Omega Phoenix: Hunted

Her Shifter Harem’s Babies 2

Layla Heart

Omega Phoenix: Hunted (Her Shifter Harem’s Babies 2)

Copyright © 2020 LAYLA HEART

All rights reserved. No part of this story may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means without express written permission of the copyright holder.

This book contains sexually explicit content which is suitable only for mature adults.

ISBN: 9789493139237

NUR: 343

Edition: 20201207

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Blurb

Freshly mated Omega Cyra and her four Alphas are being hunted, by Cyra’s parents, the media and the police...

At the yearly Night Gala, an exclusive event for rich shifters, four Alphas catch Cyra’s Omega scent and react to her instinctively, recognising her as their mate. They don’t know what to make of it at first, but as the party is not a place to talk privately, especially not with so much paparazzi around, they decide to sneak off and find a better place to figure out what’s happening.

Cyra, a rare Omega phoenix, has been hiding herself from the shifter world for years because she wants to live her own life and not be constantly controlled by an Alpha. As soon as an Alpha mates an Omega, the Omega becomes that Alpha’s property and Cyra refuses to live like that. More importantly, when an Alpha reacts to an Omega’s scent in an instinctive way, it means that they’re fated mates and belong together.

Or, well, that’s how it works normally, when you’re not a rare shifter type and your parents aren’t crazy rich... According to the law, there’s one thing more important than an Alpha marking their fated Omega and that is if the Omega is already promised to a different Alpha by the Omega’s parents. Marking and mating a promised Omega is illegal and punished harshly.

After Cyra and her four Alphas, hydra Zack, griffin Spence, cerberus Max and centaur Liam, have been spotted sneaking away from the Night Gala, their pictures are plastered all over the shifter gossip media. And, out of nowhere, Cyra’s parents show up, claiming that Cyra has been missing for years and that the four Alphas have kidnapped her. Even worse, Cyra’s parents claim that they had already chosen an Alpha for Cyra, that she has been promised to someone for years, even if Cyra didn’t know about it.

Of course, Cyra and her four Alphas only find out about the promised Alpha after Cyra has gone into heat and the four have already mated her, marked her as theirs. They never kidnapped Cyra, no matter what Cyra’s parents are claiming in the media, but they are now breaking a much more serious law, the law of illegally mating a promised Omega. If they’re found out, they could end up in jail, or worse, dead, leaving Cyra vulnerable to whatever insidious plans her parents have for her and the four Alphas can’t let that happen.

Which is why Cyra and her fated Alphas are now on the run from Cyra’s parents, the drama hungry media, who are exploiting this situation to the fullest, and the police...

This is the second book in the Her Shifter Harem’s Babies series, a paranormal Omegaverse reverse harem #WhyChoose story. This book may include any of these elements: steamy scenes, ‘I need tissues NOW’ moments, cries of ‘why, oh, why’ and cliffhangers that make you bite your nails (and curse the author).

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Author note

I’m not a US or a UK author and this story does not take place in the US or the UK, so it will use a mixture of both. Most of the spelling and grammar will be in UK style, but a lot of US slang is used.

I want to specifically note that the spelling of griffin is used over the spelling of gryphon, and cerberus is spelled without a capital at the start because it’s used as a noun to describe mythical three headed dog creatures and not used as a proper name.

Thanks!

Happy reading!

1

Cyra

Zack, Spence, Max and Liam are holding me tightly between them as I try not to go into a full-blown panic attack. Not only did my parents go on TV, on a human TV station which broadcasts all over the world, declaring that my four Alphas have kidnapped me, but they’re also going to pay someone two million bucks if they provide my parents with the information to get me ‘returned’ to them. Which is... That’s a whole other mess. Incentives like that are enough for some people to not question what’s going on, they just need the money.

My parents’ lies keep building, one on top of the next, on top of the next. It started with the lie that they supposedly had no idea where I’d been for the past years, that I’d been ‘missing’. Even though they signed the contract for the apartment I was living in, since an Omega can’t sign their own contract, and I had been living in the same place ever since. They knew exactly where I was or where I worked.

Then they started saying that I’d been kidnapped. First by some unknown person and then by my Alphas. And before they even seemed to have thought that lie through properly, they announced that I was supposed to already have an Alpha. Someone who my parents promised me to ‘years ago’, which is total bullshit.

Depending on which media spin you believe, I already knew about this Alpha for a long time and hid away from my parents because of it, or my parents never had the chance to tell me about this Alpha, because I’d gone ‘missing’ before they could. But the end result is the same, I’ve already been promised to an Alpha so I should be ‘returned’ to my parents so I can be with him. Supposedly, Zack, Spence, Max and Liam are keeping me from being united with my ‘rightful’ Alpha, the one my parents picked, making it appear like the four are breaking the law on purpose when my parents are the ones making shit up.

And since their first attempt didn’t work, they’re now promising two million bucks to whoever provides the information to ‘return’ me to my parents and my ‘rightful’ Alpha...

Something is off. There has to be more to this than just the extra publicity that my parents are getting from it, and the extra publicity that this new Alpha, this Alpha Douglas, a basilisk shifter, is going to get from it.

