4. Enrique

Chapter 4

Enrique

Several Hours Later

"Your brother made it to Andorra Sector okay," Ander says as he walks toward me. "He's currently sedated and in a padded room."

I nod, a pang of guilt stabbing me in the gut. I should have gone with him .

Yet there wasn't anything more I could do for him—or his mate—right now. And being here helping the others clean up my former sector felt better than sitting around, waiting for a doctor to update me on my brother's feral condition.

I'm not even sure if he can be rehabilitated. Being there with him would force me to face that potential fate, which I'm just not ready to embrace. So if I'm being totally honest with myself, I stayed here as a distraction.

And perhaps for a certain little brunette with beautiful eyes, I admit, picturing Caja's pretty face.

I checked on her an hour ago and found her sleeping in a makeshift nest made of blankets. The other Omegas in her group were in the nest with her, all of them resting. Exhaustion mingling with relief no doubt knocked them all out.

They likely won't sleep well, but at least they're feeling safe enough to relax for a bit.

I run my fingers through my hair and roll my neck, my muscles cracking along the way. It's been a long few days.

Actually, no. It's been a long few years .

Playing Carlos's games for nearly a decade took a toll on my soul. But it was the only way to help my brother. The only way to try to protect his mate and her sister. The only way to beat the bastard at his own schemes.

Carlos was a mastermind, his penchant for chemicals and toxins borderline genius. Unfortunately, he used those talents for nefarious purposes.

To avoid being one of his victims, I pretended to enjoy his pastimes. He rewarded me with a mate, one who chose another over me. Which was fine. I only went along with the mating charade because I knew Carlos would send me Kari as a wedding gift. He thought I favored her among the other Omega playthings. In truth, I just wanted to save her. Because she was the sister of my twin's mate.

Everything I did was with a purpose.

That purpose was finally fulfilled.

So what now? I wonder, glancing around the darkened field to the few remaining Omega groups left. Where do I go from here?

"You all right?" Ander asks, reminding me of his presence. Not that I could forget he stood a few feet away—his Alpha aura basically bled into my skin—but I was a little lost in my thoughts. In the past. The future. The unknown .

I clear my throat, debating how to answer him.

I could lie and say I'm fine.

However, I spent the better part of the last ten years pretending to be someone I wasn't. And I am really fucking tired of putting up a false facade.

"Not really," I admit, my palm encircling the back of my neck as I stretch again. "I have no idea how to help Joseph or Savi. I don't think I've ever really known. I just wanted to free them, but now I'm wondering if they'll ever actually be free."

If I should have just let them die , I add to myself, wincing.

It's a horrible thought, one I've been avoiding facing since I found my brother earlier today. Or was it yesterday?

I've lost track of time.

But seeing my brother in that feral state, knowing he couldn't touch his own mate without killing her…

I shake my head. "I knew it would be bad. I just…"

"Wasn't prepared for how bad it would actually be," Ander finishes for me. "I get that."

I nod. As the Andorra Sector Alpha, he's probably seen a lot of shit he's never wanted to see. But as the strongest Alpha in his sector, it's his responsibility to handle everything thrown his way and lead by example.

It can't be an easy job. Especially when done the right way. Very unlike Carlos and how he ran Bariloche Sector.

"There's more we need to discuss," Ander tells me. "I know you're dealing with some shit, but this can't wait."

I nod again and fold my arms over my chest. "I understand." Because I know exactly what he wants to discuss—my future.

He said earlier that I was welcome in Andorra Sector to be with my brother.

However, to do that, I have to acknowledge Ander as my superior. It's the only way he can maintain order—if I don't bow to him, I'll be seen as a challenger. And given my age, experience, and former position in Bariloche Sector, I would be seen as a worthy opponent.

"Riley says some of the mated Omegas have missing Alphas," he begins, throwing me off completely.

That wasn't at all what I expected him to say, nor was it related to the topic I thought he wanted to address.

"I see," I say slowly, frowning. "What about the Alphas being held near my brother? Have their respective mates been accounted for?" There were a few Betas in the cells as well, but they wouldn't have the same deep-seated connection to an Omega like an Alpha would.

He dips his head in confirmation. "All of those have been matched by scent. But from what Riley says, we have seven mated Omegas with missing Alphas. Is there anywhere else that he might be keeping them?"

I frown, considering the question. "Carlos liked keeping everything and everyone close to his personal compound. He had trust issues." Hence all the Alphas and Betas he locked up in cages, and the wicked torture he inflicted on those with mate bonds.

Ander releases a low growl, his agitation palpable. "Riley seems pretty certain the Alphas are alive. Otherwise, the Omegas in question wouldn't be coherent at all."

True. They would be catatonic and unresponsive, something Carlos would have wanted to avoid for his little toys .

I rack my brain, trying to think of where he may have imprisoned other Alphas, but I meant what I said—Carlos had trust issues. I was commonly considered to be one of Carlos's highest-ranking generals, yet I only had access to his Omega operation. And that access came with a myriad of restrictions.

Fortunately, my position afforded me a wealth of intimate knowledge regarding his procedures and the ins and outs of his compound—a fact that had made me a valuable asset in our infiltration of Bariloche Sector this week.

However, that knowledge didn't extend to all of Carlos's dungeons or how he controlled the Alphas who protested his rule. I was familiar with his penchant for psychedelics, but not the full scope of his prison system.

