Omega (5 page)

Bain.

There was no doubt in his mind. The Alpha would be expecting a
chase. He was hunting. The very last thing he anticipated was to be met head
on. Cole pushed down on the gas pedal.

“Buckle up and hold on to something. Listen”—his eyes softened as he
glanced her way—“in order for this plan to work, I needed Bain to see you. I
need him mad and stupid. I’ll stop him but promise me you’ll run, let him see
you then leave. Don’t do anything silly, please, just go when you have the
chance. Don’t look back...”

****

For just a second he held his hand up to her and it seemed like he
would touch her but then thought the better of it as he gripped the wheel
again, his mouth a thin white line.  Katy swallowed hard, using both hands to
hold the base of her seat. Thank God he hadn’t waited for a reply, she didn’t
think she could just leave him to his fate.

They were closing the gap fast, both cars staying on their collision
course. It was Bain that moved to the other lane, but Cole turned back into
direct line with the SUV forcing Bain to swerve out to avoid a head on
collision. Cole hit the brakes as Bain’s SUV rolled several times before
stopping right side up.

In no time, the big Alpha had freed himself of the crumpled vehicle,
he moved quickly but then so did Cole, she hadn’t seen him leave, had been too
busy looking out for the demon wolf. Part of her wanted to stay in the safety
of the vehicle, another part of her wanted to run, to get as far away from here
as possible. To do what Cole had instructed. The two men collided delivering
bone crushing blows to one another. Katy had to get in closer, needed to see
what was happening. Although there was very little she could do, she had to
help Cole if he needed her. God, she prayed this wouldn’t backfire on them. At
least they had caught the Alpha alone which gave Cole a chance.

Cole was the quicker of the two, ducking to avoid being hit, most of
his punches connecting with Bain’s head. For a few seconds she allowed hope to
unfurl. A particularly hard punch cracked against Bain’s jaw and he staggered
back two steps. Maybe Cole had been right, maybe he could defeat the wolf.
Then, the big Alpha threw his head back and roared. Her blood turned icy cold
as she watched him erupt. Fur bristled, fangs bared, muscle bulged and roped.
He grew taller, towering above Cole.

A wolf as black as the darkest, most hopeless of all nights. Evil
rolled off him in waves. Cole squared his shoulders, his hands were fisted at
his sides, his eyes locked with the beast. Neither moved for the longest time.
It was only when Bain looked directly at her that Cole reacted beating and
pounding against flesh of steel. Or at least it seemed that way because Bain
remained unmoved. The only other sign besides Cole’s movement that anything was
even happening was the dull, slapping thuds of flesh hitting flesh. The Alpha
didn’t seem to even notice Cole. His eyes stayed locked with hers. At that
moment, she knew that it would be useless to run, he would find her.

With one, almost gentle sweep, the wolf knocked Cole flying, dropped
on all four and advanced towards her. Cole got back up, throwing himself onto
the back of the beast.

“Run Katy…run…,” Cole shouted before hammering another series of
blows to Bain’s ribcage. Something unlocked inside her, if she didn’t do
something soon Cole was going to die. The thought made her ache deep inside,
like if she lost him she might lose a piece of herself.
Might lose
everything
…Katy ran towards the ensuing battle.

At this point, Bain had Cole on his back, it looked as if he was
trying to rip his throat out. Cole had the Alpha gripped by the fur on his neck
and face trying to keep him from achieving his goal. Without thinking it through,
Katy launched herself on the beast. She refused to stand by and watch Cole die.
She made for the wolf’s eyes. One of her fingers found something soft and she
pushed down. Hard. Bain yelped twisting away from Cole. Katy landed hard on her
back almost blacking out, it took a few seconds to snap out of it. When she
managed to sit upright, Bain had Cole by the throat, he was growling fiercely
whipping Cole from left to right. There was a gut retching scream, which she
realized was coming from her. She threw herself onto Bain’s bristling back, but
he shrugged her off easily.

