Omega Hunted by Linsey Moon

9

The pistol firedwith a crack and Corinne took off at once, sprinting towards the tree line.

Savannah hauled on Katharine's arm to shake her from her shocked paralysis and get her moving and they ran after Corinne, bare feet slipping in the wet grass. The other omegas, fear gradually overcoming their confusion, stumbled into running behind them. One of the alphas howled, low and hungry, and the others took up the sound till it shook the air behind them.

Past the edge of the trees, Katharine dug in her heels, forcing Savannah to stop.

"What's happening?" she demanded, teary eyed. "Why are we running?"

Several other omegas who'd reached the trees with them also stopped, hoping someone had an answer.

"We're being hunted," Savannah explained with a grim expression, still putting the details together herself. She was still holding her shoes, and she pried at the heel, slamming it against the nearest tree until it snapped off. "Everything the Lady said about the alphas competing over us? This is what she meant. They're going to run us down and claim us."

"I'm surprised it took you this long to figure it out," Lyanna scoffed, already breathless, leaning against a tree, watching as Savannah repeated this act of destruction on her other shoe. She had the good sense not to comment on the fact that those shoes probably cost as much as a small house. "The alphas were practically dying to talk about it. I swear half of them didn't even realize no one had told us what was going to happen. Some of them think we volunteered for this."

"But that-" Dawn, the willowy brunette in green, crept in behind her, eyes wide. "It's barbaric!"

"The one I talked to said this was more natural," Savannah said, wishing now that she had kicked Nick in his soft parts for that. Instead she had... Ugh, she was such an idiot. A horny idiot! She put the mutilated shoes back on, tossing the broken heels aside. They weren't comfortable, but she couldn't run through the woods barefoot like she could on the grass. At least now there was something between her and whatever sharp branches, rocks, and brambles littered the forest floor.

"Whatever, it doesn't change my plan," Lyanna said with a shrug. "I know who I want to be caught by. The only challenge is not being caught by some other loser first."

"You're really going to play along with this?" Dawn asked, stunned.

"There's really no other options," Tahnee, the dark skinned girl in violet, chimed in. "At least we can tilt the odds somewhat in our favor by targeting a specific alpha. At least them we have something resembling a choice."

"To hell with that!" Savannah argued. "This is our chance to escape! If we work together no one has to get caught."

"I WANT to get caught," Lyanna reminded her, hands on her hips. "And after the scene you made earlier I'm going to have a hard enough time convincing them to give up looking for you and come after me! Like hell am I going to help you get the rest of us out of the way so you can have some kind of alpha orgy or whatever you're trying to pull."

Savannah was too stunned by the audacity of that comment to even respond. Somewhere in the distance, the starting pistol fired again. Katharine yelped and took off into the trees, though Savannah tried to stop her.

"Wait!" she pleaded. "We need to stick together!"

But Katharine was already gone, and the other omegas were scattering as well.

"Just stay out of my way," Lyanna warned her before sprinting off into the brush.

Savannah looked back once towards the house, realizing she was thoroughly screwed, then she ran, deeper into the woods with wolves at her back.

She wasn't far away when the first of the alphas reached the tree line. She heard the crash of the underbrush as they dove in, and the shriek of an omega who, for whatever reason, had decided not to run any further. Shouts, laughter, howls. The forest was suddenly loud with the sound of pursuit. Savannah heard running, shallow breath behind her and realized with a thrill that someone was after her. She didn't turn back to look, just ran faster, glad the ridiculous dress at least left her legs free.

She'd spent most of her life running through the woods, so her legs were strong and she knew how to move on the uneven terrain, but it was dark under the branches even with the huge bright moon, and she was in unfamiliar territory. She would be lucky to come out of this without a sprained ankle. Still, she was staying ahead of the man behind her, even though he was probably wearing decent shoes and athletic clothes. Maybe he was pacing himself, letting her wear herself out.

Maybe he was toying with her. Savannah didn't have time to wonder, all she could do was try to take advantage of the lead while she had it. She darted and weaved through the underbrush, trying to break his line of sight, but he had her scent. Unfortunately, she was pretty sure every alpha at the party did. If she could get some distance on this one, she'd head downwind, but it wouldn't do her any good with him this close. He drew closer, shrinking the gap between them.

She could almost feel his breath on her neck, could almost see him driving her into the ground, his body heavy above her, demanding what he'd earned. There was a part of her, suppressed and humiliating as it was, that was eagerly awaiting that moment, that longed to be captured, to be claimed, even if it was by a man she didn't know.

She gritted her teeth, pushing harder, and a second later she heard someone collide with the man behind her. The two alphas rolled into the underbrush, snarling at each other. Savannah wasn't stupid enough to stop and watch to see who won. She just bolted, putting as much distance between them as she could while she had the chance.

She was forced to slow down a little while later, her lungs burning and a cramp in her side that made her want to double over and throw up. This is what she got for trying to run like that without any kind of warm up. She checked the direction of the wind again and found a sheltered spot to huddle while she caught her breath. She could still hear shouts and howls in the distance, but things seemed relatively quiet nearby. She should have a minute to rest and ease back into running at a better pace.

She heard a voice nearby and jumped, tensing to run again, but she hesitated when she realized it wasn't a howl or a scream. It was a moan.

She crept closer to the sound, staying low and quiet. She heard more sounds as she drew closer, which became more familiar with every second. The ragged breaths, the little gasps and cries, the rhythmic sound of skin on skin.

She peered through the brush into a small clearing, bright in the moonlight, where two figures made a single shadow in the grass. She didn't know the omega's name, with her face pressed into the ground in a mask of ecstasy, her sunset colored gown up around her hips, her skin glowing silver in the light.

Savannah didn't know the alpha leaning over her either, wrapped close around her back, holding her tightly, his dark hair cast against her white skin, his teeth in her shoulder, making the mark that would claim her as his forever. They moved together under the moonlight, a rolling wave cresting and falling back into the sea, slowing from feral ferocity into something deeper, something heavy with a sense of inevitability. Of destiny. Savannah watched, too transfixed to be self-conscious, and felt something she'd never felt watching any amount of porn.