Page 4 of Second Shooter (Betas in Waiting #28)

Lyric was in the car with her. Win couldn’t stop her, as she explained as she made her way out.

Lyric kept a call open with Keres, but Win knew what Wren would say via speaker before she heard it.

“ They have put up a barrier. The dark Elite can’t get in. ”

Win got to the interstate and floored it, her car blurring as they travelled two hundred kilometres in twenty seconds. “They are using Cori to power their shield. It’s a fun game they play to drain her so she can’t fight.”

“What are you doing?”

“Making my deadline. There are normal students on the bus. They have to glamour every one of them.”

“So, this is what happened to you.”

“Oh, yeah. Not on a bus, but they came in a group. They aren’t playing nice with three-to-one anymore. Cowardly assholes.”

“What are you going to do?”

“I am going to kill them all or send them back to the Stronghold. It depends on my mood.” She grunted as her senses showed her the bus surrounded by Elite. “Hold tight. We are drifting.”

She let the car kick the rear wheels sideways, and her vehicle thudded into Elite after Elite. They swung around and had diverted seven of the ten away from the bus before the car shuddered to a stop.

“What do you want me to do?”

“Put the bus in neutral. Push it back through the barrier if you have to. They have put glyphs on it. This next part is going to be messy. Watch your back and maybe let your brother know where we are so he doesn’t worry.”

She got out of the car and stood straight before she walked onto the bus. Two of the Elite were in there, trying to sniff out Cori. Another had a different girl in his grip. Win smiled, bit her cheek and spit on the one with the other teenager. He looked at her. “You are expressing contempt, beta?”

“Not a beta, but you are locked here until you get a bus home, bitch.” She reached up and grabbed the other ones by the ears and hauled them off the bus as they yelped and shouted. When she got them off the bus, Win threw them to the ground. She crooked her fingers, and the one wearing her blood lifted and was levitated off the bus.

The young woman was still in his grip and sobbing, so she told him, “Let go.”

“No. She’s close enough.”

“Let go, or your head comes off.”

Cori shouted, “Megan, close your eyes and look away.”

The male was glaring at her with red eyes. “No. You don’t scare me—”

She grew to her full height, her skin tearing as she went from five-five to six-eight.

She whispered softly as her clothing was covered with blood. “Do I scare you now?”

She used her own blood to create a blade and took his head off.

She got Megan away from his body and back onto the bus.

Lyric was astonished. “Wow. Okay. Moving the bus.”

“They have bound it, so I hope you are strong. You are going to have to push.”

“On it. I have the kids; you get the Elite.”

Win looked at the nine males left. She sprayed blood across them to hold them where she could get them and charged forward. She may have been smiling as she met blade with blade and used the blood of the fallen as chains and arrows to destroy those who ran from her.

Win took care of them and then helped Lyric push the bus, but it wasn’t moving fast.

Helicopters began to land. Big ones. Rayd and his pack came out, and Lyric waved.

Win watched and waited for the energy around her to solidify. There was a pulse, and an Elite formed next to her. She turned and pounded her fist into his face, sending him stumbling back to disappear back to the Stronghold.

The kids were split into groups and loaded onto the helicopters. Cori looked her way and paused. Instead of staying with her friends, she ran to Win and whispered, “Three minutes. On the dot.”

“You need a shower, Cori. I am all bloody.”

“Don’t care. I am so sorry. You were right. How did they know where I was?”

Win nodded. “Yes, how did they know? Stay here. I have to look for something. I am feeling a bit sick.”

She looked to find a signature on one of the bodies, and she found the phone on one, pulling it away from the armless torso.

She thumbed through the messages and found one that made her nearly crush the phone. She went to her car and got her phone. She dialled and whispered, “Hey, Maggie, I would start running now. If you are still there when I get home, you are not going to be happy about it. I will pull out your omega and stake you naked in the middle of the Stronghold. Are we clear?”

Maggie started sobbing and hung up.

Cori said softly, “I wondered how she could afford that new house. She sold me?”

“She tried. When the Stronghold finds out what happened, they will blame her. They lost ten warriors in one day. They won’t forgive that. Let’s let her reap what she sowed.”

“Mom and Dad are going to be heartbroken.”

“Yes. They are.” She stroked Cori’s hair. “But you are here, and the Elite don’t have you. Want to stay with me for a few days? I am going to take some time off, and I can introduce you to more ladies like us. Like Lyric.”

Lyric walked up to them. “So, I see why you mentioned messy. Are you covered in your own blood?”

