Omega Hunted by Linsey Moon

23

By the timethey make it to the cabin Savannah had shared with Kasim and Nick both of them were drenched. Savannah used Yuu’s jacket at a shield to keep the tablet dry, unsure if it could handle the downpour they faced on their trek to the cabin from the main house.

Yuu had tried to convince her to hop on his back and allow him to carry her a few times, but she turned him down. Her sodden feet were not pleased with her decision, but she couldn’t stop thinking that having her in his arms like that might have been too much temptation. Yuu might be a virtuous alpha, intent on keeping his word to his boss and to her, but she didn’t see any reason to push the boundaries.

There was light emanating from the cabin when they approached and she knew Kasim was still there even before she saw him. Sandalwood and cinnamon encompassed her senses and she briefly closed her eyes and took a deep breath, letting his sweet scent settle within her.

“I guess your friend is still here,” Yuu said when they approached.

Savannah noted the dark figure standing in the lit open doorway and knew at once it was Kasim. Her heart fluttered and her body called to her to run to him. He wasn’t the only alpha she had felt a connection to, but there was something that drew her to him so deeply she’d nearly allowed him to have her more than once already. Every time she saw him her instincts kicked in like they were telling her he was where she belonged, just like they were while she walked towards him then.

“Hello, love,” Kasim said, his voice wrapping around her like a song. “I didn’t think I’d be seeing you back here, but I am happy you’ve come back.” He looked at Yuu. “Even if you did bring competition.”

“He’s not competition,” she said. “We have a truce, but he’s helping me.”

Yuu looked at her and held a hand over his heart. “You wound me.”

She rolled her eyes at him. “You weren’t going to claim me for myself either way.”

“Ouch,” Yuu said. “I think on that note I’ll head in and see if there is anything dry I can change into.”

Kasim didn’t take his eyes off Savannah when Yuu passed him to enter the cabin. Savannah felt the heat of his gaze until she met his eyes.

“You’re still here,” she said.

“Foot’s still on the fritz.”

She looked down at his foot and sadness tainted her heart. He was hurt worse than he’d ever tell her and she’d left him all alone with no way to get to help.

“What are you doing standing out here?” she said, meeting his eyes again.

He was leaning against the post on the small overhang just outside the cabin door. At least he was keeping most of his weight off his bad foot, but he should be off his feet altogether. Kasim reached for her and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. She couldn’t fight the urge to lean into his touch and he smiled.

“I see you’ve charmed another alpha,” he said, nodding towards the doorway where Yuu entered.

“I haven’t charmed anyone,” she said.

Kasim ran his thumb across her cheek. “I think you could charm us all if you wanted.”

There was something swirling in his eyes that made her heart feel like it was full of warmth just looking at him.

“You didn’t answer me,” she said. “You should be inside. This weather is horrible and you need to stay off that foot so it can heal.”

“You left me,” he said. “I never imagined you would come back.” He looked behind her. “I’ve been out here all night watching for omegas. A few have come by and I’ve offered them warm, dry shelter if they would stay with me. No one has accepted. I guess being a prince isn’t that impressive when you’re injured. It kind of puts a damper on the powerful alpha most omegas are looking for.”

Savannah stepped in even closer to him. “It doesn’t. They just didn’t know you.”

Kasim licked his lips and his eyes dropped to her mouth. Her heart raced in anticipation of him kissing her again.

“Are you going to tell him about Nick?” Yuu popped his head out the doorway.

Savannah turned narrowed eyes to him, although she wasn’t sure why. She should thank him. She didn’t come here to kiss Kasim. No, that was a one way road to the exact opposite of what she needed. Kasim was looking at Yuu like he wanted to kill him, and if he didn’t have an injury that would slow him down, Savannah wasn’t so sure he wouldn’t.

She moved between them, blocking Kasim’s view of Yuu before he decided to hell with his injured foot and attacked the other alpha for interrupting.

“Can we go in and talk?” she said. “Nick’s in trouble and The Lady is in on it.”

Kasim’s glare changed and he looked at her in shock. “Why would she want to hurt Nick?”

“I don’t know,” Savannah said. “But she does. Let’s get inside before this storm gets worse and I’ll fill you in on what I do know.”

Kasim nodded and started making his way inside. He was still limping, although not as bad as he had been when she’d left him last. Alphas healed faster than most, but it was going to take more than a couple hours for him to have full use of his foot again. She wanted to help him inside but knew that he’d hate having her help him in front of Yuu, so she just stood close by in case he started to fall.

Once inside he sat on the couch and she sat next to him so she could show him the tablet. She didn’t miss the way his cinnamon scent intensified when she sat down beside him, but she couldn’t allow herself to get distracted by that now.

Yuu said in the chair across from them. The same chair where Nick had sat during the day before. Before she’d tried to run away and then he’d wound up taken because he helped her and three other omegas escape capture.

