Page 47 of Unhinged Alphas

IVY

Ipause outside the door to the study, my sensitive omega hearing picking up the low rumble of Thane's voice. It's late, but I haven't been able to sleep. My mind is still churning nonstop with the revelations from the meeting.

The Council, complicit in the trafficking of omegas.

It really doesn’t surprise me, but the alphas' reactions do. The disgust in their tones, the tension in their postures. As if they actually care.

My lips twist into a bitter smile. Alphas caring about omegas. What a bizarre concept. In my experience, we're nothing more than disposable playthings to them. Vessels to be used and discarded when our usefulness runs out.

I lean against the wall, straining to make out Thane's words. Strategy, he says. Plans to take down the trafficking ring. As if a few rogues could make a difference against the might of the Council.

But another part of me—a tiny, treacherous whisper that knows better—wonders if maybe they can do something about it. Maybe they actually want to. If anyone is capable, it's these five powerful alphas, each one a living weapon of war in his own right.

I shake my head, dismissing the thought. No. I can't afford to hope. Hope is a luxury I lost long ago, burned away by the harsh realities of this world. I learned early on that the only one I can rely on is myself.

My hand drifts to my right shoulder, fingers tracing the ridges of the scar where my omega mark used to be. A permanent reminder of my defiance.

I push off the wall, restless energy thrumming through my veins. Sleep is a lost cause tonight. I pad silently down the hallway, my bare feet whispering against the cool tile. The compound is quiet as I walk away from the study, the others who haunt the corridors presumably lost in their own troubled dreams.

I find myself instinctivelydrawn toward Wraith's room, my feet carrying me there before I even realize where I'm heading. The image of the raw anguish in his eyes as Thane revealed their father's involvement in the omega trafficking, is seared into my mind.

I pause outside his door, hand raised to knock, but uncertainty stays my hand. What am I doing here? Wraith and I aren't friends. We're barely even allies, thrown together by circumstance and the whims of the Council.

And yet...

I can't shake the memory of his reaction, the way his huge frame seemed to fold in on itself, as if the weight of this betrayal was too much to bear. I've seen Wraith in battle, watched him tear through enemies with a savagery that borders on impossible.

But in that moment, he looked so… human.

My heart clenches unexpectedly. I know what it's like to be betrayed by those who should protect you. To have your trust shattered so completely that you're not sure you'll ever be whole again. It's a pain I wouldn't wish on anyone.

Not even an alpha.

I take a deep breath, steeling myself. I'm not sure what I'll say, but I can't just walk away. Not when Iknow he's suffering. I raise my hand again, determined to knock this time.

But before my knuckles can make contact, the door swings open. I blink, startled, and find myself staring up into Wraith's intense blue eyes. Even though he's alone, he's still wearing his mask.

For a long moment, we just stare at each other. I realize I'm holding my breath, my heart pounding in my chest. What must he think, finding me lurking outside his door in the middle of the night?

But to my surprise, there's no anger in his expression. Or even suspicion. He just looks confused, his head slightly tilted and his brow furrowed.

I feel exposed under his scrutiny, as if he can see all the cracks and fissures in my carefully constructed walls. It's unsettling, being seen so clearly. I'm used to hiding, to keeping my true self locked away where no one can touch it.

But somehow, with Wraith, I don't feel the need to hide. Maybe it's because he's seen me at my worst, my weakest, and he didn't take advantage. He did what no one else has ever done, not even when I was little.

He took care of me.

I was always the one caring for other people.Even my mother. I'm not sure what to make of the fact that I…likedit. That for the first time in my life, I felt like I could simply breathe.

Or maybe it's because he looks as lost and broken as I am.

Especially right now.

I open my mouth, but no words come out. What can I possibly say? That I'm sorry for what he's going through? That I understand his pain? It all feels woefully inadequate.

So instead, I simply hold his gaze, trying to convey with my eyes what I can't put into words. That he's not alone.

Wraith's eyes widen slightly. Then he steps back, silently inviting me into his room with a tilt of his head.