Chapter 2

two

. . .

ADDY

I reached the meeting place as the second sun dipped behind the horizon, casting the sky in solid gold.

It was not a nice place, really. The area surrounded a fountain with stone walls around it in a circle. The small park offered shade, seating and water, like most parks in the city of Diwan. This one was overgrown though, with hardy desert plants breaking through the bricks and separating the mosaic of tiles on the walkway. Dust and sand covered every surface.

There were better spots for friends to meet. But this one was isolated, and had a fire pit, so it suited us to sit in the dark, away from all while we schemed.

There were only four of us so far, but we knew the numbers would grow once we went public with our plans. There were bound to be other alphas who agreed with our beliefs and would want to join us; the New Order of Alphas. But for now, there four of us would make do.

The other three were already there when I entered.

Ossad, a pale alpha with soft pink hair, eyes and scales, was a beast. A specimen that would give the famed Saar and Eisa both a hard time if they ever came face to face with him—something that had been brought up as a potential reality when we first began our work. Fari was the smallest of us, with dark skin and shining yellow coloring. But his size was a nonissue. He was all cunning and brains. He always came up with the good plans of actions. In a war, he would be an absolute asset.

Then there was Kazm, the visionary. With a rare colorless condition, his white eyes seemed to see straight through me. It was easy to believe that his words came from a higher power—which was what he said, and what I truly believed. I would follow the alpha, no matter where he lead me.

Everything he said felt like absolute truth.

Ossad was bent over the fire pit, already stroking the flames to life. His long pink hair was tied back in a braid so it wouldn't hang too close to the flames as he worked.

The other two sat on the low benches nearby.

I went to the one nearest to them and sat down.

As the youngest member of the New Order of Alphas, I looked up to all three of my friends. They had sided with me when no one else had.

"I apologize for being so late," I said, as I joined them.

"You are here," Kazm said, "that is all that matters. You are not the type of alpha who would let us down."

I warmed at his praise, excitement brewing in me as I watched the fire grow.

Fari began to whisper something quietly in Kazm's ears, so I turned my attention to Ossad, who was now lying wood over the freshly sparked flames.

"I ran into my brother on the way here," I told him.

His sharp pink gaze flew up to my face at once.

"What did he have to say?" he asked.

"That I should forgive him and understand him," I snorted. "He said that now that the mating is complete I should forget about the rest."

Ossad was the strong and silent type of alpha, but his expressions spoke louder than words could. Both of his brows rose, and he shook his head.

"Some omegas," he muttered under his breath.

"Exactly," I enthused. "I can't wait until we can finally put them back in their place."

"Soon," Fari promised.

They always said that.

"Yes, I know. But soon is not soon enough."

"Is the double new-moon not close enough for you?" Kazm asked with a knowing smile.

My gaze flew to his face, searching, making sure he was not joking.

It was a rare occurrence for the cycles of both moons to fall on the same night. It took a year to come again each time, and in less than seven days, the New Moon Festival would take place on that, the darkest night of the year.

His smile said it all. It was finally happening.

"Are you ready?" he asked.

I nodded fervently.

"Yes, yes, yes."

The other three laughed.

"Then, listen closely," Fari said.

Finally done with the fire, Ossad took a spot on the other side of it, and we all leaned around its warm, orange glow as everything we had spent months talking about finally became real.

"Before I explain my final decision, I must know that I have your full support," Kazm said.

I was nodding before he was even finished speaking.

"From this point on, what we do will not only be frowned upon, but it will also be considered illegal by the alpha council and most likely by many of the citizens of Diwan and the surrounding villages."

He made eye-contact with each of us, his strong white eyes searching each of us for weakness. When his gaze met mine, I held it. I had no hesitation within me. I didn't care if no one else agreed now. We would make them see that our way, the traditional way, was the right one.

"The human ideals have spread like a disease on our planet. Already so many omegas have fallen to their beliefs. Our own people have supported them, but worst of all, our own Alpha Council, those who are meant to support and lead us, have not only accepted their ways, but continue to find ways to change the very fundamentals of our culture.

"It is time to take back what is ours… starting with the precious omegas themselves. They are being blinded by new ideas, let us remind them of what is right."

A tingle ran down my spine. I felt my spikes lift as though in danger as a strange, unfriendly feeling washed over me.