Why are they putting themselves at risk like this? Because if someone finds out that everything about me being ‘missing’ and me being kidnapped is a lie, and that my parents are threatening my four Alphas over literally nothing but their own hurt ego, then it would ruin them and the Alpha they chose. They must know this. They have to know this. Right?

What’s their game? What’s their... What’s their end goal?

“Cyra?” Max’s voice is warm, soothing, and he runs his fingers over my cheek. I meet his eyes, not sure what to expect. “What are you thinking?”

“None of this makes sense.” I feel like I’m coming back to myself, the immediate panic gone, confusion setting in. “Their actions make no sense. Why paint such a target on their own backs?”

I carefully slide from between the guys, staring up at the TV, which is still showing the clip of my father’s ‘heartfelt plea’, followed by the clip of the Alpha my parents chose for me. “My parents aren’t poor, but they don’t have the money to just hand out two mil to some random person. They also don’t have...” I sigh. “Why?”

Zack appears next to me, his arm around my waist and I lean into him a little, glad he’s calmed down and doesn’t seem ready to strangle the first person he sees. “I could have someone look into that Alpha guy? He might have something to do with their actions? Do you want me to?”

I think it over for a moment and then nod. “Yes. That would be a good idea.” It can’t hurt, it can only help to make this all less confusing.

Liam walks past us, but not after giving me a quick kiss, and he sits on the couch with his laptop. “I’ll check to see what I can find about him online. That might give us some clues.”

My eyes are constantly being drawn back to the TV. I’ve not seen my parents in quite a while, though I’ve called with them, and they’re still the exact same as I remember them. My father always at the front, speaking for everyone, never letting anyone else get a word in, and my mother at his back, silent, but never doubting any word he says, ready to do whatever he says the moment he says it.

Their relationship, and similar relationships of the people around us, showed me why I definitely didn’t want a life like hers. So if my parents, the people so strictly adhering to ‘proper’ Alpha/Omega dynamics, chose an Alpha for me... Yeah, I’m not trusting that at all.

“Cyra?” Spence comes closer, his eyes guarded.

“Yes?” I look at him, not sure by his tone.

“Let’s get you seated.” He slowly reaches out to me and I want to tell him off, tell him I’m not some porcelain doll he needs to handle with care. But then I feel how tight Zack’s arm is around my waist, how he’s holding me up, and I inwardly curse myself. Of course. I’m still under the influence of my heat. Even if my mind is clear, my body is still weakened and, now I’m aware of it, my exhaustion is so obvious.

“Sure.” I let Spence wrap his strong arm around me and when he’s about to guide me away, Zack stops us.

“One last thing.” Zack smirks, putting his lips to mine. The kiss is soft at first but deepens until my head is spinning and I’m out of breath. Then, just as I want more from him, he breaks the kiss. “There. Now I can do some work.”

Asshole. Fucking asshole. I’m severely turned on and he’s just walking off, taking his phone out of his pocket, all perfect nonchalance, though I can see how his cock is straining in his slacks. He’s not unaffected either, but somehow he can still walk away from me. Asshole.

I turn to Spence, purposefully ignoring Zack. “I think I’d like to go to bed. It’s been...”

“A long day.” He gives me a soft smile.

“Yeah.” I sigh. “A long day.”

The day had started out pretty nice, with Max making us pancakes, but from there on out, things went downhill. First, Max’ cousin Julie called, the same Omega who’d hired me to play princess at her daughter’s birthday party. She told us about the reporters bugging her and her family and about how she could get me help from the Omega Association.

Then, I got into an argument with the guys when I accepted her help. The guys, the Alpha guys, didn’t think that taking help from other Omegas would be of any use. Because, in their world view, what can Omegas do that Alphas can’t? Well, other Omegas can understand the problems I have to go through, for one...

Since I’d had enough of Alphas messing up my life and to clear my head, I fled into the forests around the house. I needed to be alone for a while, think things over. I didn’t get that far, not wanting to get lost, and I sat down, simply enjoying the sounds of the forest around me, calming down. Until Liam found me, at which point we both realised that I was going into heat. I was going into heat much earlier than I should have. It’s still a week or two from the start of the mating season.

And after that... Well, the things that happen when Omegas go into heat around their Alphas happened. We had mind-blowing sex, and they marked me, my neck is still sore.

And then... Well, then the stuff with my parents on the TV. Throwing our whole world for another loop, as they started claiming even more ridiculous things about me and about my Alphas.

I definitely need sleep. A lot of it. I want to do things, things that seem useful or important, get out of this mess my parents have made for us. But I’m in no state to do anything anymore. I just need to sleep. Lots of sleep.

Max follows us as Spence guides me out of the living room. Once we’re in the massive and luxurious hallway, with the broken table still in the middle, from where Zack threw it earlier, Max picks me up and cradles me in his arms. Like I’m his bride or something.

I glare at him, opening my mouth to tell him off, but the soft look in his eyes stops me. “Fine.” I sigh. “Just this one time.”

He smirks, winking. “This is the second time today, you know.”

“Yeah, yeah.” I roll my eyes at him.

The first time was when he carried me into the house, after Liam had found me in the forest. At that time, I was in no state to walk, unlike now. But his arms are warm and strong, and it’s not actually that bad to be carried by him. It makes me feel safe, much safer.

