AYLA
I let the rogue king whom I had now come to know as Lucius lead me around the camp.
"My pack is called Emberfall." he said. "This is but a small number and I cannot wait to show you the rest of it."
I blinked. "I thought you were rogues."
"We are." He smiled. "But we are also a pack"
He stopped walking and turned to face me.
"The Alphas of this world have built themselves a paradise, Ayla," he said. "They sit in their castles and eat from golden plates, and they decide who is worthy of a life and who is not. They made Omegas into breeders and servants and they call it the natural order."
I swallowed, watching as he spoke with conviction.
"What do you want with me?" I asked.
"I want to show you what the world could look like, Ayla. That is all."
He told me about his family as we walked.
His father had been a trusted advisor to Alpha Kieran’s father and he had served faithfully for years until he found out about the true story of the Omega bloodline.
"They called him a traitor and sentenced him to die."
"I am sorry" I muttered.
"There is nothing to be sorry for, Ayla. It is men like Soren’s father that banded up against mine and in a night, my family became one of traitors. We had to flee after my father’s death but my sisters suffered the same fate as he did."
We stopped beneath a tree at the edge of the camp. The branches hung low, and the wind moved through them, and for a moment, the world felt almost peaceful.
"You see, Ayla," he said. "I am not the enemy. Kieran and the other Alphas have made the world of wolves uninhabitable for wolves which is why we need to bring about the purge."
"The purge?" I echoed, my pulse skipping.
whenever a purge is mentioned, nothing good usually comes from it.
"One that will put the Omegas back in their natural position and it will begin with you, Ayla... the Omega Dualis."
I should have been afraid.
I was standing in the middle of a rogue camp, listening to the most wanted man in the realm explain his revolution, and I should have been terrified but I wasn’t.
What was even weirder was that I believed him.
Nyx did too considering how peaceful she had been since he revealed himself to us.
Is this what Morgana meant? I wondered. Was it all happening again?
Did I have to team up with Lucius to stop Kieran and his sons? my own father and brothers?
"Ayla?" I blinked. Lucius was watching me, concern in his eyes.
"I am fine," I said. "Just tired."
"Then rest. You are safe here."
The sound of a horse approaching cut any further conversation between us. As the rider came into view, a gasp escaped my lips.
Soren.
He slid from the saddle before the horse had fully stopped and brushed past Lucius and me without looking at her, his gaze fixed on Willow who looked like she had seen a ghost.
He slapped her across the face which sent her staggering backwards.
"Father..."
"How dare you?" Soren’s voice shook with rage. "Do you have any idea what you have done?"
Willow’s face was filled with shock, her hand clutching her cheek.
Lucius touched my arm. "Excuse me for a moment."
He walked toward them.
"Friend," he called out to Soren.
Soren turned to him, his hand grabbing Lucius by the shirt.
"This is all your fucking fault," he snarled. "I am a fugitive because you went running your mouth to my fucking daughter. Tell me what is stopping me from running you through."
Lucius’ men rose to their feet, drawing their blades but he stopped them with a flick of his wrist.
"Look around you, Soren." His voice was mild, almost amused. "You are no longer in the palace. But never fear...you are amongst friends."
"Friends?" Soren laughed. "Do you take me for a fool, Alistair?"
My eyes widened. Of course, he had no idea.
Lucius sighed. "I really should get my brother some identity."
He reached up, gently brushed Soren’s hands off his shirt, and straightened his tunic with the care of a man who had all the time in the world.
"The name is Lucius Veyr." He smiled. "Alistair is my brother. Although you did interact with me for a while in the palace. You just never knew the difference."
Soren stared at him, confusion flickering across his face before his eyes widened in realization.
"You are the rogue king."
"Well, Soren... you finally figured it out."
"You sent me the note then? The one warning me about my daughter’s treachery?"
"You did what?" Willow’s voice cut in. She was staring at Lucius like he had struck her. "You warned him about me?"
"I sent the note," Lucius responded to Soren, blatantly ignoring her.
"Why?"
"Is it not obvious, Soren?" Lucius spread his hands. "You and I may be on opposing sides, but I consider you a friend. I think you are on the wrong side of history. And I am glad you were able to see that by coming here."
He touched a hand to Soren’s shoulder. "Come, walk with me." he said.
Soren hesitated, his eyes sweeping across the camp and landing on me.
I shrank before his gaze, I could not help it. Eighteen years of being nothing to him was not something I could forget easily. Then he turned to Willow who took a step back.
"This is not over" he glared at her before following Lucius into one of the larger tents.
I made to follow them but Willow stepped into my path.
"You think because he is infatuated with you somehow, you are the next big thing?" her lips curled in a snarl. "You forget yourself, Ayla. I could crush you without batting an eye."
I took a step forward, squaring up to her.
"Just like your father," I said, "you forget where you are. This is not Kieran’s palace, and he cannot protect you here. Now get the fuck out of my way."
Willow’s harsh stare faltered and with that I brushed past her toward the back of the tent.
When I was sure I was away from prying eyes, I pressed my ear against the tent and listened.
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