Page 7 of Claimed Omega

TRINITY

“Shane just needs some rest,” Thelma mumbled to herself, helping Daniel collect the items they used and folding the blood-stained towels. He carried them out of the room for her.

“Will he be okay with the bullet still inside him?” I asked, my insides tight as a knot after watching her clean the wound and bandage him without extracting anything. I always thought I didn’t have the stomach to watch such a procedure, but there was something therapeutic in how she worked nimbly yet delicately.

“The bullet hasn’t hit any major arteries, and seeing we got the bleeding to almost stop, it was safer this way. If I tried to dig it out, I’d cause more damage, and he’d be more susceptible to infection. You know, many people who’ve gone to war have shrapnel and bullets inside them since it was a safer option than surgery in many cases.”

I nodded, staring at the bandages just below Shadow’s shoulder. He’d passed out at some stage as his grandma cauterized the wound, which was probably for the best. I would never get the image of her patching him up out of my head. Daniel and I had exchanged terrified glances at the time, but I was glad Thelma was the one helping Shadow. I might have chickened out and passed out.

Holding Shadow’s hand as he lay on his back, I couldn’t bring myself to let go of him. Dried blood still stained my hands, my arms, and my clothes.

Daniel entered the room just as Thelma walked out, leaving us alone. He took a seat on the edge of the bed across from me, pushing Shadow’s damp hair off his face.

“He’s going to be sore when he wakes, so he’ll just have to take it a bit easy.” He spoke mostly to himself, as though he was running through a checklist in his mind of what he had to do.

“We’re going to leave tomorrow before the mafia comes for us,” I croaked, cringing at how scared I sounded. Each time I stared down at him, my muscles tensed as I remembered how we got into this predicament and how things just seem to be getting worse for us.

“Shadow’s strong. He’ll be up and running around in no time. He once broke his leg just below his knee, and the day he got home from the doctor’s, he was so horny, he pinned me down and…” He glanced at me with huge shocked eyes as if realizing what he was about to say. “Sorry, I’m not sure if you feel comfortable me saying stuff like that around you.”

I shrugged. “I don’t have a problem with it. You’re his Beta and his lover. I get it. I think maybe you’re the one with the issue.” My intention hadn’t been to sound bitchy, but after the day we’d had, I had zero patience for playing games.

“I deserve that.” The faintest of frowns curved his lips downward. “And even though I apologized for being an asshole to you and a jealous dickhead, I know it’s not enough to make it up to you. You came to us without agreeing, and…” His lips thinned, then he sucked in a sharp breath. “I don’t want you to see me as the jealous boyfriend, so I’ll do whatever it takes to show you that you mean a lot more to me than I’ve shown you.”

A memory flashed of him walking in on me playing with myself and mocking me afterward. I swallowed at the recollection, embarrassment climbing over my cheeks.

“Yeah, you were a bitch to me, but you’re not the only one being an ass to me in this pack. The only person who hasn’t really hurt me is Shadow, and I’d give anything right now to crawl into his arms and be cradled against his chest.” But then I remembered finding the invoices in his cabin with the Bronze Cobras logo, and he hadn’t told me anything about hisbusiness.

“You and me both.” Daniel let his gaze drift from me to Shadow, pushing more of his dark hair out of his face.

The silence between us was long and painful. I hated holding grudges, but I refused to be walked over.

“I’m sorry,” he murmured, meeting my gaze. “I’ll say it every day of our lives to remind you that I fucked up, and I will always take responsibility for it. And I’ll remind you how gorgeous you are, too.”

“I’ll hold you to it,” I teased, half-serious to see how much he meant his promise.

His head tilted down in a bow-like nod. “You have my word.”

While Daniel had made me bristle in his presence, he was different today, more receptive, warmer, and charming.

On my next breath, a tinge of pain surged through my gut. He must have seen the ache on my face because he moved quickly around the bed and sat beside me.

“The heat?”

I nodded. “It feels more intense than before. I think it’s close.”

“Can I hold you to ease your pain?”

Appreciating his gesture, I agreed and found myself softening against his chest. His arms coiled around my body. I’d always found Daniel extremely handsome and even arousing. If he made a move on me, I’d have gone there with him because my heat made me crazy like that. I also accepted that he wasn’t into me that way, and I could easily share Shadow with him.

He rubbed my back, the ache softening, and I inhaled his chocolate scent, which left me salivating for the delicious treat.

“So, you were saying,” I started. “Shadow was going to fuck you while he had a broken leg.”

Daniel arched a thick eyebrow. “Are you sure you want me to talk about it?”

“Yes. How else are we going to become more comfortable about sharing him? Then I can tell you how he chased me down in the yard of his mansion and fucked me in the shadows while Aspen and Viper were outside, unaware.”

He tilted his head to one side, studying me with those piercing, deep hazelnut eyes, then he burst out laughing.

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