Page 19

“Rest, water, food, and some anti-inflammatory medicine and you should have full function in less than a week. Your immune system is just in overdrive because of your heat,” he says, and it doesn’t make sense to me, but I have to trust him on it.

His lips are still so close to my hand as he rewraps it.

“What will you do if there is venom left making it worse? Will you suck it out?” I tease, testing my limits with him. He’s the one I have to bring to my side, to make him trust me after all.

But the flash of feral desire that crosses Nakoa’s face causes my heart to flutter and pound, lust and fear warring inside me, and I clench my thighs involuntarily.

Shit! Shouldn’t have said that. Wait, I shouldn’t be reacting like this. His pheromones are weak. He’s not drugging me with them. No? No! There’s no way…

“Nevermind. Let go. I’m a Wilder, remember,” I say, looking pointedly at Raphael, who sneers, refusing to look away. “Your enemy. It’d be wise not to get so cozy with me.”

I change my strategy to acting hot and cold.

But in reality, I need him to let me go before I have to acknowledge why my cheeks are burning hot, and my stomach is in knots.

Again! Again! Over and over again, I find myself in this endless chaotic loop.

Maybe I did fall through a portal, but not to hell or an alternate dimension.

Maybe I’m stuck in purgatory like that old show Faith and I binged streamed on CINE back in college.

“...We know who you are, Grace Wilder,” Nakoa mumumrus after a pregnanat pause, leaning close to me as he guides my hand to my lap and releases me. “But that name doesn’t matter anymore, because you are our omega. And more importantly, my mate.”

Heat prickles my skin, and I turn away from his intense brooding gaze, wanting nothing more than to bury my face in his curly hair and get high off his scent.

“What, fucking with an injured omega once wasn’t good enough? You get off on pain, pack leader?”

Shit! Why did I just say that?

He recoils from my words like he’s been burned, and he falls silent for a long time before turning to get up, and stoke the flame. I have the distinct feeling he’s also running away. Raphael pushes off the wall, fury causing his stormy blue eyes to shift almost silver.

“Next time you disrespect your alpha, I’ll—” Raphael begins.

“There will not be a next time!” Nakoa bellows, and the cave seems to tremble from the force. Everyone clams up, silent, too quiet. So much so that I imagine I hear water dripping from a stalagmite deep within the dark hole beyond the fire.

“Enough of this,” our pack alpha quips. “I command you to rest, omega. Leo, you will watch over her. Raphael, you’re with me. We have to search for medicine to stop the infection and figure out about the crash,” he says, nodding to my puffy hand.

Leo’s head snaps up like an obedient, oversized pup. I shake my head no, not wanting to rest. I want to get out of here so we can try to rescue my sister. I feel fine, given the circumstances. We shouldn’t wait.

But Nakoa’s tone is stern when he grits out, “You will rest first. That’s an order, Grace.”

Deciding it’s no use to put up a verbal fight, I use what strength I have left to scoot to the wall in defiance.

Once I’m out of the furs, I do see my ankle is set in a splint.

Or is it called a stabilizer when it’s made of black fabric with velcro versus wood?

Who knows, and nobody here would care to tell me.

Nakoa sighs, but doesn’t press me to do anything else. I am resting against the wall, my body wired for a fight nonetheless. There’s always a loophole to a command. And at least I’m out of the apex of my heat.

“Protect her,” our alpha repeats to Leo.

Leo nods, and it’s only then that I realize his moss green gaze hasn’t left mine since he was ordered to watch over me. I should feel creeped out, but treacherous, comforting sensations envelop me instead. Damn this rotten heat deceiving me!

Soon, I’m alone with a horny menace of an alpha without even the illusion of protection from him.

It’s like Rapahel forgot he just kicked his ass–literally–for groping me before he left.

I keep my back pressed to the wall, trembling because I’m too far from the fire.

But I don’t care. I keep my eyes aimed at the exit.

It’s nighttime, but there’s enough starlight to make out the shadow of a ledge.

So we’re high up, not a good sign, but at least I’ll be prepared this time.

If Leo gets any funny ideas, I’ll fight like hell.

I’ll fight worse than a demon to make it back to my sister.

I’ve given them my body, and taken the crushing weight of their orgasms back to back to back.

