Page 17 of Dodging Bullets

The silence stretched between us, and August steepled his fingers. “I’m going to be straight with you, Llew. I’m kind of a test dummy to see how you react to Omegas, but you seem in control.”

I snorted out a mirthless sound. “You got me on a good day, Omega. But I swear, no matter how… out of touch I get, the urge to protect is still overwhelming. I would never hurt you, or anyone who wasn’t a direct threat to my Pack.”

If someone threatened Max or Rio, I would put them in the ground and enjoy it. I didn’t say that to the Omega in front of me, though.

“Might be a good time to introduce you to the Omega who will be living in your house then?” August asked lightly, and I had no doubt that it was entirely up to me. My Alpha surged to the surface, desperate to see with his own eyes that the Omega with the bruised scent was really okay. However, getting crazy Alpha eyes wasn’t going to convince anyone I was safe.

I looked at Max, then at the door where I knew Rio was standing. My Rio. “I feel good,” I told him. Them. “It’ll be fine.”

Rio spent a few more seconds probing at my Alpha with his own, and I missed the bond. Missed the time when he would’ve known in an instant how I was feeling, and I’d have known howhe was too. It was in the past, but I couldn’t help but mourn the connection.

Finally, Rio turned and looked over his shoulder. Saying something softly, he stepped to the side, and the most beautiful creature I’d ever seen appeared in the doorway. She felt too big to be in such a tiny body, her features small and cute and elfin, and every protective instinct I had surged to the surface.

Looking at me with big eyes, she lifted her face to the air, like she was scenting me. She sucked in a deep breath, her nose screwed up, and her eyes went wild. I watched the pupils blow out, and honestly, I couldn’t have stopped what happened next even if I knew it was coming.

No one could have.

The Omega raced around Rio, hurdling the low couch and slamming into my body with the force of a train. Well, maybe the force of a toy train.

“Mine!” she hissed, and then she struck. Her teeth were in my throat, bonding me. Claiming me. The intention flowed down the connection that was created between us immediately, and I was frozen in fear.

“Fuck!” someone swore, but when hands tried to pry her off me, I growled. The Alpha surged to the surface, any chance of holding him back gone the minute her teeth broke the skin of my throat. I gripped the back of her skull, the stubble of her hair both rough and soft against my palm. Beautiful perfection.

My chainsaw purr echoed around the room, and she finally dislodged her teeth from my neck. She lapped at it, and I could almost feel the moment her Omega ceded control back to the more human side.

She wiggled, and I knew I should let her go, but my arms were locked. I wanted to bite her back. It took everything in me to not, and perhaps it was Rio’s hands on my head that prevented me from lunging.

Max’s eyes were wild. “Uh…” He looked between me and Rio, like he was waiting for one of his Alphas to take control of this shitshow. But I could only feel this soft little Omega in my arms, her body bowing toward me.

I realized she was crying.Fuck.Was I hurting her?

I let her go, but she wrapped her arms around my neck, her nose buried in my throat just above her mark. I looked over at Rio, at the new Omega, August. What was happening?

August came over. “Paloma? Sweet girl, are you okay? You have to let go of Llew.”

She shook her head against my throat. “So much pain.”

Was she hurt?Oh shit.Had I squeezed too hard? Was my blood toxic?

“Are you injured?” August asked softly.

She lifted her face, and I could feel the tears dropping from her cheeks onto my skin. “Not me. Him. Llew. So much pain.” Then she sobbed into my neck, like her heart was breaking. Breaking for me.

Her tears healed me and then broke me again, right along with her. Rio got into my face, and I growled softly. I didn’t like the way he was looking at me right now. He sucked in a deep, calming breath. “You have to shut off the bond.” He sounded as panicked as I felt at the sound of her tears.

It was Max who pushed between us. “He can’t. Unless he bonds her back, the bond is pouring one way, and there’s no shut-off valve.”

Rio stumbled back. “Fuck.”

Yeah.Either I bonded the Omega back—the obviously traumatized, helpless Omega—and be the biggest piece of shit ever, or I kept the bond open for her to absorb all my demons.

“Fuck,” I echoed.

Ten

Paloma

Ididn’t need to be an expert at reading people to know that I’d fucked up. I couldn’t have helped it if I’d tried. That Omega, that little beast who lived inside me, saw that big Alpha, sensed his pain, and it was like I no longer had control of my limbs or my thoughts. She wanted, and she took.

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