She lets out a shaky breath. “I don’t know. A day, maybe?”
I curse. I don’t know anything about omegas, but if it’s anything like what they did to Lily… “How are you still functional?”
She laughs, but it’s raspy. “I think it’s the magic, or whatever they did to me. I can’t feel my wolf. But… it’s also keeping the heat from coming in full force. W-what are we going to do?” she stammers, looking up and meeting my eyes.
I don’t have time to look away, and her bright, arctic-blue eyes capture mine. Holding me hostage. Crystal clear and… kind. Scared. Trusting.
What arewegoing to do, she asked…
I step away from her, then look around.
Behind the staircase at the back of the basement, there’s a door. I don’t open it, not yet, just in case they can hear us, or it sets off some kind of alarm or trap. Deidre made it seem like the wards were up, but I can’t feel them.
The way that witch, Ben, got us out of the compound so quickly and efficiently, these wards should feel like concrete. Makes no sense.
I press my ear to the door. Closing my eyes, I relish the feeling of having my full power again. My wolf is strong. We listen beyond the door, beyond the neighborhood. There are woods behind us. Another neighborhood. I can’t sense past that, but judging by the route we took to this house, the highway was twenty minutes from here, I’d say we’re close to dense forest. A few miles, minimum.
Walking the perimeter, feeling the cement wall, testing for witch traps, I stiffen when Mona works herself up to standing, then tries to follow. Her nearness makes me twitch.
“You should be resting.”
“What are you doing?” she asks, putting a hand up to the wall, mimicking me.
“Listening. Now be quiet.” Guilt stabs me. My alpha, already drowning in shame, nudges me. He wants me to be nice. He can smell her heat, her honey. He wants her. Desperately.
But I shove the thoughts down deep along with all the dark things inside me I don’t like to look at.
“Silas, we need a plan.”
“What the fuck do you think I’m doing?”
She makes a whimpering sound, and this time, the stabbing guilt rakes the knife deeper. I almost apologize, but what comes out is worse. “Look, I’m going to get you out of this, okay? We’ll get you to Grayson, and he can take care of you. Alright?”
She reads between the lines, hears my rejection. It makes her omega whine. The sound she makes is cutting, and my alpha, worrying for his mate, forces me to look. She stopped following me a few paces ago.
She looks down at the ground, shoulders hunching in. “I don’t think there’s time. It’s… coming. Soon.” Then, as if she’s stepping out onto a limb, she leans toward me, reaching. Eyes full of wanting, pretty pink lips pressed together nervously. “You might have to help me, Silas. I’m really sorry, I can tell you don’t want to. But… I don’t know how I’m going to hold her back.” Her omega, she means. Then she adds, “I trust you.”
Stab. Guilt. Shame. “I tried to kill you. Don’t you remember, pet?” I stalk closer. My alpha is panting. My wolf rumbles in my skin, ready to claim what is ours. “I sank my teeth into your flesh. I left you bleeding out, all alone. I licked your blood fromyour neck. Ienjoyedit,” I hiss, leaning in close so I can breathe her in deep.
She sucks in a sharp breath. “You di-didn’t,” she stutters.
“Yes. I did. And I’d do it again. You really want me there for your heat? You want me to fuck you, little omega? The man who almost killed you?”
“I forgive you. For what you did. I know you were just trying to help me, to save me.”
I laugh. “Forgive me?”
“I knew before I saw you that I forgave you.”
Ignoring the sting of her words, I continue my search. “I’ll get you out of here. And we’ll get you to Grayson, he’ll get you through your heat.” Then I pause and really look at her. “You’re not bonded. Why are you not bonded? Is he not your mate?”
She replies, “He is. Orion too. We were going to bond when they got back. Whatever that means.” She waves her hand, then she gasps, slapping her palm against the wall. “Were you there at the compound? Are they okay? Did they make out all right? Are they hurt?” she asks frantically.
“They’re fine. Better than us.”
Her shoulders sag in relief. And now that I’ve given her some good news, I see it in her eyes again—absolution. She fuckingsmilesat me. I hate it. But she then cries out, hands coming to her stomach, and she bends at the waist.
“Are you okay?” I rush and pull her close, forgetting all about the distance I tried to put between us. She cries out again with a serrated wail. The room feels like a sauna already, but I’m still shocked when I touch her for the first time and her skin nearly burns me.
