How much longer do we have to drive? I’ve had to piss like a racehorse for the past two hours now,” Carter moaned.

“We’re almost there,” Charlie said. There were dried tears on his cheek he didn’t bother to wipe off. Outside the car window, the hills were rocky and deserted. We hadn’t passed a house in a day.

“And then what? We just find another safe house?” Carter asked.

“No,” Daren turned around from the front seat. His eyes darted toward our holding hands. He smiled. “We’ll board a train that takes us northeast, toward the central power grids.”

“Then, we enter into Canada? I know the train stations well, and there are cameras everywhere. They’re going to catch us,” I said.

Daren shrugged, but it was obvious both of the older adults had discussed this already. “The other option is to drive through. If we take the train, we can at least try to blend in, son. What else do you suggest we do?”

I thought about it and quickly realized that he was right. Driving would bring the most attention, as most people didn’t need to take these highways anymore. Practically no one left the country. Everyone who did were forced to spend hours getting searched.

“Okay,” I said. “We’ll need to wear disguises. Sandoval Lewis is a tough son of a bitch. He’ll probably enlist the help of soldiers I know too.”

“You still haven’t told me who Sandoval Lewis is,” Carter said.

Daren stared intently out of the window. “I remember him from town, actually,” he said. “He used to be pretty normal. Then, he lost a ton of money when the factories started to close down. He got a job in the private prison industry and never looked back.”

I didn’t know that about Sandoval. What I did know was that he was the cruelest man I’ve ever laid eyes on. He lacked a soul and was willing to give up any gray wolf or human for a profit.

I added, “Sandoval Lewis’s end goal is money. He doesn’t care about politics because the leaders of the world have let him down. So what does he do? He sells prisoners to Walter Snook and takes a cut.”

Daren looked at his son firmly. “And he knows that if I’m a threat to the organization, my son is going to be a wrecking ball. That’s why they wanted us. I’ve kept silent about my interrogation, but it became very obvious what they wanted from me. Carter. Every punch they gave me was a warning: give us your son for your freedom,” he said.

Carter fidgeted in his seat. “I’m going to kill them for doing that to you,” he said.

Daren immediately grabbed Carter’s hand. He shook his head vehemently. “We can’t stoop to their level. It’s not tit-for-tat. We don’t kill unless it’s in self-defense,” he said.

“That’s not what the Alliance stood for in the past,” Charlie remarked. “Now we’re changing our tune?”

“I have never advocated violence, dammit. But I can’t speak for every member of the Alliance” Daren said.

Charlie’s hands were shaking against the steering wheel. Every two seconds, he seemed to look in the rearview mirror, in case we were followed. “We’ve made a lot of mistakes,” he said.

I said, “You’re right. You have. But so have I. I thought it was okay to fight as hard as the worst of the Alliance. That line of thinking is part of the training process.”

I kept my free hand on my stomach. Even though it had only been a few days since Carter and I made love, I felt like I had started a new journey. I allowed myself to become a new person because of our connection. I was pregnant now, which meant I had new responsibilities. I had life to protect now, and it was possible that our child, or children, would actually change the world.

It was the wildest, unhinged, passionate sex I’ve ever wanted. Since then, I saw a change in Carter too. I watched him go from being afraid of his destiny to taking on his alpha role head-on.

Carter rested his head on my shoulder. “I won’t hurt anyone if I can help it. But if Sandoval Lewis fucks with my pregnant omega, I’m going to shatter his jaw with my fist.”

I kissed the side of his head and whispered, “I’ll be fine. Sandoval won’t find us.”

But I knew better than that. Sandoval was quick and cunning. He looked decrepit, but he had the mind of a sharp criminal. With the help of Walter Snook, Sandoval would find us eventually. When they did, I hoped we’d be ready.

The next hour went by slower than expected. The car was silent, as we had said all that needed to be said. Ever since we left the safe-house, our emotions were high. Charlie didn’t mention the twins once, but I had a feeling he couldn’t stop going over those last moments in his head.

Charlie flipped on the radio, just as the station came into view. We learned that every single channel cut their usual programs to issue a state of an emergency. “…the fugitives are still at large. The Alliance is considered to be armed and dangerous…”

“Turn it off,” Carter said, abruptly.

“They issued a state of emergency?” I asked. “That’s unprecedented.”

