“It’s good to see you two again, Ellie, Ehsan,” I murmured almost in disbelief.
Her bright brown eyes lit up when she saw me and she smiled, cocking her head sweetly to the side. I was happy to see they had made it back safely.
“I’m so happy to see you!” she exclaimed. She bounded toward me and swung her arms around my neck, and I gathered her in a hug.
“I’m happy to see you too,” I whispered in her ear.
It was then that I noticed that along with Ehsan, she’d brought back three strangers with her, three massive huge men who stood behind her and stared at me with inquisitive, challenging eyes.
They looked like alphas.
I’d sent Ellie out into the wilds in hopes of garnering their support. Instead, they sent three of their men, probably to take over my role as leader and undermine me here. I grimaced.
Fuck that.
One of them had dark, mussed hair that was on the shorter side and a full beard tinged with gray that gave him an intense salt and pepper look. His green eyes narrowed in my direction, full eyebrows angling slightly downward as he stared me down. He was big and beneath his buttoned-up forest green shirt, I could tell he was incredibly strong. The buttons of his shirt strained around his chest, indicating that he was hiding a chiseled physique underneath all that fabric. His shoulders were wide, his abdomen tapered down to lean hips, and his legs were thick and muscled. He stood with his hands behind his back, like a military man would do as he studied me. He was an intimidating sight. He was the one who worried me the most.
The alpha standing directly next to him looked like a warrior from a far-off land. His hair was a chocolate brown, pulled back into a tight bun at the back of his neck. He had a trimmed beard, but the tattoos across his face caught my attention. A single black line surrounded his eyes and extended to his ears, giving himself the aura of a powerful fighter who wasn’t afraid of anything. His dark eyes met mine and he grinned smugly. I shivered, running my eyes across the furs on his shoulder and the intricately carved leather armor covering his chest. Dark black pants extended down to leather boots. Leather bracers guarded his wrists. This man looked like he was ready for war.
The third alpha had dirty blond hair that was just long enough to run his fingers through. He looked at me lazily with deep blue eyes, almost as though he was deciding if I was worth the effort or not. He had strong features, a blond beard, and a tattoo that decorated his exposed right arm. He wore simple dark brown leather armor that covered his chest but left his arms bare and unencumbered. A thick leather belt hung low around his waist, holding up black cotton pants. He crossed his arms over his chest and leaned against the wall, just studying me as he did so. It was slightly intimidating, to say the least.
The sight of the three men unnerved me. They looked like they wanted to say something, to admonish me for my role here, and I just didn’t have the will power to deal with men like that tonight.
“I met with Triss,” Ellie began. “Outside the walls, the Central Gathering met, and it was decided that they would help us. They sent these three men to begin preparations, to help train the omegas and to coordinate our attack together,” she explained.
“How is Triss?” I asked then, trying not to focus on the glowering alphas behind her.
“She’s doing well. She seems happy with her alphas,” Ellie answered and then I turned my attention back toward the men she had brought with her. I’d have to deal with them, at least briefly.
“My name is Nikki. I lead the Omegaborn,” I said, introducing myself to the three of them. The one who reminded me of a soldier stepped forward first.
“I’m Ethan,” he replied, then offered his hand. I took it and he shook it firmly and with respect as a military man was trained to do. With a step back, he moved aside, letting the others come forward to greet me.
“I’m Viktor,” the warrior with the tattoo across his eyes said. “It’s good to finally meet with you.” He stepped toward me and nodded in greeting and I smiled tightly in return.
“Alaric,” the blond man leaning against the wall offered. He didn’t move from his position at all. My gaze crossed over him, sensing that there was more to him than met the eye.
“It’s nice to meet you all. I’m sure you’ve had a long journey and are tired from it, probably hungry too. Gemma, see to it that everyone is fed and housed safely down here in the underground tonight. Ellie, come with me,” I commanded, and the alphas looked slightly put off at my dismissal of them, so I thought it might be best to pacify them, at least for now. “Let’s reconvene in the morning when everyone is well rested,” I offered then and that seemed to appease them, at least a little.
I turned and gestured for Ellie to follow me into my office. The two of us walked down the hallway together, back into my office. Her alpha came along with her and stood against the wall, watching and protecting her. I didn’t protest. Thus far, he’d never interfered with my role here and I liked it that way.
We sat down at the blueprint-covered table and talked a bit about her journey. I asked her more about the wilds and what they were planning, and she filled me in on most of the missing pieces. She told me that they’d snuck back in via the water drainage pipes that snaked deep underground and connected with our tunnel system. Then they’d made their way here. She had come in order to introduce the alphas from the wilds, so that they could help us begin preparations here in the city and connect us with some important allies among sympathetic betas that lived in Tharia.
Another omega knocked on my office door, interrupting us for a brief second to inform me of another attack. Recently, a higher number of increasingly bold guards had taken it upon themselves to punish the omegas.
“See to it that she’s well taken care of. If need be, move her down here and give her all the medical care she needs. Don’t be afraid to dip into the reserves if we have to,” I replied and the omega nodded, rushing off to fulfill her duties. I sighed and shook my head, rubbing my forehead with my fingers.
“It’s not safe for you here. You should go back to the wilds, where you’ll be protected from the monsters under this wretched dome,” I finally said, and Ehsan grunted his agreement. I looked up at him, meeting his eyes and I knew then that the two of us were on the same page.
“I will. When the time is right,” she answered confidently, and Ehsan sighed heavily. Ellie’s face fell just a little and she wiggled in her seat.
“If I had it my way, I’d carry her off into the wilds and fuck her senseless. It’s safer than this place, even with all the alphas running around out there,” he said, and I giggled softly at him. Ellie narrowed her eyes in his direction, her expression blatantly daring him to try. Ehsan uncrossed his arms and dropped his hands to his belt and Ellie quickly turned away, a practiced look of feigned innocence crossing her features then.
“Just you wait until you find an alpha that will tame you,” she teased.
“Not likely. I’m far too independent-minded for just any alpha,” I answered, and her face lit up with amusement. She didn’t answer and Ehsan snorted as he tried to stifle a laugh. I didn’t comment, choosing to ignore their response.
“You should get some sleep. I’ll meet with the alphas in the morning and together, we’ll devise a plan to prepare for the battle that is to come,” I added, and she nodded enthusiastically.
“Good night, Nikki,” she answered. “Be nice to the alphas. They’re good men,” she added.
“Sleep well, Ellie. Good work,” I replied with a grin and she gazed back at me, her expression unreadable.
I watched her walk out of the room and I sat back, lost in thought.
How was I going to handle this new development?