Spence walks in front of us up the stairs. “We opened the windows in the bedroom and cleaned the bed. Hopefully, most of the scent will be gone by now.”

“And we’re not adding to it again.” I narrow my eyes at Spence’s back and then at Max, who smiles, his warm brown eyes sparkling with some sort of delight. “I’m serious.”

“I know. I’ll just wait until the morning.” Max winks and I smack his chest.

When we’ve reached the same room as we were in last night, where we had sex this afternoon, I really feel how much I want to just curl up in bed and put this day behind me.

The room is cool, the fresh air flowing through the room actually welcoming on my heated skin. And while someone has made the bed, it’s... Well, it’s obvious that they’re not used to making their own bed. The sheets are on in a really weird way, too tight in some places and too loose in others, and I have a suspicion that they used the wrong size sheets. They’ll come right off during the night, with all five of us in it. But I can fix that in the morning. I can’t be bothered right now.

Max puts me on my feet, his eyes on my neck, on where they marked me earlier. “Do you sleep naked? Or do I need to get you something to wear? And do you need something on those marks? Bandages or something?”

“I’m fine.” I undo the towel that Zack put on me earlier. The way the guy knotted it with the hair tie at the top actually kept it up pretty well. It stayed on the whole time and I’d almost forgotten that I was wearing a towel and not a dress. Though, the towel is really big, reaching well past my knees, so it’s basically the same as a wrap dress, just fluffier.

Then I climb into bed, under the covers, and Spence and Max join me, both in just their boxer briefs.

“You’re going to let the others work while you sleep?” I poke Spence in his side, and he squirms away from me, laughing.

“We’re going to guard you in shifts, extra protection. Max and I are going to sleep now and Zack and Liam can sleep in the morning, or something.” He laughs, leaning close and giving me a soft kiss. “I’m kidding. The other two will join us soon enough, once they realise we’re not coming back.” He winks and kisses me again.

I’m not even going to reply anything to that, because he’s probably right. And I’m too tired to even come up with a proper response. Anything that needs my attention, I’ll deal with tomorrow. Not today.

I’m asleep in moments, a deep dreamless sleep. The sleep of exhaustion.

2

Max

It didn’t take long for Zack and Liam to realise we weren’t coming back down after getting Cyra to bed and they joined us within minutes of Cyra falling asleep. The bed is a little too small for all five of us, but it works for now. Especially since we all want to be as close to Cyra as possible, so we turn into a massive pile of bodies. Maybe it’ll get better later, but this will have to do for now. Luckily, the weather is getting cool fast, so we at least won’t boil each other out of bed during the night.

When I woke up, I had a weird crook in my neck from where Liam held my head almost in a headlock and I was about to fall from the bed, moments away from a painful crash on the wooden floor. Instead of trying to find another spot to sleep on the cramped bed, I got dressed and decided to start the day.

I let my mind wander as I’m making breakfast. More pancakes, since it’s one of the two breakfast items I know how to make and that we’ve got supplies for, the other being cornflakes... And cornflakes really aren’t going to sustain us right now. It looks like today is going to be a busy day, we’re going to have to find shit out about that Alpha Cyra’s parents chose for her, and also how we’re going to protect Cyra going forward.

My phone rings and I blink, turning the heat under the pancakes down as I pick up, it’s Julie. That’s unexpected. “Good morning?”

“You sound too awake,” Julie grumbles before sighing. “You shouldn’t sound this awake this early in the morning, you know?”

“What’s up?” I can’t help smiling. I slept, deeply, before I nearly fell out of bed, waking me up at a pretty normal time, around six in the morning. Although, it’s a normal time for me to wake up, not for Julie. “Wait, why are you up?”

“Stupid reporters in front of my house. Thanks to you guys. They were being loud, arguing about the best spots to try to catch us on our way out. Isa had to get up because someone was trying to take pictures of us in our bedroom. They were basically pressing their cameras against the glass to get the best shot of us...”

“I’m sorry.” Fuck. I did not consider that. I’d totally forgotten about the reporters camping out in front of her place. “Anything I can do?”

“Not really. Isa is taking care of things. Last I heard her she was on the phone with the cops to report them for trespassing. You know how much the cops here hate it when reporters are stepping over the line. So it should calm down soon. I’m just calling to see how Cyra is doing. How you’re all doing, but, you know, especially her.”

I open my mouth to answer her, but then stop myself. Not sure how much I should tell her. Or how to even explain what happened in a way that doesn’t make us look really bad.

“Max?” I can almost hear the glare she’s giving me through the phone and I automatically wince. “What’s going on? You didn’t do something stupid, did you?” She’s always been really good at spotting when I try to hide things from her.

“Define stupid?” I pull a face, because that’s a definite tell that I did something she probably wouldn’t like...

“Fucking hell, dude. What did you do?”

“Let’s put it this way, she won’t be needing the number of the doc for suppressants anymore. Though, she’ll probably need it for other things?”

“Oh. Dude.” Julie falls quiet. “I’m not even... Fuck.” I hear sliding doors open and close and then the sounds of the early morning as she steps outside into her garden. “You’re going to be in big trouble when her parents find out. Fuck.”

“I know.”

“Did you mark her?” She sounds disapproving.

