Page 132 of Feral Alphas

“Colt, he has his knot in me. If you startle him, he could tear us both open.” Her voice is sluggish and soft like she’s smiling, and even that quiet tone fires up my cock.

Zane growls so low I feel it in my senses rather than with my ears.

Rose chuckles quietly. “Not to mention he’ll try to defend me.”

Tears blur my vision as my trigger finger flexes. I’ve failed her in every possible way. “Did he—?”

“Listen to me, Colt,” Rose murmurs. “I’m in heat and I thought I was dying, so I called him. He followed every single one of my instructions, Colt. My alpha won’t hurt me. What you’re thinking didn’t happen.”

I swallow down my tears. “Did he bite you?”

“No. He wanted to, but he stopped when I told him to. He protected me, Colt.”

I lower my gun and slump down beside the door. Her feral alpha broke through a brick wall for her. How is that even possible? I rest my head in my hands, silent tears flowing down my fingers and the weapon. I almost shot him. I did shoot Luka—not with a gun, but with words, with that name that’s no longer his.

“I’m sorry, Rosie.” The pain in my chest is unbearable. All along my omega’s known who she needs, and I’ve just been ham-fistedly trying to control everything like this is some kind of work project. I thought if I could tick enough boxes, then I wouldn’t screw it up.

But love can’t be forced into the ‘normal’ box—not where my beautiful omega is concerned. Nothing was ever under my control.

“What do I do, Rose? Tell me how to fix this.”

She pants softly. “Go take your uniform off and then come find a way to call a truce with a killer alpha. My heat’s rising again.” There’s a soft whine in her voice like she’s in pain, and I watch in stunned silence as Zane starts licking her face like he’s a dog for real.

I rise slowly, making sure there’s no sudden movements to startle the feral man holding our omega, and then back from the room to lock my gun away and get changed. On my return, I grab a basket and fill it with cloths, bottled water, and protein bars, my distressed omega training finally kicking in. She might know about needing her alphas, but all other sensibilities will be lost to the heat haze. Kye also needs to know she’s in heat, and I shoot off a text to him and then to Felina to get me put on heat leave.

Before stepping back into the room, I warm up my muscles and take a deep breath. If I can’t convince Zane to share, we might have to fight over our omega. The good news is, he listens to her. The bad news? He’s a trained killer.

“I’m coming in, Rose.”

“He just slipped free,” she whispers, sounding like she’s been screaming at a concert all day. Screaming and I wasn’t here to help her. I shove down the guilt. Right now, she needs me utterly focused on nothing but her.

“Hello, Zane,” I say, leaving the door ajar so I can see.

He watches me, growling faintly as I approach.

“You and I need to have a little chat, friend,” I say, keeping where he can easily see me. Rose whimpers and I hold out the water bottle. “You and Rose need to drink.” His nostrils flare as I approach, and he surges upright to kneel protectively over Rose. She squirms, her coherence fraying as another wave of the heat surges.

Superheat, if I’m judging correctly.

There are two ways to handle this situation. The first is to diminish my scent and go in submissively. That’s the approach Luka would probably take if he were here. The second, riskier option, is to force Zane to accept my alpha domination as pack master. Asserting myself above a heat-sick omega isn’t ranking highly on my list of good timing, but if I don’t do it now, we’ll have issues forever.

I relax my alpha scent and it flows naturally in response to the heavy omega pheromones in the air. I uncap the water bottle and approach within striking range. His tongue darts out across his lips as he catches both scents.

“Rose needs this,” I say, sliding into the nest.

The fact he’s trying to protect Rose should mean he won’t attack lightly in here. I slide a hand under her head and hold her up to drink, my gaze never leaving his slitted eyes. The breath from his angry growls flit across my shoulders, but Rose rests a hand against his chest and tells him, “Non,” between sips.

Every moment hangs tensely in the balance, both of us ready to tear the other apart at the first hint of an attack. Rose gasps as she finishes a deep draught and rests a hand on each of us.

“Zane, Colt is here for sex and kisses too.” She lifts on her elbows and pouts her pretty lips at me.

It’s fucking nerve-wracking exposing my side to him as I lean in to kiss her, but that sweet kiss is worth every danger. Her panted breaths tease my beard and stroke my cock like invisible fingers, tugging at my alpha instincts to serve my omega.

Zane growls menacingly, and this time, I growl back. This is my omega, and he has no right to interfere. Rose moans like our sounds are turning her on and I kneel up, matching Zane’s body intensity.

“Sit, Zane,” Rose asks. “Please?”

His gaze twitches briefly to her, the warring of his alpha priorities showing in his pained eyes. Every instinct tells him to destroy this new threat, but his omega is begging him to back down. Confused, he lets out a whine.

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