Chapter 60

Luka’s POV

The Omega camp was broken down, and the people were ready for a new beginning. We led the Omegas into the forest down the path I had run with Caleb countless times, and where we both almost died.

There was laughter behind Draven and me. People chatted away. Draven peered over his shoulder cautiously. “How are you feeling this morning?”

“Not so great.”

“I can see that.” He leaned over and poked under my eyes. “From those dark circles, I’d say you didn’t sleep a wink.”

“You would be right.”

“Were you thinking about Caleb and if you should go talk to him?”

“No, I was thinking about Mia and how I said those things to hurt her. It was stupid.” I frowned down at the ground and then behind me. Over two thousand people were coming with us today.

Changing the subject, I asked, “Do you think Father will be surprised to see this many omegas coming with us?”

“Yes, and no, we always knew more wanted to come, but many were afraid.”

My brows pinched. “It is hard to leave everything you know behind, even if it is terrible. It is all you know.”

Draven reached out and patted my hand. “No one knows that feeling better than you.”

It was nice of him to try to make me feel better. “Will there be space for them?”

He laughed. “Yes, father has been working on an entire town since last year, just beyond the mountain the castle rests on.”

“A whole town?”

“He has a knack for looking at the landscape and seeing potential for new towns and industry. Don’t worry, Luka, they will be happy. If they are not, they can come back. This is not a trap.”

“Have you brought omegas before, and then they wanted to go back?”

He nodded. “A few, some miss their families and go back.”

My skin began to tingle, and the hairs on my neck stood. Draven walked his horse off the path and halted to peer into the trees.

“How much farther to the gateway?” I asked, feeling like we were being watched.

He pointed. “Up and around the bend in the path. About two miles.”

My mare pranced around, sensing something as well. I whispered, “Do you feel that?”

He nodded. “I want you to dismount and walk with the others. I want you to blend in.”

“Why?”

“You are a Queen now, and some of the omegas have been gone for weeks. There could be unhappy Alphas that want to stop us.”

“But Caleb told them they couldn’t.” Draven looked at me like a naive child, and I deserved it.

I did as he said and slid off my horse. I blended in with the others. Everyone was quiet. Only the sound of footsteps and the bouncing of wagons could be heard.

When we made it to the gateway, Draven jumped off his horse. “We must hurry. There are others. I can feel them closing in.”

Draven opened the gateway by way of wolf. He sat off to the edge so the others could pass, but there were so many. We didn’t want to alarm them.

“Let’s get moving. We want to move into your new homes before nightfall.” That helped speed things up.

There were fewer than a hundred people to go when pain exploded in my shoulder and left thigh. I hit the ground hard, and cries rang out all around me. A woman next to me pressed a hand onto my shoulder.

I took her hand away. “Run,” I said. She did, as did the others near her.

In the distance, a long-legged blond popped out behind a tree. Emma.

Draven stood and whined. He had to keep the gate open for the others to get through.

Emma walked toward me with a gun in her hand. I tried to crawl away. Her expression was dark and malevolent. “I’m going to kill you. You ruined everything for me.”

Draven barked at the people scurrying to get to the gateway. Hang on. I called Noah for help, Draven said in my mind. I peered over at him.

Emma swung her gun at him and a cold knot formed in my stomach.

“Emma,” I cried, drawing her attention back to me. I wasn’t going to let her hurt the others or my brother. There were a handful of people left now. They rushed past.

Her attention came back to me. I tried to shift to my wolf, but couldn’t. Nela wasn’t there waiting.

Emma laughed. “Can’t shift.” She held up the gun. “Wolfbane bullets.”

“Why are you here, Emma?”

“To kill you. Did I not speak clearly enough for you, omega?” Her tone was sharp. She shoved the barrel of the gun into the wound on my shoulder. “You’re going to suffer for what you did to me.”

She shot me in the other leg and shoulder. “That feels good. Better than therapy.” She wiped her hair off her face. Pain consumed me. I heard Draven growling. I caught sight of the last person who passed through the gate.

As they passed him, Draven lunged for Emma. She shot him three times in the chest, and he crashed to the ground. He instantly shifted back—blood pouring from him.

“No,” I cried. I pulled myself toward him.

Emma stopped me. “Oh, did I hurt your little friend?” she said, bending down to look at his face. “So handsome. What a waste.”

I kicked at her. “Get away from him. He's my brother. Leave him alone,” I cried, fear spurted through me like the blood from my wounds.

Emma thrust his head back. He wasn’t moving. Emma got up and walked back to me. “Everyone did anything I wanted before you came and fucked it up. Did you know Caleb stripped my title and my family's home?”

“No.”

“That’s right, you disappeared and reappeared as a Queen. I don’t believe it.”

My vision blurred in and out. I was losing too much blood. She bent down and rammed the barrel of the gun into my forehead. “My sister killed herself because of you.”

Images of my life flashed quickly in my mind's eye, all but one of Noah, Draven, my parents, and Caleb. I pulled love from the deepest part of my soul and broadcast it through the bloodline and the mate bond. I wanted them to feel my love, if only ever this once.

As she was about to pull the trigger, I saw a black figure streak over me. Taking Emma with it by the arm. I heard a scuffle, then a scream.

Next, a thump sounded, and Emma’s head rolled next to me, eyes frozen in shock. Before I could scream, my heartbeat slowed, and I suddenly became very cold. My body began to shudder uncontrollably.

Noah was there, holding my hand and calling my name, or I think he was. All I could hear was a ringing in my ears. He touched my cheek and pulled me into his lap. I smiled up at him, and my heart beat its last beat, and the world around me vanished.