The Alpha's Omega Mate-Chapter 118: The chance.

~Zarek’s POV~

"Alpha... I- I really don’t know a-anything!" She cried out in that same strong voice of hers that was fast beginning to grate on my nerves.

And maybe I should believe her. Maybe this was the part where I was meant to let her go. However, as much as I wanted to do that, something deep within me didn’t want me to. Maybe it was the gram in her eyes... or the way she seemed so strong, seemingly aloof.

But I pressed on. I snapped; "You better start saying what you know before you join Miranda in the afterlife. And trust me, I don’t make empty threats."

Drogon materialised beside me with the probing shears and everything I’d asked him for, and as soon as the girl saw this, some of her built up walls crumbled. The mask on her face dissolved. And in the place where aloofness once inhabited, raw fear now claimed.

Her knees hit the floor in one loud thud and her head dropped, causing her red hair to cascade around her small frame like a curtain.

"Alpha, I’m innocent!" She cried. "I don’t know what happened to Miranda!"

"But you saw something!" I bellowed so loud that the walls rattled. The women dropped their heads, even my guards tilted their heads to their sides in a gesture of surrender.

Stalking towards her like a predator, I clamped my divers in her hair and pulled upwards. Her painful wince felt like a balm to my frayed nerves. And her glassy eyes filled me with so much adrenaline, I could literally feel myself getting euphoric.

"Speak," I drawled, pressing the sharp edge of the scissors to her head, and she jerked in fear, moving so much that she pressed herself into the knife— it wasn’t enough to pierce her deeply, but just enough to make a bead of blood gather just on the surface of her skin.

The smell of her fear filled the air.

"Girl..." I drawled again, pressing the sharp metal closer to her jugular, and smirking when she squeezed her eyes shut before letting out a shaky breath.

"I saw Lady Jennifer give something to Miranda sometime that day!" She stated with conviction and as soon as the words left her lips, the entire room descended into silence.

My heart stopped.

"Are you sure?"

The girl shook, then wiped off the mucus from her nostril with the back of her hands. "I swear on my life."

"Liar!" This time, it was Berlin who snapped, and for a moment, my eyes thinned towards her until I remembered she was related to Jennifer in a way. A distant cousin or something, not that I care right now.

"Micah, shut that woman up!" I growled, and to my utter satisfaction, he immediately stepped behind her to wrap one iron-like fist around her neck.

"Lady Jennifer was poisoned too. Try again!" I growled now at the girl in my arms. "Say something else before I am forced to kill you."

"I swear it!" The girl insisted with tears falling freely down her face now. "I saw what I saw! Lady Jennifer was with Miranda before the food was served!"

Berlin’s eyes flashed with contempt but she didn’t dare speak. She didn’t even move.

Frustration coiled tight in my chest but just as I opened my mouth to say something else, a familiar smell suddenly hit my nostrils. My eyes flung to the door.

And my breath hitched.

Because standing right there was Sadie— Dahlia’s friend. And her eyes were red, her face blotchy as she stared straight at me, not bothering to drop her head like she usually would.

Her wild eyes... her overall state sent me into a frenzy and I immediately let go of the girl in my arms as I stalked over to the door.

"What is it?" I asked in a cold tone, my voice steady despite the way my knees trembled.

I feared that she was here with bad news. That she was here to tell me that something was wrong. That my Dahlia was in trouble.

Sadie wiped her face with the back of her sleeves, managing to make her already reddened face color even more.

With trembling limbs she stepped further into the room and with a voice barely above a whisper, she mumbled; "She’s leaving."

I froze.

—

~Dahlia’s POV~

"We need to hurry." Grandmama Lupe said for the hundredth time today as Dr Ava busied herself by grounding a mixture of some leaves, eucalyptus oil and a combination of strands of I and Amara’s hairs in a small wooden mortar whilst humming a low tune under her breath.

According to them, that was how the cloaking spell was made, but the more time we spent here watching her mix these things, the more agitated I became.

Amara was cuddled up in my laps, her eyes watching the scene before us with keen interest. Her skin was unusually warm against mine, but right now, I didn’t bother so much about that. I wasn’t even bothered that she kept stealing glances at me, until she finally spoke.

She asked; "Mommy, what’s happening?"

I shook my head quickly at her as I was too impatient to begin to answer her questions right now. Hell, I wasn’t even in the mood to. So I simply said; "mommy will tell you about it later okay?"

"But someone is coming, you know?" She asked suddenly, causing my eyes to snap open.

Grandmama Lupe’s eyes snagged on mine almost instantly and she rushed out; "The youngling isn’t lying. Hurry, Ava!"

Dr Ava nodded but said nothing. Her eyes were still squeezed tightly and her lips still moved frantically as she continued to say barely audible words.

Suddenly, a dull light emanated from the mortar in her hands, causing the contents in it to glow in a manner that was almost ethereal. I gasped in surprise, even Amara did too.

But I didn’t even get enough time to ponder over what just happened as Grandmama Lupe was already on her feet, pulling Dr Ava up. She dipped her hands into the mortar, scooped up a handful of the disgusting paste and walked over.

She gave no warning, no preamble; and the next thing I knew, she was rubbing the paste into my hair and Amara’s.

And holy moly, it stung.

Like a bitch too.

Tears pooled in my eyes from the pain and when I glanced down at Amara, I noticed that she was also in as much pain as I was, if not more. But the good thing was; my little warrior wasn’t crying. She didn’t even shed a tear.

Grandmama Lupe sighed. "It’s done." And then squeezing my hands in hers, she continued; "I cannot come with you right now because I need to do some things first—"

"But—" I began to argue but stopped when she placed a finger over my lips, causing some of the residue of the disgusting paste to stain my lips in the process. I groaned but she smiled.

"I’ll meet you on the way. Don’t ask me how, just know I would."

Dr Ava then shoved a small compass into my hands. She rushed out; "Go East. And don’t stop. The closest human settlement is East of this pack, and if you decide to continue going further, please do. As long as you’re as far away from here as possible."

The urgency in their voice along with my thumping heartbeat made me respond quickly. I immediately shoved the compass in my pocket but stumbled when Grandmama Lupe shoved something else into my hands.

My eyes widened. "What is...?"

"A bag." She said, rolling her eyes as if she couldn’t believe I’d ask that question. "It contains some fruits. Some dried meat, bread and water."

"And a blanket." Dr Ava chirped in with a smile.

"Yes, a blanket." The older lady repeated. "It should keep you warm and filled for some days. But do well to manage it. Okay?"

I nodded. "Okay."

"Mommy, someone’s coming." Amara said again, snapping me out of my reverie. And those words, as light as they may have sounded, were enough to snap me out of whatever self-induced haze I’d been in.

I didn’t get to say a proper goodbye.

I didn’t even get to hug any of these women who have helped me so much these past few days as I turned and walked out of the room with Amara hanging on my left arm while the bag of supplies hung on the other.

Maybe this should be a new beginning.

Maybe I should be glad that I was finally getting freedom.

But somewhere in my heart, I was restless. I was troubled. My freedom came too easily... too smoothly, and knowing how fucked up life could be, I knew that it meant trouble.

...that it meant I was simply going from the frying pan to the fire.

But still, I took the chance.