Page 86 of Shared Omega

He stares over the crowd as if daring anyone to challenge him.

His body is practically humming with intensity. I almost believe that if I touched him right now, I would burn myself.

At last, Addom breaks the silence.

“So be it, old friend. You will lead this expedition to the city hive. But there seems to be one part of the plan that is missing. How do you plan to get beyond the Quarantine Wall? No amount of hatred or thirst for vengeance will be enough to get you past those Outsider weapons.”

Truk steps forward.

“I know a way!” he shouts a little too loudly. He is clearly overjoyed to be able to help, and I’m glad for that because this is one part of the plan that I had neglected.

The other Alphas eye him suspiciously. He is part Farlander. To them, he is a pariah. But they let him speak.

“There is a tunnel under the wall,” he says, speaking in a rushed manner and almost tripping over his words. “It was a mine shaft, from before the great change. When the Outsiders built the wall, they neglected to seal the tunnel. Nobody knows about it except for the Farlanders, and they never use it since they have no need to go beyond the wall.”

That’s it. That’s the answer. If we can just use the tunnel to get under the wall, then we can steal a vehicle to take us into the city.

Addom stands scratching his chin in the wavering candlelight.

“The council of leaders must discuss this. We will confer together and make our final decision.”

***

Back in my seat, I try to make myself as small as possible. I don’t like being the center of attention like that, and it’s a relief to be off the stage, although I can feel eyes looking at me from all over the theater.

Luckily, I have my three Alphas to protect me. Even Kane, who is seated behind me, seems unusually possessive and intent on hiding my body from sight.

The whole audience is murmuring with conversations. No doubt, everyone is discussing our plan.

I sneak a peak over at Lily, and she flashes me a supportive smile.

Meanwhile, up on the stage, the council leaders seem to have come to a decision. For nearly an hour now, they have been up there talking, their voices too quiet to hear and their bodies as unmoving as statues.

But now they have begun to stir, nodding to one another in unison.

Addom steps forward again, spreading his hands to signal the crowd to be quiet. No roar or harsh words are required. The audience’s murmurings immediately trail off into silence.

“The Council has come to a decision.” He is not yelling, but somehow his voice seems to carry all through the theater. “We will go through with the Outsider’s plan. The three Alphas, led by Kane, will venture into the city hive along with their omega. They will undo the witchcraft that is blocking Lily’s message.”

Witchcraft? I smirk but keep my mouth shut.

I feel a simultaneous wave of relief and a knot of apprehension. I’m glad that the plan has been accepted. At the same time, I’m nervous as all get-out about actually seeing it through.

But Addom is not finished.

“There is, however, one precondition.”

He pauses, letting the silence ripen for a few moments.

“The Outsider omega has been marked, but her binding is incomplete. She has not undergone the necessary ritual.”

My skin seems to tighten around me like shrink-wrap. My breath catches in my throat.

Ritual? What ritual is he talking about?

“The ritual must be completed according to the Will of the Source. It is necessary for these three Alphas to be fully bonded as pack brothers, and for the omega to be fully bound to them as their shared mate.”

My face is blazing with shame. I sink lower into my seat.