In the distance, I could see the train station. It was dark and empty. Charlie pulled off into a set of trees and stopped the car. “What’s happening?” I asked. I was starting to get worried.

Daren took out his pistol but remained calm. Charlie ran around to the trunk and quickly pulled out our bags. “We’re here, but it’s not looking as expected,” Charlie said.

“Meaning what?” Carter asked.

We both jumped out of the car. I looked at the train station in the distance. It didn’t look like it was functioning at all. Charlie cocked his pistol and stepped in front of me. “Meaning, I’ve got a bad feeling about this,” he said.

I walked side by side with Carter as we silently made our way toward the station. The air was cold and windy. Winter was right around the corner. If the trains weren’t operating anymore, it was going to make our journey significantly more difficult.

When we got to the entrance, Carter stopped me. “I want to take another picture with you. Here, under the light,” he said.

I blushed. “The first day of the pregnancy,” I said, proudly.

He handed the camera to a reluctant Daren, who shot the picture quickly. Charlie smiled and bagged the camera.

Carter stopped at the foot of the stairs and glanced upward. “I want you to wait here, while me and my dad check this place out,” Carter said.

I wrapped my hands around the cold metal poles, at the foot of the long staircase. “If you go, I’m going too,” I said.

Carter’s tone turned serious. “Liam, you’re pregnant. I’m not letting you get in harm’s way.”

I pushed past him, walking up the steps by myself. “I’m not letting you tell me what I can do, pregnant or not. Our children will grow up to know they can do anything they want, despite their circumstances,” I said.

Carter ran after me and took my hand. He must have known how annoyed I was with him for suggesting I couldn’t keep up. It had been one day. One single day.

“I’m sorry. It’s been two days and I’m already feeling overprotective with you. You can do whatever you want. I know how tough you are,” he said.

I stopped walking when I saw a red light flashing above us. “Shit!” I cursed and ran behind a stone column. I pulled Carter with him.

“What?” he asked.

I pointed at the moving camera. “Look above you,” I whispered.

“CTV?” Carter whispered back. I nodded, suddenly feeling more frightened than usual.

Daren and Charlie were both standing at the foot of the stairs, behind the large map of the station. “Are you boys okay?” Daren called out.

“CTV, twelve o’clock!” I yelled back.

“Did it knick you?” Charlie asked.

“I think we’re okay. It’s only elevated enough to get the top of the stairs,” I said. “We’ll have to move to avoid it.”

I took a deep breath and closed my eyes before gaining my coolness back. I counted down from five and ran when the camera aimed in the opposite direction. Liam followed while the older adults took their time.

After a few minutes, we were all gathered at the entrance to the inside of the subway trains. There were no sounds of engines, travelers’ conversations, or any vendors selling food. It was, in fact, deserted.

Charlie wasn’t happy with this, as we had relied on this mode of transportation to get to the power grid. I was beginning to lose faith in the Alliance again and wondered if it would be better to follow my gut instead.

“Fucking incompetent planners!” Charlie punched the tile wall, only to fall on his butt, writhing in pain. “We’re going to die out here now. I lost the twins for nothing!”

Daren restrained him. “Calm down, guy. First of all, you don’t know if the twins are gone or not. You’re making assumptions. Second, we knew there were going to be risks. It’s up to us to figure this out like adults. Stop punching walls, or you’re going to break your knuckles.”

Charlie shook his hand out, sighing from the pain. “I think I already have,” he said.

I peered into the darkened passageway to the tracks. “Come on. Let’s walk down and check things out,” I said.

Slowly, we walked down the steps, toward the waiting area. “What happened? Why’d they close the trains down?” Carter asked.

I shook my head. It didn’t make any sense. I remembered the optimistic reports on the radio. We were supposed to have the best trains in the modern world. “My only guess is that they’ve been lying to the media,” I said.

“Or the media knew all along,” Carter said.

“What else is new?” Charlie asked.

“Yeah, but this is different. It’s almost like the government can’t pay for them to run anymore,” I said.

Carter ran his finger over the walls. An inch of dust covered his fingerprint. “Gross,” he murmured.

Daren anxiously laughed. “So, the humans are finally starting to realize that they need us? Took them long enough,” he said.

