Page 75 of The Omega Exchange: Omnibus (The Exchange)

Chapter Twenty-One

Anastasia

I'm snuggled up tight on Vik's chest, almost asleep when a raging headache hits me out of nowhere.

I haven't had a migraine in years, but that's exactly what this feels like.

A radiating pain starts in my neck and travels all the way up the back of my head.

My eyes ache, but I carefully remove myself from Vik to keep from waking him and head for the kitchen.

Rafe gives me a soft smile as I pass, but he's got his head on his palm and he's looking pretty wiped out, too.

Hopefully we didn't catch a bug or something.

That would really suck since I need to get back to work practically yesterday.

I hate leaving Evie in a lurch. I know that's why it's so difficult for omegas to find employment in general.

No employers want to deal with heat time off.

The hallway is dark as I make it to the kitchen.

I frown, glancing around in confusion. A shiver runs down my spine when I spot Wolfe's plate on the kitchen table.

My gaze falls to my arm which is protectively wrapped around my middle.

It's then I realize it's really fucking cold in the kitchen.

I'm not even inside the room yet, but I can't tell as much from where I stand in the doorway.

My eyes dart around as my chest rises and falls in rapid movements. My fight or flight instinct is screaming to run. Yeah, omegas in general almost never have that strong urge to stand and fight. I peek around the corner and all the air leaves my lungs.

My ridiculous impulses scream to run for the open door, but I'm not an idiot.

I'm essentially useless. My father made sure of it while I was growing up.

I've never even held a gun, but my alphas are more than capable of keeping me safe.

Running the opposite direction of Rafe and Vik would be dumb as hell no matter what my instincts are pushing me to do.

My head throbs with a painful pulse that makes me feel like I might be sick.

My thoughts fly to Wolfe. He's not here, and suddenly it dawns on me that something bad has happened to him.

That's what shocks me out of my frozen state.

Wolfe wouldn't have left the door open unless…

I don't even know, but the possibilities that race through my mind are violent and terrifying.

I know how ruthless Dimitri is. He's a maniac with no moral code to hinder his actions.

My feet slide along the wooden flooring as I bolt for the living room. I'm trying to be as quiet as possible, but I can hear how loudly I'm heaving.

I don't want to draw Dimitri or anyone else to me until I have backup.

Vik and Rafe are much more competent than I am, and they'll be able to help Wolfe far better than I could.

Or maybe I'm a horrible person justifying my actions as I run away from the man I love to relative safety when he's likely hurt.

I almost turn back, but I feel like that would be a poor choice to make right now.

Ohmigod. I never got the chance to tell him that I love him. I'm three steps away from taking the turn to the living room, when a hand lands over my mouth. I'm lifted into the air as Dimitri's scent rolls over me. My elbow flies back as I kick and try to scream, but it comes out muffled.

"Stop fucking fighting me or I'll kill your boy-toy on the way by. If you shut the fuck up and come willingly, I won't finish the job," Dimitri growls close to my ear.

Pure fucking terror ices its way through my veins. Finish the job? My stomach rolls as I fight back the violent wave of nausea.

I mentally weigh options. I'm pretty sure Rafe and Vik will have felt my terror.

They'll be on the way if they aren't already.

Dimitri can't be trusted, I know that. He might kill Wolfe out of spite either way.

Am I willing to risk pissing him off even further?

No, not when Wolfe could pay the consequences.

"Feet on the ground. Don't fight me. You'll come peacefully or he will die," Dimitri murmurs. "You still smell so sweet, my little lamb."

A shiver of disgust rolls through my system as Dimitri backs us toward the kitchen door.

Vik hits me in the bond and it's pure assurance that he's coming for me.

I don't fully understand how everything works, but I try to send him thoughts of the kitchen and danger.

We're past the kitchen table, backing toward the door, when Vik comes around the corner with his gun raised.

He looks calm and absolutely deadly. There's a coldness in his eyes I've never seen before.

Dimitri lifts me off the floor with one arm around my stomach. The cold metal of his gun jams into my right cheek.

"I had a feeling someone would be joining us," Dimitri says in a humor-filled tone.

"Why would you show up here?" Vik asks, slowly stepping forward. "You've got to realize this is a useless endeavor."

"Is that right?" Dimitri asks. He chuckles and the sound is vile. He sounds amused and not concerned at all. That scares the hell out of me. Maybe he's finally gone off the deep end?

My heart races. I've got tunnel vision on Vik's gun.

There's not an ounce of fear that he'll shoot me by mistake.

I'm worried about Wolfe. I'm furious with myself for not being quicker.

For not recognizing that the pain I'm feeling is an echo of Wolfe's pain in the bond.

