Omega Mine
Chapter 18

Josie wasn’t sure she was hearing Jameson right. They were getting out? Now?

“Why is Ortega asking for Grayson? What happened?”

And since when had the two of them become acquaintances of a sort? Josie eyed Jameson warily, gathering up some of the towels she’d been using in her nest and cleaning herself discreetly. There was so much cum and slick between her thighs, she knew she couldn’t clean it all without a proper bath, but she’d do what she could. Noticing what she was doing, Grayson growled in disapproval, a low rumble that had Jameson backing away a few inches.

Josie ignored her mate’s grumbling, cleaning herself as best as she was able despite how her body protested each movement. She was remarkably alert for having just started her heat hours ago, but she could still feel the subtle burn in her womb, which was a telltale sign that her heat likely wasn’t over yet.

Still, she didn’t remember ever having waves of clarity, or pauses in her sex drive like this during a heat. It was a bit unusual, but she doubted she was pregnant, which would have ended her heat altogether. She couldn’t be with child if her heat symptoms were still present and only subdued, right?

Jameson spoke from the entryway, interrupting her thoughts. “Seven–”

“Grayson,” her mate snapped. “My name is Grayson.”

Josie’s eyes widened, her hand tightening on the towel as she looked back up at him with disbelief and hope shining in her eyes.

Why had he said that? Was he beginning to understand that he was more than just the number he’d been assigned all of those years ago? Was he realizing that he was far more important than he could even imagine? She hoped so.

She wanted her mate to feel a semblance of purpose and pride, to know that he was more than just a beast locked in a cell.

He deserved everything.

Grayson turned his head, staring at her briefly in the darkness with a tenderness she’d never seen before, almost as if he could read her mind. As if he was truly seeing her for the first time. Jameson cleared his throat. “Grayson decapitated his last opponent and chucked the severed head at Ortega’s office window.”

Josie’s mouth parted in shock. “What? Grayson, you didn’t!” she hissed, dropping the used towel and reaching for another. “Baiting Ortega is a horrible decision.”

Grayson shrugged instead of answering, watching her wipe the last of his cum from her body with a frustrated look. Something dark glittered in his gaze as his eyes found hers again, a silent promise that when he had the chance, he’d be covering her in his cum again.

Despite their current circumstances, she felt a thrill go through her, and a familiar ache began in her core. She couldn’t wait for whatever her mate had planned.

Jameson continued. “I’ve been orchestrating our way out of here since Grayson confirmed you were going into heat. It’s a good thing I did, as Ortega’s sent orders for Grayson to be delivered to him an hour ago. I had to wait for the guard shift to change before I could come down here without being seen.”

Our? Jameson was coming with them on this apparent escape? The thought left Josie unsettled, when in reality she should have been elated that another member of the rebellion was here with her, helping them break free. But she didn’t feel elated, she felt wary and distrustful of Jameson’s intentions.

Now that she wasn’t beaten to a pulp or so aroused she couldn’t think straight, everything about Jameson and her own orders with the rebellion seemed off. And Josie didn’t like that, not one bit.

She’d come to have so many questions since being thrown in here, and none of them had been answered.

She still didn’t understand why she’d been sent to Hinkley to gain access to the arena if Jameson, and likely a few others, had already infiltrated this place long before she’d ever come near it, establishing jobs and aliases. Her mission had been to replace Grayson for the rebellion, but he must have been found a long time ago.

Josie refused to believe that they’d been unaware of Grayson’s identity–Jameson had all but confirmed they knew who and where he was. ‘We’ve been waiting for you’, he’d told her. And as that was the case, it meant Grayson’s own mother had left him trapped in a cell, allowing him to fight to the death for at least a year without attempting a rescue.

The thought made Josie sick to her stomach. She’d looked up to Bethany after her own mother had passed away, using the Omega’s strength to survive after a terrible tragedy as motivation to keep herself going.

But if Josie was right, Bethany had knowingly kept Grayson in danger, when he should have been rescued long ago. The thought turned her adoration for the other woman into ash in an instant.

And what were the odds that the one Omega Bethany had assigned to ‘replace’ Grayson, just happened to be his mate?

She was starting to suspect that she’d been selected to come here for a far different reason than she’d been made aware of, and all that did was make her feel used, like a piece of meat that had been fed to the hungry Alpha in the off-chance that she belonged to him and vice versa.

And it made her wonder something else; if Bethany could use Josie, and could leave her own son in these abysmal conditions, what else was she capable of?

Bethany was supposed to be a matriarch, helping to free her fellow Omegas, Betas and Alphas from a life of oppression and fear. Grayson was their path to freedom, but she’d been callous with his life and safety.

Why?

Josie shook her head to clear it. Now wasn’t the time for doubts and worries. That could come afterward, when her and Grayson were out of here.

“When did you two discuss escaping?” she asked.

“After you told me about scent blockers, I realized Jameson wasn’t exactly human. I confronted him before my match last night. He confirmed he was an Omega, and that he’d help us leave here.”

