Page 32 of Unhinged Omega

She freezes so abruptly it catches me off guard. When I look down at her face, my breath catches in my throat. Tears are streaming down her cheeks as the fight seems to drain out of her all at once.

"Give me back. He's here," she whispers, her voice hollow and distant. "He found me."

She goes completely limp in my arms, her violet eyes glazing over as she stares into nothing. The fierce little demon who just broke my nose and nearly escaped—and got herself torn apart in the process—is gone, replaced by something fragile and broken.

This must be what Lex was talking about.

But what triggered it?

The Knight?

Guess even a rabid, unhinged omega has her limits.

I gather her into my arms, trying not to think about the way her soft curves mold to the hard planes of my chest and arms. Her skin is ice cold, and she's trembling. Without thinking, I pull her closer, trying to share my warmth.

All the chaos and sounds of unbridled rage coming from that pit probably aren't helping. Guess Lex was right about that, too. And here I'd thought my newest weapon had lost his spark.

Apparently, all it took was fresh meat being dangled in front of him to remind him he's a wild beast.

"Come on, little psycho," I mutter, the endearment slipping out before I can stop it as I shift Cosima in my arms. "Let's get you somewhere safe."

She doesn't respond, lost in whatever nightmare she's trapped in, as limp and listless as a doll. The sound of the Knight's frustrated roars follow us as I carry her back toward the compound, and I swear I can feel those eerie blue eyes burning into my back.

I shift Cosima's weight in my arms as I approach the air traffic control tower. My private sanctuary, turned into a fortress worthy of my paranoia. The glass windows that completely surround the cylindrical tower at the top of the massive structure reflect the dying sunlight, making it look like the whole thing is on fire.

Fitting.

Her words keep echoing in my head like a broken record.

"Give me back. He's here. He found me."

What the fuck did she mean by that?

Give her back to her father, or the monster?

The Knight's roars have faded to a distant rumble, but I know he's watching us. I can still feel his eyes. Like a predator that's caught the scent of its prey.

And sheknowshim?

Or at least she thinks she does.

The elevator doors slide open with a soft ding that sounds obscenely cheerful given the situation. I step inside, careful not to bump Cosima's head against the wall. She's clearly got a few screws loose already. And she's still completely out of it, those violet eyes staring at nothing.

"You in there?" I mutter, studying her face for any sign of awareness.

Nothing.

Just that thousand-yard stare that makes my chest uncomfortably tight for reasons I don't even want to analyze right now. At least the blood dripping from my broken nose makes it easier to think clearly through her scent. The echoes of it linger, though, where they've taken hold at something buried deep inside me.

Maybe I've got a few screws loose, too.

The elevator begins its ascent and I find myself pulling her closer instinctively. She's so fucking cold. Like holding a corpse, except for the rapid flutter of her pulse where her throat presses against my arm.

I can't stop thinking about the way she looked at that monster. There was recognition in her eyes. Fear, yes, but something else too. Something that looked almost like...

Relief?

What kind of omega looks at an eight-foot-tall killing machine withrelief?

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