There was a moment of silence before Xin nodded, and pointed to the scratched mark on the wall, swords crossed and a sprig of flowering blooms. "That's the sign for hemlock." She put her hand down. "An Alpha will be assigned to each Omega pack. And that Alpha will cook. They will clean, and they work for the entire group. They will feed them with their bodies if need be."
"They don't have a supply of food?"
"No, us Alphas provide them with that. For the wolves, the vampires and the fey when they're sick of each other. They take it from us" Xin answered, peeling back the leather to reveal the bandages, the traces of a bite that was not fully healed. A vampire that didn't care. Just like Elysian. "If they like our blood, it gives us that leverage. It keeps us attached to a pack."
"You've got a pack?"
This had Xin growing tight-lipped, a low scowl on her face. "Not in that way, they don't trust us enough for that. Hyeon is the captain here. I am attached to his pack because I worked hard for it." Quinn blinked. "We are just tools and a good tool is used. But yes, I do lead the team of Alphas because I am directly under the captain. I report back to him because he is my Head Omega, and he is also yours. But do not think that just because you're attached to a pack, you'll be safe. I'd suggest you remember that fact unless you want to die."
Quinn nodded. "Understood. I have no intention to be mated."
Xin's hostility was strange, her words coloured with abuse. But she seemed proud of her battle scars, a smugness in her voice. Being tied to the captain of the pack must give her some form of power, and Quinn supposed it should help.
But the way Xin had scarfed down her food and pocketed the herbs were clues to a mystery that Quinn knew she'd soon face.
"I know," Xin nodded. "You've never cared for Omegas. Without a Rut, you don't need them the way we do. I've seen you in the markets. You've never had to purchase the suppressants, the medicines or the items used by Omegas that cost a whole fucking kidney. I used to hate you for that, watching you walk by with all that coin and no need to spend it. But I guess," she shrugged. "It's what you get for being a Beta, and I suppose it's a benefit in this new world."
Quinn was silent, lips pursed. The knowledge that Xin had watched her made her feel strange.
Xin smiled. "But the others might not. Look, Z's…A popular choice. Don't expect to be greeted warmly. And don't expect to sit on your ass. Work hard, and you'll be a part of us. But I can't help you if you step on a few tails."
It was a warning, one that Quinn decided to take seriously from the harshness in her eyes. It appeared that she'd managed to upset some sort of hierarchy, touched the untouchable. God, she hated drama, especially one over a boy.
Quinn groaned. "Thank you for the advice."
"You'd best clear up the rumours and lay off him if you want to survive. Thank him, but don't even try." Xin's eyes narrowed. "Besides, Z doesn't care for girls. Trust me, plenty have tried. And plenty yearn to be attached to him. Besides, he doesn't stay for long. A day or two and he's gone. Sometimes we don't see him for months."
Quinn raised a brow. "Where does he go?"
"Who knows?" Xin shrugged. "Probably back to the city to his mates, they don't stay here, which is why this hut is small. His arrangements are all temporary. It wouldn't do you any good to attach yourself to him because he can't protect you. And I doubt you'd want to go back to the city with your history." Her eyes grew hard. "Be careful."
"I will."
Xin nodded, and pulled out thick pieces of wood, the sticks were long and slender—they were crutches. "There's work to be done. And you'll heal soon enough. A month's all an Alpha needs, but I'm not sure for a Beta."
Quinn nodded, shifting on her feet, her body already hurting. She rose from the bed taking the crutches. "It'll be the same."
*
The team of Alphas greeted her in a storeroom—a dusty space connected to a large, old dining hall situated at the centre of Hemlock. The Alphas were just a small group of fifteen. And they were young, with most below thirty. But they appeared weathered and strong. Xin stood at the head like a wizened matron, holding her tightly on the arm as if she might run.
There was no friendliness in their greeting and in the way they nodded to her quickly, flooding in from their various posts. But their eyes were on her frame, sneering. As a Beta, it was normal for Alphas to look down on her, and Quinn wasn't surprised to see the hostility, wasn't surprised to see the lack of trust. But she supposed it was stronger now because of Z, who'd painted a target on her back just by saving her life.
