Page 29 of Alpha's Second Chance

I fucking hated this, but again, I had to admit that Eve would have been an amazing soldier. She’d be an asset to any team.

“You grew up in the shifter world,” Bull took a step closer to her. “You know better than to try to put me away.” He took another step closer. “I’m one of your own.”

My knife was harder to grip as my claws threatened to bust out of my hand. I’d never had trouble controlling my bear -- until now.

“I left that life behind,” Eve said.

“Yet you smell like omega,” Bull said. He took one step closer. Now he was close enough to touch her. “You smell like you’re going to be mine.”

A snarl rose my throat.

“I’m not going anywhere with you,” Eve said.

Bull reached out and put his hand on her arm. He wasn’t big for a shifter, but he was stronger than Eve. “You most certainly will. I’ll show you what you’ve been missing while you’ve been playing human, while you’ve been trying to subvert your own kind,” he said. His wrapped his fingers around her wrist and squeezed.

Eve didn’t make a sound, but I saw her press her lips together to keep from crying out.

Instinct took over. Without a conscious decision, I dropped my gear. My bear came tearing out. I raced forward, and flew onto the porch. My bear rammed into Bull, knocking him away from Eve.

Within seconds, menacing growls filled the air. Bull shifted into his bear form. Shifters burst from the woods. I didn’t look up to see if they were my team, or his.

Eve was all that mattered to me.

Eve

Of course Owen had not stuck to the plan. I’d never expected him to. In fact, he lasted longer than I’d thought.

I stood at the edge of the yard, clasping the M-16 to my chest. I hadn’t shifted, not for this. I’d ducked around the side of the cabin, and I’d been ready to shoot Bull or his shifters.

Four of Owen’s team ripped out of the woods to meet Bull’s guards, each of them shifted into bears. Two of them, Brian and John, remained human, decked out in full Army gear.

Owen’s team made quick work of the two guards, but they left Owen to deal with Bull alone.

It must have been some kind of respect thing I’d never understand. I recalled snippets of rules like that from my childhood -- rules about how and when to interfere with a fight. Apparently stepping in at the wrong time was a grave insult in some clans.

That was just more of the prehistoric crap I hadn’t been willing to deal with. If I ever saw our clan again, I’d get to see up close if Owen really had gotten them to modernize a little bit.

Owen and Bull continued to grapple. Owen was a skilled fighter. The only problem was that Bull didn’t seem to feel any pain. Each time Owen bit him, or swiped him with his claws, Bull didn’t react.

Each time I lifted the gun to aim at Bull, he and Owen traded spots. I was a good shot, but not that good.

“Help him,” I shouted to one of his teammates.

“We were ordered not to,” the other said, distress clear when his voice cracked.

“Well I wasn’t.” Owen was winning, but there was no reason for him to end up half-dead because of some macho bullshit. “Here. Take this.” I shoved the gun at John. “If you won’t help, I will.”

“Eve,” he pleaded. He pushed the gun back into my hands. “Please. If Bull gets the upper hand, we’ll step in. Owen wouldn’t want you to… ”

“I do not give a shit what games he’s playing. I’m helping, whether any of you like it or not.”

John couldn’t totally hide the miniscule flinch. He was a nice guy, and I’d feel bad except Owen clearly hadn’t minded sacrificinghimselffor this kill.

It was profoundly stupid for Owen to order his team not to kill Bull. But on the other hand, I understood on a visceral level why Owen wanted to be the one to kill him. Because I wanted the same thing. I didn’t want to take that satisfaction from Owen, but I’d also like for Bull to die at my hand.

I’d like to know I kept any other omega from the fate he had planned for me.

“Shit,” I said as two more of Bull’s shifters burst from the woods, both in human form.

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