Three months. That's how long I've kept my mates existence a secret. It's been torment to pretend she doesn't exist when I'm not around her...and those occasions I can be with her are rare, as in twice a week for just an hour each rare.
Sapphira works at a local animal shelter six days a week, and has an hour break for lunch each day. However, due to my packs rules, I only have a couple hours a week for free time off the pack land...and I can't risk being late, or I'd lose that little time as a punishment.
~Who is he to tell us where we can go? And to keep us from seeing our mate?~
Ares growls angrily, and I have to mute the sound considering that I'm currently in the Alphas office along with Maka and all twelve other Omegas. Any form of aggression towards a higher ranked wolf is met with strict discipline...and I can't risk anything right now.
"The Alpha and Luna of the Dusk Howlers pack are going to be visiting two days from now. I want this place spotless by then, and the day they arrive, for all of you to be out of the pack house until they leave. I don't care where you go as long as you're back by 6 pm the next day. Am I understood?"
"Yes Alpha."
We all say at once, the words bitter on my tongue as I say them with false respect. I have to be honest though, forcing us out of the house during that meeting is really a bit of mercy. The Dusk Howlers pack are one of the ones that actually mistreat and abuse their Omegas...us being in their presence would put us in their striking distance...and Alpha Samson wouldn't be able to stop them even if he wanted to.
"You are dismissed."
We bow our heads and begin to exit quietly, a tired look on the others faces.
"Kane. You stay, I need to speak with you for a moment."
I halt in my tracks, catching a glimpse of Maka's worried face before it disappears out the door. I turn around to face him slowly, keeping my face blank despite the chaotic, fearful thoughts whirling behind it.
Does he know about Sapphira? How could he? I've been completely certain to not change my behavior or say a word about her. The only person I told was Maka, but she'd never rat me out. Could someone have seen us eating lunch together? Is that what gave it away?
"Kane, I was wondering if you had found your mate yet?"
My body runs cold at his question, and for the first time...I'm actually going to do the unthinkable...lie.
"No sir, not yet."
My voice thankfully remains normal, but internally I'm petrified. What if this was a test? What if he knows Sapphira is my mate and he was seeing if I would tell the truth?
The five seconds between my answer and his grunt in response feels like a lifetime, ticking by agonizingly slow.
"Perhaps you should consider taking Maka as your mate, you aren't getting any younger, and you two seem close."
~No offense to the she wolf, but hell no!~ Ares yells angrily.
I bite back yet another growl, swallowing hard before trying to speak again.
"I'll consider that."
I feel like I'm going to be physically sick, me? Mate with Maka? Hell no! She's practically my sister! Blood or not it would still be like incest! Not to forget I already have a mate! I try to shake the image out of my head so I don't end up hurling on the Alphas feet. That would be far from good for me.
"Good. You are dismissed."
I nod and walk out the door as normally as possible, considering I'm fighting the urge to sprint out as fast as possible. There has never been a moment before now that I've wanted to get as far from him as possible. I've broken two rules since meeting my mate, and told two lies in one day, I keep this up for too long and I'm really gonna be screwed.
I spend the rest of the day helping the Omegas with cleaning duty, opting to save my visit with Sapphira for when I'd have a day and a half out of the pack land. Besides, we have all four floors of the house to clean, only excluding the occupied bedrooms of higher wolves...which no Omega is ever allowed to enter, so they are going to need all the help they can get.
I spend my night like I've been spending it the past three months, dreaming of those gorgeous blueberry eyes that belong to my sweet Sapphira...both tormenting and comforting me in my subconscious. Trying to imagine running my fingers through her soft hair, listening to her heartbeat as she curls up next to me, hearing the way her voice says my name...It only makes what I'm doing harder...
What am I doing?
I can't continue living this way, spending a measly two hours a week with her for the rest of my life. I can't be with her as a mate in this pack, but I also don't have any options as far as leaving the pack...
I can't be with her...but I can't let her go...
So what am I gonna do about it?
~~~~~~~~~~
Finally, the day the Alpha and Luna from the other pack arrive is here, and I pack any necessities and extra clothes for staying somewhere overnight. I don't have many personal possessions, outside of clothes and toiletries we aren't given much, but I take what few valuables I do have with me. My worn out collection of books, my outdated MP3 player, and my necklace with a rustic key pendant that belonged to my mother before she passed away. She told me to always keep it close, because it would one day be the most valuable possession I'll ever have...truth be told, it already is.
We were told to leave an hour before they arrived at eight am, and with no intention of defying that order, I high tail it out of the house ten minutes before seven with Maka right on my heels.
"Where are you gonna go Kane? I'm staying with a human friend, I'd invite you, but she doesn't have enough room for both of us...and she doesn't know you well."
I mull over her words as we get into the SUV, me driving out of the territory as fast as possible. Not out of fear, but for safety reasons. I have enough trouble tolerating one Alpha with Purist views, so there is no way I'd be able to keep myself in check when there is another Alpha and a Luna around that take joy in abusing Omegas. It would get real ugly, real fast.
"I'll just do what I did last time, sleep in the car."
"Are you sure?"
"Yeah."
