Page 45 of Into the Fire: Before

Brea had arrived to the shop a few minutes past six, thankfully in another lull of the rain. Even if I’d been able to hide the stress in my face, she’d have noticed it in my scent, acidic and bitter. I hadn’t been able to shake the unease that had plagued me from the moment I recognized Heath. It was silly, but I neededmy alpha by my side to soothe my omega, who paced restlessly beneath my skin.

“Not really,” I said again. “Something like, ‘that figures,’ and then he bolted.”

Brea’s hand in mine was cold, her grip like iron. “So much for leaving the past in the past,” she said with a humorless chuckle.

Our apartment building came into view as dusk bowed out to evening, and I quickened my pace. I wanted to be inside. I wanted to curl up in bed under the covers with my alpha surrounding me on all sides. My inner omega paced faster, whining.

We were crossing the parking lot when the sound of squealing tires screamed in my ears, making me flinch. A fancy silver sports car with a foreign name I probably wouldn’t pronounce correctly sped through the lot before swerving to park longways over the sidewalk, blocking our path into the building.

Dread sank in my stomach like cement shoes.

Heath—more disheveled, hair mussed and eyes bloodshot—stumbled out of the driver’s seat. “Oh, look who’s here,” he slurred before slamming his door shut. “My ex-fiancee and the cunt she left me for.”

It had been just over an hour since running into him. How’d he getthis trashedso quickly?

Brea pulled me behind her, alpha energy building as she faced off with the drunk alpha ambling ever closer. She didn’t say anything, only shielded me from the irate alpha looming over us. Fear flooded my body, paralyzing me behind Brea.

“What, nothing to say? No smart retorts?” His volume rose, his scent giving me a headache as my body trembled. “Fucking piece—”

“Whoa, whoa.” Lin jogged over from the building side of the car, clearly having spotted trouble and come to investigate. “I need you to take a step back and breathe, man.”

Heath threw a scathing look over his shoulder before returning his attention to us. “Fuck off, asshole.”

Lin quickly worked his way around so that he stood with Brea, blocking me from Heath’s view. My omega should’ve felt some minute relief at the respite from Heath’s ire. Instead, I couldn’t quite fight back the whine that worked its way up my throat.

Without turning, Lin extended a hand in my direction, his eyes still glued to Heath’s imposing figure. “You’re okay, Omega. Just stay right there.”

A harsh scoff of a laugh came from Heath as he looked between Lin and me. “What, finally decided you’d rather dick after all?”

“Enough.” Lin’s voice was sharp now. “You need to leave.” He placed a flat palm in the middle of Heath’s chest and gave a soft push toward the car blocking the walkway.

“Get your fucking hands off me!” The air seemed to shimmer with the intensity of Heath’s rage. He seemed to grow bigger, even. Eyes bulging, lip curling, biceps flexing as he advanced. “That alpha-hopping whore deserves whatev—”

Lin’s fist collided with Heath’s hateful mouth. Chaos erupted. Heath and Lin unleashed hell on each other. Brea pulled me away from the brawl, making a break for the building.

But Heath was single-minded. He sidestepped another swing from Lin and lunged for us, his hand wrapping around my arm and pulling me roughly back toward him. “No one takes what is mine,” he snarled in my face. “No one.”

Brea stepped in, shouting and grabbing my wrist that he held and jerking it upward, where his thumb wrapped around my arm, to break me free of his grasp. He reached for us again, fingers tangling in my hair. He snapped his hand backward, and suddenly all the air left my lungs. And my head felt fuzzy and foggy all at once. The sounds around me muddled together. Heath still screaming vitriol. Brea and Lin fighting to get himunder control. The whir of sirens and more shouting coming from all around us.

Twenty

Taryn

“Followthelightwithyour eyes.”

Fuck, my body hurt. My head hurt. Somehow I managed to follow the medic’s instructions, tracking the sharp white penlight right, left, up, left, down, right.

“Any nausea?”

“No,” I answered.

“Did you lose consciousness?”

I gave a small shake of my head, wincing and holding the ice pack tighter to the back of my skull. “I don’t think so, not fully.” Brea’s hand tightened around my shoulder. “Just was kind of dazed for a few minutes, but I don’t think I was ever out.”

The cops had taken Heath away in handcuffs just a couple minutes after he knocked me to the ground. With his family’s money, he’d probably be released on bail before the night was out.

My stomach churned at the thought.

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