Page 14 of Unable Omega
That made me dangerous.
I was a threat to my mate. His sleuth. His friends. His people. They had children here. I slapped a hand over my mouth as a sob broke free thinking of Elise and Cody, the cubs that roamed these lands. While my human side would never harm anyone here—I couldn’t trust my animal any longer. At least, not around others.
Rob stirred in his sleep next to me. I lay back down for a moment, my plans already in place.
He would be okay. I would leave and he would mourn, but at least he and his sleuth would be okay. They would go on with life and love and help people.
I turned to the side and brushed my hand over his short hair. I thought it would be coarse against my soft palms, but it was like velvet. I had to memorize this moment. Making love to him last night. Him marking me. The words he’d said. The looks he’d given me while he loved me from above. All of those things would sustain my resolve and would last me the rest of my life.
They would have to.
I slid my hand along his jawline, tattooing all of it to memory. The cut of his jaw. The scars along his skin. His tattoo, splayed over his chest.
Every detail.
I glanced over to the chair near the table where my clothes were thrown over. I would have to be quick. Our bond was new and so strong, it was nearly overwhelming. The night was quiet outside. Owls howled their night calls, but other than that and the whipping of the wind, I heard no one outside. No one to catch me.
No one to stop me from doing what had to be done.
I slipped out of Rob’s hold, the tears slipping down my face as I moved his arm from over my stomach. The coldness of his absence hit my skin immediately. Already my body missed him.
My time at the facility, the lab, would be nothing compared to the heartache I was willingly walking into. But I had to.
I would endure a lifetime of pain if it guaranteed my mate was safe and alive.
I pulled on my shorts and a T-shirt. Biting down on my bottom lip, I debated on whether to take the hoodie of Rob’s that was laying on the back of the chair. Would I allow myself this physical memento?
The cold coming from the window behind me made up my mind. I took the hoodie and put it on, along with the shoes they’d given me. I had no way to repay them for the items I was taking but hoped they didn’t hold it against me. Stealing some clothes was way better than taking a chance that my bear would hurt them.
Rob turned over in his sleep and whispered my name. The sheet drew down his body revealing his abs and ass. He was one fucking beautiful alpha. My palms tingled, wanting to touch him again.
He would find someone else. Some worthy omega would come along and remind him of love and warmth again.
Because who would not want him?
I turned the doorknob quietly and then stepped out into the biting, crisp night. The wind pushed at me, reminding meof its power. Tonight seemed colder, and it immediately seeped into my bones and made me shiver. As soon as I was past their perimeter, I would shift into a bear and he would keep me warm and safe. He might be a killer, but he had never let me down no matter how much my human side disagreed with his methods.
Walking around, I got my bearings. My stomach rumbled. Rob and I had been brought breakfast after his shenanigans, but then we’d missed the other meals of the day in favor of devouring each other.
My bear would find something to eat in the woods. A squirrel or a rabbit. He was stronger now, and we weren’t being pursued by evil doers. I couldn’t take too much time, though, or Rob might wake and come after me. He wouldn’t realize it was in his and his friends’ best interests that I left.
I made it to the northern perimeter in no time. It wasn’t marked with a fence or barbed wire or any other methods humans used. There was a scent trail that hung in the air. A worn path marked by paws and scraped with claws on the ground. Beyond that line, the ground was undisturbed and the scents began to dissipate.
One look over my shoulder had new tears forming. With the heel of my hand, I brushed them away. I didn’t want to feel their salty warmth on my skin. Hear them drip from my jaw to my chest. Tears wouldn’t help me keep my mate and my love safe.
Strength would. Courage would. Resilience would. And after my time at the lab, I had an abundance of those—enough stored up for a lifetime.
I took a deep breath inward and stepped over the trail. No more looking back. I shucked my clothes and folded them all up into the hood of Rob’s hoodie and cinched up the drawstring so I could fit the bundle into my bear mouth.
We have to leave here. Keep our mate safe. I’m trusting you to take care of me again.
He argued with me without words. Just grunts and growls and huffs but on this, I would not be moved. This time, I was in charge.
I felt the change come over me with a quickness. Skin became fur. Bones cracked and reformed with magic I didn’t understand even though I came from shifters and had always been one. My muscles tore and shredded to become a bear. Teeth shattered and moved, gums ripping with the shift.
Usually, the first thing I did as a bear was let out a great roar, letting him scream in his own way, showing everyone who he was. But not tonight. Tonight, we moved as silently as the change of seasons. I took off into the night in search of something to eat and making sure there was as much distance between me and my mate as possible.
Goodbye, Rob. I love you.
