Chapter 21

Ava

As the helicopter touched down in the moonlit field, I gripped my leather seat anxiously and leaned forward. The sound of the blades whirling around filled my ears even though my headset, mingling with that of my heart pounding in my chest.

Only once the helicopter was safely settled on the ground did I finally let out the breath I had been holding; and even then, I was quickly breathless once more within moments as Chris and I bolted out of the aircraft and began sprinting across the field.

“This is someone’s alfalfa field, by the way,” I called out to Chris as we ran. “We shouldn’t have touched down here. We could have crushed the plants.”

Chris shot me a sideways glance over his shoulder, then looked down at the green field of leafy little sprouts, then back up at me. “Now?” he asked. “You bring this up now?”

I shrugged, keeping pace with him as we sprinted across the field. “It could be someone’s livelihood. And besides, we shouldn’t bring harm to the environment if we can help it.”

It seemed as though Chris would have chuckled, had circumstances been a bit different—but right now, we both knew we had bigger things to worry about than crushed alfalfa. Olivia was back at the Packhouse beating her Omega slaves to a pulp for reasons unbeknownst to us.

“I’m sorry,” he said. “I’ll make sure to be more conscious next time.”

“Thank you.”

After what felt like an eternity, we finally arrived at the Packhouse in the middle of the village.

It should have been a serene night; the moon was bright overhead, casting the lush landscape in comforting hues of blue and silver. The fungus and flora of our land had that ethereal sort of glow to it that only grew brighter the closer we came to the full moon. It was beautiful.

And yet, as we drew closer to the Packhouse and the sounds of guttural screams filled our ears, that landscape of serenity quickly turned into a horror scene. Frantic Pack members murmured around the village square, poking their heads out of their homes and hiding beneath the shadows of the trees.

As we approached the front doors of the Packhouse, they opened before we could even knock. Elder Elise stood in the doorway, her eyes wide and her face frantic, dressed only in her plain dressing gown.

“There you are!” she breathed as we entered, quickly slamming the oak doors shut behind us before the frightened Pack members could catch a glimpse. “Olivia’s gone mad; all because of you two.”

“Because of us?” Chris whirled around to face Elise, his eyes flashing with annoyance. “We’ve been gone all day!”

Elise nodded, her own eyes flickering with a mixture of anger and worry. “Precisely. Because of your appearance on the news, at that… human event, she’s flown into a rage. She’s locked everyone out and will likely kill her Omegas.”

“Take me to her.”

“Me, too,” I added, stepping up beside Chris.

Both Chris and Elise shot me a worried look. “You should stay here, Ava,” Chris said softly, turning to face me and placing a hand on my arm. “She’s likely upset because we were photographed together.”

“Indeed,” Elise said. “Seeing you may only anger her further.”

I frowned. “I am the Acting Luna of this pack,” I said, pulling my shoulders back. “It’s my duty to be there and assist however I can. To hell with her feelings.”

Elise and Chris exchanged brief looks. Elise went to open her mouth to speak, but before she could, the sound of another guttural shriek reverberated throughout the Packhouse, bouncing off of the lofted ceilings and wooden walls.

I winced, flinching at the sudden and gut-wrenching sound. There was no more time to dilly dally, unless we wanted to be digging graves for the innocent Omegas who had been targeted by Olivia’s fury.

“Fine,” Chris said, turning on his heel. “Let’s go.”

The three of us hurried through the narrow, torch-lit halls of the Packhouse, twisting and turning until we arrived at the main chambers. As we approached the double wooden doors, where the screams were growing deafening, Elise turned to us one last time.

“I must warn you, she’s dangerous,” she said. “She even injured one of the guards who tried to intervene.”

Chris, however, remained unperturbed. “Open the doors.”

With a curt nod, Elise swung open one of the doors. Just before Chris entered, I caught a glimpse of the scene before me; but then a vase whirled past Chris’s head and through the door. I barely ducked just in time before it smashed on the wall behind me.

“Get out!” an animalistic voice, a scream sundered straight from the throat, howled. “I said, get out!”

“Now, now, Olivia,” Chris said, splaying his hands outward in a placating gesture. “Let’s not get carried—”

“I’ll kill her!”

There was another scream after that, but not from Olivia. Chris and I both bolted into the room then, and that was when I finally bore witness to the monstrosity that was unfolding in front of me.

Olivia stood by the crackling fireplace, the orange flames casting ominous shadows on her face and the walls. The room, once a cozy parlor where Alphas and their guests could relax and share a drink, was now utterly destroyed. Paintings hung crooked on the walls, the floor was covered in shattered glass, and the furniture had been overturned.

But most importantly were the Omegas. Oh, the poor Omegas.

There were two of them; one lay on the floor, bloodied and motionless, and the other… The other was being held by the hair by Olivia, screaming and kicking and sobbing, as Olivia held her closer and closer toward the fire where a cauldron of hot water was boiling.

“Olivia!” Chris cried out. He surged forward, but Olivia just shrieked like an animal again and shoved the Omega’s tear-and-blood-streaked face closer to the fire, causing him to freeze.

“Take one more step, and I’ll do it!” Olivia cried out. “Come any closer, and I’ll boil this slave bitch to death!”

I felt my breath catch in my throat, mingling with the sensation of the hot bile that was threatening to spill out at the gruesome sight in front of me. The primal look in Olivia’s eyes, mixed with the bloodied state of the Omegas, was like something that only nightmares could conjure.

Despite all of my training throughout my life, I didn’t know what to do—whether to aid Chris in restraining the feral Olivia or whether to run to the one unconscious Omega’s side to at least try and drag her out of the fray.

But it seemed as though the decision was made for me.

With a low, guttural growl, Chris suddenly raced forward before I or even Olivia could react. He made contact with the hand that was holding the Omega by the hair and wrenched her wrist, causing her to drop the Omega with a shriek. The omega fell to the floor, motionless but—thankfully—alive from the looks of it.

During the struggle, however, both Chris and Olivia must have bumped into the cauldron of boiling water. The cauldron tipped dangerously, spilling hot water onto the fire.

And then, in a flash of steam and smoke, the fire went out and cast the room into utter darkness.