Fated to the Warrior Wolf (The Hunted Omegas #3)

55. Gael

FIFTY-FIVE

Gael

T his debrief was grating on my nerves. I didn’t give two shits that Varga’s idiot son thought we’d faked the evidence or the Drakenia guild connection. We had proof, we had the witnesses safely locked down, and anyone who didn’t like it could choke on the receipts.

But I couldn’t say that because Reed and Lucien were going round and round in circles on what felt like hour eleven of debate over the next steps.

I was either going to pass out from boredom or break some of Kane’s antique furniture in this destructive mood. The buffet table had a giant, age-fogged mirror that would probably be very satisfying to take behind the woodshed with an axe. It wouldn’t fix my and Leigh’s problems, but it sure would make a satisfying sound when it shattered.

My daydreams about ruining ugly old furniture were interrupted by my phone going off with the emergency ringtone. It was Andrei, from the guardhouse. I had it to my ear in a second.

“We’ve got bogies. At the perimeter, heading toward the castle. And have you guys seen the latest news on PackNet?” Andrei’s voice was strained, and I gestured for Sergei to flip the TV on the far wall of the office. “I’ve already called Cristian to lock down the castle and called in every extra pack member we have for security, but this doesn’t look good, Gael.”

“What is it?” I asked.

“Baby Varga is stirring up shit he has no business meddling in. This might be a fucking mob he’s sent to our doorstep.”

“We’re on it. Keep me posted on the perimeter and close the drawbridge.” I swore and hung up the phone without another word as none other than Petró Varga’s sadistic bastard face appeared on the big screen. Everyone in the room fell silent as the red breaking news banner flashed underneath him.

ODL Gives Dire Warning * Adult Omega on the Loose * All Species Encouraged to Be on High Alert was running on repeat under his face.

“Kane, there’s a lynch mob practically on our doorstep. That was Andrei. He’s called in all hands, but we need to get the women out of here and go defend the borders.”

Dirge stalked closer to the screen, arms crossed as he glared at the younger Varga, who was currently speaking apologetically with one of the prime-time male PackNet reporters. It must be a hell of a scoop if he was on midday. Sergei cranked up the volume so we could hear him.

“As soon as I heard about the ODL’s pronouncement, I knew it had to be Pack Blackwater. I mean, the new so-called high alpha himself was there petitioning the IGC about omega’s rights. Can you believe that?” Varga shook his head, and my stomach filled with lead. “We wolves, for the most part, hate the ugliness in our history as much as every other magical species. But can’t we all agree that omegas are dangerous? It’s sad, but the sacrifice of a few protects so many. Frankly, they should be ashamed of themselves. Harboring an omega is a capital offense, in my opinion.”

Petró turned and made direct eye contact with the camera as he delivered the last line, and when I saw the tiny hint of a smirk curving up the corner of his lips, I lost it.

“I’m going to rip that fucking bastard’s throat out!” I snarled, a red haze descending over my vision as my blood pressure spiked and fur sprouted along both arms and up my neck.

Dirge was in front of me in an instant. “Deep breaths, brother. This is what he wants. We need to keep a clear head. No matter what he claims, he doesn’t know for sure. We’ll get the women to safety and deal with this like the rest.”

His soothing words did nothing to drown out the news anchor’s next question. “Any idea who we’re looking for?”

Varga gave the cameraman an apologetic look. “Unfortunately, all I know is he was requesting a stay of execution until the omega was of legal adult age. My guess is one of those young females they’ve been squiring around since the great pack gathering has somehow hidden her designation. Late teens, early twenties.”

“This troubling news report is brought to you by Jeremiah Deland, PackNet News. Next up, we have an ODL enforcer who will be speaking with us on omega identification?—”

Sergei turned off the TV, and heavy silence reigned for a single heartbeat.

Kane rose from his desk, wearing a thunderous expression, eyes glowing green with his wolf. “This is no accident. He’s put a target directly on our females’ backs. We’d finished our petition well before Varga’s traitorous son showed up, which means someone inside the IGC has to be in on it, and the fact that the ODL is now claiming there’s an adult omega… It’s damning,” he said, pinning that liquid-fire gaze on Lucien.

“My money’s on Rubix. Vampires are our natural enemies, and she makes no secret that she hates us and our kind and would be happy to wipe all of us off the map, not just omegas,” Lucien said.

“We’ll find the leak after we deal with the current crisis. Dirge and I are going to secure our females and get them to the bunker. I want everyone else on the border.”

“Alpha, Kane—with all due respect, Leigh is pregnant. Let me come with you,” I practically begged, hands shaking with the need to shift. If I saw her, whole and safe and hopefully ready to rip me a new one for whatever I’d done to piss her off today, I could breathe and focus on the border issues.

Kane nodded, and Dirge took off after the others to go back up our border security.

The two of us bolted through the castle, passing bustling house staff who were rolling down metal grates over the windows and lighting fires in every fireplace as Cristian barked orders and dropped thick steel bars over all the doors. I’d had some security updates made to the castle since the first invasion.

This time, these motherfuckers won’t catch us unprepared.

When we reached the family wing, Kane ran down the hall, where Brielle already waited with Shay outside Olivia’s door. Their mates must have sent them a mental warning. Kane herded them into the Alpha’s suite, where the tunnel entrance was, as I pounded on Leigh’s door.

No answer. I tried the knob, and it twisted open as usual. We are going to have a long conversation about her lack of security awareness after this mess is dealt with. I growled when I stepped inside and sniffed. Her scent was stale. She’d been here since I dropped her off, but she hadn’t stayed long. All the bags of clothing were still packed, and the only sign she’d taken anything was a single desk drawer hanging open with just the credit card I’d given her lying in it. Nugget mewed pitifully from his bed, as if he could sense danger bearing down on us.

I scooped him up and headed back into the hallway. I found Brielle, Shay, and Olivia all waiting at the entrance to the tunnel with Kane, but no sign of Leigh. My hands started to shake again, and Brielle must have seen how close I was to the edge, because she stepped forward and scooped the tiny kitten out of my hands as her still-water scent rolled over me in a thick cloud.

“Where’s Leigh?” I half snarled the question.

“I think she went for her regular afternoon run,” Shay said, worry coloring her voice as she bolstered both the other women. “She takes the track on the southwest side of the property, and she’s usually gone a couple of hours. She could be pretty far out by now. But I might be able to track her, if?—”

“No,” Kane said, alpha command lacing his tone. “We’re not risking any of you on the hunt. That shithead put a target directly on you four, and it’s too risky. We’ll get her, but you three aren’t leaving this bunker until the threat has been eliminated, and that’s an order.”

For the first time, Kane used the full weight of his alpha command on the women. Shay and Olivia both whined and took staggering steps back, but Brielle stood tall, fire burning in her eyes as she stood staunchly before Kane.

“You know how much my friends mean to me, Kane, and if Leigh doesn’t come back to me…” She trailed off, voice cracking.

“Gael will get her. But the sooner you three are safe, the sooner we can all go after her. Now?—”

I didn’t hear the rest. I was already running at top speed after my mate. My high alpha had released me from my pack duties, and nothing would stand in the way of me finding her.

But will I find her before the mob?