When Cole’s body went limp she stepped back. It was too late, there
was no way he could have survived such an attack. Bain turned to face her,
Cole’s blood glistened on his jaw. She felt all the fear leave her as she told
him, “You’re disgusting.”

His features eased up to mostly human. She would have hated him even
if he was just a human.

“You’re also a wolf and so
is
”—he barked out a laugh that
made her stomach crawl—“or should I say
was
your dead boyfriend over
there.” He pointed at Cole who was lying in a crumpled heap behind Bain, “Yet,
you still managed to lower yourself to mate with a half breed mongrel like
him.”

“He may have been a demon wolf, but he was nothing like you. A wolf
yes, an animal absolutely not. You make me sick”

“Why would you choose a runt when you could’ve had the Alpha?” He
didn’t wait to hear her answer caring little about her opinion, “Used goods, no
longer good enough to be my queen but maybe worth a little fun before I kill
you.” His evil, cold eyes grew even harder and he sneered down at her, “Take
your clothes off.”

She would rather die than allow a man like Bain to touch her. “Fuck
you!”

When she didn’t obey him, he slashed at her shirt ripping it to
threads. Even if the odds were stacked against her, Katy struggled to her feet
preparing to battle.

Bain’s thin lips twisted into a cruel smile. “Actually, it is
I
that is going to fuck
you
little Katy and just so you know, I love it
when they fight.”

“Those murdered women, we knew it was a wolf who was responsible.
So, it was you?” She’d spoken more to herself than to him. It surprised her to
see Bain’s face take on a confused look for a few seconds before narrowing his
eyes.

“I don’t know anything about any murders. Get on your hands and
knees. It’s time you had a real man…hell”—he laughed and her blood turned icy—“I
think I might let my wolf have a little go. You are a bitch and it is a full
moon after all.” He lifted one of his large hands, Katy watched in horror as
claws extended from his nail beds. “Like I said, I love it when they fight so
please…do me a favor, try your best to stop me.”

Before she could answer a wolf jumped Bain from behind. Although it seemed
to have been aiming for the weak spot at the base of his head, the Alpha
twisted away at the last second. The animal still managed to bite down onto his
collar bone. There was a crunching sound and Bain screamed. The scream turning
into a howl as he erupted. Katy moved away afraid of getting caught up between
the two beasts. That was when she noticed that the spot where Cole had lain
seconds earlier was empty.

A silver ring glinted on the ground.

The wolf. Cole. The wolf was Cole.
The
side of his neck and shoulder were bloody and he could barely stand on his
front left paw, but he was alive. His coat was a toffee brown. Thick, lush, so
very beautiful. He fought like a full blood demon. He fought like an Alpha, or
at least better than this Alpha because Cole was winning. It wasn’t long before
he had Bain on his back. He arched his spine preparing to deliver the death
lunge, when a grey wolf appeared, from nowhere, shoving Cole aside, it ripped
Bain’s throat out in one sickening crunch. Cole collapsed just as she reached
him and by the time she called his name he was back to human form and
unconscious. The wound to his shoulder and neck pumped blood. Katy took off
what was left of her shredded shirt and applied pressure to the wound.

Gray leant in next to her, he was naked but she was too busy to take
any real notice. Too concerned for the man who had saved her life.
Please
God don’t let him die.
I love him
. The realization hit her. It
didn’t matter that she’d just met him, or that, although he cared for her and
wanted to help her, he didn’t feel the same way about her. Cole had saved her
life and even if she didn’t know his favorite color or how he liked his steak,
she knew that she loved him. The time had come to make a pact with the higher
power. Cole had to live, he just had to and if he did, she vowed she would give
him up. She realized that it didn’t mean much being it that he didn’t return
her feelings but it had to be worth something. If he lived, she would walk away
and never tell him her true feelings.
Just please God let him live. Please.

“Help me carry him.”

Katy opened her eyes with a start as she heard Gray’s voice. She hadn’t
realized they were closed as she made her silent oath.