“We all did.” My voice is quiet, not really wanting to admit it out loud. Even though it will be obvious to the whole world soon enough, when they catch sight of Cyra, when everyone can see the marks.

“All?! Fucking hell, Max. How can you...? Sometimes I don’t even... I expect Liam to do this type of stupid shit, not you.” She sighs, falling quiet. Probably cursing me out without sounds and I definitely deserve it. We should not have gotten ourselves in this situation to begin with. “I’ll call you back later. I need to think this over.”

“I know. Sorry.” But before I can say more, she’s already disconnected the call.

I know that Julie has only been trying to help us. She’s been protecting us. She’s even offered us the help of a doctor and the Omega Association. And then we... And then we do this, mark and mate Cyra. Getting us all into even more trouble.

We’ve just been getting ourselves into more and more trouble ever since we met Cyra and I don’t even know how we’ve managed it half of the time, to be honest... It’s like it just happens or something. It’s like all of us suddenly have Liam’s bad luck.

I put the phone down and turn the heat under the pancakes back up, finishing up last of the bowl of batter.

Julie is right. Now we’ve marked Cyra, we’re in even more trouble than we were before, after we’d just been spotted sneaking away from the Night Gala. At the same time, we shouldn’t be in any trouble at all for marking our mate. She’s ours.

She’s ours.

What we did is only natural. It’s normal. But if the media or Cyra’s parents find out, we’ll get into a whole load more trouble. If anyone tells the media or Cyra’s parents that we’ve marked her, they’re going to be hunting for us. They’re going to be hunting for us and they won’t stop until they’ve killed us. We won’t get a trial, they’ll kill us on the spot, just for marking our fated mate... Because she’s supposedly promised to someone else, supposedly.

The mood during breakfast was definitely... not happy. So much has happened in the last days, from the Gala, to staying at the coast, to coming here, to marking Cyra, and that ignores whatever Cyra’s parents are trying to pull on us. It’s hard to imagine how we’re going to move on from here. We have to move forward and that means coming up with some concrete plans.

But it seems that getting everyone focused in the same direction might not be the easiest thing today. It would probably help if we could all be in the same room at the same time, but that seems to be impossible for some reason. So, while I’m trying to find information about what our options are when it comes to getting our mating validated and recognised and Liam is trying to stay on top of what’s going on in the media, Zack and Spence are off elsewhere, doing whatever they’re doing.

And Cyra... Well... Ehh... She’s not happy, as expected. She went off on her own pretty soon after breakfast. We’re out in the middle of nowhere, so we felt it was safe enough for her to walk wherever she wanted, as long as she was able to find her way back and wouldn’t get lost.

There’s a notification on Liam’s computer and he curses loudly. “Max... Could you go find the hydra and the griffin?”

“What is it?” I stand up but he waves me out of the room as he grabs his phone.

“The hydra and griffin first, and Cyra, if you can find her. I’ll explain it when you get back.”

“Liam?” I don’t like being out of the loop, but he puts his fingers to his lips, the phone to his ear. “Fine.” I sigh, and step into the hallway, trying to find out where everyone is.

Then I hear a wooshing sound outside, like the flapping of really big wings. What?

I cross the hallway and open the front door. There’s nothing at eye level, but when I look up I have to shield my eyes from the sun. A huge, winged creature is hanging in the air in front of the house. The front of an eagle, with massive claws and wings, and the back of a lion, which also has dangerous-looking claws. A fucking griffin.

I hold my breath for a moment, my heart beating fast, impressed by the creature, my cerberus reacting to him, recognising who this is, a tugging in my chest that I try to ignore. That pulls me back to the now, back to our situation and why I’m looking for him. “Spence, you might want to shift back. We need your help.” I look around, trying to find Zack. “Where’s the hydra, or Cyra?”

Spence lets out a high screech as he turns towards the forest and soars off. Great... I have no idea if that means that he knows where they are, or that he doesn’t know.

Since I’ve got nothing better to do, I walk in the direction that Spence flew in, pretty sure that he was going in the direction of someone, and if not, at least I’ll be able to drag his ass back to the house.

It only takes a few minutes before I find Cyra. She’s sitting in a clearing, leaning against a tree, her phone in her hands, but while she’s staring at it, she doesn’t move.

“Cyra?” I don’t want to scare her and I have a feeling that if I speak too loudly, I’m going to spook her.

She slowly looks up, her eyes red and puffy and my heart aches. “I just spoke to Audrey, the girl I work at the cafe with. Or worked at the cafe with, I guess.” Her face falls even more.

Uh, oh. It doesn’t sound like it was a good call. “What happened?”

Cyra pulls a face, standing up. “She wanted to know what the fuck my parents were on, with the shit they were saying about me. Until she realised that this wasn’t a joke, that it was true, that I really am an Omega...” She puts her phone away. “She understandably got upset with me for hiding that from her, even though we’ve known each other for years and work together all the time. She just thought I was asexual or demisexual. She didn’t expect me to be an Omega and for that to be the reason I was staying away from people.”

“I’m so sorry.” I step closer, but she decisively shakes her head.

“No. I was part of a community.” She looks at me, glaring, angry. “I had a normal life. I had my job, my friends, and now all of that has been taken away from me. It’s all gone.”

“Audrey didn’t want to be friends anymore?” I’m almost getting angry too, until I see Cyra’s surprise at my words.

