Salvation (Wild Heat)

Chapter 28 – B R O O K L Y N

Three pairsof Alpha eyes are trained intensely on me.

“A body?” Camden says, looking shocked.

Denver’s brow furrows. “How long have you been listening to us, princess?”

“I just woke up a few minutes ago. When you were talking about the bond fading between Grayson and me. You were figuring out plans, and it got me thinking.”

Denver’s expression softens with something like relief, and I wonder what they were talking about before. Was it something they didn’t want me to hear? Or am I overthinking it?

Cam interrupts my thoughts. “Can we get back to the body?”

“I found it while I was foraging, a girl—an Omega, close to my age. I wanted to move her body and make sure her family found out what happened to her. But it was maybe a month after I escaped, and I was afraid they’d be able to track me if I got too close to anyone.”

“What happened to her?” Memphis asks. “Do you know how she died?”

“She was…somebody hurt her. I could smell Alphas on her, but I don’t know who they were. Whoever they were, they…they did terrible things. “

It’s hard to get the words out, now that I’m thinking about that poor Omega. I can still see her twisted limbs, the blood soaking her clothes. She didn’t look like me—she had darker skin and her curly hair was cropped short. But looking at her felt like looking at my own body, if I hadn’t escaped Grayson. He would have done this to me and worse, and not felt a moment of guilt.

Cam walks over and embraces me, my head fitting neatly underneath his chin. “I’m so sorry you had to see that,” he says, kissing the crown of my head. “That poor girl.”

He leads me to the small fire, guiding me to sit next to Memphis, who puts his wide hand on my thigh in support.

Denver props his elbows on his knees, leaning forward thoughtfully. “I’m sorry to ask, but did she look like you? Could you tell if she was taller or shorter?”

I force myself to remember, as unpleasant as the thought is. “We didn’t have similar features, but she was my height, my size.”

Suddenly, I can smell them. The Alphas who savaged that poor girl. Musky and smokey and dark, and I practically choke—it feels as real as if I were still standing next to the body. All the hope I felt before feels snuffed out, replaced by overwhelming despair. Evil Alphas like Grayson and Papa are capable of so much harm and cruelty. I feel stupid for even imagining I could escape them.

“We can’t,” I choke out. “Even if they believe that girl is me, they’ll still find me. Someone will see me and report back to Papa. They’ll come for me, no matter what. I can’t leave. If I leave, I’ll never stop worrying that they’ll find me.”

Then, the smell is replaced by hot steel and clover. Denver’s kneeling before me, looking flinty and determined.

“Hey,” he says, running his thumb over my cheek. “They won’t find you. Let us worry about that.”

“Us?” I echo, looking from Denver to the other guys. Camden and Memphis are smiling, like they already knew something and I’ve just caught up.

“Yeah,” Memphis says, taking my hand. “Us.”

“If you’ll have us,” Camden adds quickly, shooting me a crooked grin. He’s offering me a choice to be part of it. Part of ‘us.’

Part of a pack.

I love him for giving me that choice. I love Memphis for letting me lean on him. I love Denver for making a plan to keep me safe. I love all of them, for those reasons and so many more. The way they accept me for my prickly, independent, wild self. The way I feel safe with them, always.

When I answer them, I don’t feel a moment of doubt.

“I’m already yours.”