Page 34 of Omega's Breed

They locked jaws around each other’s neck, kicking and raking, twisting and rolling, until they became one big ball of fur. Their growls, along with the coppery scent of blood, filled the air around them. Nothing else penetrated the fog of battle. Finn’s world condensed to only the wolf within his grip. He struggled to turn the heavier wolf onto its back, but found himself on the defense. He shook the mouthful of neck he held onto tightly and pumped his hind legs into the soft part between the gamma’s legs.

His reward was an encouraging yelp and suddenly the weight lifted off him, as his opponent wrenched free and skittered back. Finn rolled immediately to all fours and backed up to assess his position while he heaved in great breaths. The gamma crouched down low, fangs bared, keeping an eye on Finn while he, too, recovered from the intense tussling. Blood streaked the brown fur, and Maurice now favored his left hind leg with each pacing step. Finn didn’t take any time to savor his efforts because he was also bleeding from various places and his gait was equally unsteady.

They circled each other, and as with before, Finn let the other wolf make the first move. A split second before the gamma launched his next attack, Finn pushed off his back legs and met him in mid-air. Their bodies collided in yet another assault using snouts and claws to try to gain purchase over the other body. Finn managed to twist away in time to keep the gamma from biting him on the throat, sending those vicious fangs deep into his shoulder instead. Then, he went down hard on his back, his spine seeming to crack in two and for a second, he was paralyzed by the force of the impact. The heavier body of his opponent pressed him into the ground, and Maurice sank those fangs of his right down to Finn’s bones.

In a flash of blinding pain, Finn saw defeat loom up once again, and he howled in denial of his fate.

Chapter Twelve

Other than the pups fussing from the tension and the prolonged confinement, no one in the great room made any noise. They sat around listening to the terrible noise coming from outside. Will felt frozen with fear and exhausted from the emotional toll of telling his sordid tale. He should have been more forthcoming from the start. It wasn’t fair for Finn to have walked into this mating blind. He should have let the beta know what kind of damaged goods he was getting in Will. Not that Finn had acted like that’s how he saw Will. Instead of disgust or condemnation, his mate had shown Will only kindness and understanding. And, now he was risking his life to save Annie from being returned to Magnus’ brutal home.

A particularly loud screaming growl made him jump. “I can’t stand not knowing what’s happening,” he confessed in a strangled voice.

“Then, let’s go out there,” Kyle said.

Will gave the alpha mate a dubious stare. “Finn told me to stay here.”

Kyle shrugged and was already handing Hope over to Joey. “So, you don’t always have to do what he says.”

“I don’t?” He resisted for a second when the other omega tugged Annie from his grasp and passed her over to Joey, as well.

“Of course not.” Kyle pulled Will up by his arm. “If you do, they’ll just get bigger heads than they already have. Come on.”

“But, won’t I distract him?” He tried to drag his feet.

The alpha mate was relentless, shoving Will from behind. “Maybe, or you’ll help him remember what he’s fighting for.”

The second Will stepped out onto the porch, he saw Finn pinned under the larger gamma, being chewed on. “No!” He yelled out his fear, refusing to accept the reality of what he saw. Stumbling to the railing, he stared down in horror, a hand plastered over his mouth to keep it shut so that he didn’t distract his mate any more than he already had.

It seemed as if everything and everyone stopped, frozen, except for Finn’s eyes finding his. Their gazes locked, and it felt as if they stared at each other for an eternity of time. Will saw both pain and determination in his mate’s expression, and he tried to silently convey his belief in Finn. And his love. For in that moment, he knew for a certainty that he loved Finn, and not only because he was putting his life on the line for Annie.

Finn was everything that was good and noble in a shifter, the kind of mate elders told stories about—courageous, protective, yet kind and gentle. Will’s innocence had been stolen by Magnus, and his faith in life lost, long ago. He hadn’t thought he could ever have either of those things restored. But, in that second when he fixed his gaze on his mate’s, he knew that he’d been wrong. Finn had given them back to him.

“I love you!” He shouted the words without hesitation or embarrassment. He didn’t care who else heard, so long as Finn did.

Time began again, his declaration having kick-started it back into motion. In an act of unbridled strength, Finn kicked his hind legs against the gamma’s underbelly, which even at a distance, Will could see already dripped red. At the same instant, Finn wrenched his upper body away from the gamma’s snout. Blood sprayed out from the tangle of fur at both ends, in a ghastly display that had Will clenching his stomach.

The battling wolves separated, Finn rolling toward the house before lurching quickly to all fours. His opponent, however, landed on his back and stayed there. Deep gashes marred his belly and penis sheath. The gamma whined as he stared at Finn, then tipped his head to expose more of his neck. Will almost laughed with relief. It was over. Magnus’ champion was conceding. With his hackles still up, Finn paced back and forth, his concentration on the downed wolf. Finally, he relaxed his stance and looked at Will over his shoulder.

That’s when the gamma made his move. In a flash, he was standing and lunging toward Finn. Will opened his mouth on a warning shout, a chorus of other voices joining his. But, Finn had already seen the threat, leaping up in a flash. The gamma had come in too high. Finn’s body came in from below, and he sank his teeth into the gamma’s neck. By the time Finn landed on his paws, the other wolf’s throat was hanging from his mouth, and the gamma lay dead on the ground.

Once more, time seemed to stop. Every witness to the fight stood staring at the combatants, unspeaking, absorbing the reality of the outcome. Will felt sick and relieved in equal measure. He forced his feet to move, down the steps, over to Finn. The big, bloody wolf spat out the carnage and limped over to the house. By the time Will’s feet hit the ground, Finn had shifted into human form and crawled his battered and bloody body over to meet him.

“Oh, Finn!” Plopping himself down on the last step, Will opened his arms and welcomed his mate into his embrace. He ignored the gore, and held Finn close.

“You shouldn’t have come out,” Finn rasped as he curled into Will and laid his head down on his lap. “You didn’t need to see this.”

“I wanted to be here for you.” He kissed the top of Finn’s disgusting head and tried to take stock of all the male’s injuries. “You were so brave. The least I could do was be brave with you.”

Finn let out a choked laugh. “I was scared shitless.”

“So was I. I didn’t distract you, did I?” As he asked the question, he looked frantically around for Andrea. All he saw was Lorcan talking to Henry, and Caleb hauling Maurice’s body out to the woods.

Finn laughed again before hacking in an alarming fashion. “Shouting out that you love me was the best kind of distraction.” He coughed again. “Did you, um, mean it?”

“Of course.” He curled around his mate as if he could hold the pieces of him together while they waited for help.

The truck took off with Henry at the wheel, which gave Will a bit of extra relief. The sudden appearance of Andrea helped even more so.

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