Page 46 of Ruined Omega

The Farlander with the scratched face—he seems to be in charge of the gang—grunts something I cannot understand and motions to the others. They drag the omega to the muddy, damp grass. She continues to struggle, but she is still gasping for breath after that punch.

Two of the Farlanders pin her arms. The scratched Farlander kneels, roughly spreading her bare legs.

I look away, turning my eyes back to Tal. I can sense the conflict inside him, tightening his jaw and the muscles around his eyes. I whimper into his hand. When he looks at me and sees my pained expression, something crumbles behind his eyes.

“Oh fuck it,” he growls.

His hand slides away from my mouth.

“Listen to me,” he says, whispering rapidly. “No matter what, you stay put and stay silent,” he commands. Then to Baen he hisses. “We have to kill them all. If even one of them escapes, there will be hell to pay.”

“Kill them all?” Baen answers with a snarling grin. “Gladly.”

“All right,” Tal growls. “Let’s go…”

In unison, the two Alphas burst from beside me, rushing down the muddied hill. They let out twin roars of challenge that tremble the ground and echo over the landscape like living thunder.

The scratched Farlander is mere inches from mounting the helpless omega. Now he looks up, his beady eyes widening with surprise and anger.

The others turn too. Before they have a chance to prepare, Tal and Baen crash into them, scattering them like bowling pins.

I watch breathlessly from my hiding place.

One of the Farlanders manages to keep his footing on the slippery ground. He swings a wild punch at Tal, who blocks it easily. He catches the Farlander’s wrist, twists it, and slams down hard with his elbow.

There is a stomach-lurching crack. The Farlander’s arm bends the wrong way. The creature howls in agony, but the sound is cut off by a blow to his trachea. A second blow flattens his nose.

The Farlander flops to the earth with a wet thud. His body is statue-still.

He is not unconscious.

He’s dead.

Behind him, Baen is going to work. He pounces on one fallen Farlander who is sprawled in the mud and grass. With a swift, twisting motion, he breaks the creature’s neck. Even from this distance, I can hear the dull, sickening pop.

My squeamish stomach rolls over, and a sour taste surges into my mouth

It’s not as though I’ve never experienced violence. During our flight from the city, Tal killed several men. And then there was that incident at SynerGen six months ago, when I helped free Sloane and her Alphas.

But there’s something about this fight that is so raw, so primal. The combatants are spattered with mud. And the Alphas’ method of fighting is so brutal.

It has a strange effect on my body.

Beneath that queasy feeling, something else is welling up. That hollow feeling below my belly. That hot, clenching need.

Now, of all times, my estrus is coming back, and it’s returning with a vengeance.

Below, the fight continues. The remaining four Farlanders have staggered to their feet. Tal is facing off against two of them, easily dodging their blows. Baen directs his attention to a third, catching the creature’s throat and biting down with his fingers until the Farlander’s face turns purple, eyes bugging like they will pop from their sockets.

The fourth Farlander takes advantage of his distraction. He is sneaking up behind Baen, preparing to strike.

A cry starts in my throat, but I hold it back, remembering Tal’s command.

And there’s no need for me to yell. Baen has help from another quarter.

The little wild omega has caught her breath again. She rolls onto all fours and pounces, sinking her fangs into the sneaky Farlander’s ankle. And it’s no small bite, either. She jerks her head back, tearing away a chunk of meat and tendon.

The Farlander shrieks in pain. An earsplitting keening sound.