"I'm only aware of the dungeon he kept under his compound." And I really only knew about that because of my twin. I'd felt his presence there for years, despite Carlos claiming he was dead. "He wasn't the type to house anything of value too far from his estate, though. So I can't imagine there are more dungeons hidden in Bariloche Sector."

And if there were any, they're now destroyed, thanks to Kazek and Sven blowing up every structure in Bariloche earlier today. They wanted to ensure the entire sector would be uninhabitable. Any surviving Alphas are officially rogues. A few sectors might accept them into their territories; most will not.

The Betas are another situation entirely, mostly because they never had a choice in how Carlos ran his sector. A whole line of Betas are currently waiting to be interviewed for potential entry into Andorra, Norse, or Winter.

Meanwhile, the Omegas will be taken anywhere they chose, assuming they're coherent and well enough to make a choice. Those who weren't able were already in Andorra for medical treatment, the last flight having left hours ago to take them to safety.

The only Omegas left are the ones who are in a healthy enough condition to voice their desires.

"Do you think he would have traded any of the Alphas to other sectors?" Ander asks, his expression hardening.

I shake my head. "They wouldn't have been much use to them. I mean, you saw the state my brother's in…" I trail off and clear my throat. "But if the Alpha in question offended a friend, perhaps Carlos would trade the Alpha away as recompense. However, seven is a high number." And Carlos wasn't one to give up his resources.

Unless he was tired of caring for those resources.

In which case…

"It's possible he has them rotting somewhere," I say, thinking aloud. "Somewhere he can't smell them or hear them. Somewhere they can't escape. But I have no idea where that would be. Maybe one of his many trading points. Or, more likely, in a place no one would ever think to visit."

"That's not helpful," Ander mutters.

"I know. But that's how Carlos worked—he never made anything easy." Hence the intricate assault on Bariloche Sector. Carlos left traps everywhere, turning his lands into a literal minefield, one we navigated all the way to his compound.

Ander blows out a frustrated breath. "Well, maybe Riley can find out more from the Omegas, then." He grimaces. "Assuming any of them can be woken up."

"Some of the other Alphas may know, too," I say. "Knowing Carlos, he tortured them with potential fates. Perhaps one of his former taunts will reveal where the missing Alphas are being kept."

Ander nods. "All right." He crosses his arms, his stance rivaling mine. "So tell me about this Omega you're interested in."

I arch a brow. "Who says I'm interested in an Omega?"

"Elias. And he's an excellent judge of character. But we've started a new program in Andorra Sector that requires our Alphas to woo the Omegas, not just claim them. I hope that won't be a problem for you."

He says that last part like it's a threat more than an explanation, making it clear that if I do have a problem with this, then we are going to have a problem.

"Winter and Kari can vouch for my opinions on consent and wooing ," I inform him flatly. Although, I can't help the twinge of sarcasm on the final word, because who says wooing ? Ander Cain, apparently.

"Hmm," he hums. "You're alive, so you must have treated both Omegas well. Otherwise, Kaz and my brother would have killed you by now." There's a hint of amusement underlining his tone, but I have a hard time believing he's truly amused.

Something tells me Ander rarely finds humor in much of anything.

"Has she said where she wants to go yet?" he goes on, slightly changing topics. "Your Omega, I mean."

"She's not my Omega," I correct him. "And no, I don't believe she has."

"That's not what Elias said," he drawls.

I frown. "She told him where she wants to go?"

"I was referring to the not my Omega bullshit you just spewed," he tells me, his expression now matching his amused tone.

Maybe I was wrong. Maybe Ander Cain can find humor in things.

"He said you practically shoved him out of the way when he tried to talk to her," Ander goes on. "He was surprised you didn't piss all over her, too."

I roll my eyes. "Your Second exaggerates."

"He does," Ander agrees. "But as I said, he's an excellent judge of character."

I grunt. "We just met."

"In my experience, that matters little to our wolves."

Well, he's right about that. My wolf sniffed Caja out in that cage, her scent immediately intriguing him. Then those pretty eyes found mine, and my world went sideways.

"You're a good Alpha, Enrique," Ander continues. "I'll respect whatever decision you make regarding the Omega. Just make sure she agrees with said decision. It'll make your life a lot easier."

"That sounds like another statement driven by experience," I tell him, ignoring his comment about me being a good Alpha . I'm not even sure what that means anymore.

"You have no fucking idea," he mutters as a message populates the air over his wrist. "Du?an," he says to me. "Shadowland Sector Alpha. I need to take this."

He doesn't wait for me to reply, just steps away to pick up the call.

I leave to give him privacy. Sector politics isn't my thing. I'll leave that to the Alpha in charge.

And in the interim, I'll go check on Caja.

My Omega , I think, liking the way that sounds. I've been around Omegas all my life, but I've never considered any of them in this manner, likely because Carlos's rules made it impossible to want to claim a female for my own.

Perhaps that adds to my intrigue.

Or maybe it's just Caja.

Regardless, I wander over to where she's sleeping and crouch down to pull her blanket back up to her chin. She leans into my touch, her lips parting on a sigh.

"Rest, peque?o tesoro," I whisper as I resist the urge to stroke her cheek. "You're safe now. I won't let anyone hurt you again. I promise."