Chapter 1
One
Kade
"WHERE IS THE MOTHERFUCKING DOCTOR?!"
I refuse to accept that Vivian's eyelids know what's best for her. She needs to open her damn eyes and acknowledge that she's going to be okay when I tell her so. She has to be. My omega will be fucking fine!
"Kade," Silas murmurs, grasping my shoulder and trying to, what? Pull me away from Vivian? Never going to fucking happen.
I shake him off, cling to Vivie's free hand, and force a purr to climb up my throat. My beta would tell me she needs comfort, not anger. I'd tell him to fuck off because obviously, but my hindbrain only knows rage and murder right now.
Everything about me is a battleground right now. Half wants to bust out the back of the van and hunt down every bastard on this property. The other half wants to scoop my little omega onto my lap and rock her so she knows I'm here. She has to know I'm here.
All she seemed to know when we carried her into the van was Riot. Well, then she spoke Jarek's name, telling me that she knew it was us. So why wasn't she excited or overcome with many emotions at seeing us?
"She claimed him," Jarek murmurs. Not once does he look away from her pale face as he highlights another reason I'm feeling like I could do some serious damage to any male around my woman. "She claimed him..."
"I fucking know!" I snarl, holding her hand tighter as if I can ensure she's only ours forever. Even as my possessiveness flares and I want to kick the bleeding man out of the truck, I can't. I can't do that to my omega.
She claimed him which means he, Riot, is ours now too.
As if he hears my thoughts, Jarek explodes. Rushing around Vivian's cot, he rips his shirt off and presses it to the bleeding wound on the stranger's chest. Jay's head snaps up just before the back door swings open and the doctor jumps in.
"Over here now!" I bellow at the man who can't be much older than us. He doesn't say a damn word, but I recognize him from the brief information Trent provided earlier.
Without hesitation, the man drops his big ass duffel bag and begins assessing my omega. If he's frustrated by my random growls and dominance rolling off me in scary waves, he doesn't react.
With professional focus, he pulls the cloth away from her side and narrows his gaze as he gets closer. "Enough, Kade," he snaps, finally showing some form of emotion. "She has a gnarly slice in her side. Keep pressure there while I check her bleeding and prepare the cleaning supplies."
Silas comes to stand next to me, and I watch with frustration as he glances back at the other fucking alpha Jarek is currently trying to save. "He needs medical attention, too."
The doctor only briefly glances up, but it's enough to make me snarl. How dare he take one moment of focus off healing my omega?!
"Once Vivian is cleaned, medicated, and stitched up, I'll help the Alpha," he says, voice monotone.
"So you can save her?" I croak after swallowing multiple times.
Thankfully, the beta doctor doesn't look up from his swabs and bottles of medicine when I speak to him.
"She will need to be taken to a hospital for proper around the clock care.
I can get her stitched up and ready to rest and heal, but Vivian will need a full check-up.
From what I can see, she's in serious need of some fluids and nutrients.
None of which I can do in the middle of a shootout. "
My curiosity about who the hell this man is and all the other people Trent seems to have in his pocket rises for a moment, but I bat it away. It's unimportant right now and I'm honestly just really fucking thankful to have my woman in front of me.
I'll deal with the bruises around her throat, hand, and her state of undress later. Once she's not bleeding out in my hands, I'll process the fact that my omega was seriously abused while in captivity.
Captivity...
Once the doctor nudges my hand away, everything becomes a sickening blur. I'm not cut out for a life of blood, guns, death, and chaos. Especially not when my mate is at the center of it.
Vivian's blood stains the sheets below her, worsening as cleaning solutions are applied. When the needle for a tetanus shot is stuck into her, I think I might throw up. I can't fathom a fucking rusty ass knife slicing through her soft skin.
The only bruises and marks that should adorn her perfect body are love bites and the passionate fingerprints of her mates.
For just a moment, probably in reaction to the pain of getting her knife wound dressed and stitched, Vivian groans. Her eyes flutter open for no more than a moment.
"Riot..." she whimpers, shattering my heart and forcing my mind to accept that she needs the other man to be okay.
"Little Omega," I whimper, not caring how weak I sound. "You need to keep fighting. All of your energy needs to be focused on healing."
As if the skies open up in the brightest sunshine, my mate opens her eyes one more time and looks at me. Then the rain begins, and she sighs my name before closing her eyelids again. "Kade..."
"I'm here. We're all here." Swallowing the desire to keep her all to ourselves, I place a kiss on her forehead and provide some reassurance. "Riot's here too, my love. We'll take care of both of you."
Vivian doesn't respond or open her eyes. I can't look away from her unconscious features even as the doctor grunts and groans about the lucky shot that went clean through the man on the other cot.
Nothing matters right now beyond her. My omega. She's alive and it will fucking stay that way.