Turning back toward the three-headed wolf, I watched as he lowered his head for me. I climbed up onto the central head’s neck, one foot after another until I was sitting safely on top of him. Raven and Triss had climbed up onto the two other heads. At first, I felt unsteady but then I wrapped both my legs and arms around his neck. His fur was rough on the surface, but beneath there was a soft undercoat and I dug my fingers into it as he lifted his head and looked onward toward the wall then.
“See that man wearing the yellow there? I need to get to him as fast as possible,” I said firmly, and the wolf grunted with understanding. I held on tighter as the giant monster leapt toward the wall, bounding with purpose. I could feel the muscles and sinew of the giant wolf tightening beneath my body. I could also feel that the enormous creature was full of passionate excitement as well as closely guarded rage.
The wolf covered the distance to the wall in a handful of strides. When he reached it, I climbed up to a squatting position on his neck and when he leaned forward, I leapt, hurting myself toward the ledge.
I ran through the air, propelling myself forward and landed safely on the stone surface, not far from where Philip stood. Raven and Triss skidded beside me, catching themselves with their hands and pushing themselves up as they landed. The three of us stood up together and Philip turned toward us. His eyes grazed furiously from me to the other omegas to the three-headed wolf just waiting at the wall.
“You’re not going to stop me,” he spat toward us. Behind him, a group of highly trained betas broke into action. They rushed to fight Triss, Raven, and me, but we were ready for them. One of them approached me and I knocked the gun out of his hands. It skittered across the stone until it clattered over the edge and down below.
The beta looked at me with a blank look, almost like he couldn’t believe that I had just done that. I grinned back at him and quickly dropped to a crouch, swinging my leg out in a controlled roundhouse that swept his feet straight out from under him. His mouth opened in surprise and I jabbed the side of his throat with my knife, ensuring to sever the spinal cord and giving him the quickest, least painful death I could manage.
The three-headed wolf roared behind us. It swung forward, each of its three heads grasping a beta soldier within its fangs. It whipped its heads back and forth and the bodies made a sickening crunching sound before the wolf threw them aside. Philip’s expression changed very quickly then from one of sheer confidence to one of abject fear.
“He’s mine,” I yelled to Raven and Triss, catching their gazes one last time. The two of them nodded, their movements almost imperceptible but they knew I needed this, knew this was my battle to fight.
“Philip Savile. It’s been some time,” I called out, catching his attention. It had been. At once, memories of the exposure of my omega status came to mind. Of the central role Philip had played in my imprisonment. I rolled my upper lip, growling at him.
“If it isn’t little Nikki,” he sneered, and I snarled right back at him.
“I’ve come to put a stop to your oppression of the omegas,” I demanded, scowling. I hated him and everything he stood for. I hated how his son had betrayed me to him and how Philip had used that secret for his own political gain. He’d exposed me and sentenced me to life in the sanctuary, knowing how terrible it would be despite the fact that I had been his son’s best friend. For every omega who had been ousted for who they were born to be, Philip had been central in their imprisonment, their slavery, and ultimately, their abuse.
He’d lightened restrictions on the guards, allowing them access to our bodies and turning the other way when any of us got sick or injured as a result. He cut our funding and supplies, limiting our access to medicine and food. I’d held many an omega’s hand as she drew her last breath and shut her eyes for the very last time. Their faces were burned into my memory, never to be forgotten again.
I stared back at Philip.
He was going to die today. I wouldn’t stop until I’d killed him.
I burst forward, my boots skidding across the surface of the stone. I removed one knife from its holster on my belt with my right hand and then another for my left. This was going to be up close and personal combat. I was far more comfortable with a blade than a gun and it would allow me to move faster and use my abilities as an omega to the fullest. Not surprisingly, he scrambled for his gun.
He fumbled with the weapon, but it didn’t matter. I took my chance to make the first move. I dove for the stone, tucked my head and rolled toward him, slashing my knife upward and just catching the skin of his wrist in a glancing blow. He cried out and dropped the gun. I swiftly kicked it aside, watching as it skittered off in the distance, just hanging on the edge of the wall.
I bounced up and he threw an elbow forward, catching my jaw and rattling my head to the side. I lifted my forearms up defensively, but he had managed to throw me off balance. His other fist glanced off my wrist and struck my cheek, but I quickly twisted out of the way, whirling my own elbow around and striking out with the switchblade in my right hand. It caught his throat, scratching him deeply enough so that his blood began to spill.
He roared with anger at my small victory and I chuckled, working my jaw in the process to ensure that it wasn’t broken. It wasn’t but it was pretty fucking sore.
He rushed at me then, forgetting all manner of military training or any sort of strategy and solely focused on his need to subdue me, but I wouldn’t give him that. I’d worked too hard for this.
He tried to grab at me and I ducked, twisting out of his reach. With a quick sidestep, I refocused my center of balance and turned back to him. Using the power in my legs, I thrust myself at him and threw my body on his back. He was ready for me though and threw his own body forward, tossing me aside as though I was just a sack of flour.
I gasped, the air rushing from my lungs as my back slammed onto the stone beneath me. I didn’t let it slow me down though. I kicked my legs up, propelling my body up into the air and then I pitched forward, landing on the balls of my feet as I did so.
We circled each other, like two wolves challenging each other for the head position of the pack. I snarled, the sound vicious and cruel and he returned my challenge with a growl that was equally violent.
I studied him then. He was slender, a bit smaller than the other betas but he was tall. His neck was bloodied as was his wrist, but his chest rose and fell with the effort to fight. He was out of practice and tiring quickly. Not like me.
I trained for this moment all my life.
His fingers shook as he lifted his arms up to cover his face, giving away his rising exhaustion. His gaze raced from side to side, looking for someone to rescue him, but no one moved. Every single person atop that wall was watching our fight. Even the betas who were supposed to protect him stopped fighting.
One of them caught my eye and winked.
“Damiyen sends his regards,” one of them said quietly. A dozen other men winked in response and started to move away. I grinned. I should have known that Damiyen would have pull, even here. Of course he’d have his allies stationed in such a powerful position. Guarding the city leader and learning all his secrets must have been one of his top priorities. No wonder he had a smirk on his face when I’d left him down below.
Smug bastard. Useful though.
Only a few betas remained up along the wall with Savile. Their eyes ripped from me to Raven and Triss to the three-headed wolf guarding the wall by our side and their faces went white. They slowly backed away, giving us space and abandoning their leader in the process.
“Where are you going, you pieces of shit?” Savile screamed as what was left of his protective beta detail quickly tucked tail and ran. They descended into the city, where the bloodied and battle-hardened alphas waited for them.