Page 38 of Omega's Salvation

I hate that there has to be a contingency plan. There had been one the night my entire pack was slaughtered but it should have been Darius carrying me out of the crystal forest, not Flynn. I brace myself against Mateo as we wait, pack members slowly moving into the clearing, Ilsa’s headstone just a few paces away.

The general aura is heavy with curiosity and fear and anxiety, people unsure of what will happen. After all, Kylan is much larger than Mateo in some respects. The majority of the pack has no clue about the serum and opening that can of worms would shove Asani into an unfavorable light that we can’t afford. That truth will reveal itself sooner or later but for now, we’ll focus on Kylan.

My breathing quickens when Kylan enters the clearing, his chest puffed out, his shoulders spread as he approaches us. A smug smile sits on his lips as he thrusts his hand out, Mateo staring at it but not touching it. My Alpha waits for everyone to settle before speaking to the entirety of the pack—faces I saw at the diner, those I’m sure follow Kylan and Calista, and a few new ones that I assume must be from the Sapphire wolves.

“As we all know, Kylan has challenged me for my position as pack Alpha and for the right to my Omega and our Luna. Tonight, this fight will be to the death but must stay in the clearing. There will be no outside interference, no cheating, and it will continue beneath the full moon until one of us breathes our last.” Mateo’s voice thunders across the snow, holding a power not unlike the one from last night. Only now that he’s said his peace, does he address Kylan. “Do you still challenge me as pack Alpha for this position?”

Kylan bursts out laughing, shaking his head. “You think you are so great but have no idea what’s truly working behind the scenes. I have been waiting for this moment. Waiting to strip you off your high horse and fuck your Omega until she’s screaming my name. She will be a pretty trophy that I will ruin before handing off to your brother. Instill hope all you want, Mateo, but you won’t win. I accept.”

They clasp hands, Darius moving forward to pull me away. It isn’t until I’m standing at the edge of the space that Asani bends down to my ear, his warm breath fanning my skin. “A few shots of that serum will give an Alpha a boost. Too many and it’ll fuck with their ability to reason and to truly interact with their wolf. I suspect Kylan hasn’t shifted in a while. That serum and becoming feral is a delicate balance.”

My eyes widen as I twist around to glare at Asani. “You gave me that serum! My wolf could have become feral?”

“Nepheline, Enzo handed that shit to you on a pretty little platter and I knew that keeping you from that serum outweighed any other risks. To answer your question, no. That serum wasn’t made for an Omega. Your wolf may have become a little more vicious but no, not feral.”

I breathe a sigh of relief as I face my Alpha and Kylan again, both of them moving into readying stances. That’s when my gaze falls on Calista dragging Gael in to sit on a small seat. Mateo’s father has seen better days, his skin almost gray and his expression gloomy. He doesn’t look like he’s in pain—thank the goddess for Asani—but I don’t know if he’ll make it through this fight.

When Mateo notices his father is in attendance, I hope and pray that my Alphas are right—that Gael’s presence will spur my Alpha to draw the magic from Mother Nature and use it to his advantage.

“We may lose a precious soul tonight but we will gain so much more. Remember that Gael will always be with Mateo, the same way that your brother is with you.”

Maverick’s words hit a cord as I frown but don’t look away from my Alpha. I never mentioned Locke to him, not that I remember. If Maverick’s words ring true, that means that the magic will bring back the aura of the Redstone pack. Our lands will feel full of life again.

One step at a time.

A growl tears through the clearing, Kylan shifting into the largest, most terrifying wolf I’ve ever seen. He’s easily a few inches taller and thicker than Mateo and the snarl that follows the shift rumbles through the earth floor. The black fur is almost an inky color, the wolf’s eyes so dark they absorb light from the snow.

Mother Nature says that Mateo will win.

I’m not so sure.

28

MATEO

I stare at the mass of darkness snapping at me, unsure of what I’m staring at. Kylan is no longer a wolf, no longer a shifter gifted magic by Mother Nature but the product of a scientific creature that is an abomination to our values. No wonder he believed that he could beat me. Staring at his form alone, I can feel the tendrils of power running through him but it’s unnatural.

I try to steel my emotions from seeing my father and his shallow breathing as he mouths ‘Stay strong’. My entire being wants to run over to him and wait out his last moments instead of facing off with Kylan but that will cost me my entire pack and the family I’ve built.

The only reason I give in is the way one of the pack members moves to sit beside Gael and hold his hands in hers. It takes me a few seconds to realize that the wolf isn’t a member of our pack but the Sapphire wolves. They really do blend in well.

The confusion running through Gael’s expression worries me but Taras sits on the other side, showing me where he stands. For a while, he was Ilsa’s most trusted advisor and elder on the council. Then he became Calista’s and while I still trusted the man, I think he fell easily at the woman’s feet. This gesture won’t erase his lack of action but it does give me hope that this next generation may have a future.

An animalistic sound rips me from my thoughts as Kylan lunges toward me. In order to dodge, I shift, nearly missing a set of fangs that are much sharper than mine. His attacks are chaotic but fierce, each one dangerously close to catching some part of my body.

I continue to dodge and evade, refusing to engage until I can catalog what I’m working with. Murmurs and gasps work through the small crowd watching us, no doubt discussing the differences in our wolves’ coats. Where Kylan looks like something that crawled out of hell, the red through my coat shows my connection with the Redstone pack.

Kylan lets out a growl before dashing toward me, catching my shoulder. Pain sears through my body as his claws slice through flesh the way a knife would slice through butter. Blood coats my dark fur as I stumble back, shocked at the power behind that serum. The feral wolves that Maverick had taken down had lost themselves to their beasts but Kylan is completely in control.

Except for that awful version of a roar that is supposed to simulate the power of his wolf. It feels like nature cringes every time Kylan yells into the clearing rather than embracing or emboldening the sound. My tactic of evading his claws stops working. He has somehow become faster in the last several moments, my wolf raging for a chance to drag the feral Alpha into the ground.

>

A smile spreads across my lips as I stalk forward, doing just as Maverick suggested. He hasn’t been wrong yet so I trust that his gift will lead me in the right direction. A few deep breaths later, I lean into the wolf I’ve been trying so hard to tuck away. The animal rears its ugly head as magic bursts forth from my chest and rumbles down my spine. When I throw my head back to let out a howl, the sky seems to shake from the force, leaves whistling in the brisk wind.

Kylan freezes where he is before charging again and this time, I stand my ground before swiping across his chest. A wail of anguish erupts into the air as Kylan stumbles back, his blood coating my claws. My body aches with the few blows that Kylan managed to get in but I’m ready.

I need to win.

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