Page 2 of Last Resort (Betas in Waiting #29)

P oppy arrived at the airport and was ready to look for her airline when she heard someone call out, Miss McGrath!

She turned her head and saw the recruitment team. She walked over to them, and Narro smiled. What are you doing here?

She handed him the printout, and he blinked. Well, I am glad we have room on the flight.

Yeah. Me, too. It s almost like magic that keeps me in the city, but now there is no need for that, so I can move freely.

Narro smiled. Right. Well, come along. We are all boarding, so we can be settled by the time the others get there.

Do I need a boarding pass?

Nope. They are ordering meals for you now. Come on.

He grabbed her carry-on and looked. Nothing else?

Nope. What I need I can get there, especially if we arrive a few hours earlier than the others.

Oh, right. I forget you have been.

Where are we landing?

Emerald, and we are taking a helicopter while you will be stuck on the ferry.

She chuckled. Of course. I hope they wake me up when I get to Wonder. I can t sleep in the air, but water is no problem.

Well, you are going to meet the others when we are on the plane.

The man with the clipboard came toward her. It seems this is fortuitous. There isn t room on the later commercial flight. We will give you instructions from there and get you to the islands safely.

She nodded and looked at Ambermarle. The woman grinned and waved happily. She walked over and smiled. The other two extras got the same advanced email for some reason. How weird, right? Good thing we have enough room on the flight. Just enough.

Poppy nodded. How convenient.

They headed for the exit, went through cursory security, and then walked toward a sleek plane on the tarmac. The baggage was stowed under the plane, but Poppy kept her carry-on and computer. The flight attendant stowed her carry-on, and she kept her computer. She buckled into her seat and tried to make herself small. The large alphas sitting across from her were taking up all the space.

She smiled. You two got the screwed-up email?

They nodded. We did.

You were a last-minute addition as well?

The larger of the two nodded. I was at a conference during the first auditions that Aenocyan had. They felt since the ladies have won the last few competitions that more females at the start were better.

The slightly smaller man with bronze skin, black hair, and gold eyes grinned. I am from Tiberia. Same situation as him. They placed a female alpha, a beta, and a male alpha in the first round while I was gone.

She smiled. You guys both do mocap for the games?

They nodded.

I am an admin at Sityr. Last resort. All the other ladies were either married or pregnant or both. I wasn t in the first round and just got a pity test because they needed another female. She smiled. I am here to fill the quota.

Admin? The big one blinked.

She nodded. Yup. My only value is going to lie in the fact that I have visited Wonder just six months ago for my cousin s bachelorette.

Narro came in and sat next to her, completing their cluster. The two men across from her stiffened up with a respectful nod. Poppy smirked. Oh, dear.

Narro chuckled. Indeed. Poppy, this is Breen and Myro.

Breen was the smaller of the two, and he was frowning. Why the introductions? You are looking at us as if we should recognize her.

Narro looked at Poppy. Could you?

Absolutely not. Three people are staring at us right now, and I don t care how friendly they are; I am not flashing anyone.

Narro looked at her and then snorted. He simply lifted his hand and dropped it onto hers. She flashed white and grew over a foot. She bent sideways to stay behind the alphas. Poppy hissed at him, and he grinned and let her go.

She resumed her beta shape with a slow exhalation. You are so going to pay for that.

The two men across from her were staring with their mouths open. They had flared to dark Elite and then back to their standard alpha form.

Both were leaning forward, and Breen whispered, Why are you here? Why aren t you with the queen?

Because I was never with the queen, but I joined the party on the weekend. How long have you been out?

They looked at each other and said, Ten years.

Then, congratulations. Your power should return in full now that you aren t splitting it.

Narro murmured, How do you know that?

Because I scattered all the dark Elite across the world and back in time so that you could get in step with the modern age and have time to find your omegas.

Myro murmured, You don t smell like an omega.

Of course I don t. I work in an office jammed with alphas. That would be dangerous.

Breen nodded. For you.

She shook her head. For them. I have been trained to kill, and I really don t mind it. Reflexes take over when someone slams you against a wall.

Myro looked worried. Have they been attacking you?

Oh, no. When I get hit, I hit back. She smiled brightly. And Sityr has rules. No touching employees you aren t married or contracted to.

They began their taxi down the runway, and she was pressed into the seat. She exhaled slowly. Here we go.

She hated flying. Hated it. She clenched her hands into the arms of her seat and tried to think of the cutest game she could. The adventures of a daisy that needed to find water would be cute. She closed her eyes and tried to calm herself. She could face down two dozen Stronghold Elite with glee, but a long flight made her ill.

