Page 6 of Unable Omega
Markus looked him over carefully, the omega my bear swore was ours. He checked him from head to toe and found a lot of bruising and the one big wound, but other than that, he declared him exhausted, dehydrated, and close to starving.
Whoever had pursued him, keeping him from grazing through the bounty of the late-summer forest, I would like to get my hands on them. Any bear should have been able to thrive at this time of year. Natural bears would be doing nothing but eating in preparation for winter hibernation, but the land between us and the labs was equally bountiful. I wanted to hear everything about him. What happened before he breached our perimeter and ended up in our care.
His name was Sage, and he had been in the labs, had been experimented on in ways he hadn’t told us yet, and I couldn’t look at him because if I did, my bear went wild with the mate nonsense.
Mate.
He’s just one more victim of those bastards.
Mate.
And so the conversation would go. Even while staring past him out the window, my bear was rattled and quietly demanding. He didn’t understand why we weren’t just bringing him to our home where we could heal him while we planned the demise of any and all beings who had so much as touched him in an unpleasant or unwanted way. And I couldn’t explain because he was not our mate. Even if I desperately wanted him to be. But I could at least carry him to Markus’ infirmary, as the healer suggested. It would have been nicer if he didn’t refer to me as grumpy or whatever he’d said.
“Let me get dressed, and I’ll walk myself. Wouldn’t want to trouble anyone any more than I already am.” Sage’s words showed his strength but were also a huge disappointment to my bear. And maybe a small one to me.
“Fine.” Markus replaced his tools in his bag and stood up. “That will be acceptable as long as you let Rob here walk with you. It wouldn’t surprise me at all if you were to keel over halfway. Nothing against your abilities to endure, but a body can only stay upright for so long when it’s desperate for fluids.”
“But I don’t want to be any—”
“Trouble. I know.” I gathered the sweats Sage had taken off and placed them next to him. “Ready when you are.”
I wanted to help him into the clothing, but his desire for independence did not lend an impression he’d welcome that. An escort to the infirmary was about all I thought he’d accept, so I did not try to push for more.
Sage had dressed more quickly and surely outside; he must have been stiffening up, but after some fits and starts, he had managed to pull the pants up his legs and work his arms into the hoodie. He had no shoes, but most of us went barefoot around the houses anyway, so he should be fine for now. I’d find out his shoe size once he was settled in a comfortable bed. As well as everything I could learn about him.
For the good of our sanctuary. Of course.
Outside, Sage looked around, as if unsure where to go, and I took his elbow and guided him toward Markus’ home and its attached infirmary. He moved slowly, confirming for me that his injuries were causing him to stiffen up. After being in bear form for three weeks or more, it was hard to tell how much of it would carry over. Generally shifting from human to our beast was a healing mechanism, but it didn’t always go the other way. Sure, he might have lost outward things like leaves and dirt when hisfur disappeared, but the injuries underneath could and seemed to have remained.
A growling from deep inside me reflected my bear’s rage against those who had harmed him, growing. If I ever learned all the details, he might become uncontrollable.
“Watch your step there.” I eased him around a low planter that had been filled with bright flowers earlier in the year. “We’re almost there. You sure you’re still okay to walk?”
“Fine,” he muttered, so low I could barely hear him. “I’m all right.”
“You’re not, but you will be.” I helped him up the steps into the infirmary, and Markus arrived right after us.
He showed Sage where to lie down and went to get the IV prepared to give him fluids. While he was gone, I sat in the chair next to the bed and asked him what he’d like to eat.
“I have no idea,” he said. “It’s been so long since I had the opportunity to choose for myself.”
“Is there anything you don’t like or won’t eat?”
He looked so puzzled. “I don’t think so. In the labs, we got what we got.”
“Right. But that’s not here.” I stood up again, restless and wanting to do something. “I’ll go see what we have to eat and bring you some things.” Without waiting for an answer, I left and headed for my kitchen where I found some of the others eating tacos. At least they weren’t going to waste, but I didn’t think they would be the right thing for Sage. It was hard eating things like tacos in bed. Too messy.
But a sandwich would work, and I had some nice fresh sourdough. Also, some fried chicken from the night before. Maybe he’d prefer something light, like yogurt or a smoothie. In the end, I added a couple of tacos to the tray. Who didn’t love tacos? I could always clean up any spills.
I arrived back at the infirmary to find Sage hooked up to the IV, his eyes half closed, and Markus sitting beside him. “And you don’t remember anything more?” the healer was saying. “It’s all right. You get some rest and I see Rob has brought you some things to eat.”
“I wasn’t sure what he’d like.” I set the tray down, feeling a little embarrassed at the amount, now that I looked at it. “Maybe you and your omega would like something as well. I’d better get back to the kitchen and make sure nobody needs anything else.”
Markus followed me out and filled me in on the way. Sage’s story was so limited in detail, he wasn’t sure what to believe, and I tended to agree. He remembered almost nothing. I remembered every moment of my own experience in excruciating detail. Still had nightmares about it and whenever life seemed like it was lightening up, something would trigger a reminder.
No, it was not forgettable. We needed to have a meeting about this omega who my bear was still sure was our mate.
Chapter Six
