“Y-yes, Alpha,” a tearful voice murmured. Turning, he pressed his face against my pecs, the tears wet against my skin. He shuddered, silencing a sob against my chest.
“What’s wrong, Tosca?” I asked gently. “I’m here. I’m going to get you out of here.”
“Owen,” the word caught in the hair on my chest, his warm breath drifting across my skin. He turned his head, resting his cheek over my pounding heart. “It was supposed to be me. Owen took my place on the truck.” Then he dissolved into sobs.
Before I could speak, sirens blaring, several vehicles raced into sight along the dirt track, pursued by dusty clouds as they careened towards the property. The gate was still open and they headed straight in without slowing.
“Quick!” I dragged Tosca back through the remaining omegas who were standing around in dazed confusion. Minutes before they’d been idly speculating from the safety of their house, and now with the shock of losing half their companions, the chaos of the truck’s rushed departure, and the unexpected invasion of the compound by several police vehicles, blue and red strobes flashing, sirens screeching – it was almost too much to comprehend.
I cast a glance across to the other side of the field. A crumbled heap lay in the grass and Talius was disappearing around the back of the shed where his mates were hiding.
“We have to get out of here!” I said to the flushed face turned up towards me, eyelashes still glistening with tears. “Let’s go!”
It would look extremely suspicious if I was caught here – wearing no clothes - by the police who were almost certainly humans. And the presence of an alpha at a site where omegatrafficking was taking place – well, it was likely going to be a shoot first, ask questions later scenario.
Behind the food hall, Tosca followed my lead and we shifted and faded into the forest. I took a last look back before the leaves closed in around us. Another vehicle – a familiar ute – had pulled up beside the law enforcement vehicles, and several men jumped out. I recognized Johnson and several other betas from the pack. Talius’ backup crew were here to deal with the police. Hopefully they’d take care of the omegas too.
Time to go.
Chapter 28
TOSCA
I followed my alpha into the forest, still hardly believing he was mine. How had I landed such a fine man, with my limited exposure to the world, and living amongst such horrors? It was scarcely comprehensible.
As it was, my brain ping-ponged back and forth between thoughts of my incredible good fortune with Agelius and distress over the loss of Owen.Owen. Of course he’d thrown himself on the truck when he’d seen them trying to put me on there. Ever the protector and knowing I’d been about to (hopefully) start a new life with Agelius, he’d sacrificed himself.
I whimpered.
Agelius swung his head back towards me, the majestic black coat rippling grey and silver in the dappled sunlight. I shook my head. There was no way to explain such complex thoughts while we were in wolf form, so I just trotted on.
Agelius led the way, slipping silently through the bush. There was so much commotion going on back at the camp that it was unlikely anyone would notice or hear us, but I guess it madesense to be careful. We were so close to freedom, it would have been awful to be stopped now.
I followed along automatically, step after step, barely watching where I was going, my mind was so full of thoughts. Had the kidnapped omega been saved? I didn’t know, but I had to assume so, or Agelius wouldn’t have been willing to leave.
Where werewegoing? I knew we must be going to his actual pack, but I had no idea where it was. Would they accept me there? Would Agelius want me to stay? I’d thought he was claiming me as a mate, but what if he wasn’t? What if he only meant to get me safely away from Zarbius’ pack? Might I end up homeless?
A shiver ran through me. At least I wasn’t being trafficked, unlike Owen. What would happen to him? Would he be alright? Would we ever see each other again?
The growl seemed to come out of nowhere, intruding on my thoughts and breaking me out of my spiral. I nearly rammed into Agelius’ hindquarters as he came to a dead halt, hackles raised, bristling with aggressive energy.
Craning my neck around his shoulder, I recognized the pale grey wolf lurking in the shadow of the mountain gum. It was one of the betas from my old pack. What was he doing here? I knew the moment he realized I was an omega – his nostrils flared and the pungent scent of male arousal flooded the air. Aggressive sexual energy rolled off him.
A warning rumble rolled through Agelius, his gaze fixed on the wolf barring our way. The other wolf prowled forward several steps. The hair along his back stood on end and his canines were exposed. His tail was stiff. A frisson of fear rippled through me – it seemed a fight was inevitable.
I knew I should move. Agelius would be distracted with me here, trying to fight the other wolf and keep me safe at the same time. And while I remained, I gave the beta more incentive to fight. I made myself as small as possible, and shielded by Agelius’ muscular form, slowly backed away until I melted into the bush.
I heard Agelius’ warning growl, a snarl and the thud of bodies coming together. Scrabbling and thumping filled my ears as I turned and fled to the only place in these mountains that I felt safe and where I knew Agelius would find me.
******
I shivered.
The last time I’d been here, I’d been in my human form, and I’d had a hot, sexy stranger wrapped around me. I’d been burning up with my heat and half out of my mind with pain (at first), then lust and filthy fucking desire. I’d had this perfect stranger’s cock buried deep inside me with his knot pressing hard into my channel. I’d gone from the depths of misery to riding the highest highs of my existence, or, since my life experience wasn’t much, of my imagination (of which I had a lot).
Now, the air was cold, heavy with emptiness and the remnants of my fading memories. Although I’d had some amazing experiences in this place – and I couldn’t help the self-conscious warmth that flushed my body when I thought about what we’d done here – now there was a permeating loneliness about it. The dark seemed darker, the cold seemed colder. The cave was empty and secluded, quiet and solitary, and although those had all been the attributes I’d sought when first selecting this place, now it all felt wrong.
Uncertainty crept along my spine, cold fingers of fear tripping from one vertebra to the next, reminding me that my alphawas far away, fighting a battle he wasn’t sure to win.He would though, wouldn’t he? He was an alpha, and he was fighting to keep what was his, so it would be alright, wouldn’t it?I had to trust that it would. The thought of enduring the long, lonely years of life without my mate was chilling.