When they reached cruising altitude, she heard a female voice and opened her eyes. The flight attendant looked at her with concern. Are you all right, miss?

Yup. Just really don t like flying.

Can I get you anything?

Coffee and something carby?

Of course. Just a moment, miss.

Thank you. She heard her voice, and it was weak and soft.

Narro chuckled. Well, I am going to return to the organizer s side and leave you to chat.

She looked at him. Thanks for that.

I must confess, I thought you would have performed better in the testing. Narro chuckled as he got up.

The night before last was the night of the Stronghold. I was tired yesterday, Poppy muttered.

Breen moved across and settled next to her. He smiled. You curse a lot.

I haven t-oh. Yeah. I do. She chuckled. The day she had transported hundreds of dark Elite, she had scattered them around the world. She had cursed at the men to get them into mobile groupings, and that had startled them enough to get them moving.

She looked at them. You guys ended up local?

They shook their heads. No, Breen said. But our mate was here, so we returned after we had gained the modernization skills you wanted us to practice.

Poppy got her coffee and a Danish. Thank you so much.

The attendant smiled. Let me know if you need anything else.

Thank you again. Poppy smiled, and the woman shivered.

Myro looked at her and blinked. Whoa. That s... striking.

She would have flipped him off but was busy wrangling her tray. When it was up in front of her, she sighed, went to eat, and had her coffee.

Breen asked, You are hypnotic?

Only when I smile, and I don t smile often, so it doesn t come up much. She tore apart the blueberry Danish with her fingertips. So, have you been to the islands before?

She ate and glanced from one to the other. The guys looked embarrassed. Oh, you played in Wonder and burned out your cuffs.

They blinked, and Myro looked at her. How did you know?

Because I have been there. I didn t partake. I was keeping track of my cousin and making sure that her fianc wouldn t get any weird comparisons on their wedding night. I intercepted every interested male and read him the riot act. She danced a lot, made out a bit, and went home with lovely fuzzy memories of the island. Some of her bridesmaids went way too hard. She tutted.

Breen snorted. You weren t watching out for them?

I had my assignment, and I carried it out. Most of the time, I had to save the locals from their attentions. It was exhausting. She ate neatly and quickly. They nearly molested two of the guides on the charter. Those poor guys cuddled up to their mate the moment we were off the vessel.

The alphas laughed, and she kept them entertained with stories about the islands and controlling ten rowdy women. It shaved three hours off the flight and got them to the part where they were given a snack and more coffee.

Poppy was so tired, it wasn t even funny, so after she finished eating and the table was put down, she wedged herself into the corner, made a pillow with her coat, and pulled her arms into her sweatshirt. Her feet were up on the seat, and she tried to rest. She wouldn t be able to sleep, but she could at least get flickers of rest.

Poppy heard voices around her, and their deep tones became waves that carried her into a relaxed state.

* * * *

M yro looked at the ball of a woman who was an omega that gave off no scent. None. Even the coffee she drank left no trace. He said softly, She s not using nullifiers; she has completely nullified her scent using magic.

So, powerful then?

Extremely. If she s one of the twelve, she s a force to be reckoned with. I wish I knew her scent, but I think I might end up falling my way to the ocean s surface if I began to sniff my way across her.

Myro cocked his head. None of the twelve had scents. I had forgotten until you mentioned it. Strange thing to forget.

Breen got a blanket from the attendant and carefully placed it over Poppy. With her face relaxed, she looked exhausted. How much energy had she expended to do what she and the others did? For centuries, the dark Elite had been trapped by the spells of the shadow mages, bound to provide honed magic to the Stronghold. They had had to wait for rescue as any escapes just put additional pressure on their cages. One of the previous omegas had given them education and knowledge of how the modern world worked, but despite knowing that others would come, they were caught by surprise when they were freed. The scramble to find their place in the world explained why they were thrown back while their mates remained in their timeline. It took years to get into step, and now that they were comfortable, an omega was next to them, and they had no idea if it was theirs or not. This wasn t going to be frustrating at all.

* * * *

P oppy woke up and blinked . She woke up! That meant she had been sleeping. Her head turned, and the soft, silky feel of a blanket against her cheek made her smile. She looked around, and Myro was looking at her with a slight smile on his face. She eased her face into calm lines, and Myro snorted.

She stuck her tongue out at him, and he grinned. She shifted out of her sleeping ball, and Breen took the blanket from her. She wanted to make a sound of protest but knew it would be a needy whine. She slowly sat back up and did a controlled stretch.

