He doesn’t even blink.
My blood runs cold. What do I do?
My eyes dart back to Shade, his eyes heavy as he fights for consciousness. Shakily, he raises his hand and pokes his head with his finger, leaving a smear of blood in the center of his forehead. It’s the last of his energy, and he blacks out.
I nod to myself. Okay, I get the message.
Head shot.
The Alpha charges towards me, dragging his foot behind him in a rapid shuffle.
This time, I don’t hesitate.
I’m steadied by the hours of practice in remote reaches of my family property, in the base gun ranges, and most importantly, the session with Viper guiding my hand.
I squeeze the trigger.
The bullet hits him in the center of his forehead. He stops dead in his tracks. Blood gurgles up from the hole in his head and spills down his face. The Alpha’s legs crumple beneath him as he falls backwards. His skull hits the ground with a thump.
His arm twitches for a moment, and then he’s still.
I know he’s gone. The blank look in his eyes and the foul stench emanating from his body confirms it.
I should feel triumphant, but instead, I feel numb.
I killed someone.
But he wasn’t really someone anymore, was he? The Blood Lust had taken control of the Alpha and long since destroyed his humanity.
It was either him or us, and I chose us. I chose Shade, and I would make the same decision again.
I drop to the ground beside the unconscious Beta and pull his head into my lap. His eyelashes flutter and he groans. My hands shake from pumping adrenaline as I run my hands over his body, searching for irreparable damage.
There’s a split on the side of his temple with congealing blood. The head wound must be why he can’t maintain consciousness. He probably has a concussion. I brush a strand of his hair out of his eyes.
“Shade. Specialist Shade, wake up.”
He stirs, like he wants to obey, but doesn’t open his eyes.
I sniffle, trying not to let my tears spill over. Now is not the time to fall apart.
I lean over and whisper in his ear, “Wake up, Daddy.”
That does the trick. His eyelashes flutter and open, and his gaze focuses on me, a dopey expression making him appear boyish.
“There she is,” he rasps. Tilting his head with a deep moan of pain, his eyes widen as he stares at the dead Alpha with the gunshot to the head and the growing red puddle beneath him.
I bite my lip when his eyes narrow at me. Is he angry that I disobeyed his orders to stay in the tent?
Instead, a bloodied smile appears. “Sneaky little Omega.”
I giggle, and the tension rolls off my shoulders.
Shade groans and pulls himself into a sitting position, cradling the side of his head in his palm. “Are you alright, baby girl? Did he touch you?”
I shake my head and hold my shaking hands in my lap.
There’s a shout from down the mountainside, and we both tense.
