Page 79 of Marked Omega

My Alphas are on top of him in the blink of an eye, snarling, tearing, beating, kicking. I turn away until the horrible sounds stop.

When I look again, the three Alphas are standing up, shoulders rising and falling as they pant, their eyes glaring down at the broken thing on the ground—the thing that used to be Bishop.

Hasker is first to rush to my side.

“Lily!” His voice is taut with concern. “Are you hurt?”

I shake my head.

“No,” I tell him. “Not anymore.”

He gives me a quizzical look as he helps me to my feet. Addom and Kadmon come rushing over as well. The younger Alpha’s muscular front is striped with blood from his wounds.

“Kadmon,” I cry. “You’re hurt.”

His grin shows no hint of pain.

“What, these?” he chuckles nonchalantly as he glances down at the bullet wounds that have already begun to close. “Just a couple of flesh wounds. No big deal. The only thing that matters is that you’re safe.”

The three Alphas have made a tight, protective triangle around me, and I can feel the relief wafting off of them like plumes of smoke. Their hands smooth over my skin, checking me for wounds and making sure I’m okay.

At last, I finally let myself break down in sobs.

“Lily?” Addom purrs, trying to sooth me. “Everything is okay. You’re safe now.”

“I know, but…” I struggle to get the words past the lump in my throat. “When I was separated from you…the pain…oh God, it was awful…”

The Alphas gaze down at me with sympathy in their eyes, and I understand that they felt that same pain too. That’s what led them here to save me.

I turn to Hasker and place my hand on his chest.

“Is that…Is that how it feels for you all the time?” I whisper.

Hasker doesn’t answer. He just seizes my mouth in a fierce, painful kiss that communicates so much more than words ever could. Then Kadmon and Addom each kiss me in turn.

We are distracted by a weak grunt from behind.

“What is that?” Addom asks, gesturing.

I turn around and see that Dr. Lucian has risen to his feet, and he is stumbling zombie-like toward the edge of the woods.

“Beta,” Hasker growls. “Should we put it out of its misery?”

I shake my head.

“Leave him,” I say bitterly. “It’s what he deserves.”

I pick up the data slate where I dropped it when Bishop attacked me.

An eerie howl echoes in the distance. A moment later, it is answered by another call, and another. The sounds are coming from the forest toward which Dr. Lucian is mindlessly wandering.

“Far-landers,” Addom says. “They’ll be here before long. It’s time for us to get out of here.

“Come, little one,” Hasker says. “I will carry you.”

He stoops to let me climb onto his back, and I wrap my arms around his thick, powerful neck.

“I love you,” I whisper in his ear, and I can feel his massive heart start drumming just a little faster.