Page 20 of His Bonded Omega Mate
The entire mansion smelled of magic. The tang of it was heavy on my tongue, the scent muted with the familiar presence of my wolf gone.
I closed on him as we reached the grass at the edge of the house. Praying I wouldn’t hurt Elliotte, I charged into him, wrestling her out of his arms.
We tumbled, Elliotte tucked against my chest, and landed in a heap of limbs. I cried out, the sound still muffled. The spell’s effect on me and not on the area.
The assailant grabbed for me, claws extended, and I twisted, putting my shoulder up to defend the baby in my arms as I rose to my knees.
Pain. Sharp with a burning fire like nothing I’d ever felt before rushed through me. I screamed, the sound still distorted and echoing back at me. I heard my own agony in the sound.
My brain struggled to catch up with what was happening. All I could understand was that they had hurt me, my mind shutting down to shield me from it, keeping me in the moment. My task was too important to lose focus. I had to protect her.
I was bleeding. Blood gushing from a wound over my shoulder. My thoughts were constantly replaying. Push it away, think of it later. Pay attention. Elliotte. Guard the child.
It tried to steal my breath, to pull me under into the cold and dark, but I couldn’t let it. Couldn’t let him have Elliotte.
She was unnaturally quiet in my arms, and I wondered distantly if they had placed her under a spell to keep her asleep until her attackers had fled with her.
My thoughts whirred in the back of my mind while I fought the dizziness to stay awake.
Why? For what purpose?
He came at me again, slashing with razor-sharp claws, face twisted and looking feral.
I launched up to my feet, taking him off guard, my head clipping his chin, making the world turn black for a second, but preventing another slash of those wicked claws.
The unknown shifter recovered quickly, coming in for another attack.
Twisting, I darted towards the house. There had to be someone awake somewhere. If they couldn’t hear me, I’d make sure they could see me.
Kade came racing out of the house screaming, “Elliotte! Roan!” His voice rang out loud and clear. The houses nearby roused. Lights switching on.
The attacker caught me in my distraction, taking us to the ground. I wrapped my body around Elliotte as best I could.
Claws pierced my shoulder, pulling down to my back, wresting another wail from me. My stomach tried to empty itself as the pain overwhelmed my system. Black flitted across my vision.
Teeth brushed my neck, and I prayed to The Luna that this wouldn’t be the end for me. That I would protect the precious alpha female in my arms and make it to see her grow up.
The weight was suddenly gone, and I turned to see Kade standing above me, glaring at the form on the grass meters from me.
There was a scoff from the alpha in the grass, and he rose to face Kade, smirking.
No one should ever get between an omega and their young.
Kade’s protective instincts were overriding everything, flooding his system with adrenaline and making him look wild.
He shifted, just partially, something I’d seen no one but an alpha do, but heard about when omegas had to protect their young. “Is she okay?” he growled. His mouth was full of sharp fangs.
Though it made me cry out, I twisted, my arm hanging limply, to see the precious bundle in my arms. “Still sleeping. I think there was a potion.” Blood soaked her blanket, so I peeled it away, checking that there was no injury to her. “Not a scratch,” I confirmed.
Kade spared me a glance, his eyes filling with horror. “I’m going to make this quicker than you deserve so I can see to my friend.” The alpha’s grin faded when Kade continued. “Oh, by the way, the other guy is already dead. Cut his throat myself.” Kade gave him an unrepentant grin.
The alpha cut his losses and turned to flee, but Kade was on him quicker than I could blink. Claws ripped flesh. Cries and screams filled the air as Kade fought with everything he had.
“Kade, no!” Larken appeared on the lawn. “We need him alive to question.”
I saw the moment that sense filtered through to Kade. He kicked the fallen alpha to the ground, sparing his life and taking his consciousness with a vicious punch to the head. “Out cold. He’ll survive. Sadly.”
My best friend’s chest rose and fell with the exertion. He approached warily, his claws withdrawing. Carefully, he took my charge into his arms. “Roan?”
