The young man continued, "And someone took advantage."

She tried to explain, but she just could not get that name past her tongue. "There was a riot. He killed a lot of people and carried me off."

Both men noticed that she had not once said Shepherd—that she continued to refer to Shepherd as him. It was Senator Kantor who posed the question as delicately as he could. "And Shepherd was the one who took you?"

Claire began to cry, whimpering as she fell to pieces. "He refused to give us our share. Instead he demanded I tell him where the Omegas were so they could be taken and used by his men. He forced a pair-bond... kept me locked in his room for weeks." Her hand went to her chest, her fist knocking against it. "And I can still feel him, right here."

They were stunned, both slack-jawed.

A pair-bond... the man was searching for his mate.

Corday shook his head as if it were impossible. He could understand why a villain like Shepherd would rut her through a heat, but to actually pair-bond with a stranger seemed extreme. A bond was forever. There was no known way to break it without the death of one of the pair. And the aftermath was messy—oftentimes the living partner could never pair again. He'd taken Claire for life. No wonder she was so terrified. A man with the power to take over an entire colony, with devoted Followers at his back, was hunting her down and bonded to her.

She opened her eyes and forced herself to stop crying. "I have to tell the Omegas. I have to go to them."

All Corday could mumble was, "You can't go outside, Claire. This is Shepherd we are talking about. His influence under the Dome is almost absolute."

"I can't abandon them. I should have gone sooner, but I…" She didn't need to say she was afraid, that fact was obvious.

"You are a very brave woman." In a voice encouraging and strong, Senator Kantor spoke his piece. "What you tried to do for the others was incredibly courageous, but you cannot do it alone. Let us assist you. Together we'll find a way to help the Omegas."

"How?" Large green eyes went to the soft-spoken older man.

"For now, we'll get them food, proper pharmaceuticals... but there will need to be a long-term solution. How many are there?"

Shaking her head, she wiped her eyes. "There were around eighty-five the last time I saw them. But it's been over a month, it could be half that number... I have no idea."

"Where are they?" Senator Kantor asked.

Her face grew instantly hard and threatening. Claire straightened her spine and said nothing. She would speak to the Omegas first, they would decide before she revealed the location to anyone. Period.

The woman's challenging expression was not missed. Senator Kantor raised a hand and added, "I mean them no harm."