Page 33 of Sold to the Alphas

“Handled it by tearing into them like a feral pup?” August echoed, his voice sharpening. “We’re trying to stay unnoticed, Finn, not leave a trail of blood and death behind us!”

Finn rolled his eyes. “Oh, forgive me for reacting when our omega was in danger. Maybe next time, I’ll stop to ask for permission before saving her life.”

My heart sank as the fight I feared began brewing.

“You didn’t save her!” August’s voice rose, his control fraying. “You endangered her. Do you have any idea what happens now? The scent of blood, the bodies—they’ll find this. Humans aren’t stupid, Finn. They’ll follow the trail, and it will lead right to us.”

“She was in danger,” Finn snapped. “And what were you doing? Standing there and hesitating, like you always do when it comes to humans.”

August clenched his fists, his entire body trembling with suppressed fury. He stepped closer to Finn, and the tension between them spiked, the air crackling with the threat of violence.

Finn’s smirk twisted into something darker as he leaned closer. “You hate this because you’re too soft on humans. You can’t even stomach the sight of their blood because it reminds you of what you did.”

The words hit August like a physical blow. His breath hitched as his control slipped.

“Stop it,” I said, my voice firm as I stepped between them.

Both of them froze, their attention snapping to me as if they’d forgotten I was there. I met August’s gaze first, his gold eyes flickering back to gray as he fought to pull himself together. Then I turned to Finn, his smirk faltering under the weight of my glare.

“What’s done is done,” I said, keeping my voice steady despite my pounding heart. “We can’t afford to fight amongst ourselves, not now. Not with everything at stake.”

The tension eased, just barely, as August stepped back with a sharp exhale. His gaze softened slightly when it landed on me.

“We don’t have time for this,” said Marshall firmly, looking at the bodies on the ground. “We need to clean this up. Now.”

“I can help,” I said, my voice barely above a whisper.

Three pairs of eyes snapped to me, each one filled with a different kind of intensity.

“No.” August’s response was immediate and final.

“You’re not touching them,” Marshall added, his tone firm but softer than August’s. “You just shifted for the first time in a long time. You deserve rest.”

Finn smirked, though there was no real humor in it. “We’ll handle it, little omega. Listen to Marshall.”

They moved quickly, working in grim silence, but August lingered, his presence drawing me in despite the chaos around us. The bite of winter air did little to cool the heat building beneath my skin as he took a hesitant step toward me, his expression torn between frustration and something achingly tender.

“Are you hurt?” he murmured, his voice low and rough. They had all looked me over already, but his voice was desperate, as if he didn’t believe his own eyes. “Are you okay?”

I gave a small nod, and his shoulders slumped. The tension in his body began to ease, taking all his energy with it.

“I’m okay, August. I’m safe,” I said, stepping closer. “I promise you, I’m okay.”

Everything else faded away for a moment—the blood, the bodies, the anger. It was just the two of us, standing in the aftermath, trying to hold onto something that felt steady.

“You shouldn’t have been put in this position,” he said, his voice barely above a whisper. “We didn’t want your shift to happen like this.”

“None of us deserved this,” I answered quietly, reaching for his arm. “But I don’t regret it.”

August cupped my cheek, his thumb brushing over my skin gently. “I should have protected you from it,” he said as I leaned further into his touch.

His scent wrapped around me, calming and intoxicating all at once, grounding me in a way that nothing else could.

“August,” I whispered, his name a fragile thing on my lips.

His gaze locked onto mine, intense and unyielding. “You’re more important than you realize, Elisabed. To all of us.”

I wanted to believe him, but the words lodged in my throat, unspoken. Instead, I rose on my toes, my hands brushing against his chest as I pressed my lips to his.

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