It’s Mannus.
Terror slams into me so hard that I drop the salves and stumble backward.
He immediately shifts back, glaring at my stomach. “What the fuck isthat?”
“It’s nothing,” I stammer, covering my belly.
“You stupid, selfish Omega,” he growls. “You’ve been hiding out here all this time, carrying another Alpha’s pup?”
His sweaty neck is suddenly right in my face. He grabs my hair and jerks my head to each side, looking for a mate mark.
“At least you weren’t dumb enough to let him claim you,” he sneers. “The Prime will show you a little mercy for that, thoughyou hardly deserve it for what you’ve done tome.”
“Who else is in there?” He stops and scents the air. “Come out, Lasha! I can smell you.”
He glares at me as he waits for her to emerge from the thicket. “You’re lucky there’s no Alpha scent. I’d happily tear open your lover’s throat without permission from the Prime.”
Mother quietly emerges with one of her market sacks stuffed with supplies. I think she’s trying to rescue some of the beautiful things Durin brought us for the pup. The Prime may throw them out in his anger, but I’m glad she managed to gather what she could when she realized what was happening.
As Mannus explains how he expects us to behave on the way to camp, I glance back at our simple home. I’m filled with grief before we’ve taken a single step away. Even if we managed to escape again, we could never return here. It would be the first place they’d look for us.
I mourn for the beautiful basket Durin brought for the pup, the bed that’s given me rest for many moons, and my swing, along with the kind dryad it hangs from.
“Goodbye, dryad,” I whisper. “Thank you.”
Mannus catches my words and mocks me. ““What’s this? A heartfelt goodbye to a tree? How pathetic. Now, walk, little bitches.”
He shoves us in the direction he wants us to go, following closely behind. “You made a fool of me to the pack! And the Prime forbade me to return until I found you. Well, not you, Lasha. The Prime only cares about hismate.”
Mother doesn’t react as she picks the easiest path she can through the forest. Mannus growls at her indifference. “I could just leave you here, Beta. Or kill you. The Prime wouldn’t care either way as long as he got his precious Omega back.”
“Please, don’t hurt her,” I plead, baring my throat as I walk. “I’m sorry! This is my fault, not hers.”
I feel filthy, exposing my neck to him, but I can’t let him hurt my mother. She was only trying to protect her daughter like any mother would.
“Shut up, Omega!” he snaps. “I’m bringing her back so she can watch what becomes of you.”
And there it is.
It’s not just Mother and me. Even this loathsome Alpha knows the Prime’s ways are despicable. But he benefits from them, so he’s more than happy to support him. And he’ll no doubt be taking advantage of them very soon.
Our new, peaceful life was just a tease. Mother will be punished immediately. I’ll be mate-claimed first, then punished for the rest of my life.
Unless Durin finds us, that is. I’m sure he’ll try. But even if he does find us, he can’t take on an entire pack’s Alphas by himself. And would he be willing to risk everything for us? Are our lives worth more than the rest of the realm’s?
No, they’re not. And I couldn’t even blame him if he chose Faerie over us.
I’m being dragged back to the fate I thought I could run from. Pack Omega. A mate to every Alpha. A warm body with a knot hugger. I’ll be nothing more than that once this pup is born.
I guess it was my true fate after all.
To be continued…
Find out what happens to Rue in Book 2, King
