Page 96 of The Omega's Bloodline: Part One

We finished the loop shortly and paused next to the car that held Yelena, Caden, and now three additional evacuees in the back seat. I guessed Yelena was trusting me to evacuate Logan if needed.

Nothing. She asked to be taken into the forest.

“You have permission,” said Yelena. “Be safe.”

Always.

They opened the gates for us and I slipped through the wards. The magic washed over me and Logan tensed, holding on to my fur even tighter. I wasn’t going to take her far. I chose a towering fir tree and got Logan within touching distance.

Does this work?

“Should be fine, yeah.” She moved to climb off me but I stepped nearer the tree and stopped her.

I can’t run away with you if you’re on the ground. Do your magic from my back.

She let out an annoyed huff. “I don’t even know if I can do it up in the air. I’ve only known I was a witch for a few days.”

I’d have to inquire more about that later. For now, I opted for a compromise, crouching down so her toes could reach the ground, but I could still spring forward at a moment’s notice. She braced a palm against the tree and a ripple of heat rolled from her, into me, and into the earth below. I shivered and dug my claws into the soil.

Fear spiked through her scent and her body tensed above me. “We need to get inside the wards right now.”

I lifted my head and released a howl to let everyone know something was coming.

I launched off the ground.

Hold on tight.

The moment she leaned forward and grabbed on, I took a run and leapt straight over the fence. I’d been inside the nest for so long that the wards didn’t care where I entered or left from, and with Logan on my back, it didn’t block her entrance either.

I hit the ground running and as I skidded to a stop next to the vehicle where Yelena waited, a wave of unease hit me. I turned to the front gates and Logan let out a sound of distress.

“Haru, can you see it?”

I strained my eyes, searching for whatever was there. Flickers of light, like a heat wave, rolled around in front of the gate but I couldn’t see anything substantial.

No. What’s there? What’s it doing?

A shriek filled the air and all my fur stood on end. What the fuckwasthat thing? Panic rippled through everyone waiting. I hated that I couldn’t see it.

Haru.

I turned to Yelena.Yes?

What the hell is that thing?

Can you see it?

Yelena nodded.

I danced in place, jostling Logan, tilting my head to look at her.Yelena sees it.

“What does it look like to you?” Logan asked Yelena, leaning down to see her face through the window.

“Like smoke from a tire fire fucked a well of crude oil and had a baby blessed by Helios.”

“Yep, accurate.” Logan stroked my fur and while I didn’t need to be comforted, it was nice all the same. “It’s trying to get inside, but so far the wards are holding.”

I suspected she spoke aloud for Caden’s and my benefit. I supposed that meant she hadn’t figured out how to use telepathy yet.

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