Page 21 of Claiming the Omega
Shane watched as Billy dropped the phone into his pocket and approached him deliberately. The air took on a threatening tone, and Shane readied himself for another volley of punches. Billy was large and strong for a gamma wolf, but still, he preferred to tie up his victims before pummeling them. Many nights, Benjy and Shane were stalked by Greg and Billy and theircronies, and it usually ended up with them tied or held down while Billy beat the snot out of them. Some things never change.
Billy hit him with a backhand across the face for starters and then moved in to deliver several punches to the midsection. He then danced around for a few seconds, feigning punches in the air, as if he were a prizefighter waiting for his opponent. "I'm going to make you beg me to kill you. You’ll wish I had just killed you." He spat and then landed another strike to the side of Shane's face.
“Yeah, that’s what you’ll be wishing once my mate gets here. I guarantee you that he is on his way.” That brought Billy up short for a moment before he shook it off and laughed.
"You talking about that wolf I laid out on the lawn?" He laughed again. "It was hardly much of a fight. I doubt he could do me any damage."
Shane shook his head. "No, my mate is Daniel O'Hare, a Beta wolf of the Sparrow Ridge Pack. You might have heard of him. Also, Benjy's mated to the Alpha." Shane watched as the information made its way through Billy's thick skull.
"You're lying, no one would want to mate your sorry ass or your brother. You can't shift, and he's a pathetic Omega." Billy lunged forward and grabbed Shane by the throat. "No one wants you and no one will miss you when you're gone." He continued to tighten his grip on Shane's throat until a loud crash sounded behind him.
Billy turned to see a gigantic black wolf burst from the tree line and burn him with a terrifying glare. Shane saw a shiver of terror race through Billy. It was satisfying to watch the man who had caused him and Benjy so much fear be scared for hisown life. The animal was headed straight for him, and his intent was clear. Billy shifted but was no match for Daniel's angry beast.
Shane recognized Daniel immediately. He knew Daniel would save him; he had no doubt. His mate was magnificent. Daniel brought Billy to the ground easily with one swipe to the side of his head. Billy tried to get up and attack, but he wasn't smart enough to just stay down. Daniel batted him backward onto his ass, and this time, Billy did the unthinkable. Billy got to his feet and took a sudden leap at Shane, who was still tied to the tree. He was going to try to hurt Shane, and Daniel would not let that happen.
Daniel roared, and before Billy could lay a claw on Shane, Daniel knocked him sideways and to the ground, and followed up by catching Billy's throat in his jaws and snapping Billy's neck. Daniel shook the body violently several times before releasing it and letting it drop lifelessly to the cold ground with a thud. The entire battle was over in a matter of seconds.
Daniel then turned his riveting, dark gaze to his mate. He began to walk towards Shane, and as he did, he shifted. His shift was quick and flawless as if by magic. He hurried to Shane's side and quickly released him.
Shane was smitten all over again by his strong, handsome mate. Daniel was everything he could ever hope for in a partner, and he wanted him, and he wanted him now. He could feel something strange yet empowering rising within him, and his need took on an impatient and determined aspect. Daniel stood in front of him, and before saying a word, he took Shane's face in his hands and kissed every cut and bruise.
"I'm sorry he hurt you." Daniel sounded so sad that Shane managed a bright smile in response to try to ease his worry.
"I'm okay. When you're here, I'm always okay." Shane ate up Daniel's beautiful, rugged face with his eyes. Shane was suddenly so overcome with the feelings he'd kept bottled up for the past month that he couldn't keep them to himself any longer. "I love you, Daniel." He couldn't hold it back another moment, and he didn't care if Daniel said it back to him. Having someone care about him the way Daniel cared was all he ever wanted. With Daniel, he never had to fear or hide; he was free.
Daniel pulled Shane in for an all-encompassing, heart-stopping hug. He then scooped him up into his arms when Shane stumbled. He needed to assure his wolf that their mate was well and safe, and to do so, he needed to have Shane as close as possible. To his immense satisfaction, Shane wrapped his arms around Daniel's shoulders and buried his face in the crook of Daniel's neck.