I continue driving into town, both of us staying silent. I take advantage of the lack of conversation to think about Sapphira...and what I'm going to do.
I stop in front of the apartment building that Maka's friend lives in, letting her out and waving goodbye as she disappears inside. I drive away and head to the nearby gas station to pick up a little breakfast before going to the local library to check out some books before going to see Sapphira at her work.
We are given a limited allowance by the Alpha, enough to get through a week eating wise. But I managed to save mine up over the years by going for cheap food when necessary and not wasting it on junk I don't really need, giving me about 1,700 dollars to my name. I keep it hidden well, knowing that if anyone but Maka found out I'd be robbed...and possibly reported to the Alpha, so I keep it on me whenever I leave my room for long periods of time to make sure. Omegas can't keep that much cash on them, no more than a hundred.
So I guess I've always broken the rules.
After my cheap breakfast, I go to the library for a while. Reading a few to pass some time, the place doesn't open until ten, so I have nowhere else to be.
Halfway through Stephan Kings 'Pet Cemetery', someone walks up to my seat and places a piece of paper on the table beside me. Looking up, I see a face I haven't seen in three years. The boy that was thrown out of the pack after a cruel beating.
Tony Ferris.
He nods and looks at the note on the table before disappearing to the back of the library, his black hoodie concealing his identity from the rest of the patrons. I pick up the paper after I'm alone, flipping it open to read the contents.
Kane,
Pretend to read for another twenty minutes before checking out. Then meet me in the back lot of the library. We have a lot of important things to talk about old friend.
Tony.
I flip it closed and stick it inside one of the books I plan on checking out, returning to the story I was reading before his unexpected arrival. But, instead of reading, I just pretended to read as I flipped pages, my mind to distracted by what he could want to talk about. I can only draw blanks at this point in time.
After the twenty minutes have passed, I check out my books and head for the back exit. Tony is leaning against the brick wall, a lit cigarette between his lips. He puts it out when he sees me, and I quietly thank him, I've never liked cigarettes...between the smell and the irritating smoke, they just never were appealing.
"It's been a long time since I've seen you Kane, how are you doing?"
I scoff lightly, bitter humor emerging once again.
"About as good as it can be all things considered. The better question is how have you been? The last time I saw you, you were being kicked out of the pack...the rest of us wondered if you were still sane."
A grim smile twitches at his mouth.
"I'm actually doing really good, and that's why I'm here."
"What do you mean?"
"There is two states full of what the other packs like to call 'neutral territory' up in Washington and Oregon. But the truth is, it has a pack there that takes in disowned rouges and runaways. That's where I've been staying the past two and a half years."
The information shocks me, a pack made up of runaways and rouges? That's a new one. He notices my baffled expression and nods understandingly.
"Hard to believe, I know. But it actually exists. And that's the reason I'm here. Kane, I want you to go there with me, it's a chance to break away from this oppressive pack and be more than just a lowly Omega. You'll be free."
Ares perks up at the idea, the dream of leaving Black Sun for good now actually having a chance to come true. But, there's one problem.
"The thing is Tony, I have a mate..."
"You do? That's awesome man! She can come too!"
"The thing is...she's human..."
He blinks, then reaches up to grab me by the shoulder.
"All the more reason to leave Kane, you and I both know what will happen if Samson finds out. In Washington you would have the freedom to be with her and she'd be safe from the Alphas iron fist."
He makes an excellent point, but it has one tiny flaw.
"I haven't told her yet Tony, we've known each other for three months but I only get so much time with her. I can't drop all this on her now and just expect her to leave everything behind."
He nods in agreement, then he looks like he has a new idea.
"When's the next time the pack is having a visiting Alpha?" He asks.
I bite my lip in concentration, racking my brain before it hits me. Thank the goddess I have access to his schedule.
"In three months the LA pack leader is going to be here, December 15th."
"Good then here's what we'll do. In those three months you'll build up your relationship with your mate and tell her what you are, then explain to her about the situation. I'll come down here to Arizona the night before the meeting and then when you have to leave, pack up your stuff and bring your girl to the county line. I'll pick you up there and lead the way towards your new home."
He smiles broadly, that devious glint in his eyes.
"It's perfect. No one will be suspicious of your packed bags, and with you being allowed off the territory until the next day, by the time they realize you've skipped town we'll already have a 24 hour head start."
I interrupt his plotting by clearing my throat.
"What about Maka?"
"Of course. As long as you trust them to keep this little escapade secret, you can bring as many as you can."
I nod, knowing what he means. I'd honestly like to take all the Omegas with me, but I can't risk one of them finding out and going straight to the Alpha out of fear.
"So, are you in?"
After a brief discussion with Ares, I nod. I wanted an opportunity to get out, and this is it. I have to go for it as crazy as it is, there might never be another opportunity like this one.
"Alright! Remember, December 15th, meet at the county line."
"Got it."
"Great, now I gotta go. I can't risk getting caught here as a 'rouge'. Good luck Kane."
He sneaks off through the forest behind the library, while I head to my car up front. I jump in and start heading back to Maka's friends house, knowing that this is the best opportunity to tell her the escape plan.
I just hope to the Goddess that it works.