Page 210 of Filthy Royal

Or kill.Scarlett filled in what he didn’t say.

“The thing is,” the doc carried on, “such a gift is clearly powerful and”—he hesitated, making her heart beat faster— “well, most times an omega’s gift is symbiotic with its host. But, ah, we’ve seen cases where a gift can be erratic, nonexistent, latent, or dangerous to the omega or others. Unfortunately, in this case… the gift is harming its host.”

“She’s not a fucking host. She’s Scarlett, and we know this already.” Damien’s grip on her hand was almost too tight. “We’ve all seen the bruises.”

“Yes, well.” The beta straightened his lab coat again. “The damage is greater than anticipated. According to my tests, there’s substantial cellular degradation and nervous system damage.”

“What the hells does that mean?”

“I-I fear if this keeps on, the host itself—the omega—will… will share the same destructive fate as the energy she manifests.”

“Say again.” Damien’s voice had dropped to a low, terrifying bark.

Beside him, both Nikolai and Maxheim had gone unnaturally still.

“I-I…” The doc’s white fur bristled.

Scarlett took pity on the poor beta. “He means I’m dying.”

“No.” Damien shook his head, his grip so tight that his knuckles had gone white. “We knew this was complicated. We don’t need more negatives. We need solutions.” He glared at the doc. “How do we stop it?”

Her heart broke further. Damien was in fix-it mode. Ready to be the shield, protector, and Enforcer he’d always been. Determined to use his will to batter through this, just as he had every obstacle before.

Only this time, he couldn’t.

“Damien—”

“What if we extract it?” He spoke over her, his gaze locked with the doc’s.

The beta’s brow furrowed. “Gifts can’t be extracted.”

“Then she just doesn’t use it anymore,” Damien retorted.

“I-I am not sure that’s possible. It’s an instinct. Like breathing.”

“Tess and her gift can help.”

“Maxheim’s omega can’t counteract death. Only ease the pain.”

“Then Scarlett finds a way to control it.” Damien’s voice was rising, and for the first time, Nikolai and Maxheim looked unsure how to handle him.

“Yes, of course,” the beta sputtered. “I’m just not sure how.”

“You’ll figure it out.”

“But—”

“No buts,” her Alpha roared.

Scarlett rose to her knees and gripped his broad shoulders. “Damien, he can only do so much.”

“No.”

This was what she’d feared. What a part of her had always suspected, and why she’d planned to take Darvish out on her own terms.

It was also why she’d initially tried to remain aloof from Damien, to spare them both this anguish. But thanks to his sheer force of will, ferocious determination, and extraordinary cock, that distance hadn’t lasted long. And she didn’t regret it. Even if it was short, every moment of sweetness, beauty, and mess with her Alpha was worth any pain, but Damien… he’d be the one left behind, and so she knew, as hard as this was for her, it was harder for him.

“Damien,” she tried again, “he’s not saying it will happen now, only that it will happen eventually. I’m dying.”

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