Page 19 of Claimed Omega

“Sorry I wasn’t there when you woke, babe. I couldn’t sleep and didn’t want to wake you.” He stroked a loose lock hanging over my eye and tucked it behind my ear. “We’re going to be okay, you’ll see.”

I stepped into his arms, wanting his comfort, and he peppered my forehead with kisses, holding me close. Whatever was going on between us, I couldn’t deal with it today. We had enough enemies without dealing with internal drama. At least for today, we had to work as a team.

“I’m worried,” I finally admitted. “I’m scared we’re going to be caught, that we’ll be on the run for the rest of our lives. And I’m terrified my heat is going to get worse. Even now, it hums below my skin as if waiting for the worst possible time to flare.” My chest rose and fell, breaths coming too quickly at the reality washing through me.

“Whatever happens, we’ll fix it, okay? If we’re found, we’ll fight. If you go into heat, I’ll fuck you until you’re sated. I told you last night, I’ll do anything to protect you. Let me worry about everything for both of us.”

Time stood still as I lost myself in his words, then he leaned down and kissed me. Our lips came together like magnets, desperate for one another, and I inhaled his heavily sweet scent. I kissed him back, our lips sliding over one another, tongues tangling. He kissed like a god, as if he knew exactly how to rouse every emotion out of me from a single kiss. When he broke away from me, I was breathless, but he was handing me the hoodie.

“Put this on. It’s cold outside.”

It was getting harder to be mad at Viper while he was being all charming. I pulled the hoodie over my head, instantly engulfed by the most delicious smell in the world, pumpkin pie—Viper’s Alpha scent. With it came the tingle deep in my gut because my body reacted wickedly to my Alphas. I kept taking deep inhales as I tugged the hoodie down my body where it came halfway down my thighs. It swam over me, but I loved that it felt like a permanent embrace from Viper.

He rolled up my long sleeves, then tucked his hands under my hair across the back of my neck and freed my trapped hair from within the hoodie.

“Gorgeous.” He eyed me up and down, seductive eyes narrowing on me as he rubbed his chin, making a delicious moaning sound. “I want you wearing my hoodie with nothing underneath.”

“If we get out of this, I promise to make it so.”

“I’ll hold you to it because that’s all I can picture now… you in my hoodie, bending over to pick up something.” His fingers threaded through mine, grinning at me while my knees trembled, my thighs clenching tight. It wasn’t fair that his words made me so weak.

“Hey, that wasn’t part of the deal,” I managed to gasp.

Barking out a laugh, he led me out of the room just as Shadow and Daniel arrived, hand in hand as well. With the whole gang in the main room, the air felt thick with anticipation, and my gut churned.

“Well, I guess this is where I don’t say goodbye,” Thelma stated, staring at us all from the kitchen entryway, close to choking up and showing more emotions than I’d ever seen from her. “This is just a temporary split, okay, Shane? You better all come back in one piece, especially with Trinity.”

My pulse sped up, hearing her single me out and knowing she truly cared for me.

Shadow crossed the room and took her into a hug, both of them not saying anything at first.

“You got it. Until then, you lie low and don’t let anyone know who you are.”

“Boy, I know the drill better than you. Now, let’s get a head start on those fuckers.”

I adored Thelma and her fierceness.

Shadow turned toward me and nodded, then we were moving, leaving behind the apartment and making our way downstairs.

Aspen had my side, Viper and Thelma at our backs, and Shadow taking the lead. We passed alongside the front entry doors to the building. We made our way along the staircase down a dark, imposing passage with walls peeling paint, the smell rotten, like something had died down there.

Shadow unlocked the padlock on the door that then led us to the underground parking garage. A dim light flicked on from our motion, exposing a large gray cement area with stone pillars and shadows everywhere. So many empty parking spots marked out by faded-out paint lines.

A pang of apprehension washed over me as I scanned the cement underground garage.

There were three cars randomly parked around the place, and Viper took the lead to the two sedans parked relatively close, his footsteps echoing in the empty place.

“Fuck, I miss my car,” Aspen grumbled. “And I’m fucking furious that the Matteis mafia took her. I’m going to take everything from them,” he ranted about them giving us the old car parked at the front of the apartment building while they refused to give him back his car, which we used to drive to the Matteis estate.

No one paid him attention.

Viper jumped into the smaller blue car that had seen better days and got the engine running in no time. Seemed Viper was the master at starting up the car old school with the wires he’d tugged free from under the steering wheel.

“Your chariot awaits,” he stated, pushing the passenger door open for Thelma.

“I’ll be seeing you all soon, you understand me?” she sniffled, and I rushed over to embrace her. She’d always been so kind to me. “Don’t be afraid to take control of the guys. Sometimes, they need to be told what to do.” She winked at me and got into the car, then I shut her door.

Daniel and Shadow were kissing before he broke free and gave us all a wave, then got into the driver’s seat. They headed for the garage doors, which began rolling upward at their approach. They swung left and were gone in seconds, making the situation more real.

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