A low growl threatens to escape me, and I clear my throat to cover it.
This Beta touches her like she belongs to him. Familiar. Too familiar and my inner Alpha wants to sever his jugular for touching our Omega.
Through our newly reforged bond, I feel the same aggression rippling from my squad.
Jason, the Beta with a death wish, mutters, “Can't believe that asshat sent you out there.”
I've been thinking the same thing. Who the fuck deployed our Omega into a war zone?
“The others came back without you and I thought the worst had happened," the Beta gushes, scanning her face for injuries. “Your leg! You’re bleeding—”
"Jason, I’m fine. See?" she lifts the torn fabric, showing off my handiwork. "All bandaged up."
I spent longer than necessary cleaning the closed wound, inspecting the edges for any sign of puckering or poorly meshed skin. I wrapped the white bandage with utmost care.
My Alpha hums. She’s wearing something of mine. Even if it is a simple bandage.
"The Prime Alpha needs Everlyn." Halley points to the slumped body propped up against my side. Knox is standing, his gun at the ready, but he’s breathing heavily from the strain. He’s absolutely coated in blood, and he looks like a mess. Heisa mess.
Everlyn. Recognition suddenly clicks into place.
Everlyn and Jason.
They're the friends Halley radioed when we couldn't get in contact with General Stone or Barkrood Base. These are some of the people she left us for. The ones she called her family and chose over us.
‘This guy?’Shade mutters in the link. Exactly what I’m thinking.
I scan Jason head to toe, looking for something impressive or special which would warrant Halley abandoning our squad. There's nothing. He's a basic, normal as fuck Beta.
"Damn Sparks, what did you do to him?" Jason cocks his head, eyes narrowed as he inspects Knox’s ravaged form.
"Me?" she squeaks, lower lip quivering.
"Hey, hey, I'm kidding. You know I'm kidding. Come here." He pulls her in for another hug, and she winces as her weight shifts to her injured leg. It’s healed, but clearly still hurting.
This time my growl does escape, and it's loud enough to vibrate the ground under our boots.
Halley stiffens, and Jason turns to us, brows raised.
He slowly releases her and takes a step back. He looks at Halley and then again at us, his expression softening as realization settles over him.
“Are they…?” he jerks his head in our direction.
“Yup.”
“And are you doing okay with—”
“Nope.”
“Do you want me to get rid of them?”
I widen my stance, cross my arms, and stare them down with a glare so fierce it could melt steel.
We’re not going anywhere.
Halley sways unsteadily on her feet, her face pale and pulled in pain.
“Stop fucking around and get her a doctor,” Knox snaps from beside me, frustration rolling off him, even as he fights against the prevailing winds of exhaustion.
