Fever (The Omegaborn Trilogy 3)

A gradual hush fell over the room and Ravick moved toward the center.

“Through the banishment of Tharia’s alphas, the city leaders have initiated a massive alpha/omega imbalance, the largest we’ve ever seen out here in the wilds. Many of these new alphas were soldiers like I was, and they don’t know how to manage their new alpha instincts, nor do they know the rules that have been decreed from past meetings of the Central Gathering. With this many new alphas here in the wilds and no subsequent increase in the number of omegas, unsurprisingly, peace between the packs has devolved,” he continued.

He was right.

“From my position in the city, it was part of my job to monitor the happenings of the wilds, at least remotely. In my experience, I’ve never seen this much instability in my life. Alphas are fighting against alphas and many of those fights have resulted in death. Some of those fights have killed an already claimed alpha, leaving his omega to suffer the loss of the one she was bonded to for life. These city alphas have forced pair bonds on these shattered omegas and have no idea how to care for such a broken mate,” he said, and I snarled at the news that it was far worse than I had thought.

I would never stand for the abuse of an omega.

“We must do something to correct such a massive imbalance,” he continued.

“What would you have us do?” I asked and he turned back toward me.

“Thanks to an omega that escaped from the city,” he started.

“Her name was Ellie,” Triss interrupted and Ravick turned his head toward her, his look only slightly scolding. Instead of reprimanding her, he softly stroked the top of her head with his fingers.

“Yes. An omega named Ellie had given us critical information about the happenings in the city since many of us were banished from its walls. An anti-suppressant awakened the once dormant alphas and omegas. The city decided to keep the omegas within the dome and banish the alphas, fixing their own problem by forcing it on us. All the omegas are being kept in the omega sanctuary, which has been significantly expanded to hold them all,” Ravick continued, his eyes turning to mine. I growled softly, deep in my throat.

He’d know what I was thinking. The two of us had a history and it wasn’t particularly pretty, at least it wasn’t for me.

I’d once been an elite soldier under his command. I held many top-secret security clearances until that one fateful day where I’d thrown everything away to rescue an omega. I’d been on a mission to garner information about a smuggling ring that was based on the outskirts of the omega sanctuary when I’d come across one of the guards forcing himself on one of the omegas who lived there. I’d lost it. I’d torn him off of her and beaten him to a pulp. I’d killed him in order to rescue her. Once the guard was no longer a threat, I’d carried her to the hospital myself and ensured that she’d receive the best care. She’d survived thanks to me.

My actions had not gone unnoticed. The next day, I’d been relieved from my duties and court-martialed for murder. Ravick had played a role in the trial and through his recommendation, I had been banished from the city walls instead of being put to death.

The omega sanctuary was a sad place, one of abject poverty, unhappiness, and constant abuse. I highly doubted it had changed from when I’d last seen it myself.

“Thousands of omegas are imprisoned within the city. All of them. With an increased population of women kept in the sanctuary, conditions have worsened considerably. Stories of abuse and poor conditions run rampant,” Ravick said, as he stared into my eyes. He knew this would anger me and he was right, I was furious.

Omegas were meant to be mates to an alpha, meant to be cherished, adored, and subdued by their bonded men. They were strong, feisty little things that sometimes needed a strong hand, but ultimately, they were a gift of nature. To us alphas.

“The city has taken what is rightfully ours,” Ravick continued and the men sitting beside me roared in anger. Triss lifted her head, her angry green eyes catching mine briefly and a small glimmer of a smile raised on her lips.

“We must take back our omegas, but that would mean entering into a battle against a technologically superior army who’s highly trained and prepared for something like this. Take it from me, the city is afraid of what’s on the outside and to be honest, they should be,” Ravick said next.

The alphas surrounding me chuckled knowingly.

“If we’re going to succeed against the vastness of the Tharia beta army, we’re not going to be able to do it alone. We’re going to have to have help from the inside. We’re going to have to enlist the help of the omegas,” he explained.

The Central Gathering of alphas was silent. All around me, men sat at the edges of their seats, waiting for what Ravick would say next.

He’d always had that effect on people.

“But that’s not all. We’re going to need someone on the inside,” Ravick said next.

The room remained silent and then a solitary man stood up. I recognized him as an alpha from the wilds. His name was Viktor. He was sort of a rule breaker, unafraid of getting his hands dirty in order to achieve whatever he wanted done. It was whispered that he was involved with some sort of smuggling ring that extended into the city. I suspected it had something to do with the omegas too.

“I know a man in the city. He’s a beta by the name of Damiyen. He’s been my friend for many years and has always disliked the government of Tharia, especially when it related to the treatment of the omegas within the sanctuary. He’s always hated its existence and specifically, the abuse the omegas withstand within their confinement there. He knows a lot of people that would be especially willing to help oust the current regime in charge,” Viktor suggested. His jaw ticked. Clearly, he was bothered by the existence of the omega prison too.

Ravick nodded, his expression darkening as if he was deep in thought.

“Would we be able to arrange a meeting with this beta friend of yours?” he asked Viktor. The lone alpha shook his head.

“He won’t meet with you. He’s involved in a few questionable enterprises and is very careful about who he seeks an audience with,” Viktor replied, his own tone a bit evasive.

Yeah. I bet he was just as involved with those questionable enterprises too.

Ravick was quiet for some time and the rest of the men remained silent as they waited for what was next to come.