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It would seem the people of Grand Prairie are living with a traitor.

I follow River’s scent, concentrating on the strongest signature since he’s been running around the compound nonstop. I find him behind the dining hall, huddled in an argument with none other than Ferris. I loosen my gait to make more noise as I approach, giving them time to compose themselves.

River’s gaze finds mine over Ferris’s shoulder, the sharp green of his eyes probing. “Any luck?” he asks.

“Yeah, I found her and her friend holed up in a cabin west of the breach. You’re going to need to send someone over there for cleanup. The two of them managed to take on eight Biters and win.”

River looks equal parts horrified and proud while the amber flames in Ferris’s eyes burn with lust. Yeah, me too, buddy.

Ferris’s voice is rough when he asks, “They okay?”

“Far as I could tell, yes. I instructed them to go get checked by your doctor, but there were no obvious injuries.”

“Thank you for finding them,” River says. “And for fighting with us when you didn’t need to. Ferris told me that you were instrumental in helping him burn the horde, so I cannot thank you enough. I promise that I will make damned sure that this alliance happens.”

“I appreciate that, but we really need to talk,” I insist. “I walked past the wall when I was looking for Raine, and well, what exactly is going on here? ’Cause from my perspective, it looks like your compound was sabotaged.”

For a long moment, both River and Ferris just silently stare at me. I think maybe they’re trying to decide if they can trust me with whatever truth they were discussing when I found them. I sigh, “Look, your people are not ignorant. They have already seen what I have or will soon enough. They’re going to recognize that Biters don’t blow out walls.”

River seems like he’s not going to say anything, but Ferris surprises me by growling at his packmate, “Tell him, Riv. He needs to know what the fuck is going on.”

River’s shoulders slump a little. “You’re right. I suspect someone tried to wipe us off the map. I’ve heard multiple reports, including Ferris’s own account, that suggest around one hundred and thirty Biters stormed the wall. In the history of this compound, there has never been that big of a horde through here. We’ve always been mostly insulated because of our secluded location despite our relative proximity to a bigger city.”

“And the wall has never fallen,” Ferris adds. “Never. Despite my questioning, none of the guards actually saw the wall tampered with, but many of them heard something suspicious a handful of minutes before the siren was sounded. They didn’t think anything of the noise, not until someone realized that Biters were inside the compound.”

“I assume you have theories?” I prompt.

River nods, face hard with anger. “I’m sure you noticed that there was some tension in the assembly.”

I think of Sutton, the cantankerous alpha, who was always making things difficult during alliance negotiations, and how the beta, Rosalina, seemed to get off on making it worse. “Yeah,” I agree.

He continues, “For a while now, I’ve suspected that someone is working to see me removed as compound leader. Those suspicions were confirmed when the assembly, out of nowhere, forced me to agree to have my sister matched.”

Ferris’s gaze swings toward his packmate as his scent turns harsh and angry, but I’m guessing River can’t smell it over the stench of Biter blood.

“Raine works with Soline and helps in nearly every other aspect of this compound. There has never been pressure from anyone to match her. I knew it would have to happen eventually, though. She is one of only a few single omegas, and despite what she may think, she will eventually need an alpha. All omegas do.”

Yeah, you keep telling yourself that, I scoff in my head.

A small growl vibrates through the air but is immediately cut off. River frowns at Ferris, but says nothing to him, just continues. “My mother always told me that Raine needed to find her own partner, and I wanted to give that to her; I really did. However, a few days ago, during an assembly meeting about your imminent arrival, Soline randomly brought up Raine’s relationship status.

“Instead of discussing the alliance, Raine became the topic of discussion, and before I could even try to control the situation, the majority had voted that it was time for her to be mated.”

My body tenses, hating how this hierarchy thinks they can decide what’s best for their omega residents. I grunt instead of responding to hide my disdain as much as possible.

“After the meeting ended, I was on a warpath, ready to warn Raine, but before I could leave, Soline pulled me aside and told me that I needed to go along with the assembly’s plans. She told me that the best thing for Raine’s safety was to allow folks to offer to mate her and then pick someone I trust from the candidates. Apparently, she’d overheard that Sutton was going to plant whoever he wanted, maybe even himself, in position to be Raine’s mate—with or without her, or the assembly’s, permission.”

Ferris snarls, “He was going to bite her to trap her?”

“Maybe,” River admits with haunted eyes. “I don’t know if the ultimate goal was to control me by using Raine, or to force me to step down to save her from a mating with some asshole, because I ultimately stopped his plan when I agreed to open offers. With all eyes on her, she’s protected. Then, not even three days later, we’re brutally attacked with obvious signs of sabotage.”

“You never told me that,” Ferris growls, deep and threatening. “You didn’t tell me that Raine was in trouble.”

River’s eyes immediately harden, his pheromones spiking. “It wasn’t your concern,” he hisses.

I can tell that Ferris swallows whatever he really wants to say, but his eyes stay wild as they stare down his packmate.

“Okay,” I say, diffusing the tension. “So, you think that Sutton somehow demolished a part of the wall and led a massive horde here in order to have you removed from power?”