I charged toward the smug bastards.
Dax moved smoothly, slamming the outer security gate closed. They were cut off, on the other side of the bars now. There was a click as Dax locked it, sealing him, Madison, and Prince away from my rage.
I roared in frustration, crashing into the door and trying to wrench it open, to no avail.
Even with my aura, I couldn’t open it. I snarled and focused on the handle instead, trying to force it to open. All I succeeded in doing was warping it, making the door jam, and ensuring they were even more unreachable.
I growled in frustration, my pulse pounding in my ears and my rage consuming every thought. They were right there, just out of reach, and I couldn’t kill them or protect my packmate.
There was a noise behind me, and I started to turn, alert for a new threat.
Ocean howled in pain again, and I whipped around, throwing myself at the bars that separated us. I could get my arms through, but everything else was out of reach, and Ocean had collapsed on the ground now. There were people shouting, the noises coming from my side and in front of me.
I snarled as someone landed on my back, wrapping their arms around my neck, but then vanilla and roses seeped into my nostrils.
My omega.
She was here, with me, and there were still threats everywhere.
She wasn’t safe.
“We need to run! Run, Finch!” she was urging, fisting my shirt frantically.
The meaning of the words escaped me, but her tugging was clear.
She was afraid, and she needed me for something.
She screamed something else and pointed at the exit.
I snarled.
I wanted to stay and fight. But she was clinging tight to my back, no sign of letting go, and I couldn’t fight like this.
I looked at my opponents, who were not standing quietly anymore. They looked angry and were trying to open the broken door, to get into this space where my omega was.
It was stuck for now, but it wouldn’t hold forever.
When they got out, it would be three on one, with my omega in the mix.
These alphas had hurt her.
These alphas shouldn’t be anywhere near her.
I’ll get her somewhere safe, I decided, and started sprinting to the door, my omega’s grip tightening as she fought to stay on. My packmate howled behind me again, but I felt his approval in the bond.
I needed to get our omega to safety.
We came out into a dim corridor, and I breathed in damp, stale air.
I didn’t stop running, even as my eyes took a second to adjust to the lighting.
Safe.
I ran deeper into the dark, my omega clinging desperately to my back.
EIGHTY-FIVE
LAUREL
