The Alpha's Omega Mate-Chapter 172: Coming to her.

~Dahlia’s POV~

I gently squeezed Amara’s hands for the nth time as we trudged through the now quiet halls of the house with only the soft sounds of our sandaled feet echoing behind us.

When I arrived downstairs, I was surprised to find out that Kai was gone, even Orion too, but for some reason, I wasn’t scared. I wasn’t afraid that he would go spewing the happenings of today to Zarek, knowing fully well that they wouldn’t find me here by the time they returned.

The thought of Kai however, made my heart sink in my chest. I hated that I had to leave this way. Hated that I couldn’t properly thank him for everything he’s done for Amara and I. This thought made tears burn at the corners of my eyes, and in my bid to chase momentary comfort, my grip on Amara’s hands tightened, her warmth seeping into my bones as I held her.

She didn’t complain; she only squeezed harder.

"Thank you baby," I mused

However, we had just made our way to the front of the house and were about to step out the door when I suddenly rammed into something— or someone. I gasped, my eyes widening when I came face to face with...

"Kai?"

"Dahlia," he drawled, his voice a low monotone, but the emotion between each syllable tugged at my heartstrings, making my breath hitch. I instinctively dropped my head as my grip on Amara’s hands tightened even further, and to worsen matters, he didn’t step away.

He simply stood there, watching me, accessing me. His eyes were like lasers burning into my skin.

I felt his eyes on my body even before seeing them. It burrowed through my flesh, sending jolts of electricity coursing through my veins. A small gasp escaped my lips when suddenly, he planted his index finger under my chin, and using it to propel my face forward, he mused; "So you’re really going?"

But I said nothing. I couldn’t. Not when I was awestruck by his beautiful red eyes. Not when the emotions swirling around his orbs were so thick it made all sane thoughts flee from my head.

"Look at me." He drawled painfully, but for some reason, I couldn’t. I gulped. "Dahlia please."

Gods no, the pain in his voice... the hurt in his eyes...

I cannot.

"Alpha Kai—"

"Kai." He corrected me quickly, his voice sharp. "Don’t take us back to a place we’ve successfully left behind us. Don’t force a formality that I cannot bear."

"I am—"

"I want you to stay, Dahlia," he ground out, his voice barely above a whisper, but goddamnit, the pain accentuating each word struck something deep within my chest.

I winced when my wolf howled, her pain just as palpable as mine. "I want you to live here. With me. With us. I don’t care about those barbaric werewolf rules, so trust me when I say I wouldn’t return you to Zarek."

"But that’s going to stir trouble!" I argued, "that’s wrong and you know it."

"Yes, I know." He answered tightly, "but I also know that werewolf royalty are not toys that can be bought and sold at whim. He didn’t know you were the daughter of an Alpha, so he bought you. But when he finds out..."

"You’re an Alpha’s daughter?" A voice behind suddenly called out, snapping us both out of our reveries. I spun around quickly to see who it was and when I realized that it was Orion, my face fell. I frowned, and by the gods a strange kind of rage suddenly overcame me.

"That’s none of your business." Both Kai and I snapped simultaneously, but that didn’t deter Beta Orion.

His eyes darted between us both as he walked closer to us, infinitesimally widening when he saw the packed cloth bag slung over my shoulder.

I had been half expecting him to say another stupid thing, to probably accuse me of being a coward. However, nothing prepared me for the words he said next, he drawled; "I won’t tell him."

I balked.

At first, I wasn’t sure I heard him correctly, and even if I did, I wasn’t sure he was talking to me. My eyes snagged on his for a brief second, hoping to see the manipulation... the lies... the sarcasm. But there was nothing.

Just a blank stare.

"I won’t tell Zarek I saw you here because now I understand the reason you left. You left for your safety and that’s more than enough reasons."

"Beta Orion?"

"But you and I know that he will find you, whether you run to the ends of the earth or not. He’s your mate remember... so I’ve decided that instead of telling him and risking getting on your bad side more than I already am, I will just stand back and watch it happ—"

"That’s enough!" Kai growled suddenly, cutting him off and I turned just in time to see him now standing beside me, his stance very protective— possessive even. He snapped; "because I let you stay doesn’t give you the right to threaten my guest..."

"But I am not threatening her! I am only telling her what will eventually happen!" He argued, but still, Kai would not have it. He shook his head stubbornly at Orion, who at the moment was no longer looking at me but at little Amara standing beside me.

