Chapter 126 Chapter 126
Amber
After I’d cried until my throat burned and my body sagged from exhaustion, I tried to catch my breath. My chest trembled with every inhale, and I could feel how swollen my eyes had become — sore, heavy, sticky from all the tears. There was no dignity left in me. No strength either. Only silence, grief, and the soft sound of the cab’s tires rolling over wet pavement.
I stayed curled up in Ian’s arms longer than I should have. But eventually, I forced myself to move.
Steeling myself, I pulled away from his embrace, dragging my body back against the seat and shifting so that there was at least a few inches of space between us. I didn’t want to. I hated the sudden coldness that replaced his warmth. But I needed it. I needed to be able to breathe again.
I didn’t look at him right away. I just stared out the window, eyes blurry with dried tears, the city lights melting into soft, indifferent shapes.
I wondered what the cab driver was thinking. Poor guy had just witnessed an emotional breakdown so dramatic it belonged in a telenovela. He was either silently praying for us to get out soon, or he was soaking in the soap opera drama like it was free cable. Either way, I was thankful he hadn’t said a single word. Just kept driving like none of it mattered. Like I wasn’t falling apart in his back seat.
I sniffed and reached into the pocket of my cardigan, pulling out a small handkerchief. My hand was shaking. I wiped at my face — my cheeks, my nose, my mouth — trying to gather the pieces of myself before I shattered again. My lips still stung from sobbing. My voice was raw, but I forced myself to speak.
“Tell me about your mate,” I spoke quietly, turning my head a little, just enough to glance at Ian without looking him in the eye. “What is she like? Maybe I’ll be able to figure out how she got so crazy lucky.”
There was a beat of silence, and then Ian gave a small, tired chuckle — not mocking, not smug, just soft and sad and warm.
“Actually,” he corrected, “it’s a he.”
I blinked. My sadness cracked, just a little, like a hairline fracture. That was the last thing I expected to hear. My mouth fell open in surprise before I quickly caught myself, turning away again and clearing my throat awkwardly.
“A guy?” I questioned a little incredulously. “So… a male Omega?”
“Yes.” Ian nodded. “I’m still slightly surprised myself. His name is Hadrian.”
Hadrian. The name sank into my chest. Strange how I could already feel the weight of it.
“I initially thought the trip was just a medical outreach,” Ian continued, his voice steady now. “But I got there and found out it was basically a secret rescue mission. The Alpha of the Sapphire Moon Pack has secretly been in the business of trafficking Omegas and selling them for obscene amounts of money in these underground auctions. The kind of thing only the ultra-rich and powerful Alphas get invited to. And the venues? Always changing. Always hidden.”
I sat there stunned, clutching the fabric of my sundress. My fingers curled into my thighs like they were trying to ground me. This was… beyond anything I could have imagined.
Ian went on, “Dr. McQuoid somehow got Dr. Irina and me invitations.”
“Hold on,” I said sharply, cutting in. “Back up. Why didn’t they just send the police to storm the place instead? Why send doctors? Why you, a pediatrician, for goddess’ sake?”
Ian looked at me solemnly. “The cops were there. In disguise. Omega Protection Services has been working quietly behind the scenes for a while now. They’re still new, but they’re fighting hard for Omega rights and freedom globally. Dr. McQuoid’s been part of them for years now. He sent me because…” He paused, eyes darkening. “Because they were trafficking children too.”
I felt my stomach twist violently. My hand flew to my mouth, a low, horrified gasp escaping from deep in my throat. “Dear goddess. That’s horrible!”
“It is,” Ian concurred, his jaw clenched. “It disgusts me. The lengths people will go to for money. The Omegas in captivity were bred during heats — most likely against their will and the children born from those disgusting acts were raised like livestock. To be sold. Trained. Displayed. No medical care. No comfort. Just cages and darkness and starvation. Most of them were sick and malnourished, barely hanging on.”
My chest ached so badly I could hardly sit still.
“Dr. Irina is a gynecologist,” I reasoned, my voice small. “It makes sense why McQuoid sent both of you. Irina could help the women. You could care for the children.”
Ian gave me a soft grin. “You’re smart. That’s one of the many reasons I love you.”
I blushed. I hated it — the way my heart reacted to him, even now. The way it fluttered without my permission. The heat that crept up my neck and made my lips press together to hide a smile. I hated that I couldn’t control myself around him. Not even when I needed to.
Then Ian’s voice dropped — not just in tone, but in weight. Like the words he was about to say had been buried in him, too heavy to carry, but too painful to leave untouched.
“Hadrian…” he went on, and just the name alone carried a kind of reverence. A soft tremble. “My mate. He was going to be sold at that auction.”
The world tilted under me.
“Because male Omegas are so rare,” Ian continued slowly, deliberately, like the truth still sickened him, “they’re considered exotic. Prized. And Hadrian… he was labeled top-tier merchandise. Premium goods for only the best of the best. Those were the words on his auction tag.”