18. Cy

Mine was still asleep, and Odie refused to leave her. I couldn't be in there any longer with Odie's anxious energy filling the room, so I was outside, waiting for Vaila to arrive.

I had checked on my wounds and wrapped them after a quick scrub down. The gashes on my leg from Oliver's teeth and claws were already healing thanks to the one useful ability Alphas seemed to have. The slice across my forehead was sealing already as well. They would all be scars before I knew it, adding to the others I already had across my body.

I sat on one of the chairs we had set up on the far end of this side of the porch. It was a sturdy wooden rocking chair that I couldn't resist getting. It made the mornings I was awake early manageable. This plus a cup of coffee made things better.

My chin rested in my palm as I stared out through the opening in the trees that led to the road. She should be here any minute, but I was losing any patience I had.

Odie wouldn't let me check for the matching mate marks even though there wasn't another option I could think of. If Mine wasn't Odie's mate and her designation wasn't forced into action from the consumption of her mate's blood, I had no idea what else it could be.

This was all so different from how it typically went, at least from what I'd heard. Fewer and fewer Primarchs were finding their true mates, but it didn't really matter in the end. Our population wasn't declining or anything like that. Everyone found someone or a few someones that they loved and wanted to be with, and that was that.

At first, it was a concern, but without a dip in birth rates, no one seemed to care anymore.

Except some did, like Odie and me. We had met a few others like us that didn't feel a true connection to anyone in that way. Sure, we had relationships, and sex wasn't something we ever had to go without if we wanted it, but the love part never happened. We thought we were defective, but with this new information, it was clear we weren't the issue at all.

Everyone else settled and accepted that things had changed for no clear reason instead of digging deeper. If they had, maybe there wouldn't be a Human race but another part of the Primarchy who needed help finding their mates so they could thrive in our world.

I didn't want to think about how that would work though. Having them drink a massive concoction of blood from all the mateless Primarchs didn't sound like the best idea.

If Mine hadn't been a Human, or whatever we should actually be calling them, we would have noticed right away, but now that we knew what she was, our kindness toward her made sense, and her attitude going from gruff, annoying, and humorous to anxious and skittish really sealed the deal.

Omegas might be in charge and could control us with their pheromones, but that didn't mean they were physically or mentally stronger. They had to work for the power they had, and if they were nice about it, I was fully on board for it, but others took advantage.

I couldn't imagine having all of those hormones course through me at once without the gradual build of control. Alphas were volatile when they wanted to be, and if the rage and adrenaline that filled me at times blasted through me without any training to control it, massacres would happen.

When Mine woke up, this was going to be a disaster. I ran a hand down my face, thinking about how she would behave now. Would we get back the snarky Human we met, or would a pushover of an Omega who couldn't control her abilities emerge?

Ellie was bad enough at times and wasn't the greatest to be around while she was dealing with the flood of emotions when puberty hit, but this would be that on steroids.

The sound of tires scraping the dirt and gravel road made its way to me. I hoped it was Vaila and not someone else I would have to deal with before she arrived. I couldn't promise they'd make it out of here unscathed.

I had already let so much damage happen to our—to Mine, I corrected myself. I only had an inkling that she was mine as well, but that didn't mean she would want me. She could still reject Odie as well. After losing an arm and finding out about everything that had happened and would happen, there was no telling how she'd react.

Vaila's car sped around the corner and skidded to a halt in front of the porch steps before she jumped out.

"What is so urgent, Cy? I have other people to take care of, you know." She stomped up the steps, and I rolled my eyes.

"You'll see. You're not going to be happy about it though." She was over Odie. It wasn't serious for either of them, and trust me, I made sure that was the truth before letting Vaila anywhere near us again. I couldn't risk the damage of someone so close to the family having a falling out.

"Whatever you say," she said as we made our way inside and down the hall to Odie's room.

"Good luck." I opened the door to reveal Odie pacing across the floor and Mine still passed out in bed.

"What happened?" Vaila ignored Odie and went to Mine, looking her over as she had done before. Only this time, it was very obvious that Mine wasn't going to make it out unscathed. "Who did this to her?" Vaila growled out. For a Witch, she was as fierce as they came. In a different life, she would have been an Alpha.

"Oliver and Gerard." I stepped up beside her, and Odie stopped pacing and stood at the foot of the bed.

"There's a lot you need to know, but first, heal her as best as you can." Odie's voice was quiet but demanding and filled with worry.

"I don't know—"

"I know, Vaila. Do what you can, and we will explain what we have learned."

"What you've learned?" Vaila asked as she ran her hands over Mine's shoulder, then pulled back. "She's not?" She turned to us with shock written across her face. Her brown eyes widened, and her jaw clenched.

"She is," I said, placing a hand on her shoulder. "That's why we called you. She can't go to a hospital. We can't risk anyone finding out about this."

Vaila remained quiet for a moment, then nodded. "Fine, but you have to tell me everything."

We did. Every last detail was shared as she worked on Mine, and our eyes never left them. It was like a horror movie you were terrified to watch, but no matter what you did, you couldn"t look away.

