Page 68 of Omega's Refuge

“I had no idea you were such an expert on me.” His tone was teasing.

My face warmed. “I’m just saying don’t let some omega talk you into moving back to the city. If they love you, they’ll understand this is where you belong.”

He shrugged. “Love equals sacrifice. Someone always ends up giving a little more than the other. But in the end, it’s probably worth it. If you end up with the one you love.”

“You truly are a romantic, Rex.” I set the plate to the side of the basin of water.

He shrugged. “I’m not a romantic all the time. Just sometimes.” He moved away. “So, shall we take it easy or shall we try some fishing?”

I forced a smile. “Let’s definitely fish.”

“I’ll grab what we need.” He turned his back on me. “Would you grab the canteens out of the tent? We should fill them up before we take off.”

“Sure thing.” I left him to go get the canteens, but the whole time my thoughts were on what we’d talked about. Selfishly, I hated the idea of him with any other omega. “Stop being dumb. Just enjoy the time you have with him,” I muttered to myself.

I ducked into the tent to grab the canteens that were in the front corner of the shelter. My hand grazed the cool metal of one canteen, and just as I was about to pull it free, something soft brushed against my fingers. I frowned at a strange rattling sound and before I realized what was happening, pain shot through my hand—sharp, like a searing needle. I yanked back my hand, heart pounding as it sank in what had occurred.

I’ve been bitten by a snake.

“Shit,” I rasped, stumbling out of the tent and ending up on my ass. Dazed, I stared wide eyed as a light brown snake with a triangular head slithered out of the tent and into the bushes.

Rex must have heard the commotion because he arrived two seconds later. He knelt beside me, his face grim. “Did you get bit?”

I met his gaze as my arm throbbed painfully. “Yes. Pretty sure it was a rattlesnake.”

“Damn it.” He grabbed my arm and pushed up my sleeve. Where my hand met my wrist,there were two small puncture marks, already starting to swell. “He definitely tagged you, but it looks like he didn’t get a deep bite.”

“That’s good.” I was trying to stay calm, but the seriousness of the situation wasn’t lost on me. We were nowhere near medical help. I needed to get down off the mountain fast.

“Keep your arm low, below your heart.”Rex sounded calm, but there was an urgency too.

“People can die from rattlesnake bites, right?” I asked, voice wobbling.

“You’re not dying, Tanner,” he said, his voice tight. “But we do need to get down the mountain ASAP.”

Panic clawed at me. It had taken us a little over two hours to reach the camping spot. Did I have two hours? Would the venom reach my heart before we could get to help?

Rex must have seen the fear in my eyes because he put his hand on the back of my neck and he leaned closer. Peering into my eyes, he said in a soft voice, “You’re going to be fine, Tanner. I’m not going to let you die, okay?”

“Okay,” I whispered, responding to his confident energy. I wanted to believe he could protect me, but I worried time was our enemy. Rattlesnake venom was hemotoxic, meaning it destroyed blood cells and tissues, and could cause significant damage if left untreated.

He helped me to my feet and led me to one of the rocks by the fire. “Sit. Remember, keep your hand low. I’ll get the horses saddled.” He kicked dirt on the fire, snuffing it out. “I’ll come back later and get the rest of the stuff.”

I nodded, but didn’t speak. I was struggling to remain calm because I could already feel the effects of the venom. The bite was becoming intensely painful, and the skin around the bite was turning a sort of purple color. I didn’t have to be a medical professional to know that probably wasn’t a good thing.

Rex moved fast, saddling the horses within minutes. His jaw was tight and his body rigid. He was doing his best not to show how worried he was, but I could sense he was definitely concerned.

My fingers throbbed painfully, the venom spreading in waves up my arm. I forced myself to breathe, though every inhale felt harder than the last. It seemed no matter how hard I tried to keep calm, my heart raced.

He moved to me and slowly led me to Spitfire. “You’re okay,” he said as he helped me mount. “We’ll get down the mountain much faster than we got up, okay?”

“Okay.” I nodded.

“I’ll call for medical help to meet us at the base of the mountain as soon as we’re a little lower. I don’t have a signal here.” He jumped upeffortlessly into the saddle and we were off. The pack mule followed along behind us as we left the camp behind, without even being tied to either of our horses.

We started down the trail, the rhythmic clop of the horses’ hooves the only sound breaking the stillness. My body felt heavy, and every bump in the trail sent fresh jolts of pain through my arm. I gripped the reins tighter, focusing on staying upright. The cool mountain air brushed against my skin, the scent of pine strong in the air, but all I could think about was the throbbing in my hand.

What if I died today? The thought of that sent a chill through me from my head to my toes. I remembered how Rex had said when he’d been told he was going to die, he’d had many regrets. I felt that now, deep in my soul. I’d been living my life as if I had an eternity to get things right. In truth, my days were numbered. Even before the snake bite, there was a finite amount of time to enjoy this world. Why had I been so overly cautious about trying things? Taking chances? I’d led a mundane, careful life, and even then, here I was possibly about to die.

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