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Crossbreeds had always been rare. Deep-seated mistrust on both sides had led to the adoption of no-fraternization laws after the war. The few crossbreeds that did exist were scorned by both sides and usually chose to remain in hiding. What was Councilman Raza thinking?
“You know about his contact with witches?” Andy asked.
“We know he uses them for spells, magical objects, and elixirs,” I said.
“Well, now you know his tastes extend beyond the typical areas of negotiation,” Andy replied coolly.
“Clearly.” Ezra crossed his arms over his chest. “First, he’s bartering for the witches’ spells and cursed items, and now he’s fucking them.”
“How many crossbreeds are out there?” Valor asked.
“More than we know.” Andy leaned forward in her seat. “What are you planning to do about them?”
Valor crossed his arms over his chest. “Who says we plan to do anything?”
Andy sniffed, the gesture both condescending and dismissive. “Don’t insult me. You practically spat the Council’s name, and your pack is willing to put itself at risk to help one Omega. That means there is more to this story. Whatever it is, I want in. And in exchange, I’ll trade you the information I have.”
“You’ve already told us about the crossbreeds; what more could there be?” Ezra challenged.
“You aren’t dumb enough to believe that’s all I know. Even knowing crossbreeds exist, you have no idea why they’re doing it . . . or have you figured that out?”
Ezra’s jaw ticked. “What do you get out of it?”
“Sanctuary.”
We stared at her wide-eyed. Of all the things we had expected this woman to say, that wasn’t in the realm of possibility.
“I’ve been doing this for years. And I’ve had to move hideouts seven times. Not all of the Omegas I rescue are fighters, and I don’t have the manpower to keep them safe with the way our numbers are expanding.” She ran her fingers through her hair. “The Council is hunting for information. They’re trying to find us. It’s not a question of if, but when.” Her eyes flashed with fire. “I want your Alpha’s word that my girls have a sanctuary they can run to when the time comes.”
“Sanctuary in exchange for information?” Valor asked.
She gave a sharp jerk of her chin.
Brielle looked at us as we exchanged glances, her eyes pleading for us to accept.
I held a hand out toward Andy, knowing Alpha Wynn would never turn away females in need. “You have a deal.”
We shook on it, and she said, “The Council has been looking for a way to retain permanent control over shifters. In the beginning, withholding the Omegas and hosting the Hunt was enough, but as time passed, members of the Council realized there would soon be too many mated shifters.”
“Why would having a mate threaten their power?” Blythe asked.
“Before the curse, there was one thing all shifters submitted to—one bond stronger than any law or entity: a fated mate bond. It was the one thing coveted above all else. Back then, rank didn’t matter. Anyone could be paired together, and it was our soul’s mission to find our other half. A shifter would do anything to defend and protect their mate. But when the plague was cast upon us, it prevented souls from finding their other halves. It sterilized the female population by damaging their souls, weakening us as a whole. The female half of the population had no tether, and the males were left with an open wound. Our pieces no longer fit, and without this connection, procreating was impossible. Omegas were the Goddess’s solution to completing our souls once more.”
“But Omegas were the only ones able to receive the blessing, making the soul bonds of traditional fated mates a thing of the past,” Ezra said.
Andy nodded. “At least, that was what the Council thought. The absence of fated mates was a concern, but once the Council saw how much control they could exert over the packs, they became obsessed with power. They enjoyed the fact that they could force the Alphas into submission.”
“What changed?”
Andy hesitated, then continued. “Fifty years ago, an Omega found her fated mates. It was unlike anything we’d ever seen before. The laws of our very existence were changing, but one thing remained consistent—the bond trumped all. The unit openly defied the Council for her, and they lost their lives. That was when the Council reached out to the black witches. They needed magic to keep control over the shifters. They used it to bury the truth and ensure that the remaining Omegas had a slim chance of finding their fated mates.”
Ezra’s brow furrowed as he pieced the information together. “That’s why they put the Omegas in boarding houses and keep them separate from their wolves. They want to prevent them from being able to recognize the mating instinct.”
“Exactly. With the Omegas scattered across the packs as they were—not to mention the constant battles to steal them—it was only a matter of time before someone found out. It’s also why the Hunt occurs as soon as the Omega is in heat. Once an Omega is bound to another unit, she can’t feel a fated bond.”
“What was the purpose of breeding with the witches?” Ezra asked.
“Compatibility. Before the war, witches and shifters mated with each other. Witches don’t have fated mates, but their chosen bonds are still strong. The Council wanted to create reproductively compatible offspring. They’re trying to solve the population issue without the Goddess.”