“Hell, no. Of course not.” She looks upset that I could even consider such things. “She wanted to fight all of you, and my parents too, everyone in this crap system, for messing up my life.”

“Then why were you crying?” Because she’s obviously been crying. That sounds like Audrey has been a very good friend to her, really supportive, and it hurts knowing that Cyra had to lie to Audrey for years. But it seems that Audrey doesn’t care too much about the lie, just about the pain her friend is in, and that’s a quality I can appreciate in a person.

Cyra’s voice hitches for a moment, before she gets it back under control. “Because she was so sweet, and if it wasn’t for me, she wouldn’t have to threaten anyone with murder on my behalf. I don’t want her to have to threaten anyone, just to protect me. I hate that she feels like that...”

I turn away, towards two sets of footsteps behind me, as I try to hide my smile from her. Audrey sounds great, and I totally understand how Audrey is feeling, wanting to protect Cyra. We’ll have to find a way to get Audrey back into Cyra’s life as soon as this is all over. I would hate to break a friendship like that.

Spence and Zack saunter down the path towards us, both looking serious, their bodies a little too tense to be truly sauntering, no matter how hard they try to look relaxed. Their clothes are rumpled, like they put them on in a hurry.

“Spence said that you need us?” Zack eyes me.

“Yeah.” I nod back to the house. “Liam found something and we need to be there. Where were you...” But with how stressed Liam was looking when I left, there are more important things than trying to find out what those two were up to. “Let’s go.” I reach out to Cyra and she takes my hand, walking next to me.

Inwardly, I smile, thinking of Audrey. Cyra seems to be great at collecting very protective friends around her. People who want to protect her no matter what they have to face. Though, from what I know about Cyra, she’s the same, always protecting the people around her. It’s a great quality to have, but I suspect that it might get her, or us, in a lot of trouble in the future, more than we’re already in.

When we reach the house, Liam is standing in the doorway, looking angry and annoyed and he quickly turns around, back into the house. What?

As soon as we walk into the living room, the first thing I notice is the TV. It’s on again, on silent, but we don’t need to hear what’s being said to understand what’s happening. The whole screen is filled with shot after shot of the house we were staying in at the coast. There are people walking around the place, like they’re trying to find clues or something, combing through the shrubbery around the house, looking behind furniture, peering into the windows. From this angle alone, I spot three different camera crews filming in front of the house.

Oh, fuck. Hell, no.

So this is what Liam found out, why he was so on edge. Reporters have located the previous place we stayed at, the first house we fled to. I’m so glad that we left when we did, that we realised that we’d be found too easily there, since we’d been in such a hurry to leave the city that we couldn’t fully think through all the safety measures. But now that house is discovered... Fuck.

How long until they’ll find this place too?

We can’t keep running from them all the time. It’s not... It’s not possible.

3

Liam

Fury is coursing through my body. I’m fighting all my instincts to stay in control of myself, to not start throwing things. I’m not like Zack, I don’t take my emotions out on the furniture, I can keep myself under control, though it’s not easy right now. Not with what just happened.

After I got the notification that there was an article which mentioned us and a potential ‘Alpha hideaway at the coast’, I called someone who I’ve worked with before, a reporter, to get more information. Azure is an Alpha harpy who works for a company that writes articles for newspapers, websites and magazines.

I created a notification system for her a few years back, it’s similar to what I’m using right now to track mentions of us in the media. She needed it so she could get updates about specific obscure subjects. For research, she said and I found it easier to just not question it.

But with all the shit going on with us right now, I thought it a good idea to get back in touch with her. Especially if she could get me information before it would show up on some website or news channel, give us a head’s up about things. Maybe then we could control the flow of information before it hit the big channels, or at least prepare for it.

While I was on the phone with Azure, I saw more notifications flood in, one of them was from a TV channel. So I turned the TV on to check it out, and saw this shit. How the hell did they find that house?

Not that I’m really surprised that they did, I’m mostly just annoyed. Annoyed that we’d let our guard down, that we didn’t think to make sure to cover our tracks extra carefully, that we were found out so quickly. We must have messed up somewhere.

Since we still don’t have a real plan of what we’re going to do next, how we’re going to try to get out of this situation, how we’re going to make sure that they won’t take Cyra from us, it’ll be bad if they track us to this house. We can’t be found, not now, not ever.

The others stare at the TV, until Cyra shakes her head in anger and turns it off. “It’s no use to keep watching. We’re not going to learn anything new. We know exactly what that place looks like. We were there just two days ago. We need to stop. Stop and think. We can’t keep fleeing from them. We can’t keep fleeing from reporters, my family, the law.”

She turns to me. “Is there a way to get our story out to the media so that their version isn’t the only one people hear? A way for us to counter their claims, to show that there’s a lot more going on than my parents are willing to admit?”

I shrug. “Sure. But what do you want to say? What’s your message going to be? Just saying that they’re lying isn’t going to change things, that will be just your word against theirs.” Because who is going to listen to her, or us, after all the lies her parents have been spreading?

People will think that we’re holding a grudge or that we’re trying to make her parents look bad, simply because we’re telling the truth. Because, right now, the truth doesn’t matter, not if the world around us already believe the lies.