“We need to get him to the car. Do you have a phone?”

She shook her head. Her purse would still be on the deli floor where
it had fallen earlier when Bain abducted her. “Cole’s is in the car though,” her
voice cracked as she said his name.

His life in the balance, Cole lay between crisp white sheets. It had
been twenty four hours since Gray had brought them here and all Cole had done
since then was lie there. It scared her how still and pale he was. There was a
knock at the door.

“Come in,” she called out quietly.

It was Doctor Janice. She and her husband were both Chasers. This
makeshift hospital was in the garden cottage of their home in South Shore in
Boston. It had been explained to her by Gray that there were active and passive
Demon Chasers. Cole was an active Chaser, he actively worked on maintaining the
balance between the humans and demons as well as between the different demon
species whereas Janice and her husband Roger were passive Chasers. There were
many of such Chasers in society. Mainly doctors, lawyers, politicians – people
with influence.

“Hey. How’s he doing?” the doctor asked as she made her way into the
room.

“No change,” Katy replied.

It aggravated her how little they were doing and some of that
irritation must have shown. Janice put her hand on Katy’s arm.

“He’s a strong wolf in his prime.”

“He should be in a real hospital,” Katy felt like she’d said that
sentence a hundred times.

Janice took a deep breath. “That’s not an option. A demon has to be
on death’s door before being admitted. We have very few hospital staff who work
for DCA so it can be a bit tricky to admit a demon. Not impossible, but tricky.
Although Cole was bad when he arrived, he wasn’t nearly bad enough. You’re
thinking about things too much in human terms. If he’d been a human, granted,
he would be dead. Katy”—the older woman sat down next to her—“Cole
is
going
to make it. He can’t wear silver for a couple of days yet, until he has
properly healed, but he’ll be fine. Demon wolves have the ability to regenerate
at an alarming rate.”

Although Janice was a doctor who was used to treating demons, Katy
had a hard time believing her. Janice had not seen Bain’s attack, had not seen
how his wound had gushed blood. She hadn’t been on the back seat of the car
when Cole’s breathing grew shallow and his heartbeat erratic. When she thought
he was dying…

Please God.

How many times had she said those two words? Too many. Not enough.

“Why don’t you go and take a shower or go for a walk?” Janice
suggested.

“I can’t leave him. What if he wakes up?”

“I’ll stay. You need a break.”

She nodded, one quick shower and she’d come right back. Katy wanted
to be the first person Cole saw when he woke up. Even though he didn’t have
feelings for her, he would, out of a sense of duty, want to be sure that she
was safe. The last thing she wanted was for him to do something idiotic like
get up and try and find her while reopening his wounds in the process.

Five minutes later, she was back at his side and big surprise, there
had been no change. Cole lay just as silent and pale as when he’d been brought
here.

She had hastily thrown on a pair of shorts and a t-shirt not
bothering to brush her wet hair. It felt good to feel fresh, the scent of
rosemary and something floral still clung to her skin.

“Call if there’s any change. I’ll be back later,” Janice sighed
heavily.  “Young love. All that passion…”

“No. You must have misunderstood. It’s not that way between us.
We’re friends.”

Janice smiled, it was a smile that told Katy she had no idea what
she was talking about.

“If you need anything please let us know.”

“Thanks Janice. We…I really appreciate it.”

The older woman nodded, smiled and turned down the lighting as she left
the room saying something about Cole resting better with it dimmed.

Aside from Cole’s rhythmic breathing, everything was completely
silent. Her back hurt from sitting in the chair for so long, the small break
doing little to ease the ache. Katy decided to lay her head on her folded arms
for a few minutes which helped.

A little while later she jolted upright. Instantly alert. Her hair
was still a bit damp so she couldn’t have been asleep for long. Cole had pulled
himself up into the fetal position beneath the single white sheet. His teeth
were clattering, making such a noise it had woken her up.