He gasped; "wow. I guess I always knew that she was here, but seeing her... seeing you both... still feels kind of surreal... especially since I had almost begun to imagine the worst possible scenario." He muttered under his breath and in response, Amara did something that surprised me. 𝙛𝒓𝒆𝙚𝒘𝒆𝓫𝙣𝓸𝙫𝓮𝒍.𝒄𝒐𝓶

She smiled once at Beta Orion, gave him a curt bow and then proceeded to stand behind me, as if hiding away from him.

"Wow."

I was soon snapped out of my thoughts again when I felt something warm lacing itself between my fingers and I looked down just in time to see Kai’s fingers slipping between mine, his eyes latched on my face as if trying to look into my soul, and then as if suddenly forgetting about Orion’s presence in the room, he started;

"Dahlia, so as I was saying earlier, don’t go." He drawled softly as he dragged my hands up to his lips, whilst ignoring Orion’s pointed stares. "Where will you go? Moreover Alpha Zarek no longer has any claims over you."

"Now, that’s where I beg to disagree." Orion snapped, pulling us out of our little lover’s—trance. "He acquired her... Dahlia you know this, why aren’t you telling him?"

"Because I now know who my real father is. And he is— was an Alpha. And no one can simply ’buy’ someone with Alpha’s blood."

"But you’re an Omega. You don’t have a wolf!" Orion argued defiantly. "Your father may have been an Alpha but you’re still an Omega."

"Say that again." I spat.

Now, Orion cocked his eyebrows at me in confusion. He frowned; "I do not understand."

"Dahlia isn’t an Omega," Kai chirped in, and then as if confused himself, he stopped, turned to me and drawled; "I don’t know what she is... but she sure is not an Omega."

Kai’s words had Orion pausing for a moment, his eyes widening as he turned to access me. "Have you never shifted?"

"I don’t think I should be answering that." I snapped.

"But have you?"

"I have no obligations to answer you." I spat again, this time, causing Beta Orion to roll his eyes in annoyance.

"I know I do not have the right, I just want to have an idea about what we’re dealing with. I want to help you."

"And I do not want your help." I snapped again defiantly , and this time, he smacked his lips shut. His eyes shot up to meet mine, and only the gods know whatever he must’ve seen there to make him drop his gaze. Suddenly, he dropped his voice, his shoulders sunk too, he muttered;

"You will never forgive me. Will you?"

I shook my head. "I don’t know. I just want you to leave me alone." I said, and that had him taking steps back.

He shrugged. "Then I guess I should let you both be.."

He then turned away to walk out of the room but as soon as he arrived by the door, he stopped. He turned to flash a grin my way and whispered; "Also, I think you should know that Zarek’s still hasn’t stopped looking for you," he drawled, causing my heart to do a somersault.

"I won’t tell him that you’re here, but if you must remain here, just know that he’ll find you."

Now, Kai’s deep growl was the response he got.

"And I want you to know that I am sorry. I really am. For everything." He finished, but I didn’t get the chance to ask exactly what he was apologizing about when he suddenly turned and left the room. Even the house altogether, but this time, no one stopped him.

Not me. Not Kai.

However, his words had managed to stir up emotions I thought were once buried. Pity. Anger. Betrayal... and love. It felt like I suddenly remembered my love for Alpha Zarek. How I had pined on him.... How I was supposed to keep pining on him.

I was snapped out of my trance when a young soldier rushed into the house just from where Orion had stepped out seconds prior, and his eyes caught mine for a very brief second before he bowed quickly, looking away from me.

"Your Grace, my lady.... I greet you."

I frowned.

"What is it George?" Kai asked, sounding irritated.

The young guard, George, raised his head quickly, and I saw a flash of something akin to worry fleet past his face before he quickly drew on a stoic mask. He stated;

"Alpha Kael’vorn’s exact location has been confirmed." He said, and at that, I stilled, turning quickly to face Kai whose face was as white as snow and devoid of any emotion.

"And where is that?" he drawled, his voice sounding like metal against ice. Cold. Sharp. Distant. "Have you sent patrol officers to the place? Has anyone tried to approach him yet?"

"No," George rushed out, "no one."

"Why?"

"Because he was found here... at our pack’s border. He’s coming to you." He drawled, and then turning to me, he added; "To her. I think he knows she’s here."

Wait, what?"