Cyra thinks for a moment. “I want to make people see that the story my parents are spinning isn’t based on facts. I want to make people doubt them. To challenge what my parents are saying with facts instead of their pretty stories.”

She looks to Zack and Spence, determination in her eyes. “Where are the boxes that came from my apartment? I could show people the lease to my apartment. Or the work permits they signed for me. Those would prove that my parents knew where I was, that them claiming I was missing is a lie. That might be a way to make people doubt the other things my parents are saying too.” Though, as she keeps talking, she becomes less and less sure of her words.

“Sounds like a plan?” But the way Max says it, he doesn’t seem convinced. “You said you lived in the apartment for years. What if your parents spin it to say that you went missing after the dates on those documents?”

Cyra pulls a face, her shoulders sagging. “We’ll deal with that when they do. It will still show that some of the things they’ve been saying are lies, or, at least, that there’s more to their story than they’re telling right now.” She sighs. “We need to do something. We need to start countering the lies, or we’ll never get out of this. Us hiding out in remote places the whole time and not saying anything to anyone isn’t helping us, that’s obvious. It makes it seem like we’re agreeing with what they’re saying, just because we’re not refuting their lies.”

Zack nods, his eyes calculating. “I’ll see about the files. I’ll go look through the boxes. It might help. Get something out there, something to counter their narrative.” He walks off and Spence frowns, thinking.

“I know that some of us have skirted close to the law before, but we’ve never gotten into real trouble. That has to account for something, right? That has to make it easier for people to believe us, right?” He looks to each of us, but it’s Cyra who answers him.

“What do you think people are more interested in, some silly gossip or the boring truth? My parents are able to get away with this because it’s got all the elements of juicy drama. Something out of a movie or a TV show, too ridiculous to be real, but deliciously dramatic. Great for gossip and speculation. People like that a lot more than whatever truth we’ve got to offer them.” She sighs, glancing at the TV, even though it’s off, her eyes far away. “But that doesn’t mean we can’t fight back. We have to. Because if we don’t, then we’ll never get out of this. We’ll never be able to have a normal life. At least as normal as people in our situation can have.”

“What do you want to do?” I step closer to her, reaching out, trailing my fingers over her arm. “This is your call. You tell us what you want. This needs to come from you.”

She looks at me, her amber eyes filled with heat as she makes a decision. “Do you have someone you could contact to get our story out there? Someone you trust, at least enough to do this and not fuck us over?”

I nod slowly. “I’ve got someone, but she will go wherever the story takes her. She’ll probably write something in our favour, but we might not be able to control the whole conversation.”

“That’s okay. What we’ve got is juicy enough for at least one article from our perspective.” Cyra nods, her voice stronger now. “We just need to give her enough to make it clear that my parents are telling bullshit stories. What happens after that will happen, we can’t control it all.”

“Okay. I’ll call Azure. See what she thinks of it.”

Azure had already been following our story anyway, and when I called her earlier, she seemed really curious. But I didn’t want to give her any info unless Cyra agreed to it, and now Cyra actually wants to publish her side of the story. It’ll probably make Azure very happy, this story could be big, especially now she’s got a source on the inside of the story...

But I don’t like the idea of sharing everything we know with the world. It’s bad enough that Cyra’s parents are using the media this way, but I don’t like it. I don’t like it at all.

“Are you sure you want me to share this?” Azure’s voice sounds incredulous over the video call. “Your address is on it, and so is your parents’, and of the places that you work at. It would expose a lot of your past to the whole world. I can’t control what happens when people get this information.”

Cyra looks more sure now than she did earlier, her eyes grim. “They’ll find the cafe soon enough. And the princess company doesn’t really have an office and they could use the extra business. They can’t really do much ‘damage’ there.”

“And your and your parents’ address?” Azure presses.

“I don’t care. Not anymore.” Cyra’s voice is rough. “My parents have already taken away any chance I had of ever going back to the apartment. And their address... That’s not a secret anyway. Everyone knows where my parents live, they’ve always had paparazzi parked in front of the house.”

Zack makes a sound as he moves. “Paparazzi are following her parents around right now. Her parents have already visited Cyra’s apartment multiple times, so it’s not really a secret anymore where she used to live.” Cyra spins in his direction, her eyes wide and Zack shrugs. “I asked my guy to keep an eye on your place. See if your parents would show up and what they’d do. They’ve only stayed outside for now. They keep returning, like they somehow hope you’ll open the door for them or something.”

Cyra narrows her eyes. “But why? Why would they visit if they know it will out their lies? It will show that they know where I live.”

“Hell.” Azure sighs, not sounding surprised in the least. “They play the game well. I wouldn’t be surprised if they’ve actually got a PR person behind their every move, at least since Sunday morning. Your parents are visiting your apartment, and aren’t going inside even if they could, because they want someone to ‘accidentally’ find them there. They want someone to see how you’re ‘ignoring’ them, even when they’re supposedly trying to contact you. When they’ve ‘finally’ found the place you’ve been staying at all that time, you won’t give them the time of day.”

“But I’m not even there. They know that, everyone knows that by now. How can they get anything from it if I’m not even there?” Cyra frowns, shaking her head.