I smiled. It defied my understanding of the modern world. I thought the government was stronger than they let on. As it turns out, they’ve already started losing control. We were going to give them the final push over the edge, and then our world could be rebuilt.

I ripped off a poster from the wall. It said, “All trains will be under repair until further notice.” A spraypaint tag next to it read: “LIARS!”

“Once the humans start losing, they’ll understand that their leaders failed them. If he’s smart, Sandoval will come up with a plan to frame us as the culprits,” I said.

“Maybe he already has,” Carter whispered.

A heavy lump formed in my throat, but I quickly pushed it back down into my chest. There wasn’t time to think about myself when the problems around us were so daunting.

The waiting zones were empty, dirty, and musky. Carter jumped onto the tracks and shined a flashlight through the tunnels. “We’re going to have to walk,” he said.

“We can’t walk. It’s days away from here,” Charlie groaned. “And I’m not sleeping down here. It’s disgusting.”

I couldn’t blame him. The tunnels were less than ideal for any of us, but we had no other options. I followed my alpha and jumped onto the tracks. I pulled out my flashlight and started to walk through the tunnels.

“It’s simple. If you don’t want to come, then you can go back home. As for us, we have a job to do,” I said. I wasn’t as tough as I looked. Deep down. I felt more fear than Charlie probably did. Every time I said something heroic, I’d glance back at Carter to make sure he heard me. I wanted to impress him, maybe a bit too much.

Carter smiled and kissed my cheek. Daren laughed loudly. “Well, they’ve got a point,” Daren said. Charlie reluctantly followed.

As we walked, I gently nuzzled against Carter’s shoulder. I affectionately kissed his neck and cheek. He grinned. “What’re you so giddy about?” Carter asked.

I smiled big. “I’m just thinking about our baby Alexander,” I said.

He eyed me curiously. “Alexander? So you decided on a name without me?” he asked, leaving his goofy smile on his face.

I nodded enthusiastically and then smacked his butt. “That’s right, big guy. The omega is choosing,” I said.

He winked. “Well, you’re lucky that Alexander is a warrior alpha name. I’m all for it, darling,” he said.

“Really?” I exclaimed. I ran in front of him and kissed his sweet lips.

He wrapped his hands around my waist and squeezed lovingly. “Anything for my omega,” he said.

“You know how to make me happy, Carter Thompson. But you don’t know that he’s going to be an alpha. He could end up being a total thirsty omega. Then what’re you going to do?” I asked.

He smiled. “Our son will not be thirsty,” he said. “And even if he is, I’m cool with it. He can be whatever he wants to be,” Carter said. It was a test, and he passed with flying colors.

As soon as we passed through the second set of tunnels, I felt Charlie’s hesitation influence me. The echoes of our footsteps accompanied every single step we took. By the first half mile, I was starting to get spooked.

“Are you alright?” Carter asked.

I looked down at my hand that was holding the flashlight. I was shaking like a coward. “Uh, yeah. I’m fine,” I muttered.

I had been hearing all sorts of weird noises. A rat scurrying against the rocks caused me to jump back with complete fear. “Shit!” I cried out.

Carter laughed uncontrollably. “Omega, It’s just a rat,” he said.

Charlie grabbed the flashlight from my hand. “I’ve got this,” he said.

Carter rolled his eyes at Charlie. Taking my hand, he kissed the top of each knuckle. “Don’t worry, soldier. I’ll protect you,” he whispered.

“My hero,” I joked.

Daren walked beside us. “I don’t know. I’m pretty darn frightened myself,” he said.

Carter shrugged the feeling of danger away. “Guys, you saw the scene outside. The place is deserted. We’re miles away from any establishment or heavily congested road. What could possibly happen down here?”

A familiar voice answered that very question. “Yeah, what could happen?”

I flew back and took my pistol out. Charlie and Carter shined the flashlight on a man, hobbling toward us. He had a rifle in his hand. I knew who it was immediately.

“Hansel?” I asked.

Hansel grinned, keeping his eye on the scope. “Don’t move, Liam,” he said. “Put the gun down, and we’ll talk.”

“What the fuck, man? Seriously?” I asked him. I knew it was wrong, but I felt betrayed. We had spent years together in the militia. I couldn’t believe that he’d turn on me of all people.

