Page 123 of Feral Alphas

“No!” Rose screams. “He didn’t!”

A sob breaks through Luka’s throat as Kye dashes into the house.

“Fuck me!” he roars from inside, forgetting to temper his swearing. Alpha fury radiates off him when he storms back.

I thrust Rose into his grip. “Take Rose to her room and keep her there. I’ll get your case.”

The neighbors come streaming out of their houses, the sound of a screaming omega impossible to ignore. I wave and give a thumbs up, feeling anything but calm as I stalk out to get Kye’s bag and the giant cello case. What a fucked-up welcome home.

Home? Feels like lightning has hit us and broken everything. Not lightning: betrayal. Don’t you dare cry, Colt Nesters.

I load Kye’s stuff into the foyer and then glance back at my former sub, huddled on the lawn. “You have ten seconds to be off my grass before I kill you with my own hands, you disgusting piece of shit!”

Luka snatches up his backpack and runs barefoot down the sidewalk and my heart breaks apart.

I slam the front door, severing the relationship that’s been my rock for nearly one and a half decades. My omega’s hysteric screams ring in my ears as I lean against the front door, and stuff all those memories and the unbearable pain away in a dark mental box and throw it into the garage with the rest of the shit in my life.

My omega is the only important thing left. It’s my job to protect her and I failed.

The Omega Center was right, and if they ever find out a crime was committed here, I’ll lose Rose too. Rose wails over and over and I suck in a breath and march down the hall to her room. I cannot let that happen.

Kye rocks her back and forth, flooding her with his scent, but she’s trying to escape him. I shut the door behind me and dim the lights, ripping off my shoes and the shirt stained withhisblood.

“Where’s Luka? I want Luka!” she screams, thrashing in Kye’s grip. He’s using the alpha holds he recently learned just to contain her. At this rate, she’ll make herself sick, or worse.

“I’m sorry, Rose, but you can’t have Luka anymore. It’s just us now.” Plus this gaping hole plunged right through my soul which will never heal.

She screams again and Kye throws me a tear-stained plea. I whisper another apology, and then I gather my alpha power. “Rose Nesters, you will calm down immediately!”

I lace it with so much alpha command that even Kye shudders. If Rose and I were bonded, that much alpha command would probably put her to sleep. Instead, Rose slumps, sobbing onto Kye’s lap as I crawl in beside them and together we sandwich ourbroken-hearted omega between us, knowing that dawn will never bring the same light again. Our family has come undone.

Chapter forty-seven

Luka

My feet are raw, and my heart completely flayed as I wander the streets aimlessly. I spot a church but don’t go in for fear my sin would taint the holy music inside. I knew there was no redemption for a murderer like me, but for a while, Colt made me forget my hopelessness.

Then I took a proverbial gun and blew him straight through the heart.

God is forgiving, but Colt is not.

My body howls for Rose. All those years of not having an omega can’t compare with the agony of losing her after finding her. And losing myself again.

Without Colt, Luka Nesters doesn’t exist. I’m back to being Graham Fitzgerald, the notorious Bikie Butcher, a man with no future. At one point I find myself staring off the edge of a bridge, but the knowledge there’s an omega in existence with my scent in her soul turns me away from the grim task. I want to live, even though there’s no reason anymore.

Like I once joked to Rose, I’m impossible to kill, even if I’m the one trying to do it.

Rose’s screams echo through my ears over and over until I’m jerking like physical blows assault me. Colt’s voice adds to the invisible hurricane buffeting me. At some point I find myself in line for the men’s shelter but when I get to the sign up desk, I glance inside and turn away. If I go in there, I’ll kill someone for real. I’ve already subconsciously picked up a shard of glass in my wandering.

Deeper and deeper into the dark alleys I push, wishing I could hide from myself. I’ve done something unforgivable. Try as I might, I can’t remember the reason that made me desperate enough to sacrifice my omega on the altar of transgression.

I trip over broken bricks lying in an alley and can’t find the energy to get back up. I hope some thug comes for my backpack and knifes me in the liver. Long, slow way to die while my blood gradually rots me from the inside. Suits a fucker like me.

A car engine cuts through the deep dark shadow of the alley and a heavy step comes, kicking through the newspapers and disposable coffee cups that always pile up in these corners like molted autumn leaves.

“You still alive, Luka?” A familiar voice asks. Pressure on my shoulder rolls me over and I blink up into an OCB mag torch. The light darts away and I catch sight of Agent Liam Andrews’ face.

Ah, I see. Colt couldn’t leave Rose, so he called in someone else to do the task. My frozen lips twitch with a smile. Someone like Liam should do a good job of sending me off messily. He’s been in the OCB long enough to see dark things.

---