Page 17 of Consider The Lilies

Bear sucks in a deep breath, making his barrel chest slowly rise and fall. Then he nods. “Yes, sir.”

I watch as he climbs into the SUV, not moving until he shuts the door behind him. “Get in,” I say to the omega as I open the back door. The omega doesn’t move at first. He stares at the soft leather seat beneath him. “Omega,” I command, and his head snaps up to me. “Get in.”

He obeys this time, lifting one unsteady foot, then the other. He slides across the seats, situating himself behind Yuki. The she-alpha turns around the best she can, staring at the omega, then me. When she glances at Bear, he drops his head, refusing to look at the she-alpha.

“What the hell is this?” Yuki asks as I get into the car. I cut a glare at Bear, pissed he didn’t warn her. But the bearded-alpha looks out the window, ignoring both of us.

Coward.

“You’re gonna want to ask Bear,” I snarl, and the omega shivers next to me. He looks so small with his shirt pulled tight around his legs and his hands tucked underneath him. “Buckle up.”

The boy doesn’t move. He sits frozen in place, staring at the back of Yuki’s seat.

“Stanley?” The she-alpha looks from the omega to me and back again. “We aren’t taking him home,” she says in disbelief, “are we?”

It takes everything in me not to growl, but the omega is already scared enough as it is. “Just drive.” I lean over the omega’s slight form, grab the seatbelt, then tug it across his body. A slight whimper pushes from his chest when my hands graze his lap. I ignore the sound, buckling him in.

I have to make some hard decisions over the next few days. It will hurt Bear, but if this omega causes too much tension with my pack, I will have to get rid of him.

It will kill Bear, but I don’t have a choice.

I can’t alienate Yuki, and I don’t want to disrupt our lives all for one pathetic, scavenged omega.

In The Car

Stefan

The drugs are slowly leaving my system, leaving me cold and scared.

Trying to calm down, I inhale deeply. The thick aromas around me pull deep into my lungs.

There are so many smells that overlap—worn leather, sharp rough cinnamon, something citrusy, and a weird warmth that’s clinging to the inside of my nose. I concentrate on the last one, zeroing in on it. I think it’s the she-alpha sitting in front of me. Her scent is so interesting. It’s kind of smokey but earthy at the same time. It reminds me of the fires we’d burn on early winter mornings. Mari rarely agreed to burn anything—she didn’t want to give our location away—but some days were too cold and we needed them. Those were my favorite days. Surrounded by snow and snuggled up with my sister. But Mari will never feel the warmth of a fire ever again.

She’s gone forever.

Deep sadness pulls within me, and I sniffle.

“It’s okay,” the bearded alpha says, and I look up. His dark eyes sparkle as he glances at me over his shoulder. “You’re safe now.” His voice is nice. Smooth and deep.

The alpha next to me lets out an angry growl, and the bearded alpha turns back around in his seat. “Go to sleep,” the angry alpha says, and I allow myself to glance at him. He looks so scary, like his eyeballs might burst into flame at any second. “Now, omega,” he barks, and I snap my eyes shut.

But how the heck am I supposed to sleep? I have so many questions.

Where are we going?

What do they want with me?

Are they going to hurt me? Touch me? Kill me?

A few tears slip down my face, but I refuse to wipe them away. So instead, I rest my head against the window, until exhaustion finally takes over, and I drift off.

I’m floatingoff the ground.

No. That's not right.

Someone is carrying me.

Strong arms hold me tight, hooked under my knees and around my back. My feet sway slightly as I’m taken up a long staircase. I can hear overlapping voices in the distance. Multiple alphas barking over one another. Their voices are loud and kind of echo like I’m in a castle or cave. One of the alphas lets out a horrible roar, making me tremble. The arms instantly tighten, holding me closer.

---