Page 24 of Taming The Omega

Before Seth could formulate a reply, a warning cry rose up from the woods. Another call echoed it. Joey and Seth both slid off the rock. Seth held out a hand to help the new father and kept it on Joey’s elbow as they quickly headed back to the compound until he was sure the boy was steady on his feet.

“That’s a perimeter breach warning,” the other omega offered. “Intruders have entered the pack lands. We need to get to the longhouse.”

“I’m not sure I’m supposed to go in there.”

“All omegas, sigmas and pups hole up in the great room until we get the all-clear. It’s the safest place to be if there is an attack. No exceptions.” He shot Seth a grim look.

Before they reached the backyard, a large gamma came bounding out of the woods and flanked them. He first growled, then yipped repeatedly at Joey.

The omega grunted. “I’m going. We can argue later over whether I should have dared take a little walk within spitting distance of our cabin. For goodness sake, Liam, I whelped a pup. I didn’t revert back to being one.”

It took Seth a second to realize that this gamma was Joey’s mate. The big wolf eyed him and bared his teeth in warning. Seth was conflicted and confused about what to do. Despite what Joey had said, he thought he should go back to the shed. Back to Caleb.

His dilemma was solved when Caleb, still in human form, came running up to him. Slowing down, Seth headed in his direction. “Joey said I should go into the great room with the other non-combatants, but I wasn’t sure.”

Before answering him, Caleb pulled him in for a hug tight enough to rob Seth of his breath. “I was so worried when I woke and you were gone.”

“I’m fine,” he said into the gamma’s shirt because he couldn’t move an inch.

Caleb finally let him go, but only to hold him by the shoulders. “Joey’s right. Go inside.”

Seth peered up at him, now more scared then he had been when he heard the first warning cry. “You’re going to face the intruders?”

“That’s what I do, Seth. You know that.”

He blinked back sudden tears. “Yeah, but…be careful.” Gods, that sounded way lame, but he couldn’t bear the idea of Caleb being hurt. Or worse.

“I always am.” Those reassuring words were punctuated with a brief kiss that nevertheless hit Seth like a lightning bolt. It was hard to breathe. “Now, go.” Caleb sent him off with a quick swat on his butt.

Being too well trained to resist, Seth did as he was told, but he couldn’t help looking over his shoulder at the gamma who ran into a fight, not away from it.

Chapter Ten

For the good of the pack and Seth, Caleb put thoughts of the omega out of his head. He joined Lorcan in the front of the longhouse just as a large SUV rounded the last bend of the driveway.

“Should I shift, Alpha?”

“Not yet.” Lorcan stared at the approaching vehicle with intensity. “The others have, but let’s stay human and see what they want. That’s some of Haldon’s boys, and given that they are driving up in plain sight, let’s assume this a friendly visit.”

Caleb snorted. “From what I’ve seen and heard, they don’t know how to do one of those. What if this is a distraction?”

“Deidra and Finn are out scouting for that possibility.”

“Of course.” Dumb of him to think the alpha wouldn’t have considered that.

“I like that you’re thinking of those things. Keep it up.”

The unexpected praise pleased him, although he had little time to dwell on it. Within seconds, the SUV had arrived. A gamma drove, yet stayed inside, while a beta and two other gammas climbed out.

The beta approached Lorcan slowly with his hands outstretched. “I’m not here for a fight, Rogue.”

“Good to know.” Lorcan kept his tone cool. “What do you want?”

“Haldon sent me.”

“I assumed as much. Why?”

The beta stopped a good ten feet away and put his hands on his hips. “One of your pack members invaded our territory.”

---