, the small blond came over. “We’re loaded and ready, Roan.” His voice too, was deep, though not like Dane’s.

  “Thank you, Tristan.” He then looked at Rivera. “Rivera Montgomery, this is Tristan St. Paul.”

  His golden amber eyes and bright smile was infectious as he shook the hand Rivera offered. “A pleasure to meet you, Rivera. It’s been quite a while since an Alpha had a True Mate. This is a great occasion.”

  “Oh, well, thank you. And it’s nice to meet you too.” There was definitely something going on with these two, Rivera could feel it. And that name, St. Paul. She wondered if this man was kin to her, what with her grandparents being St. Paul’s.

  “Let’s get on the road then. It’s getting late,” Roan told them.

  With a last smile aimed at her, Tristan went to the other Rover where Steven and Mikeal were, no doubt watching over their guests. Roan helped Rivera into the one they were standing by. He got in the back seat with her while Dane climbed into the driver’s seat. In moments, they were off, the other Rover following behind. They didn’t get far before Rivera turned to Roan.

  “You want to explain?”

  Roan gave her a sheepish smile. “Sorry, sweetheart. I had hoped to get this all out once everyone was assembled. But I see that not all my plans have been rock solid.”

  “Its fine, Roan.” Dane chuckled from the driver’s seat. “She is your True Mate. Some concessions are called for in this case.”

  “I’m beginning to see that,” Roan said ruefully, though Rivera could see he was more amused than anything else. “The reason why Dane called me his little brother is because he’s two hundred years older than me.”

  Rivera blinked, having a hard time believing that the young Lupus driving them was that much older than Roan. “He barely looks twenty five.”

  “Bless you, hon.” He winked at her from the rearview mirror. “But if you think that’s unbelievable, then try to picture Tristan. He just turned four-hundred and seven last month.”

  “No freakin’ way! He doesn’t look old enough to shave.” Rivera was having a hard time not letting her jaw drop.

  “It’s true, Rivera.” Roan’s voice was serious as he gave her a pointed stare.

  “How?”

  “Dane, Tristan, and thirty four others are O
megas’. Because of certain abilities and their even slower aging process, only my inner circle knows about them. They have been a well guarded secret for centuries. The Alpha’s and their inner circles the only ones privy to the information.”

  “And now me.”

  “And now you.” He smiled.

  Rivera had a feeling there was more to it than that, but time was short and she wanted to know what made these Omegas’ so special.

  “Okay, what kind of abilities are we talking about here?”

  “It varies with each Omega,” Dane began. “I can telepathically communicate with anyone in the Pack and sometimes read surface thoughts if they’re strong enough or aimed at me. But I can’t read minds,” he added hastily. “And I wouldn’t want to. That would be creepy. I’m also telekinetic.”

  “And Tristan?”

  “He’s our animal expert,” Roan continued. “He can communicate with any animal on the planet. Then there are those who can call down the rain, create lightning, make a tornado, conjure fire, and too many more to name.”

  “Yeah. And do it a lot better than Roan can.” Dane snickered.

  “You can conjure fire too?”

  “Being Alpha, I have all those powers.” He nodded. “Although that doesn’t necessarily mean I’ve mastered them. Fire has always been my weakest.” He sighed.

  “Wow.” She sat back, a bit stunned.

  “You alright, sweetheart?”

  “Yeah. Just a little surprised, is all.” She gave him a wan smile. “Didn’t expect my True Mate to be like some super hero out of a comic book.” Or to feel so inadequate because of it.

  He picked up her good hand and kissed her knuckles, a knowing glint in those wintery orbs. “You are my match in every way, Rivera. And the only heroine I want by my side.”

  “I hate to burst your bubble, Rivera, but heroes don’t usually burn down barns when still learning to control fire at the age of twenty-one.”

  “That was an accident, Dane, and you know it.” His groan turned into a laugh. “And it wasn’t the whole barn. Just the north side of it.”

  “Oh, my bad.” Dane rolled his eyes, laughing as well.

  Rivera just shook her head, knowing what they had done, and feeling that much closer to Roan because of it. She would have to keep her eye on Dane. He was sneaky. The adorable little turd.

  “Okay. So Roan has all the various and sundry powers each Omega has. But why so many Omegas’? And what kind of role do you have in the Pack since it obviously isn’t a regular one?”

  “We have so many Omegas’ because of how large and scattered the Pack is,” Roan answered. “Not that we’ve had much choice but to scatter. As large as the Pack is at present, if we all lived in one area, we’d be discovered. With living in different areas across the globe, our chances of the humans finding out about us drop. But, of course, I can’t be everywhere. That’s where the Omegas’ come in.”

  “The Omegas’ original purpose was as the Pack’s peacekeepers. Our original powers were to calm and draw away anger so the Alpha could hear a dispute without violence erupting. There were at least two born every generation,” Dane explained further. “But as the Pack began to grow and expand beyond its borders, so too did the world around them. Times were changing and if the Pack didn’t adapt, we would be doomed to die out or be discovered. Neither was an option. So expansion was the key.”

  “Then, about 650 years ago, one of my predecessors came up with a plan to use the Omegas’ innate and ever changing abilities to help police the Pack. He called them Omega Squad and gave them the task of being his eyes and ears since the Pack, at that time, had begun to cover most of Europe and the Mediterranean. Now there are thirty-six Omegas’, broke up into teams of three, here in the States, Europe, Japan, and Australia.”

