Page 65 of Omega's Triplets

They almost ran headlong into Jamie, Piper, and Reese, who had stopped to wait fifty yards in according to the plan. Jamie took one look at Harley and seemed to understand. “They saw you?”

“Climb,” Harley said shortly, and grabbed the nearest tree branch. “Hang on, Maddy.”

Maddy wrapped her arms and legs as tightly around him as she could. It was hard, with her stomach in the way. It felt like she wasn’t getting a very stable grip. But there was something reassuring about it too, about having their babies cradled between her and Harley like this. It felt a little safer, a little more secure.You’re okay, she thought to them, trying to convey the message ofcalmphysically, willing her pounding heart to slow.Mom and Dad have you. We’re not going to let anything happen.

But it was hard to calm herself down as they scaled the tree. Harley was an adept climber, and before long, they were at least twenty feet in the air. She pressed her face into his shoulder, afraid to look down. The last thing they needed right now was for her to start panicking and disrupt his careful balance.

In the next tree over, Maddy could see Piper crouched among the branches. The girl seemed comfortable with heights. Maybe it had been part of the training she’d received growing up. Maddy knew that the kids had been taught to hunt, fish, and survive extended periods in the woods. It made sense that they’d have learned to climb trees too.

She held a finger to her lips. Piper nodded and then turned away, to the tree on the other side of her. Maddy figured Jamie or Reese, maybe both of them, were in that tree, and Piper was passing along the message.

It felt like hours huddled in the high branches, waiting. Later, Maddy would think that it had probably only been a few minutes, but every second seemed like an eternity. How would they know when it was safe to get down? The Death Fang had definitely seen them, and he would have told his compatriots, by now, which direction they’d gone. How long would they have to stay up here?

Her thoughts were interrupted by a rustling sound from below them. Carefully, slowly, hands wrapped around a branch above her, she slid off Harley’s back and found her own footing. She had a feeling he might need to have his hands free.

Sure enough, a group of men came into view in the woods below them. The red-haired Death Fang was among them, and he was accompanied by two others. “You said they came this way,” one of them said with a growl.

Maddy shivered. If they were that angry with each other, how angry were they going to be with her?

“They did come this way,” the red-haired man said. “They must have gone deeper into the woods, that’s all.”

“Bullshit, Rocco,” said a scrawny one with a face like a rodent. “You know they could have split up and gone in a thousand different directions by now.”

“They’re not going to split up, Max,” Rocco the Redhead said. “They’ve got a pregnant omega with them. You think they’re just going to let her wander around the woods on her own? They’ll be protecting her like she’s their life savings.”

“But they split up from the other two—”

“Shut up, both of you,” said the first man who had spoken. He was bigger than all the others, and looking down at him now, Maddy realized she had seen him before too.

It was the alpha.

He stared them all down now, his face a study in disgust and anger. “Listen,” he said. “Listen and look. Quit running your goddamn mouths and just find them.”

The Death Fangs pressed on, disappearing into a copse of trees, their footsteps receding and, eventually, fading entirely.

Maddy felt Harley exhale silently. She turned to look at him and saw her own fear reflected on his face.They split up from the other two, the one called Max had said. He could only have been referring to Mark and Amy. Did that mean that the Death Fangs had found them? Had captured them? Or worse?

It was a terrifying thought.This is all because of me, Maddy thought, her heart sinking.I’m the one who put them in danger. The Death Fangs are hunting them because I ran away. If I’d just gone along with the auction like I was supposed to—

How could she have done that? She couldn’t have. She would have been a sex slave for the rest of her life.

But was her freedom worth putting these people in harm’s way? It couldn’t be, could it? She was just one person.

She felt a little nudge from within.No,she thought.I’m not just one person. Not now. Not anymore.

Harley was holding up a hand to Piper, indicating that they shouldn’t climb down out of the trees yet. Piper nodded and then turned to pass the message on. Maddy thought it was probably safe to at least whisper between them now, though. “Do you think Mark and Amy are okay?”

“I think so,” he said. “They’re strong, both of them. They’re good fighters. If two of us had to be off on our own, they’re not a bad pick.”

“I’m so sorry, Harley. I’m so sorry I put your family in this danger.”

“No.” He rested a hand on her arm. “Don’t ever say that, Maddy. Don’t even think it. You have nothing to be sorry for. Youareour family.”

“If I hadn’t run away—”

“You didn’t run to us. Remember? We brought you to us. We found you and brought you home. We made that choice a long time ago, and all of us stand by it. You’re worth it. Whatever comes, you’re worth it. So, don’t apologize to me for this.”

“What are we going to do?” She glanced down at her stomach. The babies must have been excited by the adrenaline coursing through her system, because they were doing flips. “We have to keep them safe, Harley. We can’t let the Death Fangs get their hands on them.”

---