Page 15 of Pack Owned
Branches snag at my clothes, scratching my skin, but he doesn’t slow down.
He’s tall, his build suggesting strength, and there’s an odd sense of security in his presence, which makes me even more wary. His pace is relentless, and with each step, the crashing of my heart grows louder, and the urge to run pounds in the back of my head. The rain pelts down harder, turning the ground beneath us into a slippery mess. I stumble, nearly falling, but he keeps me upright, his grip never wavering. I’m totally alone and at this man’s mercy. A sob hitches in my throat.
“Please, just tell me where we’re going!”
“Somewhere safe,” he says without turning. His tone is cool, unaffected, as if my struggling means nothing.
What if my friends are hurt? Guilt and fear strangle me. I should be there with them, not fleeing into the woods with this stranger.
I can’t trust him. I don’t even know him. Another sob escapes my lips.
I can’t let my guard down, not against this guy. His scent alone tells me that he’s an Alpha. What if I go into heat while around him? Panic bubbles up as he pulls me deeper into the dark woods.
My mind races—what about Jess, Casey, and Danica? Are they okay? The thought of Jess being tasered slams me back to the grim reality. Nexus isn’t about helping us. No, we’re just being herded like sheep. At least against only one guy, I can figure out how to escape. I just hope my friends get away, too. My throat constricts so hard, I can’t swallow.
“Just trust me, okay? I’m not the bad guy here,” he says over his shoulder, but trust is a luxury I can’t afford right now.
Every instinct tells me to fight, to escape, but his strength is overwhelming. I stumble along behind him, too drained to keep fighting. His scent surrounds me, the warmth of his hand both confusing and steadying. I don’t trust him, but right now, I have no other choice but to follow and hope I’m not making a huge mistake.
I can’t go to Nexus now, not without knowing more about what’s going on there, about why that enforcer tasered Jess. I need to make sure Danica and Casey are okay, too.
When his grip seems like it’s looser, I jerk out of his grasp and run as fast as I can.
Then my feet slip in the mud, and I fall to my knees with a groan. My head’s spinning, and he’s right there beside me.
“Are you ok?—”
I throw up right on the Alpha’s boots. Horrified, I wait for the backhanded slap or the kick.
“Well,” he says. “That’s the first time I’ve had a woman do that on me.”
Before I can groan or even inhale a breath, everything goes black.
Liam
“Shit,” I hiss as a jolt races through me from the scent of the Omega crashing over me. Rich vanilla and heady jasmine are somehow amplified even more now that she’s out cold. The perfume wraps around me, a potent invitation laced with danger, pulling at something primal that roars deep within.
My heart stutters in my chest, a frantic drum against my ribs as I wrestle control. This isn’t just any Omega—she’s edging toward heat, and it’s short-circuiting every rational thought. My breath comes in ragged gasps.
My instincts feel like I’m about to skydive. Every fiber of my being demands to claim, to protect, but I shove those urges down, reminding myself this is a mission only—a job. We usually take contracts from Silas Securities, a private firm that specializes in locating and retrieving high-value targets for their corporate clients.
The call came in that Omegas en route to Nexus were missing, and since I was in the area, I accepted the assignment. Really didn’t think I’d find one so soon, but her screams led me right to her.
This time, our job was to find the Omegas who went missing after their transport to Nexus Facility was ambushed. Whoever crashed that bus didn’t want those Omegas making it to Nexus.
Now, with her scent raw and intoxicating, the dam holding back the beast inside me threatens to burst. And I sure as hell don’t want to turn her in… especially if she’s meant to be mine.
I crouch beside her limp form, and my fingers trace along her cheek. She’s burning up with fever. Fuck! This could explain the reason for her scent growing stronger and that she’s on the edge of her heat. Or her injuries are worse than I thought.
A nasty gash mars her arm, another on the side of her head. The rain, finally easing up, makes it hard to see the full extent of the damage, but my fingers brush a tacky slick of blood as I check her forehead.
“You sure know how to complicate things, don’t you?” My attempted lightness falls flat. This wasn’t supposed to happen.
Just round up any Omegas from the Nexus bus and turn them in. Minimal fuss. But her, raw with fear, threw everything out, and I lost it.
I had to take this Omega through the woods to throw off any goons snooping around and backtrack to get us the fuck out of here.
She’s got a cut on her arm and one on the side of her head. Can’t tell much more with the rain that’s finally letting up and the darkness, but I feel the tackiness of the blood on her skin.
