Page 20 of Claiming the Omega
Daniel felt the sensation rush him, and it was overwhelming. The feeling of fear and confusion that morphed into terror nearly took him to his knees. It was Shane; he was in danger; someone was hurting him.
Daniel shifted on the spot, tearing through his clothing and taking the bars of his cell down as if they were nothing. His wolf was done listening to reason; he was operating on pure instinct, and Daniel did not even try to restrain him. His mate's life was in danger, and nothing short of Armageddon was going to keep Daniel from him.
The wolves in the yard heard the commotion and moved towards the house, but stopped short as a massive black wolf burst through the sliding glass doors and leaped onto the deck. Glass from the doors rained down around him, but he was oblivious to everything apart from his goal. He bared his teeth, and his eyes took in the area before racing over to where Edgar lay in Ari's arms.
His huge sharp claws chewed up the lawn beneath him, and within seconds, he stood before Edgar, who was beaten and bloody. Daniel's wolf stood there panting, barely holding onas his rabid and fevered expression demanded an explanation before he was forced to destroy this part of the world.
Alpha Victor stepped forward to block Daniel from Edgar, fearing for his brother's safety, but Edgar began to talk directly to Daniel's wolf. Alpha Victor stepped back but did not move too far from his brother. In Daniel's present state, his behavior was unpredictable. His mate was missing, and his wolf was unhinged and out for blood.
"He was Concord Pack, but he wasn't an Alpha," Edgar spoke directly to the growling beast that was Daniel. "He took him. I'm sorry I wasn't able to save him." Edgar finished as he once again lost consciousness. Victor yelled to Daniel as he took off through the woods after the wolf who stole his mate. Daniel didn't stop or consider his actions; he was unable to hear anything except the call to rescue Shane and kill his abductor.
Victor and Cole followed Daniel into the woods. There was no doubt that Daniel would find his mark, but there was a concern as to the desperate nature of the wolf that took Shane. He was acting as a lone wolf and had ventured into another pack's territory, a pack well known for its strength and battle readiness, to kidnap a person under that Pack's protection. Those were not the actions of a sane wolf.
…
The doctor arrived and examined Edgar before taking him home. He'd suffered considerable blunt force trauma, as well as injuries from the mauling, but was already healing. He would be well in a couple of days.
Ari met with Benjy in the living room after Edgar was comfortable and asleep. "Tell me what happened, Ari." Benjypleaded with him. Ari poured himself a drink and sat down on one of the shaker style chairs by the big fireplace. He was obviously thinking about how much he could share, without Benjy becoming too upset. Explanations were for his mate, but Ari understood Benjy's need to know. Finally, he leaned back, took a long drink, and began to explain.
Benjy took a tentative seat on the edge of the sofa closest to where Ari was sitting. He looked as if he were on the verge of leaping off. "Where is Shane and why did Victor's men rush me to the back of the house when it sounded like the walls were coming down? What happened? Where is Victor?" Benjy rushed with a burst of urgent questions.
"First, I want you to stay calm and know that everything is being handled." Ari watched as Benjy sat back on the sofa and nodded. He was calm and ready. "Okay, someone attacked Edgar and kidnapped Shane." He paused to acknowledge Benjy's shock. "The attacker is from your old Pack, according to Edgar. Daniel felt his mate's terror, and that was the commotion you heard in the house." Benjy shook his head as if he wasn't quite following the last statement.
“Daniel shifted and tore the place apart to get to Shane. He’s out there following them with Victor and Cole close behind. Don’t worry too much for Shane, Daniel will find him and whoever was foolish enough to touch Daniel’s mate will most certainly die.” Ari paused and took another long drink from his glass as he sat back in his chair.
“Is Edgar going to be okay?” Benjy asked.
Ari nodded. "Yes, he was knocked out and suffered some serious lacerations, but the doctor said he would be okay." Aristared at Benjy for a moment. "Please don't say what you are thinking." He abruptly stated, and Benjy pulled up indignantly in his seat.
“I have to ask.” Benjy persisted.
“Don’t.” Ari caught him in a steely stare.
“Do you think that Daniel will hurt Shane. He’s wild and out of control.” Benjy burst with the need to have his fears answered.
"Daniel is no more a threat to Shane than Alpha Victor is a threat to you," Ari stated clearly with barely suppressed frustration. "He would die for Shane, and there is nothing in this world that would ever force him to hurt one hair on his head. Daniel and Shane are mates you know what that feels like, do you think that if Victor was in a rage, he would raise a hand to you, ever?" Ari watched as Benjy shook his head and cast his gaze down at his hands.
Ari rubbed his fingers through his hair, agitated, clearly unsure if he should be saying everything he was saying. "Daniel is a hard man to like sometimes, but he has always been loyal to his Pack and his Alpha. He has consistently proven his worth. He is the man you want around when the shit hits the fan, that's for sure. He has freaky fighting skills, and his strength is unparalleled by anyone other than Victor." Ari stood and walked over to the mantle of the fireplace and leaned his arms on it. He felt compelled to defend Daniel in the face of these unjust accusations.
"Daniel's social skills are a little unpolished because, well, he has no social skills. He was orphaned as a baby and was raised by one of the elders. The elder in question was Daniel's uncle andwas a very cold, distant, and utterly pragmatic man." Ari turned to regard Benjy as he continued. "If Daniel had the opportunity to be raised by a family or even someone who loved and cared for him, perhaps he would have turned out to be like the rest of us. But he was raised differently, and it left him cold, distant, pragmatic, and until Shane appeared, I never thought he would be any different."
Benjy stood and walked over to stand next to Ari. "I understand the importance of mates, and I want to trust him," Benjy admitted.
Ari turned and held him loosely by the upper arms. "You can trust him. Give him a chance. He has never, in my life, and I've known Daniel my entire life, shown care and affection to anyone until Shane. He loves your brother and will do anything to keep him, even if it means following your rigid rules. The old Daniel would have told you to go fuck yourself days ago and just left with Shane. He is willing to suffer for Shane and is bending over backward to gain your trust."
Benjy gave a half smile up to Ari, who was waiting for some kind of response. "So, what you're saying is that he isn't a bad man, he's just uncouth."
Ari threw his head back and laughed. “Yes, that is exactly what I’m saying.”
…
Shane was scared out of his mind. He recognized his kidnapper. His name was Billy. He was one of Greg's friends who most enjoyed torturing the innocents of the Concord Pack. Shane hoped Edgar was alright, and he prayed that Daniel would find him soon. Billy was the worst of Greg's friends andwas responsible for most of the beatdowns that he and Benjy endured. He knew being with Billy very long would not be good for his health and wellbeing.
He looked around and apparently Billy had brought him through the woods to the far side of the lake. There wasn't a boat or a vehicle, so he wasn't sure what his plans were from here. He had been slapped and kicked around and was now tied to a tree, and Billy was talking on his cell phone. He couldn't hear what Billy was saying until he wandered a little closer.
"I told you I would, and it was easy as shit. I just walked in and took him." He was talking loudly to someone. "I got Shane, but I plan to use him as bait to get that piece of shit Benjy. He will try to help his brother in some stupid ass way, and I plan to make him regret the day he was born." Billy went on and on in that self-aggrandizing manner for quite some time. Whoever was on the other end of the line had to be rolling their eyes by this time.
"I know what the Alpha said; you don't have to keep reminding me. But he doesn't care about Greg, and I do. They can't just get away with destroying my friend. Benjy will pay with his life, and Shane will be a bonus kill." He smiled dangerously at Shane, who tried hard not to meet his gaze. No sense in getting him angry, or rather, angrier than he already was.