“It shows that they can’t get in.” I growl, understanding what Azure means with all of this being planned. “They’re locked out. So they obviously don’t have a key and nobody is feeling sorry enough for them to let them. Poor them. Poor mistreated parents, nobody is willing to help them.”

The play is so obvious. Why are people still falling for it? Then I think back to what Cyra said, the drama her parents are spinning is so interesting that people don’t really care about the truth, just the tragedy. This whole drama will spawn dozens of book series, TV shows, movies. Which is appropriate, because it’s all fiction anyway, a pretty story Cyra’s parents are spinning.

“Of course.” Cyra nods, letting out a short laugh that has no joy in it. “That makes sense. And fits right in with what they’ve been doing these last days. They don’t have to explain how they knew about my apartment or my jobs before it was revealed in the media, they can just say some investigator or ‘someone in my circles who felt bad for them’ told them. Makes it even juicier too.”

Azure nods, thinking. “So, you’re really okay with sharing this information? Even if it will implicate the places where you worked? Even if they might get crap for it?” She is looking at Cyra closely, and Cyra nods.

“Yes.” Cyra’s voice is firm. “I can make it up with the cafe or the princess company if I need to, but my parents’ lies need to be exposed. This is one way that we can do that. We’ve got the proof, we just need to use it.”

“Okay. I’ll see what I can do. I can’t promise anything, you know that, right? I might not be able to find a big enough media outlet to run it.”

“I don’t need a big place immediately.” Cyra smiles slightly. “I just need it out there that this information is available. Small publications to begin with, and then grow them as other places pick up the story. It looks more believable that way. It looks more like ‘someone did groundwork’, which makes it easier for other people to believe it.”

Azure makes a few notes. “And do you want them to know that you provided these documents? That they’re coming from you? To show their validity?”

Cyra thinks. “Not yet. It might become useful later, but for now, I don’t need my name attached to it. It might be better if people think this is coming from some obscure source and not from me directly.”

Azure nods. “Okay. I’ll get back in touch with you in a little while. For now, please, stay safe. This media circus is insane and very dangerous. And Liam...” She waits for me to look her way. “If this blows up in my face, you owe me another one of your little programs.”

“Yeah, yeah.” I try to smile, but it feels fake, and then Azure disconnects the call.

Oh, hell. How is this going to work out? We’re now giving up control over our own story. We’re giving up a lot of the control we’ve not even used until this point, and that’s scary. That’s fucking scary.

But it does feel like this is the only way to fight Cyra’s parents a little... Just a little...

4

Cyra

No matter how sure I tried to sound when I said that I needed the contracts out there to show how my parents were lying, I actually had no idea if it would be a good idea. But it felt like this was the only chance I’d get, and the longer my parents were the only ones to tell the story, the harder it would be to get out from under all of it later.

When I talked to Audrey earlier, I realised that our running away didn’t just make it seem like we had something to hide, but also that without telling our side of the story, without telling what was going on, how would anyone know any better?

My parents’ story was over the top, sure, but it was close enough to some of the persistent prejudices against ‘too independent’ Omegas, how they’re liars who are going against their ‘natural’ inclinations, mixed in with a heavy dose of fearmongering about ‘predatory’ Alphas stealing ‘innocent’ Omegas from being with their ‘rightful’ Alphas. It walked the fine line of making me look innocent enough to be a victim of Alphas ‘stealing’ me from my ‘true’ Alpha, while also throwing suspicion over anything I say or do because I’m too ‘unnaturally independent’ an Omega, since I’ve been able to hide my shifter status for years.

It’s perfect. I’m both evil and innocent, slut and saint. Making my parents the ‘real’ victims in all of this, while they reinforce horrible prejudices I’ve been fighting all my life.

Audrey thought it was weird for me to run off with some random guys, but she was also surprised and a little upset to find out about me being an Omega, so she didn’t really know what to believe. After we talked, it felt good to know that she was still on my side, still my friend. It feels safe, like I’ve still got some connection to the life I used to have. Even if I’ll never be able to return to it, it still feels good to have something from that life that isn’t taken away from me by my parents, yet.

Now, we’re all just waiting to find out what happens next with the documents we gave to Azure. And, as time passes, I feel my body heat up, and the guys are starting to act more on edge too.

That won’t do. I’m not going back into full-on heat around them, I’m still sore from last time. It’s better if I protect myself, protect all of us, by staying away from them and I know the perfect solution.

I get up from the chair near the window and have to pass each of the guys to get to the door. Every time I get near one of the guys, I feel how my body reaches out to them, almost physically, and how the guys are leaning my way more, even if they don’t notice it themselves.

It’s only when I get to the hallway that I dare to really breathe and I flee up the stairs. I quickly grab my toiletries and then make my way back down the stairs, ready to rush down the hallway, to the big bathroom at the end. The big bathroom which has a bath that looks out over the valley at the side of the house. It’s fall, so the trees are mostly covered in reds and browns, if they’ve got any leaves at all. It’s beautiful, but I bet that it looks stunning in the spring or summer.

I stop in my tracks, nearly dropping my bag, as Zack appears halfway down the hallway, leaning against the wall, his arms crossed over his chest, his eyes on me heavy.

“What were you planning on doing?” His voice is deep and my body immediately responds to him, my insides throbbing. Oh, fuck.

