Page 55 of Brave New Omega, Part 2

Chapter 55

LOREN

B y all the Gods above and Gods below.

Callum shifted .

I am numb for a moment, staring open-mouthed at him, before the Beta in my hands screeches, watching Callum’s shaky advance. With the gun I snatched off him, I hit the back of his head hard . He slumps, and I stand, kicking the boy away. Let the authorities deal with him.

“Stars Above, Callum.” What do you say when your Packmate, best and oldest friend, lover, and Alpha does what ought to be impossible?

I want to stay and document every moment, to start taking notes of all the possible atmospheric impacts that may have led to his shift – if he can shift after a lifetime of never even having an inkling, and no family legacy, then would it be possible for others? Could extreme stress and need trigger latent genes? Why now and not on the battlefield, when his own life was surely at higher risk? My chest tingles.

“Katie!”

My Omega. My heart.

She collapsed in a pile of limbs and fabric, her sister hunching protectively over her.

“What the actual fuck just happened?” Maddie screams, her eyes darting wildly from me to Callum. Cal blows hot air through his muzzle.

My father shifts every year at the solstices. He'd shift to prove the Bellrose Pack still had the ancient magic–and pure blood. But it pained him and every year the shift took more and more from him.

I push the miracle of Cal’s shift aside.

Katie needs me. Needs us .

I kneel before her, quickly checking her vitals.

“She’s chilled,” I say. “Her pulse is slower than I'd like. We need to get her home to her nest.”

“No shit.” Max snaps. “What do we do with the ice queen over here?”

I glance back to him and see that he only has Genevieve in a loose hold. She’s frozen, her hands gripping air, face contorted in a cruel smile. Max holds up the gun. She is frozen in time, as if the Alpha Bark petrified her in place. Only her blue eyes dart back and forth, from Callum to me, to Katie.

I cradle my Omega in my arms, hastily shaking off my dress coat and covering her shivering frame. Like this, she seems so small, so fragile. Not my mighty warrior queen.

“Loren?” Katie whispers, her eyes fluttering before she reaches full alertness. She moans, curling into me as her abdomen spams.

“Hold on, Love. I’ve got you. It’s all going to be fine.”

“Maddie, she’s–”

“Right here Katie-Kat.” Maddie squats and rubs her sister’s shoulder.

“Layla, is she–”

“She’s safe, Tough Girl. Stop worrying about everyone else and let us take care of you,” Max hollers, still holding Genevieve.

Katie smiles and nuzzles into the crook of my neck.

“Callum?” she asks softly.

“Ah. See for yourself.” I turn my torso to face the panting gray wolf.

Katie tenses in my arms, her pulse ratcheting up as she gazes at the wolf. He takes a short step toward us and leans his head down, like a trained dog looking for an ear scratch.

“Callum? Did you? But you said shifting was lost– it couldn’t be done.”

She holds out one hand and Callum greedily licks her fingers. Her perfume’s sharp edge softens into warm cinnamon and maple. I swallow down the desire to drink it in, to lay her bare right here in the mess of hallway and Betas, and taste and lick every inch of her. Instead, I rub my face all over her hair and cheek.

“The Professor can be wrong sometimes,” Max laughs. “Put it on the calendar so we don’t forget it.”

Katie laughs, then hiccups, then moans.

“Nest, now.” I lift my Omega in my arms.

The doors behind us fly open and a dozen operatives in the olive green and brass uniforms of the Halvassa police file in, guns at the ready.

“About fucking time,” Max growls.

“Unhand that Omega!” One of them yells at me.

I step back, half turning to shield Katie from these men.

“Where is Inspector Murphy?”

“Fellas,” Max says calmly, “you’re looking at him.”