“I will not go with that fucking monster!” she yells, whipping her head back with a resounding crunch, and the guy's nose just explodes beneath it.Ouch.But she doesn’t stop, “You can’t fucking make me! I’ll let you kill me before I go with Butcher!”
Butcher? The big guy who stormed out?
“Hey, Firecracker,” Fury’s voice has an immediate effect on her; her legs relax as they stumble forward, and she’d have been tossed to the ground if he didn’t catch her. Enveloping her between us, I check her over for any injuries, but aside from the bruises beneath her dress and the new ones from their rough handling, she seems okay. She’s rumpled, her dress torn at the bottom, hair messy and out of place, and mascara trails down her cheeks in stark lines. Another woman steps out beside her with a hard scowl—the one we heard arguing?Thrusting a clipboard towards Fury, she sneers at each of us in turn.
“Be aware that this Omega is difficult. She has bitten several of our guards, escaped twice, and has a foul mouth befitting of trash rather than a polite Omega.” The blonde looks us over, pausing on me with a subtle downturn of her already dour expression. “She’s probably best kept on a leash or a knot until she’s less… Feral, and she can be returned at any point.”
A chilling sound escapes Fury, somewhere between man and wolf. The thought of taking someone against their will is monstrous in itself. She doesn’t even blink before continuing. “She’s due a heat soon; however, she does have a contraceptive coil in that could be removed beforehand, breeding might calm the bitch down.”
“No,” We all snap it at once before Fury takes over, squaring his shoulders with effort, chest heaving with the anger radiating from him. “We will deal with our Omega as we see fit. If she requires punishment, then so be it.”
Fury’s version of punishment is refusing to restock your favorite ice cream flavor until you apologize, but the sadistic smile on the other Alpha's face keeps the rest of our mouths shut. He wouldn’t punish Skye. Firmly nestled beneath Atlas’s bicep, she snuggles into him, inhaling him. Wary eyes watch the other woman whilst Atlas nuzzles softly against her hair,mussing it further with his nose buried against the waves of dark reds. Skye, much to my surprise—and a flip from the wild thing we were brought moments ago—brushes her cheek against his chest, scent marking him. Hellcat to housecat. Shaking my head at the different person she is now, I lean across my cane and give her my most welcoming smile. Clay pulls me close and takes some of my weight, and I watch the Omega tilt her head as she finally takes in the cane and the jean leg hanging much looser than the other.
“The other Alpha, Lucas. He doesn’t want me, does he?”
“He’ll come around, babygirl,” Atlas flexes, and I swear her eyes nearly pop out of her skull.Does he realize he nearly popped her head off like a bottle rocket?“Luc’s been through some stuff, you’re a sweet thing, and he just needs to get to know you.”
Intrigued by the Omega, I see the dark shadow rolling behind her eyes before she tempers it to an easy smile. I’ll speak to Fury later on my own, but I have a feeling there is yet another facet to the woman in front of us that might be a little more troubling than how she’s acting now.
Herding her out to the car, Lucas is already gone. He brought his own in case he got called anyway, but ours fits the five of us easily, swinging myself into shotgun, and Fury in the driver's seat. That leaves our new addition smothered in the back between the two largest pack members. I can’t help but laugh at the sight of her pressed between them and the gentle care with which they tuck her dress and buckle her in, making sure she has plenty of space without either of them accidentally sitting on her.
“So… What do you like to eat, sugar?” I lean around to see her properly, “Allergies, dislikes, favorites? Anything that makes you heave at the thought?”
Fury snorts, flicking the blinker as we turn out onto the main vein from the city. It’s only a forty-minute drive out to Amberwood Ranch and its several thousand acres. I hope she likes it; it’s been my home since I was born, and it's been in my family for generations before that.
“Ignore him,” Our Cardinal jabs, keeping his eyes on the road, “Teddy’s pretty much the pack mom, and he’ll chew you out if you let him cook something you don’t like. Goddess forbid you try to do your own laundry, too.”
I scoff, “Only because you heathens don’t split colors. Clay dyed my favorite shirts.”
Muffled giggling fills the cab, even as Clay grumps half-heartedly under his breath. Skye has her hand over her mouth, even as the bright twinkle in her eye and bouncing shoulders give her amusement away.
“I’ll eat just about anything. I was on a pretty strict OmegaFresh diet in the facility, so I’m not really sure what I like anymore. Seafood, I guess? Meat of any kind.”
“A carnivore after my own heart,” Clay muses, his big hand clasping around her thigh. She tenses at first, then leans into the contact, her hand coming down on top of his as he continues, “Though seafood is reserved for when I’m working late… Not a fan.”
Time flies past us in a rush of the urban landscape shifting. Houses and streets give way slowly to fields and farms, then woodlands and hills. I love this part of the journey, watching the city melt into the wilderness, far enough that on a clear night you can see every twinkling star. Maybe once she has settled, we can take her out to the cliffside and stargaze.
Skye is chatting away to her two new biggest fans as we approach the ranch, her arms moving animatedly as she watches out the windows, asking about everything we pass. I remain quiet, but there’s something not quite right about the questions.Clay’s definitely picked up on it, his answers vague and eyes flicking to mine, but Atlas is still pouring his heart out, pointing to the entrance to the activity center and telling her about the edges of the property. He even answers when she asks about rivers and what wild game there is in the woodland.
She’s not interested in her new pack at all. She’s making maps and guides in her head.
She’s going to run.
Teddy
Gravel crunches beneath the tires as we park up on the drive in front of the three-story farmhouse. Lucas has already parked around the side, and I peer into the trees to see if I can spot his golden coat amongst the branches. Giant paw prints scatter the gravel near our car, and I see Skye’s eyes drop to them, widening as she takes in the size.
“Some big old kitties around here, huh?”
I hum in agreement, my mind elsewhere as I try to react normally and not like I’m ready to toss myself on her when she bolts. Clay returns my worry with a dip of his chin, though Atlas is still as naive as ever, standing with her, offering his suit jacket to warm her up. He’s been full on from the moment he smelled her, talking about all the things he’s going to do and show her, like a child with a new pet.
“Hey Teddy, you guys want to show our pretty Omega around her new home?” Fury sounds as pleased as punch, a grin splitting his face. I know him too well; there's a tight set to his jaw and shoulders. He has a plan, it seems. “Clay and Atlas go with and help move anything in her room if she doesn’t like it. I’ll get dinner started.”
Ah, good call. She would have to pass the kitchen to make it to either door. Either the back door through the sun room and out over the porch at the back, or through to the front door. Playing it safe.
Stepping across the drive, we group around her, shielding her from the chilly night breeze as I unlock the door. Luc has flicked on the underfloor heating before heading out, and the wood is warm, comfortable beneath my feet when I shuck my boots off, and our Omega damn near whimpers as she steps onto the heat.Fuck, how could we forget she had no shoes on?Flicking on the lights, I look down to see her feet in the giant flip-flops that Atlas keeps in the foot well for the hot days when he takes the kids swimming in the pond, and breathe out my relief.
“Wow…” Eyes darting around the room, her mouth drops, and pride swarms me from how she's looking at my home. Maybe I do have something to offer our Omega, even if it’s just the four walls around us.
