Page 87 of The Omega's Bloodline: Part One

It swept closer and crashed into us, wrenching me off Caden and sending my panther tumbling into a tree. I thrashed and fought, but it held me so tightly I thought my bones might crack. One tendril wrapped around my throat, another sliding between my lips. Panic blinded me and I screamed. The tendril shoved deeper and choked off the sound. My power surged, burning hot and bright, but that only seemed to make the darkness pulse around me.

Caden, get her out of here!

Seth launched himself at me, massive paws plunging into the creature as he tackled me to the ground with an impact that knocked the wind out of me. I watched with bleary eyes as it snared him out of the air and bound him.

Caden roared at the entity. I scrambled up and he tried to herd me away, getting between my legs to force me onto his back.

“No, no, we can’t leave him.”

Caden hesitated a moment before taking a leap away, carrying me with him.

I turned, reaching out with a scream. “Seth!”

Thewrongnesscrashed against me like a ton of bricks and sucked the breath right out of me. At least I’d gotten Logan away from it. Now it was up to Caden.

I couldn’t feel my body.

There was only cold.

My vision blacked out in increments and the world disappeared from each sense one by one. I barely registeredLogan screaming. She sounded a million miles away. This wasn’t fuckingfair. I was going to die after just getting to be with her, but I sure as hell wasn’t going to let this thing take her.

She had to get away.

Neither of them needed me.

No one had ever needed me.

Maybe the gods had brought me to Logan for this purpose. Maybe they’d let me love her so I’d be willing to trade my life for hers, to give her and Caden the future they deserved. I didn’twantto die, but if I had to, I guess it was nice to have it happen for a noble cause.

This fucking creature had its goddamn tendrils wrapped around every bit of me, shoved straight down my throat, filling up my lungs, crushing my heart as it pulled out my life by the roots.

I had no idea how much time had passed. Caden had better have gotten her far enough away. I couldn’t hold on much longer.

A shock wave of power burst with all the brightness of the sun and I collapsed to the ground.

My bones felt like they would shatter into dust.

I lay there, unable to move, barely breathing. The landing should have hurt but I still couldn’t feel much of anything. No real pain. Just an encroaching nothingness.

The world tilted as I was lifted. I tried to move. My limbs were like jelly and my vision saw little more than blobs of shadow.

We’ve got you.Caden’s voice filled my mind and a small glimmer of hope kindled. Maybe I wouldn’t die after all. I couldn’t summon up the energy to be upset they’d risked themselves to come back for me.

I was pretty sure they’d managed to drape me over Caden’s back. A soft palm rested on my shoulder. Enough feelingreturned to make every jolting leap like a punch to the chest. I struggled to catch my breath as Caden ran.

I must have passed out because the next thing I knew I was being shoved into the car, the scent of leather and panic stinging my nose. How they made me fit in panther form was anyone’s guess. My head rested on something warm.

“What do we do?” I could hear Logan speak, but she sounded like I was underwater.

“We have to go to a nest. We can’t recover and run at the same time.”

“Seth.” Logan patted my cheek. “Please wake up. Caden, what would help?”

“I don’t know. I have no idea what that thing did to him.”

She curled around me, cradling me against her skin. “Gods, please don’t die.”

“I’ve heard rumors that an omega’s blood has healing powers but I don’t know if we want to go fucking around with that.”

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