Logan smirks and shakes his head. “I wouldn’t have thought any different. Let’s get going.” He slaps me on the back as we head out. Everyone is about ready. Logan drove up in a Federal SUV so we’ll have the lights to help get us there a bit quicker if needed. Harrison’s team is following in their car and my pack is in two others. They’re all on the porch waiting. Liam has a large duffel filled with medical supplies. I’m glad he’ll be there but I hope she won’t need his help.
We’re parked a ways from the house and will go on foot from here. Ren is staying back to manage things while I, Logan, the other agent, Taz, and Harrison approach the house. My pack will be with Ren. They’ll drive up once we give the all clear.
River scouted the property with the drone and didn’t see any kind of surveillance set up, which was surprising. Is this guy really that cocky? When we discussed the entry point, we opted for a quiet one, so it’s less chance he can use her as a shield if we surprise him. The snow is deeper here, making our approachslow going. Thea’s nerves and disgust are strong in the bond. I can’t dwell on it too much. I’ll have her safe soon.
The house is small. It can’t have more than one bedroom, I assume. That will make it quicker to clear. We discussed the plan before we left. Taz, Logan, and I will come in the front door, while Harrison and Logan’s partner will come through the back simultaneously. Over our communications we signal a count of three. One. Two. Three.
We’re in the house. It’s a living room and kitchen and two doors leading elsewhere. Harrison is closest to a door off the kitchen. He opens it and nods, signaling it’s clear. It looks like a closet or some kind of storage. One room left. My heart is racing.
A scream pierces the air followed shortly by another one. The blood drains from my face as I look to Logan.No.Taz is moving before anyone else, barreling into the room with his gun aimed. The rest of us file in. That rage is fighting to surface. I can’t let it. Thea is in the line of fire. Mark Henderson has her in front of him, his hand gripping her throat. He’s crouching down, trying to use her body to block his. I notice a knife sticking out of his side, just under his ribs. Pride swells for my omega. She got him in the end.
I haven’t been listening to whatever Logan’s saying to diffuse the situation. It’s probably for the best. My focus is entirely on Thea. She’s listless in his hold. It looks like blood is in her hair. Damn it, we need Liam here. Just then Mark makes his fatal mistake—he moves just enough away from Thea when he tries to talk back to Logan. Taz takes the shot and hits his target. I’m rushing to Thea before she hits the ground with him. She’s definitely unconscious.
“Get Liam here now!” I’m yelling to whoever will listen. The bond is so quiet like when she’s sleeping. The blood from her head shatters that illusion. Taz is immediately at my side, tryingto take her. Instinctively I hold her closer. No one will ever take her again.
“Easy mate. Let me carry her out to the car. She needs a hospital,” he says lowly. I hate that I don’t have the strength to carry her. Taz and Keelan are probably the only ones. Most of the people in our pack don’t focus on strength exercise.
Nodding my agreement, he lifts her out of my arms as gently as possible and I follow close behind. When we exit the house Micah is right there, reaching for her. Taz ignores him and tries to sidestep but Micah blocks him.
“Give me my omega now,” Micah growls, a fierceness to his eyes I don’t think I’ve ever seen from him. When his eyes move to Thea, they soften.
“Taz just do it. He’ll bring her to the car,” I say, wanting us to already be on our way to the hospital.
Taz lets out a growl of frustration as he gives Thea to Micah. Micah is able to carry her easily, surprising me. Liam is running to meet up with us and talking a mile a minute asking questions.“How long has she been unconscious?”
“Less than five minutes.” I open the door to the back seat of the SUV. Liam doesn’t respond, he just moves faster. Micah lays Thea down on the seats and then gets in, placing her head and shoulders on his lap like a pillow.
“Micah, if you’re going to be here, be fucking useful. Hold this,” Liam barks out, shoving an IV bag into his face. “She hit her head and being unconscious isn’t good. Someone drive us to the hospital fast!”