“No. I have a lot going on here. The bodies are stuck here and won’t be able to be teleported or moved through a portal.”

Lyric asked, “How can they get their dead back?”

“Oh, they have to ask.” Win smiled. “Me. They have to ask me. They won’t rot, but they won’t move.”

Rayd came over to them and said, “We have all the kids. They were live-streaming it. Lykon saw Lyric and called immediately.”

Lyric smiled. “See? I was useful.”

Win said, “Cori, can you get my purse from the car? It’s pretty much totalled. I also don’t fit in it like this.”

Cori smiled. “Got it. I am also going to grab your registration. Don’t want to make it too easy for them to find your house.”

“Oh, shoot. Right. Well, I made some new friends today. Perhaps someone can offer some advice.”

Lyric nodded. “I am sure they can. We can hide out at the winery. No one knows my face yet.”

Rayd nodded. “Good idea. Win, do you need medical assistance?”

“Probably. If I am not using blood, I get lightheaded. Right now, it is keeping me upright. I am using it as a second skin.”

Cori looked around. “Where did they put the bus driver? Miss Norelic tried to stop them from getting on the bus.”

Rayd sniffed around and grimaced. “I can’t smell anything but blood.”

“Sorry.” She looked around. “Cori, did someone else take her?”

“I didn’t see. They came on the bus, she got up, and they pulled her out. There were only ten of them. No more.”

Lyric nodded, looked at the bus, and jumped straight up. “Oh, fuck. She’s on the bus.”

Rayd nodded. “Got it.” He launched upward and landed on the bus. “Oh, fuck.”

He gathered the woman up, and Win could see that the arm she could see wasn’t hanging right. Blood and bruising were everywhere.

Win and the others ran for the last helicopter. Rayd handed the driver over to Lyric, and when the contact was made, the whimpers started as the body changed from short beta to Elite omega.

Cori stared as they lifted off. “Miss Norelic. Oh, my god.”

They held on, and two of the helicopters peeled off toward the school grounds while they split up and headed for the mountains.

They flew over huge homes until he set them down. “I have called in every medic in the families, the healers from the dark Elite, and everyone they could think of.”

Megan and Cori were holding hands, Wren was on the phone, and Lyric was facing off against her brother and his mate with a barely breathing omega in her arms.

Win got out of the helicopter, and the grouping stepped back. She didn’t smile. She was bloody, her scars had opened, and her clothing was shredded.

She looked at Cori and smiled. Cori clung to Megan.

Four men stepped forward. One said, “Hi. I am Nikolai; this is Rikart, Erik, and Feng. We are offering our fire for healing.”

“The driver is the most injured. Please attend to her first.” Lyric brought the woman out and set her on the ground.

The younger male, Erik, came toward them. “Please. You are covered in blood. They know what they are doing, so I will let them do it.”

Win nodded and chuckled. “Sensible. Whoa.”

The men turned into dragons and began to exhale all over Miss Norelic.

Cori touched her arm. “If he can help, let him help.”

Nodding, Win dropped to her knees. “Please do what you can.”

Erik nodded and pursed his lips, blowing slowly over her face and hair. The touch was cooling and not the searing pain she remembered when healing was attempted. When he was certain she wasn’t in pain, he sprouted wings, and a slow wave of magic spilled across her, dissolving the blood and soothing the torn skin.

There were gasps and sobs as her clothing dissolved; she was naked with ridges of skin, and he continued to set the damaged skin on fire.

The fire changed pitch, and she looked around. Miss Norelic was sitting up and holding her head. Win was now the sole focus of the dragon fire.

It was invasive, but the dragons seemed concerned rather than perverse. Erik was the only one in his human form, even with wings.

It took five more minutes, but she finally stood up and had skin with no ridges or marks of violence on it. She was also butt-ass naked.

Lyric looked at her and grinned. “Wow. You are. Wow.”

“The word is naked.”

There was a polite ripple of laughter in the crowd. A man with a bronze complexion and midnight hair stepped forward. “I’m Yemeen. I brought you this. It should fit.”

Win smiled. “Thank you.” She slipped the dress on and wrapped the wide sash at the waist, drawing it tight. She missed being able to use her waist, but it had hosted a lot of teeth and claw scars. “You look surprised. Did I put it on right?”

Yemeen nodded. “Yes. You just look very familiar.”

Feng had resumed his human form. “Yes. What is your other form?”

