The Alpha's Omega Mate-Chapter 119: The Encounter.

~Dahlia’s POV~

As soon as I was sure that Amara and I were already a few miles away from the pack, at least far enough that I was sure no one would be in these parts, I gently placed Amara on the ground and draped the cloth bag around her neck even though I was sure as hell that its weight was probably a little too heavy for her.

Amara’s brows furrowed with confusion. Her eyes snagged on mine for a long second before she finally asked; "Why?"

"What?" I snapped impatiently. My heart was thumping wildly against my chest and my breath was uneven as I scouted the area around us for the nth time.

Still nothing. No one was close. Now was the time.

She began to say something, complaining about how the bag was too heavy but before she could talk further, I easily undid the tiny buttons of my dress, and immediately shimmied out of it.

Amara clamped a hand over her eyes.

"Mommy!"

Despite myself and the desperation gnawing at me, I chuckled. I took in one last glance at the innocent child who was shying away from my nudity, and I smiled. "Keep your eyes closed."

"You should have told me that before taking your clothes off!" She argued and I clucked my tongue before responding quickly.

"I’m sorry," I apologized, meaning it. "Mommy is just in a hurry. Do you trust me?"

Amara didn’t ponder over the question. Not even a beat passed before she replied with a firm voice; "Yes."

"Good."

"What’s happening, mommy?" She asked but I was too busy scanning the environment one more time to care. I was busy drowning in my paranoia to notice my daughter staring up at me with wide expectant eyes, as if saying; "Go on!"

I sighed. "We’re escaping." I finally said, ignoring the way her eyes widened in surprise. "You remember I promised to take you out of there and far from that lady bully who always tried to hurt you?" I asked, smiling briefly when she nodded, excitement creeping into her strange green eyes.

"Yes."

"I’m taking you away from her now. Like I promised." I couldn’t help but notice how my voice shook as I said those words. Tears of relief seeped into my eyes when I noticed something akin to relief flood her features.

She glanced up at me, a flicker of warmth seeping into those green eyes that looked too much like the ones I tried to forget. And then she whispered; "She bullied you too, right?"

A sob escaped my lips. I should’ve held it back but I didn’t. I couldn’t. Amara sometimes saw through me too much... she was so mature— too mentally mature for her age, and according to psychology, that was probably her reaction to all the traumatic events she’s gone through.

I should say yes. I should tell her the truth, but I shied away from it. Instead, I decided to say; "Not anymore."

Silence.

Now, you’ll do something for me. I’ll shift and you’ll hold those things. When I shift into a wolf, place everything on my back, including my dress and climb, okay?"

"Climb where?" She asked confusedly.

I rolled my eyes. "My back!" I snapped, my patience wearing thin. "Where else do you want to climb onto?"

"I don’t know." Now, she sounded genuinely confused and I instantly felt bad. "I dint know you could shift."

I gazed at her then. Like really looked at her, and for a fleeting moment, I saw something like conflict in her eyes. I noticed the way she subconsciously but continuously glanced behind us as if looking for something— or someone.

"I can now. I couldn’t before. It’s complicated and mommy will tell you everything about it when we get to somewhere safe, okay?"

"Okay." She answered but her eyes still darted behind us. Now, I was getting irritated. I snapped; "did you forget something?" But as soon as the words slipped past my lips, Amara jerked. She dropped her gaze.

"No."

"Good girls don’t lie, Amara."

"I just wanted to see if Zareeq would join."

It took me a moment to register what the hell she had just said, and what the disappointment in her eyes meant, and when it finally dawned on me, a feeling akin to someone squeezing my chest in a tight grip bubbled up within me.

More tears slipped into my eyes but I blinked them back. This was the worst time to think about Zarek. Worst possible time.

And Amara wasn’t making life easier with that pout on her lips.

"He isn’t coming." I said matter-of-factly, but not bothering to explain what I meant by that. She pouted one more time but this time around, I ignored her and the painful squeeze in my chest.

I also ignored the way my wolf whined within me, urging me to return to our mate.

In rage... and maybe hurt, I scoffed at the absurdity of the situation, looking away from her and squeezing my eyes shut as I tried to force a shift.

A minute passed. Bloody two minutes passed...

But nothing happened.

"No... no" I cried desperately, "this couldn’t be happening now! Not when I had a shit ton of distance to cover."

My eyes snagged at the compass still peeking from a gap in the cloth bag and I realized we were still facing East. "Good."

I tried again, more desperately this time, my head snapping back when I heard the first popping sound. Followed by more sounds of my bones breaking and rearranging until a heart wrenching cry tore out from the back of my throat as my agonizing shifting process swung into motion.

By the gods, I hate shifting so much.

After several minutes of raw pain, my wolf emerged. I rubbed my furry head against Amara’s hand around her eyes, and as if the motion tickled her, she giggled, glancing up and stifling a gasp when she came face to face with my wolf.

I dropped my head and crouched low.

Climb.

Amara probably understood that gesture because she immediately did as told, and just as she settled in, I sprinted through the words, my large paws hitting the forest floors and the wind against my face as Amara’s excited giggles sounded from behind me.

Warmth bloomed in my chest when her squeals wouldn’t stop. When her laughs wouldn’t stop ringing in my ears... and when she wouldn’t stop howling because I knew that feeling too well. I experienced it a while ago... that night when I had been stupid enough to think that the dynamics between me and Alpha Zarek had finally changed.

That night when he had carried me on his back like I did with Amara right now.

The memory brought a bittersweet feeling to the back of my throat. It tasted like honey but felt like vomit. I winced when tears sprung into my eyes again.

I’d miss him.

Hell, I already miss him.

I do not know for how long I ran or where I was at the moment, but all I knew was that one minute, it was late afternoon, and the next, it was dark as a crow with only the indecisive moon above us playing the game of peekaboo through the clouds.

Amara, probably tired, was no longer squealing excitedly and now she laid against my back, her chest and stomach pressed into my fur in a reassuring manner.

I didn’t like that we hadn’t gotten so far before night crept up on us. And what made me even more flustered was the fact that I couldn’t find anywhere safe for both of us.

I stopped, soundlessly, even Amara made no sounds as I tried to take in more of our environment— or scout it. Whatever.

Until I heard something.

The sound of water running.

Deciding that that should probably be ’somewhere safe’, I began slowly walking in the direction of the water and stopped when I found a clear blue lake surrounded by small hills and an almost dangerous looking cave.

That one. I thought to myself and crouched to the floor again.

Smart Amara took the cue and dropped to the floor, deciding to remain too close to my side even though she put on a brave front.

I had just closed my eyes, deciding to put myself through the agonizing process of shifting again when something strange caught my attention.

A smell. A weird one.

Then with it came the unmistakable sound of leaves crunching under the weight of something.

’There is something here, or someone!’ My wolf instantly warned me and Amara, probably sensing this too, turned to me.

"Mommy?!" She cried, her voice sharp and desperate but I didn’t respond. Instead, I crouched before her, almost nodding in approval when she rushed to climb onto my back.

But when she was done. It was too late.

We were too late.

We were already caught, and right now, I was staring into the eyes of four extremely ugly wolves. God, they looked like they’d been brought straight out of hell.

They reeked of death and dirt and their furs, so matted, it looked like they’d not had a bath in ages. Right then, my breath hitched as I soon realized that...

They were rogues.