The guard smirked. "Good. Keep masking your scent like you always have. At least that's one thing you're good at."
The sound of approaching footsteps silenced any further conversation. Night Walker warriors came from the shadows, their massive forms making my escorts look like pups in comparison.
Their eyes shined with an unusual amber color in the fading light, and their faces had scars that told stories of many battles.
"You're late," the largest warrior growled.
“Our apologies," my escort bowed slightly. "We brought what was promised. The omega girl."
The warrior breathed in deeply through his nose to smell my scent and I held my breath, keeping my power tightly masked as I'd done for so many years. It was second nature now, this hiding of my true self.
"This is the one?" He circled me slowly. "She doesn't smell like much."
"She's an omega," my escort confirmed. "Weak, but healthy enough for whatever purpose you need."
The transaction was quick after that. I was handed over like a piece of property, my previous life dismissed with a few signatures and a bag of gold.
The lead warrior grunted in acknowledgment. "Move out," he ordered his men and then to my escorts: "Leave. Now. Consider our business concluded."
I watched as the guards from my former pack quickly scrambled to turn their wagon around, eager to escape the Night walker territory before full darkness fell. They didn't look back once. Not that I expected them to.
"Walk," the warrior commanded, yanking on my chains.
We moved deeper into Night Walker territory. The forest here felt different darker and more ancient. The trees grew closer to each other, their branches crossing above us to shut out the last bits of daylight. Weird noises echoed in the dark around us, and several times I saw glowing eyes watching us as we moved.
Everyone was quiet as we walked. We could only hear our footsteps and sometimes the sound of my chains clicking. I spent this time watching my captors, seeing how they moved, how they stayed in formation, and how they used small gestures to talk to each other.
Even though I was weak, my mind kept working to collect details. If I wanted to stay alive here, I had to learn all I could.
After what seemed like hours, we came to a clearing. I had to catch my breath.