Page 10 of Redeeming His Omega Mate

I might have fancied my chances against one, but three? That was nearly impossible, especially in my state. I couldn’t fully shift. I could only manage a partial shift, my claws and fangs, and that was all. But even that small transformation was enough to remind me of the danger it posed to the baby. Shifting too much could hurt her, and that thought kept me grounded. My wolf, despite her fierce and protective instincts, understood that we had to hold back for the child’s sake.

Immediately, I turned on my heel and bolted as fast as my legs would carry me. The heavy thud of paws pounding behind me told me they were hot on my trail. I didn’t bother with turning to see how far or how close they were. I simply continued running, focused on evading the imminent danger by getting out of this forest.

But as I ran, a figure out of nowhere slammed into me from the side, knocking me to the ground. My vision blurred from the impact,and pain shot through my back, but I couldn’t stop. I struggled to get on my feet, ready to keep running.

But when I stood, I realized I wasn’t being chased anymore. I was surrounded.

Four feral shifters surrounded me, their eyes glowing red, wild furs bristling, ready to pounce.

Rogues. I sneered, noticing the jagged scars that marred their necks—marks only rogues carried.

My heart hammered in my chest. Rogues were known for their brutality, and facing four of them alone? Moon Goddess, help me.

Before I could even react, the first rogue struck.

A blur of movement erupted from my left, and I barely had time to dodge as claws slashed through the air, grazing my arm. Another rogue lunged at me, its growl low and menacing as it sent a blow to my face, shoving me hard into a tree. A bitter, metallic taste filled my mouth, and I knew I was bleeding.

The largest rogue lunged, its teeth bared, but with a sharp movement, I dove to the side, rolling through the dirt as its claws gouged into the tree behind me. I grabbed a broken branch and, with all my strength, I drove it through the side of the rogue as it struggled to free its claws from the trees.

The rogue let out a pained yelp, but its agony barely registered before the others came at me all at once, their fury and speed overwhelming. I managed to dodge the first strike, but I wasn’t fast enough to avoid the second or the third.

They kicked me at all angles, knocking me to the ground as they threw their paws at me. My entire being trembled with fear. When I felt a sharp sting of pain in my side, I knew one of them had slashed me with its razor-sharp claws. I cried in agonizing pain, feeling a gush of blood flowing from the deep wound. Despite being badly injured, I tried to fight back and shove them off me. But there were just too many to fight off all at once. So, I focused on keeping my hands pressed against my abdomen, trying to shield my stomach from their strikes.

Blood poured from my wounds, staining the ground beneath me, and I could feel my strength draining fast. I was becoming too weak tokeep my eyes open. Just as the darkness began to envelop me, I heard a menacing growl cut through the haze. A group of werewolf shifters burst through the trees, and the largest wolf lunged, sinking its teeth into the rogue directly on top of me. The others fanned out, joining the fight. I was too weak to keep my eyes open, but I heard it all—the slash of claws against flesh, bodies hitting the ground, the cries and whimpers of pain—until the sound faded into nothing but eerie silence.

With what little strength I had left, I forced my eyes open in time to see the wolf who’d jumped in to attack my attacker shift back into his human form. He had a fresh wound over his eye, which added to the dangerous aura the man exuded. I instinctively tried to curl away, but his hand reached out to me.

“Hey, it’s okay,” he said softly, crouching in front of me. His piercing blue eyes softened with concern. “We’re here to help you.” He turned to the shifters behind him and gave a sharp command. “Give her some space.”

One by one, they shifted into their human forms and stepped back.

“I’m Kael, Alpha of Silver Fang Pack,” he said, his tone calm and commanding. “Can you tell me your name?”

“I’m Tala, from—” The name of my pack hung on the edge of my tongue, but I stopped myself. Stonehart wasn’t my identity anymore. It was the cage I’d escaped from, a place that had cast me aside and stolen my sense of belonging. Bitterness surged in my chest as memories of betrayal and rejection rose to the surface. My hands instinctively rested on my belly, and I thought, No. Not anymore.

I glanced back at Kael, who seemed to be studying me carefully. After a moment, I added, “That’s all I can remember. My name is Tala.”

His expression was unreadable for a beat, and then he nodded. “Rest, Tala. You’re with my pack now. No one will hurt you here.”

He reached out and gently lifted me into his arms. As my eyes closed, I didn’t just feel at ease. I felt my wolf settle into comfort, too.

This was going to be my fresh start.

Chapter 5

Tala’s

Seven years later.

An impromptu council meeting had been called. As a member of the council, I had to drop everything and attend.

Glancing at the mirror, I took in my appearance. I ran a palm over my blunt, shoulder-length hair, ironed straight and precise, to smooth any stray strands. Satisfied, I grabbed my bag and headed for the town hall.

The council was a half circle of Elders, Betas, Mediators, and then me. Settling into a chair, I waited for the meeting to begin.

I already knew the reason for the impromptu meeting: the escalating rogue attacks that had ravaged the outskirts of town. Supply routes were ambushed, buildings were left in ruins, and tensions ran high. For months, the pack had been on edge, whispering about the rogues, a group of savage, lawless werewolves who looted without mercy, taking whatever they wanted and killing anyone who dared to stand in their way. Lately, their presence near Silver Fang territory hadintensified, pushing Kael to call the meeting. We couldn’t afford to ignore them any longer.

“This is becoming a menace!” Beta Charles bellowed, his voice laced with both frustration and desperation. He’d been ranting for the past fifteen minutes. After all, his farmhouse had been the most recent casualty of the rogue attacks. “Are we just going to sit back and watch until everything is taken away from us? Something needs to be done. And fast!”

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