Page 93 of His Gentle Omega
My muscles tingled, my bones stretched, my skin grew taut, and before I hit the ground my tiger had taken over. My white paws shook the ground when all four hundred pounds of my apex predator landed with a thud. Tossing my head back, I let out a mighty roar of anger, the sound ripping through the air.
The birds in the trees at the edge of Bennett’s yard took flight, and I stalked towards Edward’s wolf, signaling my displeasure with a shorter roar and bark. Blood dripped from the wolf’s teeth and covered the fur of his chin. Bennett’s blood.
Bennett stared, wide-eyed as I stalked past him, my nostrils flaring at the scent of his blood. He held his arm close to his chest, one hand trying to stop the flow, as redness seeped around his fingers, coating them.
Edward’s wolf backed away, snarling, but he was smart enough to give my cat some space. Letting my tiger have free reign, he roared with enough force to ruffle Edward’s fur. He shifted to his human skin, standing naked in front of my tiger, holding a placating hand out in front of him. My tiger paced, making short barking noises to show his displeasure. The sound was different than a dog’s bark; more an abrupt snarl to let enemies know to beware.
“I see your mutant tiger finally decided to show his face,” Edward hissed, his eyes tracking my movements. “Come home with me, Shay.” His tone changed to the low timbre filled with sex and need, that used to work on me. Not anymore. Now, hearing it just filled me with disgust.
Reaching a hand towards me, Edward acted like he was going to pet my white fur. My powerful jaws snapped at him, barely missing his fingers as he jerked back sharply.
“I’m sorry things got out of hand, Shay,” Edward cajoled, and I caught the scent of whiskey on his breath. I couldn’t remember the last time he hadn’t reeked of alcohol and the scent made my stomach roil. “You know how I get, baby. You know I’m sorry. Say you forgive me and stop all this and come home. You’ve made your point.”
Anger bubbled up inside me, until my blood boiled with it. Anger for all the wasted years, for wasting my love on this man who didn’t deserve it, for all the things he had put me–and Lucas–through. But most of all, for the hurt he had caused Bennett.
How dare he touch my mate! My fated. The one the Goddess had made just for me. Bennett was my destiny, my future. And I loved him.
I loved Bennett.
It was too soon, too fast, but we were fated, and I was tired of fighting it.
I loved him.
And Edward had dared to touch him. Attacked him. Terrorized Bennett and Lucas. He had made Bennett bleed.
My tiger pounced, my large paws hitting Edward square in his chest, with all his muscled weight. Edward fell, shifted to his wolf beneath my paws, snapping with his teeth but missing. My powerful jaws clamped around his neck, pressing down ever so slightly, then with a bit more pressure. Edward thrashed, whimpered, and for the first time I could smell his fear. See it in his rolling eyes. It filled the air around us, surpassing the whiskey and whatever drugs he had in his system.
“Shay!” Bennett yelled, halting my razor-sharp teeth from tearing Edward’s throat out. “Shay, don’t!” he begged. “Please don’t. He’s not worth it. Listen. Do you hear those sirens? Those are for him. Let them handle it, please. Lucas needs you. Ineedyou. Do not do this.”
There was rustling, shuffling, and then Bennett’s small hand was in my fur, barely touching the quivering muscles of my back. Releasing the hold I had on Edward’s neck, I growled low in my throat as a thin trail of blood dripped from his fur where my fangs had broken his skin.
Edward’s wolf whimpered, then stood, shaking when I released him. With one last defiant glare from his blue eyes, he ran towards the woods. Wanting to follow him, my muscles bunched, ready for the chase. Bennett’s hand tightened in the fur just behind my head, tugging lightly. “Please, Shay, don’t.”
People crowded the yard, men in uniforms shouting, guns drawn.
Bennett pointed towards the woods, “He went that way.”
Becks and another officer secured their weapons with the third man, then took off running. Cloth tore as a massive gray and black wolf and a cougar, that very much resembled Seth, disappeared into the trees. The human officer tapped the mic pinned to his uniform, speaking softly.
“He’s drunk, Mike,” Bennett told the officer, who I recognized from his scent was human. “And high. I don’t know where his vehicle is, but he shouldn’t be behind a wheel.”
Mike nodded, “Thanks. Give me a minute to report that and I’ll come take a statement. Let the E.M.T.’s look at that arm.”
Shifting, I grabbed Bennett to my naked chest, holding him tightly. Whispering into his hair that I loved him, over and over, until someone tried to take him from me, and I growled, the sound reverberating around us.
“Shay,” Bennett stroked my cheek with his fingers, “let them look at my arm. It’s okay. I’m okay. And I love you, too.”
The paramedic didn’t give my nakedness any more than a passing glance. In a town filled with shifters and humans, I figured they were used to naked shifters at scenes. Someone put a blanket over my shoulders, and I pulled it around me, my eyes never leaving Bennett or the paramedic working to stop the bleeding of his arm.
Asher was standing on the patio, Lucas tucked to his side, speaking softly to my crying son. He didn’t need to be here right now, seeing this, but I couldn’t leave Bennett.
“Go make sure Lucas is okay,” Bennett urged me quietly, looking over his shoulder to where Asher was comforting a crying Lucas. “He needs to know you’re alright. That we’re both alright.”
“I can’t leave you,” I told him, my eyes roaming between him and Lucas. Torn between staying with my lover or going to my son.
“It’s nothing,” Bennett scoffed, and the paramedic snorted loudly.
“Yeah well,” the E.M.T. told Bennett, “this nothing is getting you a ride in the ambo, and some not so pretty stitches. Probably a tetanus shot and definitely a round of antibiotics. I’m going to give you something for the pain.”
