Page 127 of An Omega for the Lycan Prince

“Why?” Flora asks, eyebrows raised.

“I asked him to,” Liam points out. “We found the body of a young boy close to their borders. I thought something just didn't add up there.”

“And?” Elden raises an eyebrow in interest.

“There is a surprising lack of…” Dante pauses. He sounds wary. “Women and children there.”

Now it’s me and Flora who are interested. We both exchange a glance. I wonder if she is thinking what I’m thinking… but… “Doesn’t Red Claw have a bunch of mated wolves?” Flora asks Ella directly.

“Yes,” Ella nods. “I might not have been there a lot, but I do know that there are quite a few mated couples.”

“I couldn’t invade their pack grounds,” Dante says. “I diffused my scent and got as close as possible, but I can only tell you what I saw. Or, in this case: What I didn’t see.”

“You were at a pack meeting recently, weren’t you?” I ask Ella.

Ella stares at me. I can almost see the wheels in her head working. This has to be so hard for her to be confronted by so many new truths and have to face them, but I’m very proud of how she keeps it together. “Yes,” she mutters. “Alpha Marcus ordered me to come to the pack. He does so twice or thrice a year.”

Liam nods thoughtfully. “He wants you to remain a pack member and not become a lone wolf.”

Elden looks a bit surprised at Liam’s words. I, however, feel my heart swell with love. Liam has probably researched Red Claw and Ella for a long while, and he put extra effort into it because she is my friend. “What did you see there?” Elden asks Ella. “The last time you went to your pack.”

“Not much,” she admits. “A pack warrior picked me up and led me directly to a meeting room. I only stayed for two hours. It was dark already, and I thought everyone else was in their houses.”

“Is it always like this, my dear?” Flora asks her gently. “You are only there for the bare minimum?”

Ella nods. “The Alpha mostly holds smaller meetings. I thought he must do them regularly and alternate who he invites.”

“And what did you talk about?” Liam asks.

Ella stays quiet for a while. “When I’m there, it’s mostly just insults towards me and some threats.”

Again, Dante's eyes flash in anger.

“And were there other women present?” Flora asks.

Ella shakes her head. “I never wondered about that,” she admits. “Alpha Marcus doesn’t think highly of she-wolves. He thinks women are for breeding and mating only.”

Now all three… Elden, Liam, and Dante growl in anger.

“So there really is no one around during the rare times you visit,” Aryanna concludes. “And Dante didn’t see anyone either.”

“They are hiding their daughters and wives?” Elden says in disbelief. “Why?”

I stay quiet. They don’t understand, I figure. Most of the wolves present in this meeting are warriors and strong Alpha and Beta wolves. I’m the only Omega here and the only one who isn’t a warrior. “There are two options,” I say. “Both are bad, but one would be much worse. The male wolves hide their children and women because they need protection, meaning they are not safe in their pack.”

Flora nods. “If the weakest go into hiding for lack of a better word, that's always a bad sign. On top of that, it seems like their female Betas hide too.”

“What would be the second option?” Elden wants to know.

“That their Alpha locked them in,” I point out. When they look at me, confused, I sadly look down at my finger. “Men don't imprison women and then not do anything to them. Ella just told us that to her Alpha, women are only used for breeding and mating.”

Ella stares at me. “Goddess, no!”

“Wait a moment,” Finn turns to look at me. “They are enslaving them. For what!?”

“Sexual services, housework, dirty work… what do you think?” Marius points out, and for once, I think his slightly disgruntled tone is definitely appropriate.

“It’s just a possibility,” I point out. “For all we know, they could have simply gone into hiding.”