Page 46 of Omega's Salvation

A round of howls and hoots erupt into the darkness as we race forward to take down a threat that’s been looming for years. My only hope is that I get to watch the life drain from my brother’s eyes, the same way I did my mother’s.

Call me sick but it’ll heal a piece of my broken heart so that I can return to Gael’s grave and mourn him properly. Mourn them both properly.

The pack of the Forbidden is not ready for our descent but I keep Nepheline’s words in mind—the ones Victoria gave her a few days prior.

There are innocents in that pack. Honor your original mission but do not let your rage overtake your actions. Kill those who deserve it. Let the others be.

I intend to honor that, which is an easy enough agreement when I catch a certain scent that should absolutely not be here.

Pierson.

A fucking coward.

No doubt, the man ran the moment Calista’s death was announced. Well, I’ll enjoy ripping an elder apart, especially one that had a hand in all this mess.

35

NEPHELINE

The carnage covers every space in the heart of this pack land but there is no homey feeling when I stand here. No loyalty. No love. This place feels barely lived in as I twirl around, staring at the wolves slain across the snowy floor. Nature runs red with their blood, lifeless bodies piling up around me. My pack leaves no place unturned, but the meeting is seriously underwhelming.

I was ready to truly fight wolves that had been preparing for this showdown but it’s abundantly clear that Silas didn’t expect us to get this far. Had things gone according to plan, I would have been right beside Silas as his Luna and Mateo would be dead. The magic would have receded and left us to the whims of a crazy scientist and the Alpha consumed with the unnatural serum giving him boosted energy.

Light peeks through the trees, telling me that we’ve been at this for a few hours. Unfortunately, though, I haven’t found Silas. Mateo disappeared early on, shouting something about Pierson but I’ve been focused on running down my aggression so that I get to enjoy my moments with Silas.

I want to draw it out, the way he drew it out with my family. I want him to know the pain I suffered as I searched for him and vowed to end him. When he says my name, he will say it with fear rather than triumph.

“Zoning out, Bambi? We’re far from done here.”

“Searching for Silas. His scent lingers here but he isn’t here. If that coward fucking ran, I’m going to gut him.”

A chuckle comes from the other side as River wipes the back of his hand across his face to rid of the blood coating his skin. He grins, his teeth a deep red from all of the wolves he’s torn apart. “You were already going to gut him, sweetie. Don’t worry. The coward won’t have gone far.”

I sigh, feeling like we’ve come here in vain. The pack of the Forbidden is fractured but not demolished. No doubt wolves have splintered off to create their own groups but that isn’t my primary concern. My concern is the fucker who started all of this.

As the fight continues, distant snarls and growls fill my ears when I look to my left at a large wolf slowly approaching. Asani is carrying a body between his teeth, a triumphant aura bleating around my Alpha. He doesn’t stop until he’s at my feet, dropping the body with a large thud. Only then do I recognize the man’s face.

Enzo.

Asani shifts back, huffing out a large breath. “Without him, they’ll never be able to collect his work. I’ll still need to perfect the anti-serum to do away with the remaining wolves but there will be no new ones. The additional serum has been destroyed.”

I smile up at him, placing a hand on his chest before reaching up to press a kiss to his lips. “I can feel your guilt but this was never your intention and not your fault. Asani, I can sense you want my forgiveness so I’ll give it even if there is nothing to forgive.” He sifts a hand into my hair and smashes our lips back together, taking his time to devour me until I pull away.

“Silas. I need that fucking man before we leave. We can not fight every superwolf. They are hard to take down but I-”

>

I frown at Maverick’s message. > I rush forward, not entirely sure where I’m headed until Maverick spouts off a list of directions. Several minutes pass as I shift and rush through the underbrush, not caring about the twigs and leaves catching against my fur.

What meets my eyes as I stop just before a little house isn’t what I expected. Mateo is gleefully tugging at Pierson’s intestines before a little pop echoes through the woods and the body comes apart. Pierson is beyond dead but I suspect that Mateo is acting out his aggression. However, it is Maverick smugly leaning against the entrance of a small cottage that pulls me forward.

“I may not have a wolf but I had a few tranq guns from bounty hunting. Thought it could be helpful. Looks like despite the serum, it still works.” He pushes open the door and flicks on a light to reveal a shifted wolf sprawled across the floor. “Needed to use three of those things but he won’t be moving for a few minutes.”

I shift back, a little terrified at what I’m seeing. “Why does he look like that? Kylan looked like a demon. Calista looked like something from your nightmares. What is this?”

Darius presses up against my back, looking over my shoulder before letting out an audible shudder. “Almost looks like a human is wearing a fur suit. He definitely looked more demonic nearly a week ago. This is almost normal compared to that.” He shudders again and I can’t blame him. Silas looks like a failed version of our wolf and yet somehow even more vicious with the extended canines and claws.

We push inside, everyone shifting back as we gather in the open layout. No doubt Silas was going to hide out here until things blew over and then start anew. Maverick marches over to the fridge and knocks on the door. “Asani, this is all you. I have no idea how to dispose of this shit but assumed that you would want access to it.”

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