The rest of our pack is huddled around the two open back seat doors. Eli is the first to move and takes the driver’s seat. Keelan is quick to hop in the passenger side. I don’t care if there aren’t more seats. I get in the back, Parker and Ben following my lead.
I belatedly look to Taz but he beats me to it. “Go, we got it here.”
We’re hours away from the closest hospital.Please let her be okay.Liam is busy helping and barking out orders throughout the long drive there. Once we’re closer to the hospital, he grabs his phone and calls someone. “Hey, yeah it’s Liam. I have an emergency. My omega was attacked. Head injury. Has been unconscious since it happened over an hour ago. I need you to clear a CT and get triage ready…yeah, we should be thirty minutes out.” We don’t hear the other end before he hangs up.
“How serious is this?” Ben asks what we’re all probably thinking. Liam looks back at us with tears in his eyes. Nothing more needs to be said.
41
MICAH
Her hand is so cold in mine. I’ve been at her bedside nearly the entire two days she’s been unconscious. Liam has explained what’s happening at length but at some point I tuned it out. It’s not typical for me but all the talk of waiting and seeing, she needs time, blah blah. It’s driving me crazy because there’s nothing I can do. I’ve never felt so helpless in my life. I just want to see her eyes open. Never mind wanting a second chance with her, as long as she’s okay, nothing else matters.
Parker and Ben are sleeping elsewhere in the room. It’s pretty late. I look down at my watch to see it’s nearly three a.m. The rest of the pack went to the hotel a few hours ago. We’ve been here in shifts. After the first night, they said our entire pack can’t be here overnight. I think Liam called in a favor the night she was admitted so we could all stay. This is the same hospital he did his residency in.
She looks so lifeless, not at all how she normally does when she’s sleeping. My thumb brushes over the back of her hand. Still cold. Just take all the warmth from me. I don’t need it. I almost laugh at the thought. I doubt anyone would have said I had any warmth to give. If I do, it’s Thea’s anyways.
I glance over at Parker sleeping on the small couch by the window and Ben in the chair. They have warmth, probably the most out of all of us in the pack, for different reasons—Parker with his high energy that could cheer anyone up, and Ben is probably the most caring person I’ve ever met besides my two alpha dads. I’ve learned a lot from my pack, all of them. Yet, I still let my old demons stand in my way. Honestly since what happened with Amber, I’ve felt lost. Our pack, the family I love, almost fell apart and I was partly to blame. Somehow in trying to right that wrong, I lost sight of the core of us. I’m lucky my pack knows me so well, enough to give me some grace when I was a moody bastard.
Even Thea did and she hasn’t known me as long as them. Maybe it’s the scent match. I haven’t let myself dwell on what her scent makes me feel. It feels too comforting, like it’s magically unlocking all my defenses. In the beginning I had to work twice as hard to block it out. When she was gone, her lingering scent in the house felt like torture. I was scared it’d fade entirely and it’d be as if she was a dream I’d wake up from when it did.
I wonder if they can feel anything from her in the bond. I hope she’s not in pain. I lay my head on the bed next to where I have her hand in mine, turning so I face where her head is resting against the pillow. If she opened her eyes now, she’d be looking down at me. Huh, that’d be fitting. Please Thea, wake up. You have so much left to do. You have bonded mates waiting. They love you so much.
I love you.
I turn my face into the bed more, blocking out the low light. I need to tell her. I don’t deserve her but I can’t leave it unsaid, especially after we almost lost her. Gods, I’m so selfish. I shouldn’t even be thinking about this when she’s here in the hospital. Returning to my original position, I look up at Thea and shock runs through me—her eyes are open. She’s lookingdown at me and there’s so much emotion in her gaze, I can’t even begin to decipher.
It takes a second for the shock to kick in and I’m bolting upright. “Thea,” I say her name like it’s a prayer. Her hand tightens in my hold. She’s so strong, my Wildcat.
