Page 10 of Unruly Omega

Speaking of wasting time. I got up and rushed to the room where my mate was being held. I would take Dean’s advice to heart.

Please, Goddess, if you have any love left for me, please let this work.

Chapter Ten

Kellan

I had been so afraid of harming the alpha, so I was relieved when he left unhurt, but the minute he was gone, I wanted him back. What a conundrum to face. Perhaps the meeting was about me, and when the alpha reported in that I would not shift, they would release me back into the wild.

It would be the best decision, really, because this alpha deserved better than me. My own den wouldn’t take me back, I was certain. I’d been taken by the humans when I completely ignored the instructions I was given. My own fault. The longer I was away from the lab, the surer of that I was. I didn’t deserve freedom, and I was beginning to recognize that the damage done to me was more extensive than I ever dreamed.

Not only could I not shift back, but looking at my paws, I didn’t even recognize the bear I’d become. My fur was patchy, the color wrong, and my claws were chipped and broken. I could feel my fangs were damaged as well. I’d always been so vain about my gorgeous bear.And now look at him. Not that I’d say a word about it because while I’d been vain, he was oversensitive and proud. At least to my memory.

Resuming pacing, I tried to put together everything that had happened in my mind. Clearly, none of it was a dream, but I couldn’t understand how I’d been let go. Or why? My body was in all likelihood the evidence any law enforcement might need to know what the humans in that lab were up to. But would human officials care what their own species did to other ones? So, having me or any of their captives, their specimens escape could only cause harm to the institution if we were believed.

If I, for example, showed up in the local sheriff’s office—assuming I could manage to shift back to two-legged—andtried to explain, would they just hand me over for more experimentation? That was the sort of thing that happened in movies, after all. Humans always wanted to take apart anything different from them and see how it worked.

Huddled way back inside my bear’s body, my mind worked furiously. Searching for a way to get out, to regain control of my shift. I’d never had a problem shifting until I was taken, never had to consider how it worked from the first time at puberty.

Which, when I considered it, had not been so very long in between.

While I was struggling, the bear was getting more and more agitated. He flung himself at the wall again and again, tearing at the padding. I didn’t know what they made it from, but even his damaged and dulled claws should have been able to tear through any kind of fabric.

When that didn’t work, he went right back to crashing against the walls.

He wanted the alpha back.

I wanted the alpha back.

If I never had to be alone again in a room like this, it would be too soon. But I knew that the people here, the shifters I could sense, had reason not to want a wild bear wreaking havoc in the lands. In their buildings. They needed to protect themselves from people like me.

Dammit! The day I was taken, I was a kid, a little naughty, but good at school, good at chores, and generally heading for a life of usefulness in the den. Now, I didn’t even know what I was beyond one kind of captive then another. Even if they did open the door, what would they be letting out? Someone imprisoned in their animals.

And what made them have a space like this at all? Did they use it for rule breakers or, more likely, was I not the first of my kind to wander onto their lands?

Hell. Where was that alpha anyway?

I finished off the last of the food and drank from the refilling fountain. Maybe they’d leave me here until I was able to shift back? If so, it seemed I might be here for the rest of my life.

Then, the door slid open to reveal a bear that put mine to shame in terms of size and fierceness. He rose on his hind legs and roared.

Chapter Eleven

Locke

“You think I’m crazy, don’t you?” I asked Markus. If I was a real alpha, I would’ve named him as my beta. His main responsibility was our mental health and healing, but he served as my confidante and I deferred to him on opinions of the community on a regular basis.

“We don’t use the word crazy. But a little reckless, yes.”

I laughed. “That’s fair.”

“What do you need from me? Do I need backup? Have the dart gun ready?”

It broke my heart to say it. “Dart gun, yes. Backup, no.”

“I heard what Dean said about him being your mate. Was he right?”

“I think so.”

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