“The dress is going to get all baggy, but...” She shrank and put her black hair and dark hazel eyes on.

Feng covered his mouth and stared. “Who are your parents?”

“Dunno. Some Elite and their victim. I was surrendered in Durelian City.” She resumed her omega height. “I was adopted.”

Cori nodded. “Me, too. Different city. Same scenario.”

“This is my little sister, Cori.”

Cori’s clothing was free of blood, probably curtesy of the dragons.

Win looked to the driver, who was wobbling to her feet with her shredded clothing hanging off her. Win looked to Yemeen. “Do you have an extra dress with you?”

He smiled and lifted a black outfit. “I do. You ladies are a tricky fit.”

She nodded her thanks and brought up a wall of mist to get the woman changed. “I am sorry that this has happened, but you are healed, and we are going to get you dressed. If you take off the damaged clothing, it will be easier. What is your name, aside from Miss Norelic?”

She pulled her clothing off in the little column of clear that was her and Win. “My name is Juno. Juno May Norelic.”

Win smiled. “A good name. I am Win. I am Cori’s oldest sister.”

“I have heard her talking about you on the bus. She’s very proud.”

“I know. I am proud of her, too. I am sorry this happened.”

“I have always known that the Elite would try and take possession when they found me, but I had no idea it would be an attack.”

“Elite omegas are powerful, and they want that power, and it makes them crazy.” She finished putting the dress on the woman. “There. All decent but still barefoot.”

Juno smiled. “Thank you.”

“It’s just some privacy.”

“No, I mean, thank you for coming for Cori. If you hadn’t, I wouldn’t be here now. They muttered something about saving me for later.”

“I doubt they even knew why. They just knew that you were a good target.” She looked at Juno. “Are you ready to face the others?”

“Yeah, how did you get so pretty?”

“Oh, it’s my skincare regimen. I just rub in the blood of ten Elite, and I look ten years younger.”

“They are all dead?”

“Oh. Very.” She smiled.

Juno hugged her, and Win made the fog dissipate. “Thanks for that. It will help the nightmares. What do I do now? Everybody knows.”

A soft voice said, “I believe I can help with that.”

Win smiled. “Hello, Keres. I wondered when you would show up.”

“Win, it was only a few hours ago that you were saying you couldn’t take on this form.”

“I just needed motivation.” She smiled, and Cori came over to hug her from the other side.

Cori whispered, “The fight has gone viral. You are all over the internet.”

“Oh. Oops.”

Keres chuckled. “One of ours is coming to get you. She and hers have a large home with an expansive yard. You four can use their home to regroup and plan your next steps.”

Win snorted. “Or wait for a mate?”

“That is a possibility for you or possibly the other omega.”

“Hm. I don’t think so. Mine is still at the Stronghold, or at least, they were when I was at the Stronghold years ago.” Win shrugged.

Keres’ eyes widened. “You’ve seen them?”

“No, but I heard them freaking out below, and then I fought my way out, and together, we cracked the Stronghold.” Win shrugged.

“Holy hell. You...”

Wren spoke up. “Blood witch. She’s the blood witch.”

“Well, I am not the Scourge or the Memory, but I do what I can.”

Keres whispered, “How do you know those names?”

“One of the men who attacked me survived my revenge. What he knows, I know.” She smiled. “Of course, he can’t say anything, but his keepers like to gossip. When I have what I need, I will let him die if he wants to.”

Keres said, “What if he doesn’t?”

“Well, he wasn’t one of my attackers, so I guess I can let him live. He hasn’t enjoyed my occupation. Omegas deserve more in his opinion.”

Keres blinked. “What did you do to him?”

“Nothing. He was at the door while they attacked me. He was the caretaker. When the stone cracked, he got hit with magical whiplash, and it stunned him. It cut off his ability to interact with the world around him, and he is now under the care of the elder concubines. They clean him and bathe him. The elder Elite try and break our tie now and then, but he is hanging on.”

Win paused. “Where are my manners? Dragons, thank you for your healing. Mates of the dragons, thank you for allowing it.”

The women inclined their heads, and Erik rubbed the back of his head. “It was the least we could do.”

“The least you could do was nothing. You did more. I haven’t been able to take this form in over a decade. So, accept my thanks.”

Erik nodded and inclined his head. “I accept your thanks.”

Cori moved to her side and held on. “Where are we going? Mom and Dad aren’t answering their phones.”

Win looked at her and smiled. “Three minutes on the clock.”

She focused and found their parents. This next part would be fun.