Page 90 of Unlikely Omega

Ariadne is out of sight and there’s a Drakoryas—no, probably two, two different scents—on the loose.

I leap into a run in the direction of the tree where we left her sleeping, or so I think, vaguely aware that Taj is running alongside me.

“This way,” he says, grabbing my arm, hauling me to the right, and I follow literally blindly his lead, hoping that putting my trust in him is a good idea.

No time to think much, though, as we careen against unseen obstacles, his hand jerking me right and left. My breathing echoes shallowly in my ears.

Then he stops me and curses under his breath.

“What is it?” I snap. “Where is she?”

“Not here,” he whispers. He releases my arm and his steps move away from me. I lurch after him.

Her scent lingers under the tree and I almost drop to my knees, to bury my face in the small pack Taj must have placed there as her pillow.

“Where is she, then? Taj? Where the hell is she?”

I refuse to give into panic when he doesn’t reply—at the thought of being left alone on the big plain with nobody around to guide me if I lose my way.

Abandonment. I struggle to breathe evenly. It’s an old fear that has plagued me ever since I lost my sight.

A normal fear, I tell myself. Accept it. Put it down. Keep moving.

“Taj!” I turn and try to reach out with my other senses, to listen, to feel. I think I discern something flashing and walk toward it, only to hit a rock with my foot and fall. “Fuck…”

He’s gone, isn’t he? Gone after her, and that’s a good thing, I tell myself. A fucking good thing, because above all what I want is to protect her, so if I can’t, then let him.

Let him save her.

Let him be with her.

But the panic won’t let up, and another strange feeling follows it, one that feels like giving up, like despair.

Gods dammit. Get your wits together.

You’ve always been alone. Nothing has changed. Or did you really think that this… friendship thing, or whatever it was, was going to last?

A laugh escapes me, and I’m still wheezing, unable to draw enough air. When steps crunch on dead leaves, quickly approaching, I try to straighten, get to my feet, take a fighting stance.

“Hey, stop. Wait! Finn…” Tobacco and smoke and licorice. Muscular arms sliding around me, pulling me against a hard chest. “Take a breath, will you? I’m here, all right? I’m right here.”

“Fuck. Taj.” I grab a fistful of his shirt and I realize my hands are shaking. If I didn’t have such trouble breathing, I’d be mortified by the death grip I have on him. “Taj.”

“I’m here. You thought I’d leave you? Gods above, Finn. Don’t you know it’s not just Ariadne I want? She’s our omega, but you’re my mate, too.”

Dammit. I’m not sure how to understand what he means by that, what he really means, what he wants from me, but he’s here, he’s solid against me and he didn’t leave.

I’m not alone.

Not alone.

“The berserker took her,” I wheeze, “didn’t he? At least one of them took her.”

“He did. But we will find her, Finn, I swear it. So take some deep breaths and lean on me if you need to, because we’re going after the motherfucker and we’re getting her back.”

We’re getting our omega back. Because this is our clan and she’s our center.

Without her, we’re lost.

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