The blue sky above seems to stretch on forever as the grass below their feet turns to soft white sand. Still a week's journey yet for Irene she can already sense the border. "Come on," she says with an almost childlike glee as she's tempted to kick off her shoes and run barefoot in the welcoming sand.
After being away for so long, having to play the part of the mature strong sister it feels good to let herself be what she once was. True it's a bitter sweet feeling, years before she left a trained scholar ready to learn about the world with her family by her side. Now, she's had enough of what the world has to offer. The only pain she's feeling is that her brother couldn't be here with her. "Ivan," she says exhaling a deep breath. "For you little brother." She raises her hand high into the sky. "We return home." A few tears escape, rolling down her face as a lone hawk flies above. "You can rest easily now." Her smile never falters as the hawk flies off into the distance. Once it's far out of sight she lowers her hand bringing to her heart.
Behind her none dare to say a word. Even Natalia looks away from her sister's silent prayers. Unlike Irene the younger hyena doesn't feel the same joy to return home. Even with her mate surely waiting for her, she has her doubts. A decade has changed her, what she once longed for with him has changed and deep down she knows the same is true with him. For all she knows he's mated to another thinking that she had died or worse, fell out of love with her and took another. She wouldn't blame him; their love after all was a tainted one from the start.
She couldn't claim him as hers so as the sun rises high into the sky beating down on the ground below her feet, she stops. The thoughts swirl around her mind like angry hornets. "Why the fuck am I going back?" She asks herself, needing to hear the thought out loud.
"Don't know, why are you?"
She didn't expect an answer much less from the Jackal. "That was a rhetorical question." She answers with a stoic face. "Dumbass."
He lets out a snort, crossing his arms. "No it really wasn't." He leans down to meet her eyes. "You asked and I answered so don't call me a dumbass, sweetheart." Part of him is waiting her to slap him, not thinking she'd hit a bit lower.
Only once he's doubled over does she slap him hard across the face. "Let me make something clear." She grabs his collar not caring that the rest are staring. "Never ever call me sweetheart. I know you have a bit of a problem remembering names but, make sure you remember mine." After a moment she shoves him back and walks away. "Dumbass."
With long even strides she walks past everyone and into the dessert. She refuses to look back knowing in time the rest will follow without asking questions. While she's proven right about them following she wasn't when Gilbert starts to walk beside her. "While I'm sure he deserved that, it really does fucking hurt to be hit there."
She can't hide her smile so she turns her head away. "Good though I'm surprised he's not feeling some twisted pleasure from it."
It earns a laugh. "Even so it wasn't awesome." He rubs his leg slowly feeling that they should rest for the night soon. "I'm not saying you should apologize."
With a sigh Natalia stops and turns to face him. "Then what are you saying?" For a moment they stare at each other, lucky for Gilbert, she blinks first. "Whatever Alpha." With a hair flip she walks back towards her sister and away from what she hopes is any more questions.
"You got off easily," Allistor says resting his hand on his friend's shoulder. "Friend or not you're still an Alpha in her eyes and her foot could still go very far up your arse."
He shakes his head. "Trust me I know how close I got."
"Yeah I'm sure you do." He moves aside as Alfred joins them. "Yes hen?"
For a second he clears his throat still unsure about the new nickname his lover's given to him. "I think we should stop here and let things kind of cool down."
"Just what we were thinking." Gilbert looks out at the dry landscape seeing a few bare trees off in the distance. "We'll go there and then I think we all have to talk..."
"About what we're doing after we leave the Hyenas?"
The Alphas exchange worried looks before Allistor speaks up. "That and a few other things." He takes the Omega's hand, his voice gentle and kind.
A chill runs down Alfred's spine as Allistor squeezes his hand. "What other things?"
Most walk on but Natalia is sure she hears one word, it's a name she's never heard before but from the look of pure horror written all over her friend's face it can't be anything good. So while she doesn't feel like speaking to the Alphas she turns to the only other Omega left. "Arthur?"
His green eyes sharpen. "Unless it's to apologize for whatever he said-"
She interrupts. "Who is Anya?"
While at first he was about to scream at her, his voice softens to a whisper. "Where did you hear that name?"
"Does it really matter?" She asks studying his face. "Who is she?"
"Well,"
"The great and powerful princess bitch." Jason answers walking past with Lei both Omegas noticing the slight limp he now has. "And don't correct me Art cause you know it's true."
"I wasn't going to," Arthur says waiting until his mate is out of ear shot. "She's not exactly..."
"Well liked?"
"You could say that but still where did you hear that name?"
She shrugs looking away. "I have my ways." He knows she won't say so he walks past to join the others. All the while she looks back over her shoulder at the trio in the back feeling a sense of dread wash over her. It's another reason she's finding not to stay with her clan even if it means leaving her sister. "Oh brother...watch over me if you're really there...because I'm going to need it to deal with the Alphas...especially the dumbass."