Page 2 of Guarding the Runaway Omega

Hawk’s grip tightened. “You need help, Jasper. I won’t let anything bad happen to you, I promise.”

Before he’d had the chance to respond to Hawk’s odd declaration, a distant chorus of howls chilled his blood. Hawk leapt to his feet, dragging Jasper with him.

Holy shit. Hawk had to be at least a few inches over six feet.

“You’re in danger.”

Right as Jasper was about to say ‘No kidding’, he was hoisted over Hawk’s shoulders like a sack of potatoes. Hawk sprang to life, racing through the forest at incredible speed considering he hadn’t shifted. After several minutes, they reached what appeared to be a hiker shelter and Hawk set him gently on his feet as he undid the latch.

“Hurry. I have some wild sage stored in here. You can rub it all over you to mask your scent while I go back and destroy our trail.”

Jasper grabbed Hawk’s arm. “Hey. How did you know there was danger? Why are you helping me?”

The darkness prevented him from seeing Hawk’s expression, so he’d have to rely on his ability to perceive Hawk’s intent through his voice.

Hawk paused for a moment before responding. “I don’t understand why you’re running through the woods in the middle of the night in a rainstorm, or why you won’t shift, but you’re hurt and scared. What kind of horrible person would I be if I didn’t try to help you?”

Jasper wasn’t sure he’d ever trust anyone again—shifters especially—but Hawk’s words had been spoken with sincerity. And Hawk was right. He did need help.

“You’d be the kind of person who’s after me right now.” Jasper squeezed Hawk’s arm. “Thank you. But this danger is some serious shit. Be careful.”

Hawk patted the hand Jasper had laid on his arm. “I will, little wolf. I will.” The wind had picked up in fervor, so Hawk reset the latch before turning to Jasper again. “The sage is in a metal chest under the cot. All my herbs are in there, but the sage is in the largest jar. After you’ve done that, get under my blankets. My scent should add extra protection in addition to warming you up.” Hawk paused, and Jasper could kind of make out a few of his gestures in the almost pure blackness. “Help yourself to whatever you like. I have jerky if you’re hungry. No fresh kill, though. Sorry.”

“Uh, thanks.” Jasper put his hands out in front of him, feeling around to get a sense of the shack’s layout. He’d have to see it in the light to gauge how large it was, but he guessed it wouldn’t be much bigger than ten feet by ten, if that.

“What’s wrong? Can’t you see either?”

The same tendrils of panic that crept through him every time he was reminded how badly his senses had been compromised threatened to take over, but he sucked in a deep breath and tamped them down. One thing at a time. It didn’t make sense to worry about something he had no control over. Or that I even understand.

“Not that well. Look. If you’ll guide me to where everything is, I can figure it out while you go do what you gotta do. Then I can fill you in on what I know after you come back.” Jasper snorted. “Which isn’t a whole helluva lot.”

Jasper’s tension increased when Hawk didn’t respond right away. Maybe Hawk was in league with the assholes his father had given him to after all. Maybe he should’ve kept his big mouth shut. Jasper let out a small yelp as his arm was grasped by Hawk.

“Whoever hurt you will pay. I promise you that.”

“S-sure. Okay.”

Hawk sounded pissed. Jasper couldn’t imagine why a complete stranger would be so worked up over his troubles. But since he needed all the help he could get, he was prepared to run with it.

“There’s no more time to waste. No one can find you here—not even my packmates—until I understand what’s going on.”

Yeah. Good luck with that.

Hawk guided him by the arm and gently pushed on his shoulder until Jasper figured out he was next to the cot. The scrape of something on the floor, along with the sounds of glass clinking and the creak that sounded like a wooden lid or door opening could be heard as Hawk moved around the room.

Hawk patted his shoulder. “I didn’t realize how badly your senses have been affected by whatever happened to you.” He grabbed Jasper’s wrist and placed his hand on a round metal lid. “Here’s the sage. Everything else you’ll need is on the cot by your side.”

Another chorus of howls echoed through the night, the plaintive cries carried by the wind striking him as more sinister than before. He shivered—from the cold or the danger, he wasn’t sure.

“Don’t fear, little wolf. If anyone comes near you, they’ll die.”

Chapter Two

Hawk gritted his teeth before shifting, tamping down the urge to seek out whoever had the nerve to threaten his mate then destroy now, ask questions later. Using his acute senses, the ones that had given him the nickname Hawk, he scented the air as his paws kicked up the damp leaves while he ran. The now-torrential rain would do most of the job of covering their tracks for him, but he was gripped with the need to go beyond what was necessary in the name of shielding Jasper.

As Hawk stuck to the invisible path they’d taken when he’d brought his mate to the safety of his shack, he fought against the swirl of emotions surging through him. He wished he could let his wolf-mind take over so he wouldn’t have to ponder the sudden events that had been thrust upon him, but he was too twisted up inside.

This is insane.