  “So, in a sense, they’re still peacekeepers. Just going about it in a different way,” Rivera surmised.

  “That as well as our role being a well kept secret all this time,” Dane said.

  “Why a secret?” Rivera was a little confused. As well as out of her depth. She had learned more about the Pack in the last twenty-four hours than she had most of her life. It was a lot to take in. Fascinating, but a lot.

  Roan sighed deeply. “My predecessors, with the exception of my father, all felt the Pack was better off not knowing. That it would cause dissension in the Pack if its members knew they were being watched.”

  “A valid reason for the time. But the Pack and the world around us have grown by leaps and bounds. Culture, technology, and an overall different mindset have rendered those reasons outdated. We’ve progressed too far as a Pack and a community to adhere to those old fashioned notions.”

  Rivera nodded, agreeing with Dane. The Pack just wasn’t the same as it was 650 years ago. Hell, even a hundred years ago.

  “Quite simply, the Pack has matured beyond the need for secrecy. And with all the technological advances at everyone’s disposal, one mistake could jeopardize our safety. I won’t have the Pack put in danger because a bunch of long dead Alpha’s wanted to play God by being the man behind the curtain.” Roan frowned. “Besides, if the Pack knew about Omega Squad when my father was alive, we wouldn’t be having the problem’s we’re having today.”

  “What problems.” Rivera knew that it wasn’t all wine and roses with the Pack, but she didn’t think that something major was going on. Was there?

  Roan went on to explain in detail about Boone and his buddies. About how the younger generation seemed to be taking advantage while the older members only cared about wealth and status.

  “You mean Boone actually thought he would get away with killing that poor young woman because of his high status in the Pack?”

  “Oh yeah.” Dane laughed without humour. “There are quite a few Boone’s age that think their status and wealth makes them exempt from any kind of harsh punishment.”

  Rivera looked at Dane in the rear-view mirror, then Roan, shaking her head. “I’d feel sorry about the rude awakening they’re all going to receive, but I just can’t dredge up the sincerity.”

  Not having that much to do with the Pack while growing up, Rivera still adhered to Pack Law. Just because she wasn’t a part of everything didn’t mean she wanted to harm anyone by inadvertently bringing the humans to the Pack’s doorstep. None of them deserved what would happen should they all be discovered despite her ill treatment.

  “With the evidence against Boone and the other two, his execution is inevitable. Morgan and Kyle will also have to pay a price for their actions. It won’t be with their lives, but only because they didn’t have a hand in the woman’s murder,” Roan said.

  “No, they just helped that asshat try to cover it up,” Dane growled.

  “Which is why an example will be made,” Roan soothed.

  “What are you planning to do to them?” She hoped it was good. They deserved to be raked over the coals for their part in that poor woman’s death.

  “They will be stripped of their titles.”

  Rivera blinked. “Can you do that?”

  “Absolutely.” Roan chuckled. “You see, these titles were never meant to be the high status the ten families have made them out to be over the years.”

  “What do you mean?” Rivera didn’t understand. Even though her contact with the Pack had been limited, even she knew that a lot of the more elite members put a considerable amount of time, energy, and money into cultivating close ties with the ten high ranking Pack families.

  Roan then went on to give her another history lesson about Alpha councils and elders and how even a good idea can go south.

  “Okay.” Rivera nodded with understanding. “So why not do away with the status and put the job back where it belongs?”

  “I intend to.”

  Alphas sure were an arrogant bunch. “You think it’ll be that easy?”

  “Of course not.” Roan laughed. “But the Pack is headed for trouble if something drastic isn’t done and done soon. Making examples of the
troublesome trio and making Omega Squad, and my own abilities, known, will be a huge leap in the right direction.”

  “Whew.” Rivera let out a gusty breath. “That’s quite a helping you got on your plate.”

  “Indeed it is.” Roan nodded with a grin as he gently squeezed the hand he was still holding. “You’ll find out, no one in this family ever does anything by halves. But then, I do have an ace up my sleeve.”

  “Do you now?” She returned his grin. “Can you share?”

  “Of course. You’re my True Mate, Rivera. There are no secrets between us.” He brought her hand up and kissed the knuckles.

  She didn’t know what to say to that. She was honoured beyond words that he would have that much trust in her with so little time together. She simply leaned over and kissed him to convey her gratitude. The sparkle in his light eyes let her know he knew and accepted. It was amazing that they could also read each other as well. Also made her feel like she really was chosen and meant for this man.

  “As Alpha, my control of the Pack isn’t just ordained by Pack Law or my strength to defeat all challengers. It’s my power and the abilities I was born with.”

  Rivera frowned. “I don’t understand.”

  “When I became Alpha, my powers tied me to the Pack. Not just figuratively but literally. Think of it like small filaments flowing from me to each Pack member. And not just in this form either. My wolf is also tied to the Pack.”

  “Which means?”

  “I can not only call anyone in the Pack to my side from any distance, I can also call their wolf.”

  Thinking about that for a moment, she was at first a little confused. Then it dawned on her. Call their wolf. “You mean…”

  “Yes. I can find that filament and literally rip the wolf from their human bodies and make them shift.” Roan grimaced, his expression one of distaste. “It takes longer the farther the member is away from me. It’s also very painful to be made to shift like that. With a natural shift, you’re mentally preparing your human body and your wolf about what’s happening. It’s beautiful and natural. Not so when the Alpha rips the wolf out. The process is very violent and very ugly. It takes hours for your system to fully recover from the trauma enough to shift back.”