an iron fist, the likes of which would be unrivaled in history. Bray shivered at the thought of what that would mean for omegas, for the betas who dared to voice opposition, even for alphas who didn’t agree with him. No, they couldn’t let this happen.
“So what do you say? All I need is the secret to you being able to shift. A few vials of blood, answering the questions my scientists have. That’s it. You’d be out of here by tomorrow and back with your family.”
The smile on the general’s face reminded Bray of one of the tomcats Kean had gotten to keep the mice out of the barns. Kean had named him Red Rover, and every day, that damn cat would bring him a dead mouse, dropping it at Kean’s feet, peering up at the beta as innocent as a little kitty. He looked like the sweetest, most huggable cat…but his claws were fucking deadly. Armitage had that same look, this thin veneer of friendliness and affable camaraderie, but underneath, he was pure evil.
“And if there’s something else you want, we can talk about that too. Some kind of role in governing the country. Like a prime minister, if you wish, with me right beside you. Together, we could achieve so much.”
The man must be kidding. Didn’t he realize they knew what he had done to Wyndham and Ryland, how he had played them against each other and had gotten both of them killed? Trusting Armitage would be like trusting a poisonous snake. At some point, its true nature would come out, and it would kill.
Bray had heard enough. He lifted his head and growled at him while he scraped over the floor with his claws. Armitage tensed, his relaxed posture gone. “I’m assuming that’s a no, then.”
Bray snarled again, a little louder this time. The general’s eyes darkened. “Tranquilize him,” he snapped at his soldiers.
Yeah, he should’ve seen that one coming. They could take blood from him without his permission, and there was little he could do to stop them. All he could do was hope that they wouldn’t have anything to test him against, any blood of genetic material from Lidon that would prove he wasn’t him.
Bray rose to his feet. If they were gonna shoot him, they’d have to do it while he was looking them dead in the eye. One soldier aimed his gun, hands shaking, and fired. The dart hit Bray in his chest, and he whined at the sting. Another dart slammed in right next to the first one. Damn, those fuckers hurt.
Bray braced himself for the sleepiness that would follow. Peace washed over him, his heart filling with the certainty that everything would be okay. He wasn’t alone. He never would be. Lidon would come for him. That he was certain of. His pack would have his back.
Don’t let me shift, he prayed to the moon. Protect my identity.
A warmth spread from his heart outward. This was it. He thought of Ruari, his gorgeous omega, the love of his life. He was his sweetness, his heart. He thought of the baby inside him, the first sparks of new life. Of Jax, his beautiful son who already looked so much like Bray. And then of Kean, his strong beta, his rock and anchor. He would be right there alongside Lidon to get him…with Palani. With the pack.
Armitage had no idea what he’d gotten himself into. And with that thought, Bray surrendered to the sleep.
25
They’d ended up with a decent-sized team for the humanitarian mission, Lucan thought. With nine men in total, they had a strong team. His father was in charge. They had two more alphas in Maz and Adar. Lucan and Enar were the only betas, and the group was completed with four omegas: Sivney, Sven, Yitro, and a new omega named Riordan, one of the refugees.
For two hours, they had brainstormed, firing off ideas, one even more brazen than the other, but in the end, they’d come up with a solid plan. Their destination was set: the old army barracks. Their biggest worry was what they’d encounter in terms of defenses, the number of soldiers guarding the camp—if there even was a camp. Lucan hoped with all his heart the rumors had been false, but he doubted it.
He took a long nap, snuggled up with Maz and Sando. Lucan hadn’t expected to be able to sleep after the excitement of the pack meeting and the upcoming mission, but as soon