I'm really goddamn pissed off that I'm so weak I can't defend myself.

I should have taken up boxing or something after my mom and I were attacked.

Hell, even self-defense lessons. At this point I'm a liability.

"It looks like I have what I came for," Dimitri says in a bored and simultaneously condescending tone.

"How did you even know where to find us?" Vik asks, taking another step forward.

"I didn't," Dimitri says, dragging me backward.

"Not until your vile prick of a cousin murdered my friends and took off with the boss's wife.

Then it was only a matter of waiting to see where she ended up.

I think the great and powerful Soren Nikolov will be in for quite the shock when he arrives at his destination. "

My heart races as I clutch at Dimitri's arm. That doesn't sound good at all. No, scratch that. My heart literally stops beating as Vik looks me dead in the eyes. He sends me a pulse of comfort.

Dimitri continues to back us toward the door. He bumps it all the way open. I can tell by the scratching sound and the jolt that hits my body as he pops back into me.

"Do you wish to risk her life?" Dimitri asks, standing just inside the doorway. The cool night air hits my skin. I tremble from the cold and a combination of outright fear.

"I won't be," Vik says. He doesn't even glance at Dimitri. He stares straight into my eyes.

A rolling wave of nausea hits me so hard that I squeeze my eyes shut. I'm pretty sure I'm going to vomit. I think I gasp something to that effect. When my eyes open, everything is spotty.

"Follow us and I'll shoot her in the face." Dimitri chuckles. "That would be a shame. It's messy to fuck a bleeding corpse."

My blood goes icy. He really is an awful son of a bitch.

I mouth, "I love you" to Vik. It's so hard to focus on anything as my stomach rolls.

Dimitri steps out onto the porch. I have no idea what happens next because it's behind me, but all I hear is the sick crunch of bones breaking. There's a violent jolt as Dimitri's arm digs into my stomach. He bellows and it makes my ears ring.

Dimitri's arm falls from around my middle, and I instinctively toss myself forward back into the house toward Vik. Another disgusting crunch fills the air.

I clamp my mouth closed as my stomach rolls.

"Get a towel," Rafe calls. "Jesus Christ, man. He got you good."

"Exactly how long were you going to stand there?" Vik grumbles, wrapping his arms around me.

"As long as necessary to ensure I had a clean maneuver," Wolfe says indignantly.

Vik lifts me and I wrap myself around his chest. "Shh, you're okay, princess."

I think maybe I'm in shock because what comes out of my mouth is, "I know I am." Vik heads for the bathroom and grabs several towels before heading back to the door. He tosses them to Rafe.

I sob as I get a look at Wolfe. He's got blood streaming down his face and covering his shoulder.

"I'm good, dollface," Wolfe assures me.

I blink rapidly when I catch sight of Murphy and Luke. They've both got guns at their feet and they're helping Rafe stop Wolfe's bleeding.

"We need to call an ambulance," I whisper.

"Jesus fucking Christ, Anastasia. It's twenty-something degrees outside. Put some clothes on," Murphy grumbles. "We added an addendum at the lodge. No half-naked omegas can roam the halls."

"Shit," Vik says.

"I'm bonded now," I say, like that changes everything. I remember the morning he carried me down the stairs, he said no unclaimed omegas could wander the halls half-naked.

Yeah, I'm fairly sure I'm in shock.

Vik immediately spins back around, carrying me inside. He helps me put on a pair of Rafe's sweats and a hoodie, as well as socks and shoes.

"Did Wolfe break his neck?" I ask, trying to swallow, but it's practically impossible. My mouth is bone dry. I don't even feel nauseous anymore. I'm actually quite numb. It's not a bad feeling at all. I'm pretty sure all of this is a dream, or a delusion anyway.

"He did," Vik agrees. "It was risky, but Wolfe has experience with that move and the model Dimitri was carrying has trigger safety, meaning unless the firing pin safety and trigger are fully depressed it's not going to fire."

"Oh," I say, like I have any clue what that means.

"You couldn't see it, but Wolfe's first move was pulling Dimitri's gun arm down and breaking it.

Once that was done, Dimitri immediately went to try to support his broken bone.

It's an instinctual reaction. That's when Wolfe transferred pressure to the neck.

It's a very quick combo that we practiced many times when we were in training. "

"So he's dead?"

Vik picks me up and carries me back outside. "It depends on which vertebrae Wolfe got. Hopefully…"

I shrug. I'm pretty much positive I'm in shock, but at least I'm not having a breakdown. I'm also really sure Dimitri won't be hurting anyone with a broken neck. And that's all that really matters to me.