Chapter 18 #2
He appeared fine at first glance, like he’d been taking a stroll and ducked beneath the thick branches to avoid the snowfall, but when Fen got closer, he could make out the blue tint to his lips and the way his hands tremored at his sides.
Oberon’s pheromones snapped defensively a second before he realized who it was. All at once, he dropped his guard, letting out a little chuckle that wasn’t nearly as comforting as Fenrir imagined he believed it to be.
“Hey, precious,” the alpha drawled, eyes slipping shut. “Good job.”
“Where—”
“I’m fine.”
Fenrir bristled. “Just tell me where you’re hurt before you freeze to death.”
“It’s not that cold.” Oberon sent him a playful grin, but when Fen didn’t respond in kind, he sighed. “One of those bastards got me in the side. Lucky shot.”
“Let me see.”
The alpha peeled his shirt up, exposing the bleeding hole just above his right hip and removing the pressure he’d been applying in the process. As soon as he did, a rush of crimson poured out of him.
Fen shot forward, slamming his palm over the wound to staunch the blood flow. When he glared at Oberon, the alpha had the audacity to laugh.
“You told me to show you,” Oberon said.
“You’re a real asshole, you know that?”
“Keep talking to me all pretty like and I’ll be tempted to bed you right here, omega.”
“Rich coming from a guy who’d get two pumps in at most before passing out.”
“Come on. Have a little faith.” He winked. “I can make it to three.”
Fenrir growled. “Yeah, well, I’m not that easily satisfied, alpha, and the next time you fuck me, it has to be good, so hard pass.” He turned so he was standing next to him, sure to keep his palm sealed over the gunshot. “Put your arm around me.”
The alpha rested it over his shoulders and then groaned when they started forward.
“Go that way,” Oberon motioned with his chin, “it’ll lead to town.”
“Can you make it?”
“Do I have a choice?”
“How far is it?” The snow was already up to their shins, and at this pace… “You’ll get hyperthermia before we reach help.”
“Have a little faith—”
“You’ve already used that line, and it’s not that I don’t have faith.
It’s just that my faith is in the weather and natural biology.
You are not built for this, alpha. Doesn’t matter that you were born on a planet known for long winters.
You’ve been pampered too much. I bet this is the first time you’ve even touched snow in—”
“I took part in the White Hunt a couple of months ago, actually.” Oberon grimaced, realizing his mistake when Fenrir came to an immediate stop.
Everyone knew about the Yuletide event the Leviathan threw for the White Frost, a mock version of the Wild Hunt, where omegas were released into the wilderness and hunted by alphas for sport.
And sex.
Because everything boiled down to fucking with their kind.
“Care to elaborate?” Fenrir growled, hand pressing against the alpha’s injury with a little more force.
“Shit.” He tried to move away, but when Fen held firm, gave up. “All right. All right. My bad. In my defense, we didn’t know each other then. How was I supposed to know I’d meet you? Besides, you’ve had way more bedpartners than I have.”
“I killed all of mine.” Fenrir stared at him warningly. “It’s tempting to exercise old habits.”
“I’ll make it up to you,” Oberon promised.
“How?”
“I’ll think of something, but I can’t do that if I’m dead, precious.”
Damn it. He’d almost forgotten.
Fen considered their options. “I can freeze your blood at the entrance to seal the wound, but I worry—”
“Do it.”
“You could suffer tissue damage.”
“Then the doctor will cut it out,” he said matter-of-factly. “I’ve got to make it to a doctor for them to do anything.”
Fenrir nibbled on his lower lip. “How long will it take us to get there? You still haven’t said.”
“Just stop the bleeding, precious.”
“King.”
Oberon laughed. “Careful, keep acting like this and I’ll start to get the wrong idea. You’re starting to seem like you like me.”
“I’m acting like you’re my alpha,” he corrected.
“Because I am.”
“Yeah, and whose choice was that?” Fen pressed harder against the wound a second time, ignoring the way Oberon hissed.
His power came swiftly, though it took concentration to direct it.
He was careful just to freeze the area, but this was not a method he’d practiced in the past, and he had no way of knowing how successful it would be.
“There. Don’t move too fast. I’m worried it won’t hold. ”
“Freeze the whole area—”
“No.”
“I’m a dominant alpha,” Oberon reminded. “I’ll heal quick.”
“Not quickly enough.” Considering the alpha’s diversion every time Fen asked about how far the town was, he’d guess it was out of the way. “I have to get you out of this storm. It’ll be faster to turn around and head back to the cottage.”
“We don’t know if I got them all,” Oberon disagreed.
“You won’t make it.”
“Then leave me behind.”
“Shut up, King, before you really piss me off and I knock you out and take matters into my own hands.” Maybe he should. He could carry Oberon and attempt to find shelter.
The alpha grew quiet for a second, but then asked, “Why’d you come looking for me?”
Fen knew what he was really getting at but pretended not to. “Who says I did?”
“You deviated from the path. This wasn’t the way back to the cottage, or away from danger.”
“What were you doing here?”
“Had to lead them away from you, duh.”
“Careful,” Fenrir parroted. “Keep acting like this, and I’ll get the wrong idea.”
“There’s nothing to misunderstand. You’re mine,” Oberon stated. “I protect what’s mine.”
“Can’t protect me if you’re dead.”
“Plan on using everything I say against me?” He clicked his tongue, then conceded. “There’s a cave. It’s close. Come on.”
Fenrir grunted. “Of course you’d want to avoid going to a cave despite it being the best option. Spoiled, high-maintenance alpha.”
“Let’s just go, okay?” It looked an awful lot like the Purse of the feared White Frost was pouting. “It’s fucking freezing out here.”