I knew what he was going to say just before he said it.

"We will each capture an unmated omega. We will bring them to a meeting place that has yet to be determined."

My heart was thudding so hard, I could barely hear past it.

I glanced at the other two.

Fari did not look remotely surprised by the news. He must have been privy to the plan before this moment. Perhaps he had even suggested it. Ossad on the other hand now stared into the fire with clenched fists.

He looked up at Kazm and to my shock, he seemed angry.

"How?" he demanded. "How will we take an omega away from their guardians on the busiest night of the year? We will be skinned for trying."

The thought of it alone made me flex my claws. I was prepared to stand in protest, yet I hadn't considered fighting against those who stood in my way. At least, not like this. Not in the dark while taking their omegas…

"Have faith, my friend," Kazm said, grinning like he'd expected this.

I must have looked nervous because he met my eyes with just as much easy humor.

"We will use the noise, celebration and darkness to assist us," Fari explained.

"But—"

"During the lights show," he went on. "When everyone's attention is pointing up, we will sneak behind our chosen omegas and take them at just the moment the show ends. The darkness that follows will be blinding enough for you to pull them away before you are noticed."

I shook my head. Though it pained me to admit it, many of the omegas would be too skilled to take away easily.

"It won't work," I said. "They've all been attending self-defence lessons with the human omega, Devin. He has taught them to fight in a way that is not conducive to our styles."

"Then we shall have to move fast. Start behind them. Don't let them suspect you until you already have them."

Fari went into detail, explaining methods he had thought up to get them away, to move them while there was too much noise to hear if they should scream.

It seemed… dirty.

Disappointment washed over me as I realized the truth.

"I cannot take part in this," I said regretfully. "I was prepared to sacrifice myself, for each alpha to be allowed a chance to win an omega again. For the auctions to be returned to the symbolic status they once were. For respect to be given to those who were matched by fate the real way. I am not willing to take what isn't mine…"

I frowned and then looked up at Kazm, confused.

"Is that not the whole point of this?" I asked. "I thought we wanted balance to be restored. Alpha's leading omegas, not taking them by force."

"My child," Kazm said sadly. "You are younger than us. You have not fought in the auctions and seen the disrespect firsthand. We three were all in Latif's auction, willing to be life mates with him."

I nodded. I knew that of course, that was what had brought us all together.

"For drastic change, we will need to take drastic measures."

"And don't misunderstand," Fari jumped in. "We won't be mating with these omegas, we will only use them as leverage. To make our voices heard."

"Right now, no one will listen to us," Kazm added. "But once we convince the omegas of our ways, the rest will listen too."

Somehow, his words were starting to make sense.

"So, we won't mate them. We will only convince them of our values?"

"Yes, of course," Kazm agreed. "We shall spoil them, show them what an alphas affection could truly feel like, remind them why it was better how it was before… perhaps you already have someone in mind?"

I swallowed, because the moment he said it, Alil's face flew to my mind.

Latif's best friend was the sweetest person I had known. His smile could melt even the coldest of hearts. Even as children I had been fascinated by him, following him around and nicknaming him Lili, until we were too old to play together anymore and had to be separated.

I didn't know what Alil saw in my brother or why he wanted to be friends with him. I hoped it wasn't because they had been lovers as I'd suggested to Latif. That idea disgusted me and made me feel something even filthier than revulsion. It made me feel jealousy.

In this life, there was no guarantee that one would win the omega they wanted, but I fantasized over the day Alil finally went to auction. That was, if the auctions even continued after the way things had gone the last two times.

There had been rumors about it being cancelled permanently.

But if we acted now, if we got the support of the rest of the city, then perhaps we could stop what had already been put in motion.

"What do you say?" Kazm asked.

Fari nodded at once.

"You know I'm in," he said, rubbing his hands together.

I took a deep breath and then nodded as well.

"You have my support."

He looked at Ossad next, who had been silently thinking for some time.

Finally, he looked up at Kazm and nodded.

"I will do whatever I need to in order to have an omega mate," he said. "I will go forth with your plan if you believe we will be successful."

Kazm glowed with pride.

"That is my promise," he said. "By the end of this, we will each have our mates at our sides."

My heart swelled with excitement but at the same time, unease filled me.

I hoped this was the right thing to do.

I just had to trust the others.