I stared down at the front page of last week’s newspaper; the headline glared back at me: Ashwood Alphas Arrested.
Cam, Ben, and Theo’s mugshots were blown up on the page and I traced my fingers down their faces, my chest aching with the weight of my emotions. Their rage was clear even through the blurry black-and-white images.
They were alive.
I rested my head back on the headboard, closing my eyes and taking a shuddering breath. My relief was so intense it left me light-headed.
I hadn’t let myself believe Donovan’s words until this moment. I bit my lip to keep from crying, needing to keep my shit together long enough to read the article.
My hands shook as I tried to hold the paper steady.
Cameron, Theodore, and Benjamin Ashwood were arrested at their Old City home yesterday evening and charged with treason, conspiring against the government, and omega endangerment. Pack Ashwood had been without an omega for fifteen years before matching with Josephine Porter six weeks ago. Ms. Porter is the pack daughter of Jericho Porter, senate leader of the Designation Government. At this morning’s press conference, District Attorney Graham Leslie asserted that Pack Ashwood matched with Ms. Porter for the express purpose of using her as leverage against Senator Porter, and a leaked Designation Center report reveals abuse allegations made by Ms. Porter against Pack Ashwood. District Attorney Leslie called for an expedited trial, saying, “Omegas are the weakest amongst us, and it is the government’s job to ensure their safety and protection. We have long been concerned that these anti-designation radicals would use and abuse omegas to overthrow our government, and now it’s happened.”
My tears fell so thickly that the rest of the article blurred beyond recognition.
The door opened and Donovan entered, holding a tray with a plate of pancakes, sausage, and eggs. He set the tray down before sitting in a chair beside the bed. He had been fussing over me since I passed out.
“Why don’t I take that?” he said, gesturing at the paper. “It’s all garbage, anyway.”
I let him tug the newspaper out of my still-shaking hands.
“None of that’s true,” I said through a sob.
“I know, honey,” he said. “Anyone who knows your alphas knows none of this is true. They’re making up lies to get what they want.”
“I need to tell them it’s not true.”
“You can’t, Josie.”
“I have to! I don’t care if that means Glen gets me again. I can’t let them go to prison based on lies.”
Donovan cleared his throat. “Last week, Jericho proposed a ton of new laws. One of them was a bill that prevents omegas from testifying in court. They passed it yesterday.”
I stared at Donovan, at a loss for words.
“I know,” he said, eyes tight. “Apparently, we’re too fragile and emotional to testify. Some doctor wrote a paper about how the stress of testifying could cause an omega to become infertile.”
My brain sluggishly tried to compute what Donovan was telling me.
“How will they know the allegations aren’t true, then?” I whispered hoarsely, even though I already knew the answer.
They wouldn’t.
They would use words I never said against my alphas in a sham trial.
The relief of my alphas being alive had quickly been replaced by the agony of being separated from them and the uncertainty of what would happen next.
Donovan scooted his chair closer and put his arm around my shoulder. I leaned into him, sobbing into his shirt. His scent was pleasant, but the only scents I wanted were my alphas’.
“I have to get them back,” I said, wiping my tears.
“We’re not going to abandon you or your pack. The intel you got changes everything. We’re going to finally be able to take down this government, once and for all.”
“Wait, what?”
“The papers you stole,” Donovan said with a gentle smile.
“You got them?” I said with a gasp.
“Yes, we’re going through them all now and have already alerted Amirah. But this is exactly what we’ve been waiting for—concrete evidence that the Designation Government has been kidnapping omegas and using them as blackmail against their opponents. Your alphas have done a lot for the Alliance over the years, and you’ve accomplished even more.”
I wanted to ask more questions, but we were interrupted by a knock on the door. Angie walked in, wearing her usual matching tracksuit, carrying a bag of medical supplies.
The following minutes passed in a blur. Angie disinfected the wound and gave me an antibiotic injection before stitching it up. The bullet had burned my skin which was part of the reason it was hurting so much. I squeezed Donovan’s hand through it all and wished omegas had a higher pain tolerance.
Donovan’s phone beeped and he glanced down at it. “I’ve got to go check on something for Terrance. Will you be okay up here?”
“I’ll be fine,” I said, biting back my whimper as Angie finished binding my leg. She had numbed it for the stitches, but it still stung.
Donovan looked at me with skepticism. I clearly wasn’t as good of an actor as I thought.
“I’ll stay—” he said as his phone beeped again. “Fuck, I do have to go. When you’re ready to come downstairs, just text me.” He gestured at the burner phone he’d placed on the nightstand. “Then we can start creating a plan to get your alphas.”
“Thank you,” I said, my voice soft.
Donovan gave my shoulder a squeeze, moving slowly as if worried he would scare me. To be fair, I’d been halfway out the window when he found me. I felt surprisingly comfortable around him, though.
“How’re you feeling?” Angie asked as she started cleaning up her supplies.
“Frustrated that we keep meeting like this,” I said with a small smile. “But I appreciate you coming,” I added, not wanting to sound ungrateful.
“You make those alphas of yours take you on a nice long vacation once this is over.”
“What happens if I can’t get them back?” I whispered, trusting Angie enough to put my greatest fear into words.
She sat down on the bed and took my hand in hers. “I know it’s not helpful for me to say, but I’m confident that’s not going to happen.”
Somehow, it was actually reassuring to hear her say it.
She bit her lip, now looking a bit unsure. “I did want to talk to you about something. Donovan said you thought your alphas had been killed?”
I nodded and averted my gaze, my throat tight. She squeezed my hand.
“Have you heard of Omega Ferality?”
I tilted my head. The term felt somewhat familiar, but I couldn’t place it. “Maybe?”
“I don’t love the name, but it’s a phenomenon that can occur when omegas have been separated from their alphas or if their alphas have been… harmed. It’s stronger amongst bonded packs, but since you’re mates, it could affect you even though you’re not yet bonded.”
“I still haven’t felt the mate bond,” I confessed.
“Totally normal,” she reassured me. “You probably won’t for a few more months. That is, if you choose not to take any more suppressants. Either way, Omega Ferality is when the inner omega starts taking over. It can cause difficulty eating and sleeping, and you might respond more instinctually than usual. It’s a response to the omega’s need to protect their alphas. I wanted to mention it in case you find yourself acting differently than normal.”
I felt the truth of Angie’s words. My omega had already been closer to the surface than usual, but instead of wanting to get rid of her, of resenting her mere presence, I felt more united with her than ever before.
Angie patted my hand before getting up.
“I plan to be around quite a bit these next few days, so I’ll be able to check your wound. Let me know if it starts hurting or if you notice redness or swelling.”
“Thanks,” I said, my eyelids suddenly feeling heavy.
She pulled a soft blanket over me and brushed my hair from my face tenderly as I dozed off.
