3-Alone In A Bus Full Of Uniformed Alphas

Fallon:

"Have a seat. You must be tired, fighting zombies and surviving the whole day on your own," the soldier said, his deep voice smooth and full of assurance.

He knew exactly how good-looking he was.

I had never known anyone except Nathan, so seeing four tall, striking, uniformed officers in one place made my heart race uncontrollably.

"Thank you," I murmured, settling into the front seat as my gaze moved over the three soldiers behind me.

The brown curly brown haired hunk rested his hand on the back of my seat, the other on his vest, leaning slightly forward with his eyes locked on me.

Another leaned against the window across from me, arms folded, watching quietly.

The last sat at the very back, distant, as if nothing here concerned him.

His gaze flicked toward me briefly, and my back straightened on instinct.

"How were you left behind near the woods?" the man in front of me asked.

The others stayed quiet, watching without interruption.

"My team left me behind," I uttered.

The memory came back sharply, how my in-laws had abandoned me without hesitation.

"We’re never trained to leave anyone behind,"

The one leaning casually against the window added under his breath.

I glanced at him briefly before returning my attention to the man in front.

"Hi, I am Military Alpha Rome," he introduced himself politely. There’s a cigar between his fingers, still smoking. It’s so difficult to get decent food nowadays, even Nathan has to settle for stale bread. Who has the luxury to smoke a cigar?

His eyes caught my attention first, a striking green that stood out.

His dark, polished hair framed his face, drawing attention to his thick brows, which made his eyes even more striking.

There was something in them. His eyes seemed to smile when he spoke.

"I’m Military Alpha Miguel," the one resting his hand on my seat said.

He had broad shoulders, curly brown hair, hazel eyes, a sharp jawline, and freckles scattered across his nose and cheeks.

Tattoos ran along his neck and arms, visible beneath his rolled sleeves.

He was just as tall and striking as the others.

"I’m Military Alpha Cage," the blonde one added.

He pushed away from the window and unfolded his arms.

His long, metallic blonde hair fell in a messy wolf cut around his face, brushing his neck.

His eyes stood out, they were the most charming gray ever.

Tall with a slim waist, he carried himself with quiet confidence. I could tell he had abs.

It was as if they were waiting for the last one to speak.

The tanned one at the back rolled his eyes.

His blue eyes held a faint gray pattern that caught the light. Each time the traffic signal flickered across his face, they gleamed like crystals.

His black hair was messily resting on his forehead.

He looked tall, his broad shoulders and muscular arms giving him a solid presence. Sharp cheekbones defined his face, and his lips were slightly fuller.

The way he glanced at me, then looked away, made it clear he wasn’t welcoming.

His gaze reminded me of a hawk watching its prey.

"Ace," he said at last, turning from the window toward me.

"I’m Alpha Ace," he added quietly, leaving out the military tag.

"We each have two soldiers working with us, and we’re heading to the academy center to pick them up," Rome voiced, drawing the attention back to himself.

Oh wait, I recognized them.

The descendants of the Alpha Kings, the most powerful rulers of the South, North, West, and East.

That explains the Cigar luxury.

Privilege followed them everywhere.

No wonder they each have two soldiers, I bet they don’t need to face real danger, I thought begrudgingly.

Only then did it hit me. They hadn’t even asked my name.

It was better this way.

Now that I was on a military bus surrounded by Alphas, I understood the risk.

They would know every soldier. One wrong name, and I’d be exposed.

I couldn’t tell them the truth either.

I’m wolfless. It makes me almost disabled by the standards of other werewolves.

No one really took me seriously even when I was a Luna.

Too many times when I try to stop an omega being beaten by higher ranks, the gammas or beta just said, “It’s the law of the pack” or “Alpha Nathan consent this, maybe you should ask him.”

Not to mention I was abandoned by my so-called family for death.

I can’t risk being abandoned by another van.

So I stayed quiet.

Their attention lingered anyway.

The bus was large, but their presence filled it completely.

I had never been watched like that before, by men like them, strong and so handsome.

It was overwhelming.

Then Rome’s radio buzzed, and for the first time, the pressure eased as their focus shifted away from me.

"Yeah, listening," he replied, lifting the radio in his veined hand.

His fingers were lean, wide, almost bony.

"The situation is getting worse. Where are you?" a woman’s voice came through all the tension.

"We found another soldier next to the woods. We’re heading back to base with her," Rome replied, moving past me toward the others.

They gathered at the back of the bus.

That gave me a moment.

I unzipped the bag quickly, searching for anything that could help me understand the uniform I was wearing.

The first thing I found was a wristband, sleek, with a small screen.

I glanced back. All of them were wearing one.

Mine was purple.

I slipped it onto my wrist without thinking.

The second it locked, a faint click followed.

For a moment, I thought it had fused into my skin.

I ignored it and kept searching until I found an ID card.

The moment I opened it, relief hit me.

The soldier whose uniform I was wearing was an invisible officer.

They operated in isolation, stationed in remote centers, never seen.

Communication only through radios or earpieces.

Which meant there was a strong chance none of them had ever seen her.

And judging by the file, she wasn’t just any officer.

She was high-ranking.

I gathered as much information as I could, then settled back into my seat with a small, confident smile.

Rome ended the call and started walking toward me.

Their attention returned instantly.

Even Ace from the back seat moved in, as they closed the space around me.

"So, you didn’t tell us your name," Miguel brought up, gently touching the scar on his chin.

I noticed his tone as he leaned in slightly from behind, smirking, trying to hold my gaze longer.

"Um, I am Freya Benson. Invisible military officer. I am from Isolation Center Two," I introduced myself confidently.

I knew enough.

Nathan had talked about them often. Studied them.

He had always been jealous.

He and his brother thought they were better, but when they tried to enter the academy, they were rejected.

That rejection had turned into hatred.

So I understood the structure.

Four Alphas. Two members each. The rest, soldiers.

And me, I was an invisible officer.

The one always in their ears.

Not me, exactly, but Freya.

So when I introduced myself, I expected some reaction.

I expected them to be shocked to finally meet the invisible officer, the one who had helped them through difficult situations.

But why the hell did they not look impressed?

I noticed the way they instantly exchanged glances before looking back at me.

And then, in one moment, Cage made it clear I wasn’t lucky to find this uniform.

"This is that bitch Freya," he grunted.

His words made the hair on the back of my neck stand.

"Yeah, damn right she is," Rome added, pointing at the band on my wrist.

"What?" I pushed myself up, trying to step back as they circled in, closing around me like predators.

"How dare you show yourself here?" Ace demanded, like this was personal.

The way he moved toward me, one hand on the gun at his belt, I already sensed trouble.