Page 94 of The Bright Omega

In my peripheral I notice how still Cammie is. She hasn’t moved an inch, but I feel her terror spike again through the bond. She takes one tiny, careful step backward.

Shayna’s attention snaps right back to her. The knife jerks forward threateningly.

“Hey,” I nearly bark, then calm myself. “Shayna, look at me,” I say, keeping my tone even, almost gentle. “Talk to me. Tell me what’s going on. I’m listening. I want to understand.”

For a heartbeat, Shayna’s gaze flicks back to me. I keep my hands visible, my posture non-threatening, even as my alpha is screaming at me to rip her throat out.

“You don’t understand shit,” she snarls. “Omegas like her ruin everything. They—”

Cammie shifts again. Shayna lunges.

Pure panic, Cammie’s and mine, nearly blinds me. The bond screams with Cammie’s terror and a high-pitched whine is wrenched from her throat. My alpha goes crazy, punching hard at my ribs.

I force my voice to stay steady as I step sideways to draw the alpha’s eyes back to me. “Shayna, stop. Look at me. I’m right here. Tell me why you’re so angry. I’m listening. I want to hear it.”

She shakes her head. “You don’t. You’re like all the other pussy whipped alphas.”

“You don’t want to do this, Shayna,” I say steadily. “I’m right here. Talk to me. You do this and you go to jail. You know that, right?”

Shayna’s eyes are wild, darting between Cammie and me. The knife trembles in her grip. “It’s worth it,” she hisses. “One less whore omega ruining everything. You think I don’t see what she is? Always stealing packs that aren’t hers. Every time. Every fucking time one of you idiots falls for it. She’s just like the rest of them. All of them. They take everything and leave nothing.”

My eyes register movement, slow and low, behind Shayna.

Leith.

I don’t look. I don’t even twitch. I keep my eyes locked on the alpha holding Cammie at knifepoint, forcing every ounce of focus into keeping her attention on me.

Don’t look, I remind myself. Don’t clue her in. Let him do what he does best.

Cammie starts to speak. “No, that wasn’t me. I didn’t—”

“Shut your whore mouth!” Shayna screams, thrusting the knife forward.

Raw, blinding terror, a sickening mix of hers and mine, floods the bond so hard I nearly stagger. I silently beg her through it: Stand there, sugar. Let me and Leith handle this. Please, baby. Stay still.

She’s getting more unhinged by the second, words tumbling out faster, crazier. “You think you’re special? You’re not. You’re just another greedy little bitch who spreads her legs and destroys lives. I lost everything because of omegas like you. Everything!”

All the while, I can sense Leith moving. He’s slowly closing the distance behind her.

Come on, Leith. Do it. Whatever it takes. Just keep her safe.

“Shayna, look at me,” I say again, pushing as much calm into my words as I can, even as my alpha is screaming at me to lunge. “I’m listening. Tell me what happened. I want to understand. You don’t have to do this.”

My eyes stay locked on hers. I don’t look behind her. I keep her focused on me. I do my best to keep her talking while Leith silently closes the distance.

Shayna’s ranting grows more frantic, spit flying as she waves the knife. Raving about the same shit she’s already told me. “You alphas are all the same. You fall for the first pretty omega who spreads her legs and then you throw away everything that actually matters—”

Leith strikes.

He moves like lightning, one arm wrapping around her throat from behind in a controlled choke, the other hand clamping down on her wrist. Shayna screams and thrashes, but Leith is already twisting the knife from her grip with ruthless efficiency. It clatters to the pavement.

I don’t hesitate. I lunge forward and grab Cammie, yanking her away from the struggle and pulling her tight against my chest. She’s shaking violently, pure terror still flooding the bond.

“Leith!” she cries out, trying to twist in my arms to see. “Beck— Leith—!”

“I’ve got you,” I murmur into her hair, holding her securely as I back us both away from the fight. “He’s got her. You’re safe now, sugar. I’ve got you.”

In the distance, I finally register the wail of approaching sirens. Someone called the police. Thank fuck.