Then, Warren is there, stepping into my view like he’s materialized from the mist. He’s a solid wall of lean muscle,blocking out the shadow completely. But the darkness is clever. It shifts, sliding around Warren’s edge, and then Grason appears, his broad shoulders filling the gap, cutting off its path.
The shadow darts to the side, a quick, desperate movement, and Beck steps forward, his presence calm and resolute, completing the wall around me.
Cass’s arms tighten, a low, protective rumble vibrating in his chest. "Shh," he whispers, his voice a warm breeze in my ear. "You're safe. He can't get you."
Beck leans in, his face so close, his eyes soft and earnest in the dreamy light. "You don't have to be scared of him anymore, Tansy."
"You don't understand," I whimper, and the sound is small, thin, and I realize with a jolt that it's the voice of a child. I’m a little girl, wrapped up in Cass's arms. "He can get me any time he wants." I turn my head, trying to hide in the comfort of Cass’s broad chest.
“No, sweet girl.” Beck shakes his head slowly, a sad, knowing smile on his lips. In this dream-like state, his voice is the softest thing I've ever heard. "Your packmates have already killed him."
He steps to one side, giving me a clear view.
Warren and Grason turn, their eyes glowing with a feral, golden light. Then they lunge at the shadow, their hands turning into claws.
They rip into the darkness like it's tissue paper. Blood sprays everywhere, hot and crimson, painting the foggy air in violent, beautiful streaks.
Cass lets out a deep, protective growl that vibrates through my entire body. He touches my chin, his fingers firm but gentle, forcing me to look away from the carnage and up at him. His eyes are burning with a primalfire.
"No one," he whispers, his voice a low, comforting promise that makes my soul ache, "gets to touch our mate."
His words sink into me, warm and heavy, wrapping around my fear until it finally loosens its grip.
Then he purrs.
It vibrates, curling around me and settling deep into my belly.
The vibration grows stronger, a low, persistent hum that becomes impossible to ignore.
But it's not a purr.
It's a growl…
My stomach is growling, and the insistent rumble pulls me up and out of the dream, dragging me back into consciousness.
For a second, I don’t know where I am. The light is different. Soft, muted, filtering through the familiar yellow curtains.
I think I’m still in the guest room.
I turn my head and confirm it. Same pale blue walls. Same hulking dresser. The small pillow Cass has been using to prop up his knee is still tucked near the edge of the bed, but the alpha is nowhere to be seen.
Reaching out, I feel the cool sheets where he should be lying.
Where is he?
My stomach growls again, impatiently cutting off the thought.
I kick off the blanket, then push myself up to sit. The movement pulls a low ache through my abs, deep and heavy. The sensation spreads through my body as I lean forward, making me frown.
Every muscle in me is sore in a way that’s both deeplysatisfying and utterly foreign. It’s the kind that omegas are warned happens after their first heat with an alpha.
I stand and the achy feeling is instantly replaced with a sharp pain that flares from deep inside. Looking down at myself, I gasp at the sight of my sex. My inner labia is so swollen and sensitive, it sticks out from between my lower lips.
“What the hell?” I lean down, looking at my raw clit. “What did he do to me?”
That’s when I see it.
A small spot of blood on the otherwise pristine white sheets, right where I was lying. My second hymen. It broke when Cass knotted me. It’s a sign of a true mating, a final, irreversible surrender.
