Page 48 of Shattered Omega

But then she went absolutely still in my arms. Through the bond, terror spiked and all my instincts went on full alert.

“What?” I growled.

“Ransom!” Her voice was weak.

“What, Shatter?”

She was still gripping me, face ashen, but her hand was still at my waist, she was tugging?—

Her sharp whine of shock sent my aura flaring, and she was in my arms in a second as I jumped to my feet, holding her close, eyes sweeping the room.

“What is it?”

She clutched me like a koala, eyes wide and fixed on the bed. My blood pounded in my ears as I stepped back.

Holy hell, what was it?

“What’s happening?” Umbra and Dusk piled in at the doorway. Shatter was shaking, crumpling against me with a wail.

Then I saw it.

“Oh.”

Shit.

“No, no. It was Flynn—” I made for the little card that was lying on the covers—a business card marked with a dozen scents of unbonded omegas; but Shatter’s nails dug in and her wail of distress rose in the air.

I’d brought it into her nest.

Into her fucking nest—totally blinded by the idea that she wanted me in here alone.

“I need it gone!” I’d never heard her more panicked. “Get rid of it.”

“What?” Dusk sounded urgent as he stared at the bed, but it was Umbra who caught on quickest.

“Don’t worry, Nightshade, I’ve got it.” He was tugging off his shirt and edging toward the blankets. Shatter wailed again, clutching me tighter.

As if he was going for a spider, Umbra dove for it, scooping it up in his shirt and hurrying it from the room without another word.

Dusk cleared his throat, blinking and clearly trying to conjure the level of seriousness Umbra had just managed. “I will, uh… burn the sheets,” he said. “You should probably?—”

We all jumped at a loud bang! Again, instincts flared at the gunshot from the hallway.

Wait.

Had Umbra just?—?

With a groan, Dusk buried his head in his hands. Shatter, on the other hand, relaxed instantly, clambering down from where I held her, her breathing easing like the threat had passed.

“Thank God for Umbra,” she muttered, nodding to herself, now looking extremely pleased.

Dusk stared at her in a moment of incredulity, then fixed his face. “I will deal with the people about to appear at our door asking why we discharged a firearm in student apartments.” He glared at me. “You go shower.”

He grabbed the duvet with unnecessary aggression and stalked from the nest.

“Shower…?” Shatter repeated it like a question. “Yes. Yes.” She was already shoving me desperately toward the bathroom.

Fifteen minutes, I was instructed to stand beneath scalding water, until Shatter nodded approvingly and allowed me out. I wrapped a towel around myself as my clothing was now gone—likely in the same bonfire Dusk was setting for the blankets.

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