Alpha Vaughan

Chapter 27

The seer had informed us she had something really important to tell us all. So while we waited for the Alpha to return, she'd told me to go freshen up.

My room was still as I'd left it. Cold and empty. The painting of the king seemed to watch me accusingly as I headed into the shower, striping as I went. Silence surrounded me as I lowered my sore body into the warm, jasmine scented water someone had drawn for me.

Images bombarded my mind. Me hastily getting into a cab. Dmitri letting me inside his candle-lit home. Isabella's knife hurtling straight for my shocked face. Isabella's unconscious form falling face first...

Splashing water on my face, I tried to clear my thoughts.

For all it was worth, the images stopped flickering through my mind, only to get replaced by words. Dmitri's.

"The werewolf that'd betrayed your pack had put a condition to the vampires..."

I wondered who would, although why they had done so didn't surprise me that much. I mean, father wasn't exactly the best of Alphas. But this person, whoever they were, hadn't just put father in danger, but the whole pack.

"I want the powers she possesses..."

If it were possible, I would've given it to him without preamble. I didn't want those abilities, I thought, the image of Isabella screaming as I'd cracked her bones fresh in my mind. I could do worse if I didn't learn to contain my anger.

A bit shaken, I finished up with the bathroom and went into the room. I drew short on spotting the change of clothes spread out on my bed.

Casting my gaze around the space, I called, "Nayla?"

When no one answered, I went on to dress up and head downstairs. Closing the doors behind me, I let out an embarrassing squeak when I turned and almost ran into an omega.

She bowed, saying, "I'm sorry for scaring you, ma'am. The Seer has ordered me to bring you to her mountain. The rest of the court are there already and are waiting for you."

As I followed behind her, I asked a question, part of me dreading her answer, "Hey, what about my personal omega? She's dark skinned and about this tall." I rose my hand in the air, a little below my  shoulder.

The omega, who looked a bit older than I was, threw me a surprised look that seemed to say, 'haven't you heard?'

My eyes questioned, 'what?'

She answered with, "The Alpha had her sent away, along with a member of his court. I'm your new personal omega."

Although I'd expected this, it didn't stop the myriad of emotions from pouring into me. Sadness, anger, and intense guilt. It was all my fault. Mine. A lump formed in the back of my throat, and I blinked rapidly to lessen the burn at the backs of my eyes.

I was guessing the other person he had sent away was the man that'd given me the rogue's address, William.

"Where?" I asked after a while. "Where did he have them sent to?"

She shrugged. "I don't know. Some say he banished them."

My blood ran cold. That was literally a fate worse than death. If you got banished, you got destined to a life as a rogue. And everyone knew rogues barely survived out there.

Everything in me rebelled at the thought of Vaughan banishing them. He couldn't have. He just couldn't.

We got out into the open, and through the darkness, I made out the outlines of werewolves milling about. When they spotted me, some stared, while some furtively whispered to each other.