Page 63 of Shattered Omega

SHATTER

I found Umbra in his room, seated on his bed.

On the bedside table were two coins and a knife. His eyes flickered to me as I opened the door but he didn’t move.

There was something wrong. He was hiding in the bond, but something surrounded him, a numbness I’d never felt.

I crossed toward him, and his eyes followed me, and I reached out and took his hand in mine. He flinched, sandstorm eyes hard—more than I’d ever seen. Even his scent was different, blood so much sharper than the cooler tones of wolfsbane.

“Where…” He shut his eyes, jaw clenched. “Where were you?”

I took a breath, hating saying it now more than I had with Dusk. But they couldn’t know. If they found out, I think they would guess the truth I’d learned, and we couldn’t afford hopelessness. Not now.

Not when there was one more thing I needed to discover. One more piece of the puzzle beyond even Uncle.

And I needed to find it before the Lincoln pack opened the safe.

“I can’t tell you,” I whispered. My eyes burned. I hated lying to them. I hated tricking Ransom.

I hated that it was the Lincoln pack doing this to us.

Umbra tugged his hand from my grip, gazing up at me, and I saw what I’d been feeling at last. That quiet numbness. He reached up, hand cupping my cheek.

“I love you, Shatter.”

“I know.”

“I can’t lose you.”

I frowned. “Umbra?—”

“Tell me where you went.” His voice was low, his aura sweeping into the air like a frigid autumn wind.

Shock hit my system as I felt the command lock into place. A demand for truth fuelled by the bite on my neck. Fuelled by the massive weight of his alpha aura.

I opened my mouth before I realised it, words forming on my tongue before panic gripped me and I shoved him out with every ounce of strength I had.

I shut my mouth, and my breath caught, pain tearing through my body, a thousand needles driving into my skin as I warred with the bond on my neck. The command was a harsh whisper in my head, demanding I succumb. That I make this pain go away.

Umbra was on his feet, still cupping my chin, and I clutched his arm as I shook, tears filling my eyes as he stood, gaze locked on me.

“Shatter.” His aura flared as the command grew to a scream.

I grit my teeth, drawing a sharp breath, and shook my head. “No.”

“Umbra!” The door behind me slammed open.

The command dropped, and I took a breath.

“What the hell are you doing?” Dusk demanded, reaching us. Ransom was on my other side, hand on my back.

I still gripped Umbra, nerves frayed. I couldn’t take my eyes off him. Everything was wrong…

“Stop me again, I’ll take pack lead,” Umbra snarled at Dusk.

Stop him?

I was catching up slowly, mind foggy from the pain. The command had dropped because Dusk had dropped it. He had the final say on my commands.

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