Page 14 of Unable Omega (One Wild Alpha #3)

Sage

In the few miles since I left the sleuth’s lands, my bear had taken over, with my permission. I had to mourn while moving, not an easy feat by any stretch of the imagination.

My bear’s endurance was much better after a few days of being fed and hydrated and while before, every step felt like trudging through mud, each of my steps now were lighter. My bear wasn’t so out of breath.

We could make sure Rob and his sleuth were safe from us in no time.

I’d crossed over a bubbling stream and stopped for a drink when a noise resounded behind me. The earth rumbled beneath me with the power of something huge.

The fur around my neck raised on end as I heard a voice call out my name. “Sage!”

My bear was torn. He had the capacity to override my hold on our consciousness and right now, he was debating taking over again. He didn’t understand why leaving my mate made him safe. He didn’t see himself as a threat. What he’d done at the lab was to protect me. That was his argument.

But my human side? I only saw myself as a killer.

My bear turned and for a few minutes, we had a war. I wanted to keep Rob safe.

My beast knew Rob would always keep us safe. He would accept us.

“Sage, please!” I heard again. He was getting closer but my bear was winning this fight.

This was what I was afraid of. My bear winning the war of consciousness and him hurting someone, whether it was seen as self-defense or not.

My bear didn’t move. I screamed at him. Did everything I could, but he stood and waited for his alpha.

I’d lost the war. Again. I really needed to work on that.

Rob’s giant bear came into view, barreling toward us.

He roared so loudly that even if I wanted to move, I couldn’t.

His alpha power poured into the space between us, stilling me.

I’d never had an alpha use his power on me.

I always thought it a barbaric practice but coming from my mate, I knew he would only use it out of care and safety.

Once his bear was in front of me, he shifted to Rob. He was naked, out of breath, and more beautiful than I’d ever seen him.

Contrary to my determination to get away from him, for his own good, calm washed over me. Relief took the place of fear.

My mate was here.

“Shift,” he commanded, taking a breath from clenching his jaw.

My bear dropped the bundle of clothing from my mouth and shifted at his alpha’s demand. I stood in the path of my alpha on two legs again, shaking.

What would he think of me? Would he reject me now?

If he did, making sure he was safe would be effortless.

“Where are you going, omega?” His chin quivered as he spoke. I gasped, watching tears well in his eyes. His pain and heartbreak punched me in the chest. Even though our bond was new, it was powerful.

“My bear can’t be controlled. I had a dream about what I did at the lab, but it wasn’t a dream. It was my memories. He’s dangerous, Rob. He’s murderous, and I don’t know if he’s bloodthirsty.”

“He’s not.”

My words poured out like a whimper. How could he be so damned confident in my bear when I saved none of that for myself. “How do you know?”

Rob stepped forward, slow and calculated. The wind and the birds stopped all movement and sound. The world could’ve stopped moving and I wouldn’t have cared less. Rob wasn’t rejecting me.

Then again, he didn’t know what I’d done.

“Because I just commanded you to shift back, Sage. An uncontrolled animal wouldn’t obey his alpha’s commands. But he did. We can work on your control but he listens to me. He listens to his mate.”

A sob broke free. I leaned forward, bracing my palms on my knees. He was right. I’d been running to make sure Rob was well, but he had full control over my bear. Goddess, I’d been so stupid.

But I wouldn’t go on without him knowing the truth. “I have to tell you what I’ve done. What I did. We can’t have a life without me telling you.”

“Then tell me. Why don’t you put some clothes on, Sage? You’re shivering.”

“It’s not from the cold.”

He nodded. “Then at least come over here when you tell me. I thought I’d lost you. I thought I’d never see you again. I didn’t know…sweetheart, I wouldn’t have survived you leaving. I told you that. I couldn’t breathe.”

In all my haste, I hadn’t calculated what this would do to him. In trying not to hurt him physically, I’d maimed him emotionally.

I crossed the distance between us and fell into his embrace with an oomph .

A moan fell from my lips. Every tense muscle in my body released.

I melted into my alpha. “Tell me,” he begged.

“Whatever it is, we’ll work through it. Markus is our counselor as well.

You can talk to him if you don’t want to talk to me.

Whatever it takes, but please, please don’t take my mate away. I’ve waited so long for you.”

“Markus?” I asked. “I thought he was the healer.”

Rob nodded and kissed my temple. “He is. Inside and out. We have group sessions and individual ones. It’s good for us to talk about what we’ve been through.”

“Will you tell me what you’ve been through?” I asked.

“I will, but you first. Let’s clear the air. My bear can feel your tension. It’s killing me.”

We sat down in the cool grass, both naked, neither caring. I told him everything I remembered, even the blips of time that didn’t quite connect to the rest.

How my bear killed people.

The blood. The bodies. The fear. The gnashing of teeth. The smells. Everything. I laid it all out and when I was done, I hoped it wasn’t him who was running from me.

I wouldn’t blame him. Not one bit.

“What a good bear,” Rob praised once I was done and nodded, letting him know the end of my story had come.

“What?” I asked, pulling away from him.

“I said, what a good omega bear you have. He moved you to the back of his mind and took over, taking care of you and defending himself against those who would put you back in a cage or kill you.”

“But he murdered people.”

“He stopped humans, not good humans, I should say, from killing and capturing my mate. That’s not murder, it’s self-defense. I’m proud of him. Next time my bear sees your bear, they want to mark each other. I’m damned honored to have such a fierce beast as my mate.”

“Huh,” I said because I had no words for what he’d just explained. Sure, it made sense and I’d considered the self-defense angle but not like he explained it. Rob made it seem like I was a warrior when I’d made my bear out to be a criminal.

“I need you to make me a promise.”

“What? I’m still amazed you want me around, and you want me to make a promise?”

He chuckled and lifted my body easily, sitting me between his legs. The sun began to come out and its rays fingered through the tree branches above, bathing us in light. The timing couldn’t have been more perfect. “I will always want you around. Always. Now, this promise.”

I sighed. “Name it.” I would do anything for this male. Anything.

“Next time there is something wrong, don’t run from me or it. Come find me, and we will work it out together. You’re not alone anymore. We are a team. You have to trust me with your darkness and your light.”

“Okay. But what about your sleuth? What will they think?”

Rob pulled me in tighter and kissed the sweet spot between my shoulder and neck.

“I have no doubt they will think the same way I did. We have all suffered at the hands of those monsters. Our animals were given to us for a reason. And a lot of that reason was to keep us safe. Fate has a plan for all of us.” He pressed his nose to the curve of my neck.

“She gave me the most incredible, brave omega.”

I leaned back and let myself breathe. “What do we do now?”

“We shift and go back home. But first, my bear wants to see his mate. You up for another run?”

When I didn’t immediately answer, he chuckled. “If I promise to make you the best breakfast ever?”

“You don’t have to bribe me, alpha. I want to go home.”