Ashley has acquired money, transportation, and information within two hours of his escape. The boy can probably find Gordon now and challenge him to the f*cking card game.What do they do now?“Omega,” Victor calls. “If this were you, what would you do?”Ariadne folds her arms. “What are you talking about?”“If you were Ashley,” Victor clarifies. “What would you do next?”Ariadne laughs. “I’d turn myself in, accept my grounded for life status, and be a good kid.”Victor scoffs. “Yea... no. That’s not even close to what he’d do. Can you put away your pride for a second and give an honest answer?”Ariadne sighs, pinching the bridge of her nose and putting herself in her son’s shoes. “I supposed I’d go to the Auction House tonight after the sales and try to catch Gordon there.”Victor snaps his fingers, pointing at nothing in particular. “That’s what I’d do too. I just needed confirmation. So, given that, we should stake out the place and catch the kids before they get in.”That’s actual
Ariadne wakes up in a cold sweat, breathing heavily. It's dark, moonlight streaming in through the tall, streaky windows.For a moment, she forgets. But then she remembers all that she's lost.The Omega hasn't seen her children for three months. That night Ashley had sent the adults packing, that was the last time she'd seen her son's face, and when he'd decided to keep Kelly and Amias, that's when Anna became her enemy, for whatever misfortune that may come.A figure appears at the door, bright red eyes scanning her over in the dark. "I heard screaming? Are you alright?"For everyone who's left, there's one person that's stayed, not at all who Ariadne expected. Victor watches her for a moment longer, arm braced on the door frame. "Omega?""I'm fine," Ariadne spits. "Just get out."Victor hovers, silvery strands catching errant moonbeams, skin aglow with a mysterious and secret beauty. "And what if I don't want to?"It's been like this for the last week, ever since Victor invited her
The Omega pushes the cell back into her pocket. When she looks up, Victor's watching her intently. "What? You look like you want to say something."Victor sighs, finishing his drinking at setting it down. "I'll have someone bring my car home. Let's just go, yeah? The sooner we find your kids, the better. Then you can finally be rid of me."Ariadne wants to shout, though she doesn't know what her point of argument is. "Alright, I'll drive."The two pay their tab and head out together. The drive to the mountains is quiet, and Victor listens to the soft jazz playing on the stereo without complaint."This is really good," Victor sighs, pushing his seat all the way back. "You got good taste, Omega."Ariadne smiles dryly. "It's a mixtape. You made it for me.""Oh," Victor hums, eyes sliding shut. "Damn, I have good taste then.""Occasionally," Ariadne notes, enjoying the soft blue scenery, pine trees, and the mountains in the distance.They drive peacefully for the next hour until the signs
Ariadne's heart feels like it's about to quit, beating rapidly in her chest. She crawls forward, pressing her face into Victor's stomach. "Oh god, no, please no, baby."The Omega cries over his body, hugging him, feeling the burn of losing a mate. She now understands what that is, how a wolf could stop eating and living.Ariadne knows she can't move from this body; she'll die on this mountain beside Victor—"Are they gone?" the barest of whispers.Ariadne holds back her sobs, pressing a hand to her mouth, thinking that she's going insane. Did Victor just speak?"A-Are they gone, Omega?" Victor whispers again."Yes," Ariadne manages unsteadily.Victor groans, pulling himself up. "Ah f*ck, that hurt.""W-Why aren't you dead?" Ariadne whispers, wiping her eyes. The sun's going down below the horizon. All becomes dark.Victor smiles, "Look at you. I knew you were pretending. I told you that you wanted me. Now you're crying so hard over me."Ariadne's so confused. "But he shot you."Victor
She pushes Victor back a pace, trying to close the door, but Victor’s hand shoots out, holding the thing open. The Alpha’s eyes are desperate, drinking in the sight of Ariadne’s bare skin.“You’re beautiful. It just feels like you’re flaunting it in front of me, what I can’t have, and you expect me to be satisfied.”“I’m not a conquest,” Ariadne says, heat crawling up her face, turning her ears red. “I’m sure you’ve seen plenty of naked Omegas with way fewer scars. Now, if you could go—”“You mean this?” Victor hums, hand shooting down, fingers tracing an old battle scar on Ariadne’s stomach. “What happened?”“I got bit while saving your life,” Ariadne whispers, electricity shooting up her spine. “Harry did that.”Victor’s eyebrow shoots up. “Really? You guys seemed all chummy the last time I saw him.”Ariadne bites her lip, sighing, giving up, setting in the water so that she can at least hide some of her nakedness. “He’s changed. We didn’t kill him because we wanted him to change, m
Ariadne’s curled up in the seat beside him, starboard, arms folded, fast asleep. The Omega’s restless, shifting back and forth, trying to find a little bit of comfort in her bearings.Victor watches her for a moment before gazing back out at the waters, adjusting the wheel. Then he sighs, shrugging off his jacket, embracing the chilly morning air.He covers Ariadne with it, nice and tight, and the Omega’s frown lines fade immediately, falling back into a peaceful slumber.They’re headed for the island, where the clue had sent them, old philosopher words to many but a personal meaning to Victor. Though the question remains, how did Ashley know?‘Give me a firm spot to stand, and I shall move the earth.’Ariadne smiles softly, still asleep. She pulls Victor’s jacket more snuggly around her body, inhaling and then exhaling, “Alpha….”The hairs on the back of Victor’s neck and forearms go rigid, and a shiver runs down the column of his spine. A pang of heat twists in his gut, followed by
Ariadne’s so close, mint and vanilla scent so tantalizing. The Omega runs her hand up and down the other’s arm, fingertips dancing over the skin. Victor’s so comfortable, Ariadne’s soft blond locks ticking his face. He could stay like this forever. “I-I thought you said we should focus on finding the kids,” Victor manages. Ariadne nods. “You’re right. But we’re here, and all our family is here too. We have nothing to do until tomorrow.” This reminds Victor. “This is not a journey for the weak. It’s a six-hour hike to the summit. It’s gonna get cold, freezing cold, before it turns warm, and then so hot you want to rip your skin off.” “Your point?” Ariadne asks, pressing a kiss to his jawline. The Omega is so much like this place. Cold one second and hot the next, leaving Victor following after her in confusion, wanting something that’s being baited just in front of his face. “You don’t have to go,” Victor says, staring at the woman, so beautiful it hurts to look at her. “You can
The hike up the mountain is more strenuous than Victor remembers. Maybe it’s because the last time he was here, he’d done it alone, at the bloom of his age. But now, he’s old, and his bones ache from old battle scars that he doesn’t even recall.Ariadne’s miserable, wrapped up in a thick blue parka, with only her eyes exposed to the elements. She’s not as graceful on her feet now, the snow making it hard for her to move. The Omega waddles through, nearly tripping four times.“Why did I come?” the Omega laments. “This sucks.”Victor smiles despite himself, standing right behind Ariadne in case the Omega falls again, needing a brace. “It’ll get warm soon. The heat from the top of the volcano will cancel out the winter.”An hour later, they hit the midpoint in their travels, shedding their jackets as they go. But a new problem presents itself. The melt has created a thick layer of mud on the slope, which is so easy to fall into.Anna’s leading the charge, amazingly lithe, and Nathan is a