The posture was needy and possessive, hitting every one of Daniel's buttons. "I love you too, Shane." He whispered into Shane's soft hair. He smelled like heaven and tasted divine. Shane was his perfect match, his perfect mate. He'd been alone too long. Never in his life had he considered a bond like what he ached for with Shane.
Daniel walked over to one of the large oaks by the tree line and sat down with his mate wrapped tightly in his arms. His wolf would not permit him to let Shane go for a while. He would hold him and make sure he was well and cared for. He, once again, began to pepper light kisses on Shane's face and neck. He loved kissing his mate. He'd spent his life never getting too close to anyone, emotionally speaking, and now all he wanted was to beShane's everything. It was trite and simpering, yet the truth; he felt the truth of it right to his soul.
Shane held on tight to his mate, not wanting him to move away even an inch. He was sore and bruised, but nothing mattered except the touch of his mate. Daniel made all things right and better. "I was scared, but I knew you would come for me," Shane stated breathlessly. He lifted his head and looked squarely at the man who was the new center of his life. He felt like his heart was on fire, and his skin prickled as if suddenly too tight.
“Look at you.” Daniel smiled and brushed the hair back from Shane’s forehead. “Your wolf is coming forward and reaching out to me. I can see him, baby. Can you feel him?” Daniel held him cradled in his arms as Shane came to grips with what was happening. His surprise and excitement were a beautiful thing to watch.
“Yes, I feel him.” Shane burst with delight. “He’s with me.”
“Yeah.” Daniel joined with his happiness. He watched Shane's eyes shift from human to wolf and back again over and over. His wolf was making an appearance, and soon Shane would be able to shift. His wolf was tentatively touching the surface, as happens with all young wolves before their first shift.
Before they could explore this further, their attention was drawn to the sounds of someone approaching. Daniel pulled Shane closer and held him tight to his chest as if he thought someone might be coming to take Shane away from him.
They both recognized Alpha Victor and Cole. They hadn't shifted but looked ready for battle. As they drew closer to whereDaniel and Shane were seated at the base of the oak, Daniel could not suppress the growl or defensive posture that sprang from him.
He knew that his Alpha meant them no harm, but his wolf was still on edge and not comfortable with any wolves coming near their mate. Victor held out his hand in a peaceful, take-it-easy gesture as he and Cole continued to approach. "We don't mean your mate harm, Daniel. We're here to see that you and Shane are okay." Daniel kept his eyes on both of them. He trusted Victor, but Cole was someone who had already presented himself as a threat to Shane.
Daniel stared at Cole and snarled, letting his teeth show. "Stay back, Cole," Victor instructed as he continued forward alone to stand directly in front of the couple. He crouched down and reached out slowly to place a hand on Daniel's shoulder to calm and reassure him of his mate's safety.
“Who was it?” Victor jerked his head in the direction of the body lying several feet to their left.
"Concord pack," Daniel spoke around the teeth filling his mouth. His voice was deep and dangerous. Shane looked up at Victor from where he had been tucked into Daniel's shoulder.
"It was Billy Kaye, a friend of Greg's. They were together a lot. He wanted us to pay for Greg's death. He planned to kill me and then kill Benjy when he came looking for me. I told him that I had a mate, and so did Benjy, and that he would suffer for what he had done. He didn't believe me until Daniel came out of the trees." Shane's words ran together as he tried to say everything he knew at once.
“I’m glad your mate got here before he hurt you too badly. I’m also relieved to know that we won’t have to worry about him in the future.” He gave a brief glance at the remains of Billy before returning his attention to Shane.
"Your brother is worried and upset. He's blaming himself for all the problems you and Daniel have endured." He acknowledged Shane's look of disbelief but continued. "He wants to apologize to both of you for making your lives uncomfortable. I ask that you forgive him and give him a chance to make amends." He looked back and forth between them, waiting for a response.
"I will not stand for any more interference," Daniel stated emphatically and held his Alpha's gaze.