Hansel smacked his lips together. “Don’t take it to heart, Liam. You know as well as I that it’s only part of the job,” he said.

My hands were steady around the butt of my pistol. I had him in my sight. “So now you’re Walter’s pawn?”

“I’m my own man. Nobody possesses me,” Hansel said.

Both Charlie and Daren had their hands up, already defeated, but I wasn’t giving up just yet. Charlie gaped at Hansel and I. “Do you mind explaining who this guy is?” Charlie asked.

“We were in the same unit. I told you about him earlier. His name is Hansel,” I muttered.

Hansel stopped grinning. “I’m the baddest motherfucker there is,” he said.

“I beg to differ. Did you already forget what I did for you? I saved your fucking life, gray wolf,” I said.

His voice was dry and harsh. “Aw, gee. Thanks, pal.” He laughed.

With his arms held in the air, Daren walked in between us with an offering of peace. “Both of you, put your guns down and we can solve this together. I don’t care what side you’re on. Nobody wants to die down here,” he said.

Hansel pointed the barrel of his rifle and pushed it in my direction. “This traitor is an omega, Daren Thompson. You’re aiding and abetting a terrorist. That’s a federal offense,” he said.

“Then, take me in,” Daren said, dropping to his knees. “Take us all in. We’ll serve the rest of our lives in prison. Is that what you want?”

Curiously, Hansel lowered his barrel slowly, in a moment of hesitation. He staggered forward, toward Daren. He was still injured.

“Your leg,” I whispered. “It’s still messed up?”

His hands were sweating. He struggled to keep his gun in place against his shoulder. He hiked it back up and repositioned his aim. “Shut up, omega,” he growled. “You don’t know shit.”

I glanced at Carter, hoping that he’d say something to alleviate the situation. “That may be true. We don’t know much. But we do know that we can’t live in these conditions. My guess it that you can’t either,” Carter said.

Hansel’s hands started to tremble. “I’ve never had any means. The militia gives me more than I’ve ever had,” he said.

Carter moved forward, keeping his hands in the air. “If you help us, we can give you more than you’ve ever been given. You’ll be able to have a job, a home, and a mate. Best of all, you’ll have your freedom,” he said.

After this, Hansel was silent. I lowered my gun to show him I wasn’t after his life. “So, will you join us?” I asked.

He limped toward us but kept the gun aimed at me. Charlie added, “They have doctors. In the Sanctuary, they can help you.”

It was the first time I heard mention of the Sanctuary. Hansel looked confused, but I was right there with him. “The Sanctuary? That doesn’t exist. The militia tried to find that place. It doesn’t exist,” Hansel said.

Charlie and Daren forced back their smiles and shook their heads. “It exists, Hansel. You can come with us,” Charlie said.

Hansel finally lowered his rifle. His face suddenly turned honest. He shifted into his wolf form, and then shifted back. When he was human again, he was in tears.

“They kicked me out of the militia. I had to flee the barracks once they put a warrant out for me. I followed you here,” he said.

I holstered my weapon and ran to Hansel’s aid. “Why didn’t you just tell us? I saved your life, man.”

“You left me at the gates of hell,” he said. “I had no one to corroborate my story. Walter was trying to get me charged for helping you flee. He told me something. He said that he told you he’d find you someday. He’s dead set on doing that.”

“What do they know about us?” Charlie asked.

Hansel wiped the tears from his eyes and stood up. “They know enough. I read through all of the documents. Does the name Sandoval Lewis ring a bell? Apparently, he has been watching you for a long time, Daren. The same goes for you, Charlie. They know that you’re the last in the higher ranks of the Alliance. I thought it might be bullshit, but here you are,” he said.

“What exactly have they seen?” Charlie ran up to Hansel and grabbed his shirt, before raising his fist in front of Hansel’s face. “What have you told them?”

Hansel collapsed against his punctured leg. Screaming, he held up his arms in self-defense. “I didn’t tell them jack shit!”

Charlie let up on him. He walked away, taking deep intermittent breaths. “Then tell us everything, dammit,” Charlie said.

“They know about your safe house. They thought they could surround you there,” Hansel muttered, through clenched teeth.

“What about my omegas? What did they do them?” Charlie kept his voice raised.

Hansel cried out in pain. “I don’t fucking know, you son of a bitch!”