I won’t let them crush my heart. I won’t let them claim my soul. I will–

The tension between us disappears in an instant when the fur hits my lap, replaced by my confusion as I look up with a perplexed expression. How fast is he that he crossed the cave without making a sound, in what feels like the blink of an eye?

“Thank you?” I whisper, dumbfounded by the strangely sweet gesture as Leo smiles down at me like someone who’s somewhat normal.

“Anything for you, princess,” he says, and my skin crawls from this nickname he’s bestowed on me as he sinks down to lay beside me.

I curl away, but he’s on my back in no time. But he doesn’t touch me, inappropriately at least. He holds me in a loose hug around my waist, trying to bring me to the ground. But I stay upright and still despite him tugging on my hip every so often.

“It’s what an alpha should do for their omega,” he says once I don’t respond for a long time.

“I’m not your omega,” I whisper and I don’t miss the way he clicks his fangs at that.

“Relax. Lay down. Rest like our alpha commanded you to,” he says, tone a little more brutal. Angry, even. But he doesn’t seem angry at me.

“Fuck you,” I say, wondering if I’ve lost my mind.

“Not tonight. Lay down,” he repeats and I snort.

“I said no ,” I snap.

I seem to have reached his breaking point with that last comeback.

I yelp as he yanks me onto the furs. Not hard enough to do any more damage to my body, but hard enough that I don’t have time to react, only compile.

Then, he wraps me in his arms, the furs between us, and it’s like I’m in a velvet cocoon.

It’s surprisingly soft but just as warm as I expected.

“Sleep, princess,” he demands as I groan not in pain, but contentment.

“Does everyone have a humiliating nickname around here? If so, I vote to change mine.”

“Why?” he asks, innocently.

I want to say I’m not his princess. But his even breathing gives me pause after I don’t respond.

Maybe the silent treatment will be my saving grace.

A new plan starts churning as I lean back into his embrace.

Slowly, I slip my good hand out, testing if he’s awake by touching his hip.

Leo doesn’t move. I rub my hand downward, and sure enough, there’s a knife concealed in his pocket.

I knew he wasn’t making daggers appear out of thin air.

And he seems like the type to steady ready, so he doesn’t have to get ready.

With a triumpjhant grin, I clutch the hilt and pull it out slowly. That is, until Leo whispers in my ear.

“If you try to steal from Raphael or our alpha, just know they won’t be so understanding,” Leo says, snatching my hand away from his hip right when I thought he’s was passed out for good.

He pins it back on my side of the furs, lacing our fingers together as I fume.

“The only thing dangerous you should be playing with are our cocks. Now release my knife.” he adds, and I can’t stop myself from punching him in his side. He chuckles, but I do want to punch him in his face.

“Shut up. I get you already,” I say.

“Me no caveman. Me just giving advice,” he sneers, and I can’t help but laugh as he snuggles closer to me.

I’ll give Leo more credit than I thought I should’ve given him when he started talking like a caveman and acting like one, too. He saw through my pathetic attempt to grab his knife before I’d even fully formed the plan.

He’s right, and that pisses me off even more. Where would I even go hopping around on one foot? With a busted hand, and now a dripping slick filled pussy sounded like the dumbest shit imaginable. And yet, that was my plan before he put a stop to it.

I lay in his arms for a long time, waiting for the others to return.

But they don’t, and for some reason, that makes me more uneasy than if they were here with me.

With us, I correct myself, as Leo’s breathing finally evens out, and he drifts off to sleep like he’s not in charge of making sure their hostage doesn’t escape.

Like I ever stood a chance, even if my plan succeeds, I think, scowling as I bury my face into a pillow and will myself to rest. It would be the first time in Providence where I’m not under the threat of danger or in a coma, so I should savor it.

Not under threat by an unknown enemy, I correct myself against, as I reluctantly press myself harder against Leo to soak up a bit of his warmth. But make no mistake, mated or not, these men are your enemies.

All I have to do is hold out long enough to save Faith.

If that means I have to use every weapon at my disposal, so be it, including my long forgotten omega charm.

I’ll do whatever it takes to spare her the horror of this place if she’s still alive.

Not if. She is. She has to be or what’s the point of hanging on?

I didn’t spend my life protecting my sister from our family’s demons to have her dragged into hell.

But first, I have to fight and survive. I can’t trust them. But I do have to rely on them, Leo and Nakoa in particular. And I don’t know what’s worse: the lack of trust between us, or the fact I have to relinquish control to these untrustworthy bastards.