When this was finally over, we’d celebrate truly being a united pack, in a city free from the threat of attack. I couldn’t believe there was finally going to be peace. All my life I’d known nothing but fighting.
We’d defended the Badlands many times, but nothing about this fight was like any of the battles my fellow omegas had fought before. We rode out with the King’s contingent, Tavia and I riding in the very back of the vehicle specially outfitted for the king. It was bulletproof and at the touch of a button, this thing could deploy some serious artillery. This vehicle was so important to the army, it was the only piece of machinery I was not allowed access to working in the armory. Being a passenger was the thing that finally made me feel like my title in the royal court was real.
Dagger drove, and Solen rode shotgun. I could barely take my eyes off him. He’d gone into full general mode, studying the screens in front of him, which provided him with surveillance of the areas, as well as infrared imaging that would pick up anything the naked eye would miss.
The king sat in the middle. It was the most secure seat in the vehicle. But it didn’t stop Tavia from leaning over the seat and pointing. “Those red blotches on the screen, are those mutants?”
“Not sure what they are. Never seen it before.” Solen tapped on the infrared screen to zoom in, and then scrolled the screen beside it to match the location. I couldn’t lie, watching him work like this was sexy. There were a myriad of buttons and switches on the dashboard as well as a detachable keyboard, and he was navigating the programs with ease. Like he was born for this.
It was easy to see why Adalai ignored his birth status in return for a true warrior.
“There doesn’t seem to be anything in the area on the surveillance screen.” Solen’s head moved back and forth and he tapped codes into the keyboard, changing the location on the screen. But still, nothing.
“Shouldn’t those computers be synced up?” Tavia asked.
“Tavia,” I said between clenched teeth. Now was not the time to pick a fight.
“It’s good that she questions,” Adalai said. “My generals have been trained to look at the big picture. The omegas are skilled in the details. That combination is what will lead us to victory.”
Tavia’s face lit up. “Wow. It’s like you finally like me or something.”
“I appreciate what you bring to this battle.”
“You can admit it, Your Majesty. We’re totally going to be drinking buddies when this is over.”
Dagger and Solen glanced at each other, amusement clear on their faces when the king groaned.
“Could those red spots be underground heat bunkers?” My heart sank at the thought of all those omegas in the worst possible position to be welcoming a bunch of angry soldiers, and lords knew whatever else we’d attract to this battle. On top of that, the male omegas would be distracted, violent, and greedy.
“They could be, spitfire,” Solen said.
“Aw, that’s sweet, he’s got a pet name for you.” But Tavia’s warm smile didn’t last long. “Why would there be so many females in the bunkers? It’s always a domino effect, but never so many all at once. It looks like they’re totally full.”
Now it was our turn to exchange a knowing look.
“Shit,” she said. “Remember when Renaldo induced my heat when we went to the Keep? What if he did that in the Badlands to throw a little wild card into the mix?”
The king let out a long, annoyed exhale. “The two of you were in charge of the Badlands.”
“We were in charge of rebuilding the Badlands. Not policing it,” Dagger said.
“And we’ve been a little distracted with the humans kidnapping our people and trying to turn them into mutants.” Tavia shook her head. “Meanwhile, they probably have pissed off omegas doing their dirty work for them. What if they’ve turned our best assets against us?”
“We win them over. We show them once and for all that things will be different, and the humans will bring them nothing but harm and misery,” Adalai said. “It won’t be easy. Not everyone will fight with us today. Not yet. But as they see us fighting, when they see Solen as a powerful omega, they’ll begin to see themselves in him. The omegas don’t want such conflict, and they’ll soon learn the humans have nothing for them either, if they haven’t already.”
“We have so much work to do,” Tavia said wistfully.
“We do, but this journey all of you have gone through to find your mates have shown you what you need to give back to your people,” the king said.
We were in the Badlands now, and not only the landscape had changed. Groups of soldiers had gathered in the streets. They seemed restless, waiting for direction. The energy made me sick to my stomach because it was so much bigger than me. I couldn’t control it.
The king gazed out the window, surveying the situation. I couldn’t read his expression. “We weren’t ready for peace. That’s why anything we built before now fell apart.”
“Wow, that’s pretty profound, your majesty.” Tavia grinned and I poked her. “What?”
“I thought it was beautiful.” The crowds were thickening. There was no going back. They were ready to fight. “What are we looking for?”
It was bad enough that we had unidentified red
