Page 4 of Unable Omega (One Wild Alpha #3)

Sage

Everything hurts.

There wasn’t an inch of me that wasn’t in screaming, ripping agony. I’d been in my bear form for too long, and he didn’t give up the shift easily.

Not until that man challenged us. That alpha.

Our mate?

Ugh, everything was fuzzy in my head. With the sun glaring right through the window, I decided to get up.

Before opening my eyes, I took a scent inventory, since I had no idea where I was.

The alpha’s scent was the most prominent in the room.

Also blood. Fresh air. Bears. Even the incoming sunlight had a scent.

Humans didn’t think it did, but it absolutely smelled divine.

Flashes of the night before popped into my mind. Defending myself against the other bear, the alpha…the one my bear called mate.

Almost fighting him.

He’d demanded I submit, and my bear obeyed. Maybe he was the alpha of this sleuth. That would make more sense than the mate theory my bear had come up with.

I sat up slowly and threw my legs over the side of the bed.

My muscles ached. My throat was dry. So damned dry.

I scanned the cabin, finding a bed and a small table.

No kitchen but there was a bathroom. I hobbled to the sink and filled my hands with water, drinking until it sloshed in my belly as I took a few steps to the toilet and did my business.

Inside the shower, I spotted a three-in-one shampoo, conditioner, and soap and a towel hanging on the rack.

It had been years since I had anything more than a sterilization shower.

Standing under the hot water spray sounded like a vacation.

There was no one else in the cabin, so I went for it.

Oh, it was better than a vacation. It was like I’d died and gone to the afterworld. The bodywash in the shower smelled like pine and vanilla and, while it was nothing close to the alpha I’d scented the night before, it made me feel like a new person.

A bleeding, tired, hungry, thirsty, and scared person, but a clean one anyway.

I got out and toweled off. There was a pair of shorts and a T-shirt on the edge of the bed, along with a pair of boxers Were they there when I got up? All of them smelled new. Did they keep new clothes around here? Were they expecting me?

“Shit!” I said out loud. What if I’d walked right into a place where the shifters turned in one of their own for money?

That would be my luck.

I scrambled to put the clothes on and rushed to the door only to find it was locked—from the outside. I jiggled the doorknob but there was no getting out of here.

My gaze slid to the window, but before I could get there to see if it was locked and moreover if I could use it to escape, the knob moved. Voices resounded outside, and I picked up one of the chairs beside the small table, ready to defend myself.

The door opened, and two men entered. One taller and leaner than the other. The one behind him had dark hair and a large tattoo covering both pecs. He was muscular, but he also looked like a plate of cookies wouldn’t be turned down by him. A cuddly big bear if there ever was one.

“We aren’t here to hurt you,” the first one said, putting his hands up in a sign of surrender. “Please put the chair down.”

My stare flicked from one to the other. My bear swept into my senses and sniffed, finding no danger or even a hint of anger. And something even more interesting… “Okay.” My voice came out rough. Talking made my throat feel raw as though being a bear for so long had ripped the lining.

“I’m Markus, the healer here. What’s your name?”

I placed the chair down slowly but backed up a few paces. “Sage.”

Markus, the healer, or so he said, nodded but didn’t move toward me. “Sage. Let’s look at that wound on your side. If you’ll allow me, I’ll examine you, make sure you don’t have any other injuries.”

“Why?” I asked.

“Why? Because those who come here are taken care of. We are a sanctuary of sorts. We help shifters like you.”

The other man, who hadn’t introduced himself, nodded and looked at me. I’d never seen eyes so damned blue. Maybe I had really died and gone to the afterlife. Minus the healer and the pain, I wouldn’t mind this one bit.

“Sure. Thank you.”

Markus nodded and stepped out of the cabin to retrieve a bag then returned. “Can you take off your clothes and let me see everything?”

A low rumble came from the other male. The growl of an alpha. “Rob, I’m examining him. You know better. Get hold of yourself.”

I startled. Was he feral? Was he about to attack me? His scent didn’t reveal anything sinister, but maybe all that lab shit had done something to my senses.

“I’m fine. Go on.”

I took off the shorts and shirt and sat on the edge of the bed.

Markus pulled up a chair, while Rob leaned against the wall and crossed his arms over his tight chest. If the man owned a shirt, I never wanted him to find it.

“What do you want me to do?”

“Nothing. Do you want to tell us where you came from? How long were you shifted?” Markus urged me to turn so he could see the wound on my side.

His touch was gentle, but I hissed through my teeth.

He studied the gash. “It looks painful, but I don’t want to give you any pain medication without knowing more. ”

“I think I was in bear form for about three weeks. I roamed the forest for a while, afraid they were on my tail, but then I didn’t know where to go. Or my bear didn’t. Then he got on a trail of scent and couldn’t be stopped. He brought me here.”

“He was in a lab? They did this to him?” Rob spoke to the healer as though I weren’t in the room. When he wasn’t focused on Markus, his gaze remained glued to the floor or the window. I’d have given just about anything to have him look at me again.

“I was in a lab. I escaped. I don’t know when I got hurt. By the time we got into the woods, I was bleeding. They tried to stop my bear.”

“When you were escaping? This might sting a bit. Big breath.” Markus brought out first-aid supplies.

I braced myself for pain while he sprayed something on the wound. It stung a bit but was a tickle compared to what I had gone through. Rob had been through some things as well. He had silverish scars on his stomach and down his arms.

I couldn’t take my eyes off him.

My bear called out mate again, but I shushed him. This man clearly didn’t want to have anything to do with me.

Markus bandaged me up and then listened to my heart.

My lungs. Asked me if anything else hurt.

Looked for chips, or so he said as he ran his hands all over my skin.

Rob didn’t seem too happy about that and neither was I.

I would’ve much preferred Rob’s touch. Too bad he was acting like I didn’t exist.

“We need to get you something to eat and drink. You are extremely dehydrated, and I’m sure exhausted. Would it be okay if we moved you to my infirmary? It’s adjoined to my place with my mate and our son. You would be totally safe there.”

Rob didn’t comment, though I mentally begged for it.

“If you think that’s for the best,” I said. “Are you sure it’s okay? I don’t have any money or any way to pay you back.”

“There’s no need.” Markus patted my hand. “We are a community. We work together to help shifters. Now, are you okay to walk, or should I have the grumpy guy carry you?”

I should’ve said yes. I would’ve loved to be carried by the brooding bear, but Rob rubbed his arms with his hands, looking more uncomfortable than ever. “Let me get dressed, and I’ll walk myself. Wouldn’t want to trouble anyone any more than I already am.”