Before her emotions could pull her under, she unwrapped the tablet from Yuu’s jacket and held it out so Kasim could see the screen.

“Savannah,” he said, “where’d you get this?”

“I took it from The Lady’s office after we overheard her on the phone saying Lucas, and his friends were going to take care of Nick for her, and his dad would pay to dispose of his body when they were done.”

Kasim’s eyes widened in shock.

“It’s true,” Yuu said. “I don’t know what Nick did to piss her off, but she wants him out of the picture on a permanent basis.”

“We have to save him,” Savannah said. “I mean, I have to try. You two don’t owe him anything, but I do.” She pointed to the blinking dot with Nick’s name on it on the tablet. He was still surrounded by those three. “There’s no telling what they’ve been doing to him. I’ve got to get him away from them.”

“I will help you,” Kasim said. He reached out and put his hand on her arm. Even that brief touch brought her a sense of calm she’d desperately needed.

She looked to him, then down to his bandaged foot. “You’re already hurt. Those guys will take advantage of that.”

He flexed his ankle. “My foot is doing a lot better. It’s time for me to stop sitting around anyway. Complacency is the worst thing for healing.” He ran his knuckles across her cheek. “Besides, I want to help you and Nick. He helped me when I needed it even though he could have just claimed you and took off. Returning that kindness is the honorable thing to do.”

“Any chance this means you’ll extend our truce,” she said. “It might make it hard to focus on getting Nick out safe if I feel like I need to watch my own back or be claimed in the process.”

He gave her a smile but it didn’t reach his eyes. She felt something like sadness overcome her then and she wasn’t sure if she was picking up on the emotion from him or if it was her own sadness that was trying to shove its way to the surface. The look in Kasim’s eyes made her think it was his, although she couldn’t deny a bit of her own was likely merging with it.

“I’ll extend our truce until Nick is safe, and then I can only hope you will see I’m worthy of you.”

That made her heart sink. She hadn’t meant to make him feel unworthy. If anything, Kasim had repeatedly proven he was worthy of an omega greater than her. She didn’t comment though because she was afraid if she did it would only lead him on. At the end of the day, worth had nothing to do with her decision or why she was so determined not to allow any of the alphas there to claim her. She deserved the choice, and no matter how you looked at the situation she was in, choice was not on her side.

Unable to say anything else to Kasim for fear of what words might tumble from her lips, she turned to Yuu. “I know you said you would help me stop these cheaters, but I’m sure going after Nick is more than you bargained for. I’d understand if you don’t want to go.”

“I think we’ve already been over this, little omega,” Yuu said with a gentle smile. “I’ll keep my word. I’ll help get Nick free and catch these cheaters in the act. After that …”

She nodded. “I know. After that, I better hope I can run fast because all truces will be off the table.”

“Now,” Yuu said, “we need to make a plan. Those entitled asshats are going to be on higher alert after you and Nick managed to break out their captured omegas. We have to have a plan so none of us wind up captured with Nick or taking his place.”

“I think I should be the bait,” Savannah said.

“No,” Kasim said, his tone holding a stern finality she’d not yet heard from him. She wondered if that was the side of him who’d been raised by his father to take over as King. “It’s too dangerous.”

Yuu rubbed the back of his neck. “Don’t come at me,” he said looking at Kasim, “but I think that’s the best plan.”

Kasim bared his teeth at Yuu. “Not happening.”

“No offense,” Savannah said, “but I’m a free omega. You don’t get to tell me what to do. I can distract them. I’m not claimed, and if what you guys keep telling me is true, apparently I’m sort of enticing. I can distract them.” She pointed to the tablet. “It looks like they are in a cabin nearby. We can lure them out using me.”

“She’s right,” Yuu said. “She can get them pitted against each other. They won’t be able to resist fighting over her if she shows them the slightest interest, then I can take them out while they are fighting amongst themselves. You can get in from the back and get Nick free.”

“I don’t like this plan,” Kasim said.

“Noted,” Savannah said. “We leave at daylight.”

“I’ll go along with this plan,” Kasim’s eyes narrowed on Yuu, “but if she gets hurt, I’m holding you accountable.”

“Don’t worry,” Yuu said. “I’ll keep her safe.”

Savannah shook her head. Alphas. They were acting like she was theirs and she didn’t belong to anyone. “I’ll keep myself safe. You two just stick to the plan and get Nick out. Now, let’s get some rest before the sun comes up. I want to leave early before those jerks have time to get their bearings in the morning.”

She stood and headed to the bed, pausing to turn back to both of them. “We have a truce. Don’t even think about claiming me while I sleep.”

They both nodded and Kasim but a hand over his heart. The gesture made warmth swell inside her chest, but she ignored it and crawled into the bed to try to get some sleep. Daylight would be coming soon enough and despite the bravado she was trying to put on for Kasim and Yuu, she knew what they were about to do was dangerous at best.