“What else?” Daren asked. “C’mon, son. Tell us everything you know, and we’ll help you.”

Hansel sighed. He suddenly looked pale and weary. “Boots told them about Valchek, the guard at the camps. Boots is their new guy, I guess. He sold me out too. That’s all I know. I swear it.”

I lifted Hansel back up, while Carter dug in the first aid kit. He wiped Hansel’s infected ankle with an alcohol wipe. Carter glanced at me, indicating that he didn’t look well. Seeing the green edges of his wound made me worried. He could lose his leg if we didn’t find some real aid fast.

“Shit, my ankle is killing me. Is it bad?” he asked.

I carefully sprayed his ankle and lined the wound with gauze. “Well, it’s not great,” I muttered.

“We don’t have any time to fuss over this crap,” Charlie angrily fired back.

Carter stood up and faced Charlie. Things were starting to unravel in our group. “We can’t just leave him here to lose his leg! We promised him a doctor,” Carter said.

I couldn’t take it anymore. The fighting was starting to get to me. Charlie jammed his index finger into Carter’s chest. I didn’t know whether to tear his eyes out or simply walk away.

“There is no doctor,” Charlie argued. “The doctor is more than fifty miles away. By the time that we get there, his leg will have to be amputated.”

“I can’t take this anymore!” I shouted.

Everyone turned to look at me. I was shaking against the wall, and I was ready to call it a day. “We’re supposed to be better. That’s why we’re the Alliance, right? Well, how can we say that we’re better if we don’t help someone when they need it most?” I asked.

Charlie laughed as if I was completely naïve. I immediately felt hurt. I hated being treated less than, just because I was an ex-soldier, or just because I was an omega. All my life people had treated me differently. I felt like I couldn’t ever win.

Carter could see the hurt in my eye. He could feel my pain. “Stop laughing, Charlie,” he said.

“Or what?” Charlie smirked.

“Or I’ll break your fucking jaw,” Carter said, turning tense.

“This soldier could end up killing us. I’m all for a little humility, but we can’t take that big of a risk right now,” Charlie said.

“But I know someone,” Hansel whispered. “An old guy from the barracks. He left the militia years ago. He’s a doctor.”

“Another soldier? Give me a fucking break,” Charlie said.

Everyone in the group was on the verge of quitting. It felt like we had no other options. Either way, we’d have to walk a good fifty or sixty miles, to get to the power grid. We had very few supplies, and our plan was shaky at best.

“Take my rifle. Take my knife. Take anything you want. I’m telling you, this doctor can help me. But I guess that doesn’t mean shit to a guy like you,” Hansel muttered.

My heart started to beat faster than expected. “I want to see this doctor,” I said.

“You’re joking!” Charlie yelled.

Carter eyed me very curiously. I knew that he’d support my choice, no matter what. “It’s a blessing, Charlie. I want to make sure this pregnancy is okay. Does he have an extra room, Hansel?” I asked.

Hansel shrugged. “I don’t know, but I’m sure he’ll let us stay there. He was never loyal to the militia’s cause. He just used it as a way to study medicine,” he said.

“Alright, then. We will find this doctor’s home. We can rest there for as long as he lets us. It’ll give us a chance to come up with a more solid plan. Sorry, Charlie, but we need to be smart about this. I’m guessing that they won’t be looking for this guy’s house,” I said.

Charlie had no choice, but to give into the plan. “Daren, do you have anything to say about this?” He was hoping Carter’s father would be on his side.

Daren yawned. “I’m tired as hell. I think we should walk to the next station and camp out there. We’ll follow Hansel to the doctor’s home afterward,” he said.

I smiled, feeling relieved. “Okay, let’s head out,” I said.

Daren helped Hansel limp along. As we walked, I kept glancing at my mate, Carter. He was proud of me. I felt like I could do anything when I was near him.

He ran his hand across my belly and whispered, “I can’t wait to find this doctor so that you can get the care you need.”

I didn’t feel as scared as I usually did. I knew that there was danger around us, but the clarity I needed surrounding my pregnancy was coming. “What if there was five of them,” I joked.

Carter’s eyes widened. “Stop messing around,” he said.

I kissed his inner neck and saw Hansel’s wandering eyes meet mine. He quickly looked away. I had to keep reminding myself one thing: He wasn’t our friend.