“Cole,” Katy reached out, her hand closing on his bicep. When he
turned, his eyes were glassy and feverish.

“Katy…I’m so…cold…need…”

“Hold on I’m going to fetch…,”she tried to pull away but his hand found
hers, grabbing hold more tightly than she’d thought him capable.

“No…Katy…stay…please.” Those fevered green shards focused on her.
“Don’t leave me…I…need…you…” His hand tightened some more, pulling her back to
him.

She’d never been more afraid. What if she stayed and he died because
she didn’t go for help? She would never forgive herself. Cole tried to pull
himself upright. If she left him like this, he would try to follow. She didn’t
have a choice. As scared as she was, she would have to take her chances and
stay instead of going for the help he clearly needed. Slipping between the
covers, her body molded with his. Naked as the day he was born. It was wrong on
so many levels that she noticed how sculpted he was. Muscled, hard perfection. But
it felt so good to be this close.

“So…cold,” he whispered as he wrapped his good arm around her,
holding her closer than she ever thought it possible to get with another human
being without actually…best she not think about a thing like that at a time
like this.

Marginally better, he still shook and his teeth still clattered. It
made Katy think of a survival program she’d recently watched. The best way to
treat hypothermia was skin to skin contact. She made a mental note to stop
watching so much television. Even though he didn’t have hypothermia, she still
couldn’t think of a better way to help him.

“Maybe I should go and get the doctor.”

“No! Need. You.” He’d growled, sounding so strong.

Hope surged, “Okay…okay. Shhh…,” she smoothed his thick dark waves
from his forehead. “I’ll stay. I’m not going anywhere.”

His eyes opened holding hers and for just a second they were lucid
before once again turning glassy and fevered. Katy pulled off her shirt and
shorts, thankful she’d forgone wearing underwear. Skin to skin except this time
she’d be the one saving him.

They lay like this for an hour or more. It was hard to tell. His
teeth eventually stopped clattering. His breathing slowed and steadied into a
constant rhythm. If it weren’t for the thickening of a definite erection she
might have thought he’d fallen asleep.

Katy sat up, the sheet pooling at her hips. “I’m going to…”

“I need you...,” Cole pulled her back down. Did so in a way that had
her straddling him, her sex flush with his rigid cock. He rolled his head back
and groaned
in pleasure…pain?
  “I want you…please…”

He lowered his gaze and although his eyes were still glassy they had
lost that fevered look. They narrowed, dropping down further to her breasts and
when he looked up again, they were glowing and wild. He worked his hand up the
side of her arm, curling his fingers around her neck, Cole pulled her in for a
kiss. His tongue swirled with hers, slow and languid. His mouth was hot, his
breathing ragged. An ache inside of her eased, while a need began to grow in
its place.

This was wrong
.

Pulling back, she tried to move away even though every cell in her
body protested, but he held her fast turning his head and deepening the kiss.
Lord help her but she whimpered and rocked up against him, her swollen clit
rubbing up against the side of him in a way that had her crying out. A low
growl vibrated against her lips and Cole grabbed her ass with his good arm. He
moved from her mouth using tongue and teeth on her neck and ear.

“Summer breeze…lace…leather…hades hounds…,” although he spoke softly
the last came out sounding like a curse.

Cole was rambling, not of sound mind. He must be sicker than he
looked, way sicker than what he felt. The muscles on his chest bunched as he
squeezed her ass opening her wider so that he could move his hand in-between
her legs, using just the pad on one finger he lightly caressed her already
slick clit - once, twice before dipping into her.

Oh God this felt so good.

Way. Too. Good.

