Page 15 of Dance Omega Dance

Unbidden, I gripped hold of his shirt, anchoring myself to him as he began picking a path through the earthquake-ravaged streets. Each rolling step jostled my leg, but I felt oddly insulated from the worst of the pain, cocooned in his unshakable strength.

I looked up at him, taking in his chiseled jawline, and had to force myself not to reach out and touch it. Instead, I focused on the fact that I was once again under the control of an alpha. “I could have walked, you know...”

He didn’t seem to be bothered by my protests; his grip tightened just enough to ensure I wouldn’t slip from his arms. “I know you can. But I don’t want you splitting those stitches open, or cutting your feet to ribbons.” His voice was low and calm, like he wasn’t giving me a choice.

I huffed in annoyance, but nodded reluctantly, letting him carry me the rest of the way. The pain was still sharp, but beingso close to him helped steady my fraying nerves, even if I hated how vulnerable it made me feel.

Since losing my parents, the solitude of my self-imposed isolation had become a refuge, making the thought of relying on another, especially an Alpha,unbearable. I'd sworn never again to be vulnerable, never to owe my safety or happiness to anyone else.

But as Blake carried me through a broken cityscape, my face tucked into the curve of his throat, and I warmed to his touch, needing his scent to wrap around me, carry me, protect me.

I closed my eyes against the hot sting of tears, hating my weakness even as I craved more of the strange sense of rightness stealing over me. For the first time since the world had shattered, I felt safe. Protected.

I could only pray that I hadn't just invited my destruction.

BLAKE SET ME DOWN ATthe edge of a makeshift triage area in what had once been a bustling city square. Now, it more closely resembled a war zone with overturned vehicles, smashed storefronts, and far too many broken bodies strewn among the debris. Sirens wailed in the distance, but here, only the moans of the wounded and the barked orders of first responders broke the eerie quiet that was left in the quake's wake.

No sooner had my feet touched the ground than Blake was moving, his focus absolute as he scanned the chaotic scene. I leaned against the twisted frame of a sidewalk bench, trying toignore the persistent throb of my injuries and stop myself from blacking out from the pain.

My mind couldn’t help but wander to the strange sensation that settled around me. At first, I thought it was just the chaos, the tension in the air, but then I realized it was Anders’ scent as he walked over.

“How are you doing?” he asked, perching on a broken piece of concrete beside me.

The tranquility of a cool, soothing current flowed through my bloodstream. It was the scent of calm, of peaceful rivers running through the heart of a forest.

I smiled as I looked into his deep brown eyes. “Better now I’m not moving.”

He smirked, looking down at my freshly bandaged leg. “Understandable.” I nodded, then he stood up. “Well, just shout if you need anything Summer.”

Watching him walk toward his pack brother Zach, I felt... anchored. Even though I was still in the middle of the devastation, my heart slowed to a more blissful rhythm. Something about their presence made the chaos feel less like a threat and more like something I could handle.

There were people everywhere, many of them injured, some of them trapped under debris.

"Anders! Zach!" Blake's deep voice cut through my thoughts with cool authority. The two other alphas materialized out of the swirling dust and smoke.

Anders reached him, his sandy blond hair streaked with soot, his face a mask of focused concern. "How bad?" he asked tersely, sweeping a clinical gaze over the devastation.

"Bad enough," Blake replied grimly. "We need to move fast. Anders, start triaging; green tags for minor injuries, yellow for delayed treatment, red for immediate attention. I'll take the critical ones."

Anders gave a quick nod, removing his ruined jacket and rolling up his sleeves. Zach skidded up a moment later, a coil of manic energy in stark contrast to the other two alphas' calm. His grey eyes glittered with urgency beneath a mop of tousled black hair.

"Zach, I need you on search and extraction," Blake ordered. "Check the collapsed structures. Grab anyone with field medic experience to help."

"On it." Zach flashed a wild, reckless grin before sprinting towards the nearest pile of rubble, already shouting for volunteers.

I watched in mute fascination as the three alphas sprang into action like a well-oiled machine, no trace of hesitation or uncertainty in their movements.

Blake moved from victim to victim with urgent efficiency. His strong hands were gentle as he checked pulses, applied pressure to bleeding wounds, and barked orders for supplies.

Zach darted in and out of the rubble like a ghost, returning each time with new patients slung over his shoulders or cradled in his arms. His crazy amused demeanor had vanished, replaced by an intensity that bordered on feral as he delivered the injured to Anders before diving back into the fray.

Anders continued assessing each new arrival and dispatching them to the appropriate area with color-coded tags. His face remained a mask of concentration even as the organized chaos swelled around him.

“Summer,” Blake shouted, waving me over.

I grunted as I stood up, hobbling over to him and sitting... well, almost falling next to him. He caught me and helped me lower onto the broken bench.

“I could do with a hand,” he looked down at my leg and grimaced. “If you’re up for it?”

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