The attendant came by and smiled. Would you like lunch?

Yes, I am just going to find the restroom.

To the rear on the left.

She walked to the restroom and used the facilities, and when she looked at herself in the mirror, she jolted. Damn it!

There was a laugh from the passenger area.

She was standing there in full Elite omega manifestation. Pointed ears, shining skin, and long white hair that hung down below her butt. Her sweatsuit wrecked the view, but she washed her hands and stalked back to her seat, meeting the surprised gazes of the folk who had seen her other form.

Hey, what s up? She waved at the recruiters and the photographers. Hiya.

A familiar woman raised a camera and took a snap. Win was there with both of her mates and an impish grin.

Yeah, sorry. I didn t think I could sleep on the flight, but I did. I slipped. I understand if this makes me ineligible to compete. I can get myself home.

Narro snorted. Oh, I already told them. It s why I asked for your optional height. It will be a fun addition to the program.

She glared at him. Squealer.

I worked for Ford. I know a good opportunity when I see one. Your flickering as needed between forms is going to be quite the crowd-pleaser.

She made a face. It will be embarrassing.

Narro asked, Why don t you smell like anything?

Good hygiene?

He grimaced. Really?

Well, I had my cycle neutralized to run some errands. It would have been inconvenient, and I don t want it turned back on until this program is over. I don t want to lose because I grab onto the wrong guy or the right guy. I am not going to show up on the after-show pregnant.

Narro blinked and nodded. That is... sensible.

I am nothing if not sensible.

She returned to her spot, and the attendant brought her a tray with food. A teeny salad started things, and she fought not to make a face as her little pod companions were watching. She moved on to the chicken with roasted vegetables and then had a roll. By the time she finished, there were two bottles of water near her that she took down.

She sat back, and the attendant smiled as she removed the plate. Did you want dessert? We have a lovely ice cream.

No, thank you. I have a list of treats I want to pursue when we land. It s the only thing I ever used the cuff for. Snacks.

Myro blinked. So, you did have a cuff?

Oh, sure. It s in my computer bag, actually. In the islands, it is all you need. Food, shopping, entertainment, sex. All with the tap of a cuff.

The alpha with the clipboard was leaning against the empty seat. That is an excellent advertising campaign. I am Ohno, by the way.

She nodded. Hello.

There is an unfortunate situation with the reservations for your hotel room. Someone has leaked the information to the press, and the hotel is swarmed. I wasn t able to secure your rooms in time. We have a few people who will put you up for a day or two until the program starts.

It s fine. I have strange luck with the way things are supposed to go. Bad luck. I made a reservation in the island township. It s a bit far away but less stress and no one getting hammered against a wall.

Ohno blinked and smiled. I am just going to verify it. Do you have it on your phone?

She got her phone out of her bag, brought up the screenshot, and handed it over.

He said, Back in a moment.

Breen turned to her and asked, You made reservations to go on a game show?

I made reservations so that I wouldn t get screwed over by my luck. If I had had more time, I would have made another reservation, but that was all that was available. She chuckled. I also need three alarms or more, or I won t be awake on time.

Myro cocked his head. You... you have a problem with time?

Yes. Be glad you didn t have to wait through the dinosaurs. Time and I don t get along in my own life. It s like it is trying to keep me in one place.

She settled back in her seat and sighed. So, what have you two been up to?

Breen shrugged. This and that. The video game creation is an interesting use of my skills.

She looked at Myro. So, how about you?

I like the challenges. He smiled. What about you?

I used to like working for gaming companies, but I think I am going to engage in a change of career shortly. It s hard for a female beta to make their mark unless they are incandescent or backed up by a pack. Packs and betas don t get along that often. Poppy sighed.

Myro asked, What else would you do?

I dunno. Return to food service? I always keep everyone calm and get serious tips. I could open a computer repair shop if I can gather enough donor parts to start one. She reached out and grabbed the blanket from Breen. She tucked it between her head and the wall. I could become a postal worker. No one s parcel would ever be late. She yawned and rubbed her head against the silky stuff.

Another blanket was tucked over her, and when she looked up, she saw Win. Hey, Win.

Get some rest. You are very tired. You did a lot.

So did you.

I have mates to pull from, and I do. Regularly. Win smoothed a hand over her forehead. Relax. We have hours left to fly. You are going to need your strength, sweetie.

Poppy looked at Win and felt sleep close over her. Butthead.

There was a delicate laugh and then darkness.