Page 40 of Knot the Alphas' Feral Omega

His horrified expression only lasted for a moment before he snapped his gaze over to Marcus and growled, “Walk with me. We’re going to leave them alone, and you’re going to tell me what the actualfuckis going on here.”

The fury written all over his face and voice both surprised and warmed me, and I found myself softening towards my Prime Alpha in spite of myself. I hadn’t forgiven him for rejecting Lilah by any stretch of the imagination, but if he was this upset seeing the way she was being held...well, maybe there was hope for him yet.

For now, though, I had an omega that I needed to focus on, and as the door swung most of the way shut behind me, I returned my attention to her.

She hadn’t looked away from me while Oliver spoke, though I noticed her hackles had raised even further at the sound of his voice. There was a flash of pain in her eyes, too human to be fully wolf, and hope rose inside me. I knew I could reach her—I just needed a little time.

“Lilah, hey, baby,” I spoke softly to her, keeping my voice at a low croon as I stripped out of my shirt and then kicked my shoes off one at a time. I didn’t want to spook her or startle her, especially now that she wasn’t bound or sedated. Her eyes flicked over me as I stripped out of my socks and tucked them into my shoes, andmy own gaze wandered, landing on the scabbing wounds where the cuffs had been bound too tightly around her legs.

I bit back a growl. Whoever had been in charge of that particular decision was going to pay; I would make sure of it.

Lila didn’t seem to pay much attention to me until I hooked my thumbs into the waist of my jeans, and then she lifted her head, her ears perking up as she watched. The interest in her eyes was far more human now, and I couldn’t stop myself from grinning as I shed my pants, my soft cock gently swinging. And then I stood there in the middle of the room, letting her look at me for a moment in my human form.

“I’ve missed you, baby,” I breathed.

Then I cracked my neck from side to side, letting my head fall back, and I allowed the shift to overtake me. My muscles and bones stretched, crackling and popping, and the deep ache of my entire body changing was comfortable and familiar.

I fell onto four paws, and then I shook my head, fully shifted, looking up at Lilah. Her ears perked up even further, and she cowered into the corner, her eyes wary as she looked at me. Her tail flicked back and forth, and I couldn’t tell if she wanted to bolt.

She seemed much less feral than she had the last time I had seen her, which I took as a good sign. I was convinced that the only reason she had stayed in wolf form for so long was that she had been sedated most of the time that she had been in this God-forsaken facility. Now that I was with her, I would do everything in my power to help her return to her human form so I could get her out of here.

I couldn’t talk to her anymore—not in words—now that I was wearing fur. So, slowly, I rose my feet and padded over to her, broadcasting every action before I took it so that she didn’t try to flee from me in the small, cramped room.

She didn’t move as I approached her, and finally, when I was only a few inches away, I sat on my haunches and looked at her, flicking my tail back and forth. Our scents were so much stronger in my nose this way, and I took a moment to breathe her in, my wolf growling happily as her scent flooded my senses.

She flinched a little at the sound of my growl, but she didn’t pull away from me. Instead, she looked at me curiously, and then slowly, so slowly, she leaned forward and gently nudged her nose up against my paw.

My heart fluttered, and it took everything inside of me to suppress the animal instinct that wanted me to pounce on her, to roll around with her and give chase. Now was certainly not the time nor the place.

But we were going to do it someday, soon. I was going to chase my omega, and she was going to run until I caught her and could claim her properly.

For now, though, I allowed her to inch a little closer to me, her fur standing on end as she slowly nudged her nose through my fur, then along the scruff of my neck. Her breath was warm and sweet against my fur, and it took everything inside of me, every ounce of human instinct, to suppress my wolf nature. I couldn’t scare her, and I stayed as still as I possibly could while she carefully explored me and became acquainted with my scent all over again.

I could tell that, even if she was still in wolf form, a big part of her recognized me because, after a moment, she let out a low, soft whine of contentment. She pressed up against me, her wolf’s body so much smaller than mine, and I couldn’t stop the way my heart flipped at the warmth of her body, so close to me for the first time in days.

That’s it, baby. That’s it.

I nosed my snout along hers, licking along her jawline, and her eyes half closed as a low growl escaped her. It was a sweet omega sound, and I growled in return, encouraging her.

Her eyes widened a little, and then, slowly, her body relaxed. Her jaw stretched in a wide, canine smile, and her tongue lolled out as she bumped her nose up against mine, a glint of pleasure and amusement lighting her eyes.

She wanted to play.

The idea was tempting, and for a brief moment, I considered nudging the door open so we could make our way down the hallway and scare the shit out of some of these attendants in our wolf forms. I knew that was probably a very quick way to get both of us sedated all over again, though.

So, instead of giving in to the urge to take Lilah and go out and wreak havoc, I relaxed my body even further, nudging my nose against hers. I pressed close to her, laying my paw along hers, and for the first time in days, I prodded the fragile bond that had formed between us, trying to get her attention.

She flinched a little at the touch, and I felt her trying to pull away. I gently leaned over and sealed my jaws around her neck,though, gently shaking the scruff of her neck to get her attention as I probed the bond again.

Baby. Pay attention. Feel me.

It was agony waiting for her to respond, to see if she could even sense me trying to connect with her through the bond we hadn’t even fully formed. The thread between the two of us was so fractured and strained that I was almost afraid trying to touch her in this way would snap it entirely. It was a risk I had to take, though—I didn’t know any better way to get her to realize that she was safe enough to change back to human form.

Several long seconds passed, and I could feel her entire body stiffen even further. She wanted to pull away from me, and I tightened my teeth around her neck. I didn’t like holding her still in this way, and I made a mental note to apologize to her as many times as she wanted me to once we were both back in human form. She had already had her bodily autonomy violated so many times while she’d been here, and now I was inflicting it on her, too.

I didn’t have a choice, though.

Lilah seemed to realize that I wasn’t going to let her out of my sight or away from my touch, and she slowly relaxed under me. Another few seconds passed. I applied increased pressure along the bond, and finally, finally, she gently touched back.

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