A younger blonde female held the group together, and appeared well-loved by the rest from the way the others seemed to crowd behind her. Their bodies angled towards her, smiles growing as she spoke. And she had a chirpy baby sort of voice that cooed too sweet.
But Quinn supposed she was the prettiest.
Creamy skin, sugary lashes, golden hair, and pupils so blue they mirrored the sky. Her coat was the prettiest, wolf hide and fox fur that mirrored her locks. The collar on her neck was thin and decorated with silver beads.
Her hair was the longest in the group, and there was favouritism on her. She stood out amongst them like a beacon, like the leader; taller, stronger and more confident than the rest. Quinn was surprised it could even occur, surprised that Xin allowed this to happen as someone directly under the captain. And her eyes swayed to Xin who'd merely looked away. Perhaps, she wasn't the head Alpha of the team after all.
"You're Beta!" the blonde chirped. And the girls by her side flocked around her like followers with sneers on their faces. The baby blue of her eyes only widened. "I've never met a girl who seemed so much like…nothing!" She laughed, and the rest followed as if bewitched.
"I get that a lot," Quinn answered with a low drawl because fuck if she gave a damn. She shifted on the snow. The powdery snow was cold on Quinn's feet, and all they'd given her were the rags from a previous hunt. The coat on her back was tattered leftovers from a dead Alpha, the edges red with blood. She sniffed. "It helps. People tend to underestimate me."
There was a pinch in the blonde's eyes, a smile that hid the cruelty. "Is that why you were thrown out in the wastelands?" This had their eyes snapping to hers, the group already growing hostile. There were no smiles in their stance, arms crossed. The Alphas didn't want her there, that much she knew, but they wanted answers.
"It is true that Quinn was left to die on the wastelands," Xin called to the group who turned to her. There was a hint of respect in their eyes, but not enough. "But the Omegas have deemed her suitable for work. And we will obey those rules. It is not our place to decide, Livia."
The blonde Alpha, Livia gave an exaggerated gasp, but her eyes were cruel. "But she's a danger to us all. We should kill her!" She looked around at the others. "She could be a mass murderer, or a rapist! She could even be contaminated with diseases and—"
"Z wanted her saved, you of all people should not wish to go against him," Xin interjected something strange in her voice. And Livia glanced down, lips curled into a thin line. This had the other Alphas murmuring their agreement softly. "You of all people should know that they'll kill us all if we touch her now."
"Fine," Livia's eyes snapped to Quinn then. A quiet gaze of fire. "But he's mine."
"Livia!" An Alpha hushed. But the girl continued a smile on her lips, fingers twisting in her hair. The beads on her neck jiggled with the sound of bells. The sound was haunting and sending goosebumps running up her skin. Quinn exhaled. It did also sound like a collar you'd give a cow.
"Beta," Livia stepped closer; she was tall—strong. "You should learn that I am the best Alpha here."
An exhale, and her eyes darkened, a slit formed. There was a spread in the air, a daunting press of something against her flesh. The smell of Livia was not pretty, chemically sweet with a bite of decay like poison, like bleach. The Alpha was using her pheromones, digging it into her flesh. And she could do that without the electric collar. Quinn struggled to breathe.
"Because I'm the strongest, and also the most loved. They'll believe me and every word that I say." Her smile grew. The Alphas by her side seemed relieved with the pressure gone. "You're just a stranger to our house."
"I know," Quinn answered, unflinching, stared right back in the bitch's eyes. She must be a wolf, a pet dog that didn't seem to understand that all Quinn wanted was to peace. "And I'm not here to go against you."
"When Z's here," she growled. "I'm the one attached to him, I'm the one that cares for him. I clean that hut. I cleaned that bed. It's—"
"I don't make that decision," Quinn replied slowly. "What makes you think that I'll be attached to this man just because he saved me?" There was a startled look in her eyes, a step back and then a glare. Livia's mouth opened.