If she let him do this it would be taking advantage of someone in a
weakened state…
Oh God
…he moved back to her clit, so soft, so tender. She
was wiggling, squirming already so close to coming it was scary. As much as she
tried and as much as she knew this was wrong, she couldn’t stop. It wasn’t
because of the delicious sensations building inside of her or because Cole was
the sexiest man she’d ever had the fortune of knowing, it was because she loved
him, all of him. Loved the essence of who he was both wolf and man. Katy needed
this. It would be her way of showing him her feelings without words. She had
after all made an oath, one she intended keeping. Closing her lips on his, she
kissed him as if her life depended on it and positioned herself so that his
head moved to her wet opening. Unable to a wait a second longer. She
wanted…no…needed to be one with this man.

****

Cole grit his teeth. He could feel her heat. Smell her maddening
scent. Driving him wilder than when the pheromones had wreaked havoc on his
senses. This aching need for her had nothing to do with hormones. It had
everything to do with her. Katy arched her back, slowly taking him in to her
hot, tight sex. She threw her head back sighing as they joined. Pushing down,
Katy stopped only when he was in deep, right down to the hilt. Damning his weak
state, he wished he could make love to her, he wanted to drive her as wild as
what he felt. Needed to hear her say his name as she came.

Even though she didn’t move, she whimpered and panted like she was
already there like she was going to come undone at any second. Cole squeezed
his eyes shut, wrapping his arm around her back. Loving the feel of her weight.
How her breasts crushed against his chest. How her heart raced against his.
Katy whimpered some more and then slowly began to move. His eyes rolled back in
his head and he had to suppress a roar from being ripped from his throat.

His ring.

He wasn’t wearing his ring.

Katy sat up, taking up a new position to ensure that their coupling
was as deep, as complete as possible. Keeping it slow and steady. So seductive.
So damned sexy. Her full breasts swayed as she rocked. Katy moaned, giving herself
over to him. Cole had never made love to a woman before without his silver. It
felt so fitting that Katy was his first. Every cell in his body was firing at
full capacity and molten lava flowed through his veins until he couldn’t think
straight, until he could hardly breathe. All Cole knew was that he wanted this
to last forever. He wanted to be joined like this with Katy forever. Hells hounds
how he wanted her to feel what he was feeling. Wanted it so badly he ached with
the need to join with her in a fundamental irrevocable way.

To be bound to her for always.

Moaning louder, she picked up the pace, leaning forward so that her
hands dropped to either side of his head. Arching and thrusting, arching and
thrusting…

This was going too quickly. He didn’t want it to end so he put a
hand to her hip slowing her, then moved his hand till it was at the hollow
between her shoulder blades, he pulled her down. Needing her close. Katy kissed
him. Deeper and harder than before, her mouth and tongue doing what she had
been doing with the rest of her body but understanding and accepting his need
to slow things down. She eased off on the pace. Still gasping every time she
slid back onto him. Their love making reduced to an excruciatingly slow
friction. He was so close to release. So close that it hurt to teeter on the
edge, but at the same time it was the best kind of pain. He growled deep and
rough as the pleasure rolled over him, through him. Katy stiffened and stopped
moving.

“Oh God Cole. Am I hurting you?” so breathy, timid and sweet. 

Katy moved back almost breaking their connection. Another low growl
escaped at the thought of her stopping and his hips rocked forward so that he
would stay inside of her.

“Don’t stop…,” he wanted to say her name but she started moving again
and he found himself swallowing back another roar.

Cole wrapped his hand around the chain at the back of her neck. He
wanted so badly to tear it from her throat and use his last vestige of strength
to mate with her until they were one, but forced himself to stay in check. If
he did that, he’d be no better than Bain. He’d be claiming her against her
will. Something he would
never
do. Twisting the chain around his hand a
second time, using it to weaken his wolf. He could physically feel as it pulled
back into the silver cage.

Katy’s body tensed as her orgasm took her. Her pace increased and
she lifted a little so that she could deepen their connection. Her internal
muscles clenched and released hard and fast and her breasts thud against his
chest with each thrust. She was making a keening noise that had to be just
about the sexiest sound he had ever heard. The combination slammed him head
first into an orgasm that would have knocked him to the ground had he been
standing.
How the hell was he going to force himself to say good bye to this
incredible woman?