“Take a bath?” I try to sound as normal as possible, but I’m not sure if it works, if I sound a little too breathy. Which... Hell... It’s hard to focus when he’s looking so sexy and he’s eyeing me like he’s about to devour me.

“All by yourself?” He pushes off the wall and stalks over to me, his strides long and sure. Like a predator stalking his prey.

I try to back up, not sure if I can deny that hunger in his eyes, not when my heat is getting strong again, but with a shock find my back against the wall. Nowhere else to go, to flee to.

He crosses the last distance between us and bangs his hand against the wall next to my head, almost making me jump in surprise, undeniably cutting off any thoughts of escape. Then he takes my chin in his other hand, his dark eyes on my lips before they slowly slide up to my eyes, like he’s reluctant to look away and I can’t help but quickly lick my lips at the intensity of his gaze.

He’s towering over me, making me feel small, and then he smiles knowingly. “You know... It’s dangerous out there. I think it’s better if I come with you, don’t you agree?” His voice is like a low purr, seductive, and heat pools between my legs.

‘Out there’? My brain takes a moment to catch up, starting to get muddy with Zack so close to me. “But... But I’m not out there. I’m still in the house...” He’s not making sense, is he? I’m pretty sure he isn’t, but it’s hard to think.

“We can never be careful enough.” He leans even closer, his lips a fraction from mine. “And we wouldn’t want you to feel lonely, having to take care of things all by yourself. You’ve got four mates, we’d love to help you with anything you need. Anything.”

I open my mouth to reply, when his tongue slides along the inside of my upper lip, and the next moment, he’s kissing me, hard. The hand he held my chin in is now on the back of my neck, cradling my head, as his other hand is on the small of my back, pulling me against him, making me feel how hard he is.

Fuck. My whole body is on fire now. I want him so much. He feels so good. His kisses are hard and rough, tongue and teeth, never staying the same for long, constantly keeping me on edge, taking my breath away, making my head spin, my body thrum with need.

Then he breaks the kiss, air rushing back into my lungs, and I let out a desperate little sound that I don’t recognise. But it has to come from me, since it definitely didn’t come from Zack, who’s growling appreciatively at my reaction.

He leans closer again, his voice a rumble that sends electricity all over my body. “I had no idea you could beg like that. I like it. I like it a lot.”

I uselessly push at his chest, trying to create some distance, his words breaking through the fog. “I didn’t beg.” I did, but I’ll never admit that to him. Never.

“Maybe not with your words. But your body did, especially your delicious mouth with that sound you made.” He smirks. “Let’s see what other sounds I can make you deny ever making.”

He grabs my hand and pulls me to the bathroom at the end of the hallway. Quickly locking the door behind us, before taking the toiletries from my hands and trapping me between him and the door, rubbing his hard body against mine.

It’s hard to ignore how he makes me feel, even when the things he says keep making me want to hit him, my body desperately wants him. On me, against me, in me. Any of it. All of it.

I grip the bottom of his shirt and hold on tight, not sure what to do now. Yesterday, my heat overtook me, I’d lost all sense of awareness. I became a being that could only focus on one thing, on my Alphas, on needing to mate with them. Today, I’m much clearer and I have some ability to think, though, Zack’s nearness doesn’t make it very easy.

But that’s more because it’s him than it’s because of my heat... Not that I’d ever admit that to him. Like hell. I’d never hear the end of it.

“You want me out of this shirt so badly?” His words make more electricity run through my body, making me squeeze my legs together trying to stop the throbbing.

He steps back and in one fluid movement pulls his shirt over his head, revealing his well-defined body. He’s got broad shoulders, which are even more obvious with the light from the window behind him framing them, and I can’t help letting my eyes slip from his strong pecks down to his perfect set of sixpack abs, to the top of his slacks.

Without thinking, I reach out, touching his sixpack, his muscles rippling under my touch and he lets out a small sound that almost sounds like a moan. Then he grabs my wrist and moves my hand down, covering his hard cock with my hand.

“I’m sure that’s what you were looking at before. Don’t be shy, he’s all happy for your attention.” Zack steps closer again, his husky voice near my ear. “All for you, just you.”

I try to come up with a smart remark, knowing his reputation for being a player in the human world. But the words stick in my throat when he kisses me hard and at the same time slides his hand over the front of my sweats, his finger rubbing right over my clit, pulling a moan from me. My knees nearly buckle from under me as lust shoots through me.

Hell. How can he make me forget about everything so easily? I can’t help but focus on him, on the pleasure he’s giving me, on the way his attention on me sets my body on fire. I want him badly. So, so badly.

Zack’s hand disappears for a moment, before it slides into my sweats, down my hip, along the side of my thong, and his cock almost jumps into my hand as he slides a finger right into my pussy.

I’m so fucking wet, making it way too obvious how much I want him. I’m really going to have to invest in more undies soon. Because, with these guys around, I’m going to have to change them five times a day, with how hot they make me, how wet they make me.

“Oh, fuck.” He breaks the kiss, his head on my shoulder, his breathing rough. “You have no idea of the effect you have on me, no clue. I could come right now, just from having you in my arms.”

He moves his finger inside me, fucking me maddeningly slowly with his finger, setting my whole body on edge.

He’s definitely not the only one who could come at any moment...