Knot the Alphas’ Feral Omega

52. Killian

52

Killian

I whistled, low and happy under my breath as I marched up the front doors of the packhouse and let myself in.

“Lilah! Baby girl!” I called out, kicking the door shut behind me as I started to loosen the tie from around my neck. I didn’t have to go into the office to meet with my supervisors often, but they always made it a big to-do when I did.

It only happened about once a quarter, but I was still a little irritated about it, especially since it meant I couldn’t be home right away when my omega returned after learning such devastating news about her mother.

My stomach twisted at the idea of Katrina being on her last legs. I’d visited her with Lilah a few more times recently, and the poor woman had looked worse and worse and worse every single time. It was incredibly difficult to watch her—someone my omega deeply cared about and for whom I had developed my own parental feelings, as well—deteriorate, knowing there was absolutely nothing that I could do about it.

If it weren’t for Katrina, we wouldn’t have Lilah back in our lives. There was every possibility that she would have languished at the rehab facility for the rest of her days, never being released because they couldn’t—or had no desire to—make her well enough that she could function in society again.

The idea sent chills down my spine, and I called out, “Lilah!” again, pulling out my phone and double-checking my phone log.

It had been nearly half an hour since Lilah and I had spoken on the phone. On a long day, the drive from her mother’s house was twenty-five minutes, and I had gotten caught in traffic, making it take a few extra minutes for me to get home.

I frowned a little, closing my eyes and centering myself in my body. I blinked, and my alpha rose to the surface, sharpening my senses as my nails pricked into claws. The scents and sounds of the house immediately became stronger, and I breathed in deeply, listening for any indication that Lilah was home.

Her sweet scent, mingled and mixed with all of ours, made my cock give a valiant jerk in my pants, but I ignored it as I sifted through the sounds of the house...

And came up with nothing.

I frowned even more and turned to open the front door again.

The driveway was empty where Lilah’s car should be, meaning she wasn’t home yet.

Ordinarily, that wouldn’t have been something to worry about, but for some reason, alarm bells were ringing in my head, and I couldn’t pinpoint why I felt so uneasy.

I dialed Lilah’s number and started walking around the house as it rang, poking my head into any room she might be in. I knew by scent and hearing that she was nowhere near the house, but I still needed to confirm it, even as my heart rate started to spike and panic licked at the edges of my consciousness.

The call went to voicemail, and my climbing panic made me dial again immediately, not even leaving a message.

It rang through again and then went to voicemail—again.

A third call resulted in the same, and now I was really fucking panicking.

When I heard someone walking to the front of the house, I flew down to the foyer to see if it was Lilah, praying to God that I was just overreacting.

“Lilah!” I sprang forward the second the front door opened, ready to sweep her into my arms...

Only to be met by Oliver, his eyes wide in his face as I stuttered to a stop in front of him. “I’m not Lilah, Kill,” he said slowly, as if I were being obtuse. He looked around, his brow furrowing. “Is she...not here?”

My irrational, aggressive hindbrain took the forefront, and I lashed out, my fist whipping out and very nearly clipping Oliver in the jaw. I barely missed him when he stumbled backward, his eyes flashing gold and his teeth baring before he managed to get his wolf under control.

“Killian!” he snapped. “What the fuck ?”

“What did you fucking do?” I growled, all rationality gone. “Did you send her away again? I swear to God, Oliver, I’ll fucking murder you right where you stand—”

“Killian!” This time, his fist came up to meet mine, catching my hand and twisting it behind my back before I could make it much further than half a step. I struggled, feeling the effort it took for Oliver to keep me contained, even as he let out another low growl.

“Killian! Stand the fuck down!” His alpha growl made me want to kneel, but still, I struggled.

Lilah wasn’t here. She wasn’t here, and I didn’t know where she was, and I couldn’t help feeling that something terrible, horrible was happening, and I didn’t know what it was. I didn’t know, I didn’t know, I didn’t know ...

I tossed back my head and let out a howl that rattled some of the pictures hanging on the wall, and the next moment, all that I was aware of was the fact that I was pinned flat on the ground, Oliver’s hand on the back of my neck while I struggled, his knee on the small of my back to make sure that I couldn’t go too far.

“Killian.” Oliver’s voice was calm this time, and I knew he was reining in his wolf, trying to make sure I didn’t go off the deep end even more than I already had.

I couldn’t necessarily blame him, but the growl that ripped from my parted lips wasn’t rational, either. My glasses were askew, and I could only see out of one eye. I struggled for another few long moments before my body finally gave up the fight, and I slumped against the wooden floor of the foyer.

“I didn’t reject Lilah again,” Oliver finally said after a few seconds, once it was clear that I was done with my fighting, at least for now. The hurt in his voice made guilt curdle in my stomach, just for a moment, but I shoved it to the side as I tore myself out of his grip and rolled to the side, springing to my feet.

“Then where the fuck is she, Ollie? She’s not home, and I just spoke to her half an hour ago. She was coming home and got horrible news at Katrina’s.” I started to pace around, my emotions spiraling higher again, my thoughts scattered a million ways. “She shouldn’t be driving right now. God, I should have called her an Uber or something so she could have just sat in the back without needing to worry. We could have gone back and gotten her car later...”

The sound outside was so faint that it nearly escaped my notice—the barest brush of something against the wooden boards just outside the front door. Our heads both snapped towards it, my heart pounding in my ears suddenly, and I darted towards the door before Oliver could do more than part his lips in a threatening snarl.

I yanked the door open before he could tell me otherwise, but there wasn’t anyone on the other side.

Instead, there was just an envelope—one like the two we had received twice before, and my stomach sank even as my heart rate went crazy.

I leaned down to pick up the envelope, and Oliver was immediately at my side, gently taking it from me despite the rage making his hands shake. “Let me,” he said quietly, his voice grave.

The tension between us was thick enough to cut with a fucking knife as he peeled open the envelope, and whatever issue we’d had not even two minutes before was already far gone from my mind.

This letter was because of Lilah; I just knew it.

Oliver’s hands shook so badly that it took him two tries before he could open the envelope properly. When he finally did have it open and the paper inside removed, he waited almost a full five seconds before unfolding it.

I hated it, but I understood. I felt like I was coming out of my skin, but I still felt like taking a second to prepare for whatever was written in the newest letter from hell was the right call, especially for Oliver.

His scent soured with distress, and he opened the letter, scanning it quickly.

His eyes flashed gold even as he paled, and the snarl that ripped from his chest would have terrified me if I didn’t know Oliver like the back of my hand.

“Give,” I mumbled, snatching the letter and feeling my anxiety rise.

Anxiety that was only confirmed—and horrifically amplified—by the single line on the page.

You think that you can keep my daughter from me? Big mistake, boys.

“Oh, fuck,” I gasped, my teeth already elongating as my shift tingled through my entire body. It took every ounce of self-control I had to shove down my wolf so I didn’t tear through my clothes and shift right then and there.

Hunter Randall had Lilah. The Slicer had our omega .

“Oliver. Oliver!” My voice was faint and aggressive, and I could barely hear my humanity through my wolf. My claws tore into my palms where I was clenching my hands into fists.

When I looked over at Oliver, he was already dialing, his eyes bright gold as he seemed to struggle to control his shift similarly.

“Emmett,” he snapped the second our final packmate picked up. “Come home. Now. We...Lilah is gone. Randall has her.”