Page 25 of Omega and the Beast
This time when Adonis snarled, Callista didn’t stop him. She’d known he would never forgive himself for harming the villagers, even if they attacked him, but she wasn’t going to get between him and his vengeance. She scrambled out of the way, grabbing Diona and pulling her along until Norrin took her into his own arms.
Their tearful reunion would have tugged at Callista’s heartstrings if she hadn’t been so preoccupied watching the two Beasts battle. Adonis had the greater size, but Father Conal had longer reach, which made them equally matched to her eye, and fear filled her heart.
Adonis was accustomed to his form, which gave him some advantage, but Father Conal had rage and cunning, and when Adonis drove at him, he deftly leapt aside, then came in from underneath to savage at the Alpha’s throat.
“Callista, get back!” her father shouted in her ear, his hands pulling her away from the fighting Beasts. She hadn’t even realized she’d taken a step toward them.
Adonis reared again, only to slam himself against the ground, crushing Father Conal beneath him and then slapping him away. Father Conal flew back, but twisted in the air to land on his feet and dart in again, snapping and tearing at Adonis’ leg. Adonis raked his claws across the other Beast’s face; Father Conal shrieked and retaliated with a series of slashing attacks, each one as swift as a snakebite, too fast for her human eyes to follow. Blood and fur flew as they fought, wrestling, clawing at each other, biting. Callista covered her mouth with her hands, unable to look away, terrified that if she even blinked, Adonis would be overcome.
Out of the corner of her eye, she could see other Betas filtering in through the gate, wary of the fighting beasts, but compelled to watch. Even amongst the bellowing thunder of battle, she could hear glad cries and sobbing as families andfriends were reunited. Callista wished she could celebrate with them, but all of her attention was on the fight.
On the lover she’d found.
On the lover she was terrified she might now lose.
15
Adonis
Givingin to the urge to kill, to slaughter, felt so good. His mate had held him back at first, and he’d stayed, aware of her fragility even as animal thought clouded his own, but now he didn’t have to.
Fight.
Kill.
The Beast’s bloodlust was hot, pumping through his veins, and more than that, the sliver of self he retained in this form knew who he was fighting, his two halves united in rage and revenge.
His wounds throbbed, but it hardly mattered. He was familiar with pain. Pain was something he could take.
Not so the other Beast. Though his bloodlust was as high as his own, Conal was clearly unused as unused to pain and it made him sloppy. Conal’s shrill howls were a constant, announcing each attack, each injury taken… running on pure instinct, whereas Adonis had long years of practice in the fine art of restraint, using his Beast’s power rather than allowing it to use him. Not only that, but his Beast was an Alpha. Father Conal was still a Beta, no matter what form he was in.
From deep inside the well of instincts, he was still thinking, still pushing his own agenda. Still influencing his Beast, even through the bloodlust and the fight. He could see Father Conal’s weaknesses, note his injuries and tactics.
When the moment was right, he pushed through and made his own Beast back off a bit, whining as if Father Conal had seriously injured him. The other Beast was too gone to think twice — he advanced, roaring in triumph, his neck outstretched as he lunged for Adonis.
It was a fatal mistake.
Adonis rolled, seizing the other Beast by the throat, then pinning him to the ground under one massive paw. His claws dug deep into the other’s flesh, his jaws tightened, crushing his enemy’s cries first and then his bones before ripping it all away.
Blood gushed into his mouth and splattered over the ground as Father Conal collapsed. Pale fur soaked up mud and blood as he lay, sides heaving and small bubbles gurgling as he tried to breathe through a throat that was no longer there, then he went still.
Adonis threw back his head and roared his triumph as he stood over his prey. Vindication filled him. He’d had his revenge.
A loud clap of thunder filled the air, and everyone dropped to their knees, hands over their ears, including Adonis, whose hearing was especially sensitive in this form. After a moment, he cautiously raised his head, then looked down at his hand, still a paw, blood shining on his flexing claws.
He’d hoped that killing Father Conal might break the curse, but apparently it wasn’t so.
“Adonis!” Callista slammed into him from the side and he wrapped his arms around her, breathing in her scent, hoping it would help keep him calm… only to realize he didn’t need to.
The urge to hunt, to kill, was gone.
His instinct to mate with Callista was still there, the knowledge he would kill for her in a heartbeat remained, but the animal bloodlust that had been with this form since his first turning had utterly left him. Staring down at her, he felt like he could even…
The watching villagers, some wary, some concerned, let out a single communal gasp as he shifted, shrugging off the Beast’s form to stand before them as Adonis. He gasped along with them, staring at himself with wonder. The change had never been so quick before, so painless, and never at his own will.
“Adonis?” Callista breathed out his name, gazing up at him as he lifted his hands into the moonlight.Hishands. Not the Beast’s.
“I’m me again…” Except, he could still feel the Beast inside him. The night air tugged at him. He felt sure he could shift back — if he wanted to — but he didn’t have to. He hadn’t realized how much he’d resigned himself to his half-life until the weight of that hopeless existence left him. His heart leapt in his chest as he dared to think he might even see his parents again.