Her eyes softened on Grayson’s as Jameson moved back toward the door, holding out some clothing in his hands. “You’ll need to take these and put them on. They’re guard uniforms and boots. They likely won’t fit correctly, but it’s the best I could do on short notice. Dress. You have two minutes and then we have to go.” He left them then, closing the door most of the way.

Grayson grunted, moving toward Josie without another word. He dropped the pile of clothes onto the ground before kneeling at her feet. Grabbing the smallest pair of pants, he lifted her foot to slip through the pant leg. It was a bit baffling, having a terrifying Alpha dress her so tenderly, but she didn’t comment on it, placing her hands on his shoulders and holding on while he dressed her.

It felt right, natural even, as he took care of her. And it pushed some of her nerves to the side, the sick feeling in the pit of her stomach dissipating the more he doted on her. She wanted a lifetime of this, and for the opportunity to make him feel the same way.

When we get out of here, I’ll make sure he knows what it’s like to be happy. To be free. I will.

“Did Jameson tell you anything else?” she asked quietly, so lowly that only he could hear. “Did he tell you anything about his affiliation with me?”

Grayson looked up at her in confusion as he buttoned her pants. He shook his head, reaching for the bottom of the pant legs and rolling each one up so that she wouldn’t trip over them when she walked.

“He and I are a part of a rebellion to overthrow the humans,” she whispered with a shake of her head. “I need to tell you so many things, Grayson.”

“Then tell me,” he demanded simply, not pausing in his movements to dress her. She bit her lower lip. They didn’t have time to go into everything, but she could confide in him a few truths before they left, if only to help him prepare for whatever might happen next.

“When I came here, it was to look for you. I thought I was the only one sent here, and that I’d report back to my superiors about your whereabouts if I found you. But I didn’t know Jameson was already here as a guard. How long has he been with you, Grayson?”

“He’s been one of my guards for a few years I think,” he answered briskly. “My memory has been hazy and the days have blended together for a long time, so I’m not sure how accurate I’m being. Why were you looking for me? What importance could I possibly have for your rebellion?”

“You’re the Alpha Prime,” Josie admitted. “An Alpha among Alphas. I’ll explain everything to you when we’re out of here, but you’re supposed to be our leader, and you’re supposed to protect us like we should protect you.”

And the fact that Jameson had been here for years made her heart ache. Her mate had been trapped in hell for so long, and his own people had stood by and done nothing to help him.

“What are you saying?” he asked her gruffly, sliding thick socks onto her feet and then combat boots, tying the laces. He stood, slipping a shirt over her head before he quickly dressed himself.

“I don’t trust him. And neither should you.” He stiffened for a moment, and she could almost feel his body beginning to grow, swelling in size as the scent of his rage filled the air. Alpha waves began to pour from him, threatening to buckle her knees. “Stop,” she begged quietly, and he did, the leak of his power disappearing as if it had never been. “If he can get us out of here, we should let him. Just be wary of his intentions, okay?”

“That’s simple enough,” Grayson reassured her as he finished dressing. He gave her one heated look before he closed the distance between them, placing a soft, lingering kiss to her lips. She felt it everywhere, leaning in to give him another gentle kiss. He nuzzled her nose with his before whispering, “I only trust you.”

Her heart melted at his soft confession, and she clung to him. “I trust you too.” And she did. It didn’t matter that they barely knew each other. He was hers and she was his. They were in this forever. Together.

Grayson paused, his expression growing contemplative. “Something happened after you marked me.” He shook his head, brow furrowing. “I dreamt, Josie, of my past. Not enough to remember everything, but it’s not just a void of darkness anymore. I can remember bits and pieces of my childhood. Of who our people are.”

“Oh, Grayson, that’s fantastic.” And such a relief to hear.

The cell door was pushed open roughly, and Jameson stormed into the room, looking more than a little flustered. “I hope you’re ready because we’re out of time–”

Just then, the building shook, a deep, ominous rumbling of concrete and metal rubbing together that sounded above their heads. The room stopped shaking as tiny chunks of debris fell from the ceiling. Grayson snarled, wrapping himself around Josie and covering her head and shoulders with his body.

“What the fuck was that?” Grayson spat darkly, shooting a threatening glance to Jameson.

“That,” Jameson said breathlessly. “Would be a bomb the rebellion planted at the main entrance to the arena.”

“A bomb?!” Josie exclaimed. That was the distraction he’d mentioned causing?!

“Yes.” Jameson urged them forward, leaving the cell when they began to follow after him at a brisk pace. The hallway was clear of guards and she breathed a small sigh of relief. He cast a quick look over his shoulder, smiling awkwardly. “I created another distraction before coming down here. Remember the shift change I mentioned? The guards that just arrived on duty think they’re chasing an escaped fugitive in the east section of the arena. Most of them are searching high and low for a prisoner that hasn’t left his cell in days, while the others are now dealing with a bomb going off toward the back entrance of the arena.”

That was clever.

“And you expect us to just walk out the front door?” The last time she’d been there, it had been full of armed guards.

He shrugged. “That’s the plan. Now, move. We’ve only got a few minutes at best before this place is swarmed with reinforcements, and I don’t want to die in a shootout if I can help it.”