Page 69 of Omega's Refuge

“You still with me?” Rex’s voice cut through my growing haze of pain.

“Yeah,” I muttered, though my voice wavered. My vision was starting to blur, which was worrisome.

“We’re making good time, Tanner. Don’t worry.”

I didn’t respond. My throat was tight and sweat beaded on my forehead despite the chill in the air. “I wasted so much of my life,” I mumbled, feeling dejected.

“You’ll make changes once you’re feeling better, okay?” He glanced at me as we rode side by side. His eyes were dark with worry, but I appreciated he was trying hard to keep my spirits up.

The horses carefully navigated the narrow switchbacks of the trail, hooves kicking up dust as we descended. My vision blurred further, and I leaned forward slightly, struggling to keep myself from slumping over. I felt Rex’s big hand rest on the small of my back. I felt so weak now, partly from fear and partly from the venom.

I didn’t know how much time passed, but at one point Rex tugged out his phone. He made a call and he spoke quietly but forcefully into the phone. I was feeling dizzy now, and it was hard to focus on what he was saying. But I trusted him to do his best to save me.

After what felt like an eternity, the trail widened as we neared the base of the mountain. The sound of a siren in the distance reached my ears—faint but unmistakable. I felt a wave of relief wash over me, though my body was weak, and the pain was almost unbearable now.

“There they are,” Rex said, his voice rough with exhaustion. I could barely make out the flashing red and blue lights of an ambulance waiting at the trailhead.

As we reached the road, Rex dismounted quickly, helping me down from Spitfire. The ground felt unsteady beneath my feet, and Rex had to catch me as I stumbled.

A middle-aged paramedic with gray hair rushed toward us. “Where’s the bite?” he asked, helping me to sit on the bumper of the ambulance.

“Between his hand and wrist. It’s not a deep bite, but he’s feeling the effects already.”

“Right. Got it,” the paramedic said gruffly. “How long ago was the bite.”

“A little over an hour ago.” Rex’s voice was terse.

I closed my eyes, feeling the paramedic’s gloved hands on my arm as he examined the bite. I was relieved to finally be off the mountain, but realized I wasn’t out of the woods yet.

Rex put his hand on my shoulder, and I leaned into him. His presence helped calm the swirling fear. I inhaled his alpha scent, trusting him to do all he could to protect me.

After a cursory examination of the bite, they got me in the back of the ambulance and the paramedics began to monitor my vitals. The inside of the emergency vehicle smelled faintly ofantiseptic, the sharp scent mixing with the lingering smell of pine on my clothes.

I felt a cool compress wrap lightly around my hand, the pressure comforting as the paramedic began to take my blood pressure. Rex’s voice was a steady hum as he spoke with the ambulance driver, though I could hardly focus on their words. At one point, Rex’s tone changed.

“I want to ride with him,” Rex said in a growly voice.

“Oh, well, it’s best if you just follow later.” The ambulance driver sounded vaguely annoyed. “We don’t allow anyone to ride with us other than the patient. You’ll need to follow in your own car.”

Rex snapped, “I’m onhorseback. You expect me to ride back to the ranch, grab a truck, andthenfollow you guys? That’s not happening. I’m riding to the hospital with Tanner.”

“But it’s not protocol.”

“I don’t give a damn about your protocol,” Rex rumbled. “I’m not leaving Tanner, and that’s just how it is. If you think you can keep me out of the ambulance, you have another think coming.”

“Both of you, calm down,” the older paramedic interjected. “Surely you can make an exception in this case, right, Tom? This gentleman doesn’t have a vehicle handy and he can’t exactly follow the ambulance on horseback.”

“Exactly,” Rex groused, raking a hand through his hair.

“I guess we can make an exception in this situation.” The driver’s voice was more conciliatory now. “Just try not to get in the way while my partner administers care to your omega.”

“Obviously,” Rex muttered under his breath.

Your omega.

The guy had misunderstood the situation and thought I was Rex’s omega? I was surprised by how much I liked the thought of that.

The ambulance doors closed with a heavy thud, and I felt the vehicle lurch forward. The ride was bumpy, the cold metal of the stretcher pressing against my back as the paramedic adjusted my IV.

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