Thankfully, Vaila came prepared everywhere she went. She had run into too many situations with guards and warriors where she wasn't and learned. Mine was given herbs to keep her asleep and pain meds to help with what was happening to her. Eventually, as if it had never been there, her arm was removed at the shoulder joint, leaving behind some shredded skin and a gaping wound, and bandaged without as much of a peep from the Omega.

My eyes were dry from refusing to blink. I didn't miss a single step as my hands turned into fists and my nails dug into my palms. I was sure blood was leaking from them, but I didn't care. Mine had been mauled, and I had let it happen. I was rusty, and Oliver got the better of me. I had never fought anyone in wolf form, but all living things bled the same when slashed with a blade or shot.

We had been too complacent. Everyone knew of us and stayed away within the Primarchy community. They knew our skills and didn't dare go against us without a decent force behind them, but clearly, we weren't as good as we thought we were.

Vaila wrapped the arm and placed it in a sack to keep it hidden away for now. If Ellie came in here and saw it, there would be no calming her down anytime soon. Having her see Mine like this would be bad enough.

"I will take it with me if you'd like, or you can wait for her to wake up and decide." Vaila backed away from the bed, her job done for now. "I will give you extra supplies to keep it freshly wrapped and pain meds. I wouldn't want anyone to go through this without them. Even with them, it will be difficult. Was she aware of what happened?" Vaila's entire body sagged with sorrow and exhaustion. She hadn't had much time with Mine, but it was obvious they got along, minus the annoyance Mine had with her and Odie's past.

"I'm not sure how much she will remember, but she was very aware that Oliver had damaged her shoulder if nothing else. Even so—"

"How long until she wakes up?" Odie interrupted me and came around to sit beside Mine, holding her remaining hand.

"Everything I gave her should wear off in the next hour or so, but there's no telling when her body will be ready after everything she's been through. This is new territory."

Odie nodded but didn't take her eyes off of Mine.

"You skipped over a bit, didn't you? She's yours?" Odie stilled, and her back tensed. "She seems like a good fit. Mine will certainly keep you from being bored and lonely, and she won't put up with any shit. If I was going to pick an Omega for you, it would be her."

"Oh, and what about me?" I prodded, trying to lighten the mood in the room. Even for me, it was sour.

Vaila countered without skipping a beat. "You'd be lucky to have her, but I can't say the same for Mine. You've always been grumpy and trigger happy."

"Some people find that endearing and useful."

"If it was useful, we wouldn't be in this situation." That shut me up. "I'll get you the extra supplies and be on my way. I'll be in touch to make sure everything is going okay. Call me if there are any issues." Vaila met my gaze and glared.

"You're going to regret that." We would be pestering her day and night, making sure everything was fine. If we weren't, Ellie damn sure would.

"I'd rather regret that than let her suffer for longer than she has to." Vaila always surprised me. She was always professional, but there were times when she was so incredibly serious that it took me back. This was one of those times.

"You'll hear from us plenty, Vaila, and thank you for doing this." Odie finally graced us with something besides her back, but it was short lived as she quickly turned back to Mine. "And I don't know if she's mine, but I don't think it matters."

That's how I knew she was without having true confirmation. Odie wouldn't behave this way with anyone else. A need to shove her aside and take her place was growing inside me, and that was terrifying. I'd fight it for now, but I didn't know how long I would be able to fight the urge to confirm that she's mine.

With Vaila gone and Odie watching Mine, I checked on Ellie. It had been an intense morning, and she had been a little too quiet and out of the way.

I knocked on her door, and no answer came. Any patience I normally had for her was gone at the moment, so I pushed open the door to see her bundled in a ball on her bed, wrapped in multiple blankets. Her phone rested in front of her face with the light shining onto it, revealing her red-rimmed green eyes.

I closed the door behind me as I stepped into her room without a word from either of us. She put her phone down and let me sit on the bed before snuggling into my side.

More tears came, and when her small sobs stopped, I said, "She's doing fine for now. If you'd like, I will take you in there to see her, but I need you to be prepared." Ellie nodded against me, but she had no idea what I meant. "Ellie, she lost an arm and isn't awake yet."

"What!" she shrieked as she pushed up off of me. "What do you mean she lost an arm?"

"Oliver did too much damage, and with everything we have found out, a hospital and a surgeon was out of the question. Vaila did what she could."

"Vaila? She took Mine's arm?" Even more tears came as she collapsed back into me.

"She did, but everything will be okay. We are going to need your help since she's an Omega now. You'll need to help her control her pheromones."

"But I can't even—" she cried into my side.

"You can. She doesn't need to wield them, but she will need to hold them in so nothing bad happens."

"Okay, I can do that." I wasn't exactly happy that she had overheard our conversation, but not having to explain the whole thing again was a welcomed blessing.

"Thank you." I held her closer, and soon, she fell into a much needed nap.

Odie would find a way to let us know when she was awake, and if she didn't, I'm sure something breaking thanks to a rampaging Mine would do the trick.

For now, we would wait and rest. No one could prepare for the eruption of Mount Mine, and it would be both horrifying and remarkable to see.