Chapter 10
S he’d run. Why the hell had she run? Of all the idiotic moves a small omega could make, this one took the cake. Hell, even if I were in enemy territory, held captive, or in a den of wolves, in my current situation, I would understand that staying in a warm, safe, dry cabin was a better option than running around, with hardly any clothes on in the pouring rain. Between the overcast sky and dense woods, it was impossible to see where you were going. She was just making stupid decision after stupid decision. I wanted to wring her neck. But, at the same time, I wanted to kiss her.
I never said I was a sane person, but this was new, even for me.
Maybe my time in the military had well and truly fucked me up. I had officially lost the plot and was finding omegas who ran away from me attractive. I could see them making a true crime documentary about me now.
I had gone to her room, intending to try and convince her to come out and eat some more and talk to us, so I could hopefully try and figure out where she came from. Instead, I found the room freezing cold, thanks to the wide-open window, and distinctly lacking in omega guests.
A mere second later, my phone pinged, telling me the security border was compromised.
If I was honest with myself, I knew that omegas didn’t usually have it in them to be vindictive or malicious. They were very sweet creatures by nature, and that was why our nature as alphas drove us to protect them. They needed it—they were softer, in the best way possible.
Only, I had seen things over my time that made me think that you could never truly trust anyone.
"I'm going to start searching the woods," I said, grabbing my large raincoat, and Carter did the same. "One of us should stay here," I added as I looked at Asher, who nodded in agreement.
"I'll stay. I've got chicken cooking, anyway," he said as he looked between us and the kitchen, where a delicious smell was emanating.
Why he was cooking chicken at a time like this was beyond me, but I’d learned not to question Asher and his cooking choices, unless I wanted to be left to fend for myself.
"I'm coming with you," Carter said as he grabbed a pair of boots and threw them to me. We were the same shoe size, so we often shared combat boots. I slipped them on without issue, quickly tying up the laces as my pack mate did the same.
"Which way do you think she went?" he asked.
I grunted, trying to consider my options. Where would I go if I was a tiny omega trying to flee from a cabin? “Judging by the carnage I saw out of the window, I assume she went straight on.” Even in the mud, her tracks were still obvious, which meant she had clattered through the woods with zero concern for the trail she was leaving behind. “We should go that way together, we shouldn’t be splitting up.”
Carter frowned. "But if we split up, we’ll cover more ground."
I frowned to myself. "But we know how dangerous this forest is. I don’t want us going out alone, especially while it’s raining. What if you slip and injure yourself?" I asked pointedly.
Carter smirked. "Isn’t that what our radios are for?" he asked, giving me a cheeky grin.
I nodded, that was true. "Fine. You better keep that fucking thing on you the entire time and check in with me when I ask."
Carter just smirked. "Sir, yes, sir," he said, giving me a mock salute. Even in a moment like this, when we were busy trying to hunt an omega and concerned, he was still finding time to be a sarcastic little shit.
"You take the north route; I’ll take the northeast. That way, we cover both the areas that she’s likely to have gone in." Standing up, I grabbed my radio off the kitchen counter, tossing one lightly to Carter, before turning to Asher. "Radio us if you hear anything. She might come back on her own."
Asher nodded. "I hope so."
We trudged outside. The weather was abysmal, and I didn’t like having to go out and get soaking wet. I knew it was a matter of necessity, but it still made me grumpy.
Carter shouted over the sound of thundering rain, "Surely, she must’ve been fucking terrified to leave the cabin for this!" He gestured to the downpour. "This is miserable."
I nodded in agreement. Just what had she been through? While part of me couldn’t resist the urge to consider her a potential enemy, if she truly was simply an injured and frightened omega, she must have been truly traumatised to want to be away from us so badly, to get to her home so badly.
"Let’s just find her and bring her back," I said.
We weren’t going to be able to track her scent, given the rain pouring down like this, but there was the faintest inkling of a scent just outside the window that I tried my best to follow. Out of all my pack mates, I had the best nose. Carter and I made our way through the woodland, periodically checking in over our radios.
We must have walked for almost an hour before I found her.
She was sitting at the base of a tree, arms crossed and crying. Her hair was sticking to her face, which was red and blotchy with tears. The sight of her, in clear distress, made my stomach hurt with that desperate alpha need to make it better.
"Hey, trouble," I said calmly as I walked towards her.
She looked up at me, tears still in her eyes. There was an anguish in her expression that couldn’t have been faked.
"I want to go home," she said.
"I understand that, I really do. But it isn’t safe. You’re so lucky you didn’t fall into a ravine or a cavern. Goddamn it, you’re such a brat, I should spank you," I said before I could even think about my words.
I was ready for her to freak out, to try and run away, thinking I was going to be violent. But instead, she stood up and glared at me. Her angry expression made my cock jump to life.
I always did love an omega with a bit of sass.
Grabbing on to that little spark of fire, I pressed on.
"You're freezing," I said, looking down at her lack of clothing pointedly. "Did you learn nothing from the last time you were out here?"
She just glowered at me. "I stole a pair of shoes," she said with a smug tone, kicking her foot out so I could see Asher’s old work boots that looked comically large on her.
I nodded, taking in the sight with a small laugh. "Well, that's something, at least," I admitted. Despite the abysmal conditions, she smiled at my praise. The idea that she was seeking out my approval made my heart flutter in a way I hadn't felt in a long time. How could she sass me and also be seeking my praise?
I needed to get her home as soon as possible—not back to the cabin, but back to her actual home, wherever she was meant to be, because despite only having known her for a few hours, I got the distinct impression that this omega was trouble, of the best variety.
"Are you ready to come back to the cabin?" I asked.
She looked around and pouted. I shouldn’t have been as obsessed with that lower lip as I was. I wanted to lean forward and bite it. I needed to get her back to wherever she came from as quickly as possible.
"I suppose," she grumbled. "I thought I could make it to civilisation. No offence—I don’t think you guys are serial killers or anything—but I want to go home."
I nodded. "I understand why you want to go home, but maybe we should show you a map, so you can understand just how terrible this terrain is and how you running off in the middle of a rainstorm is a stupid move and a total bratty thing to do."
Her mouth dropped open. "I am not a brat!"
I raised my eyebrows at her. I wanted to go toe to toe with her so badly, but now was not the time. She wasn’t strong enough for it. Besides, I shouldn’t yearn to go toe to toe with any omega, because I wanted to remain with no omega.
"Come on, trouble," I said. "Let’s get you back to the cabin, get you fed, and let you rest. As soon as we can, I promise you, we’ll get you home. And as soon as we can get an Internet connection, you can email whoever you want. You can call whoever you want."
She levelled me with a stern look. "What kind of assholes live in the middle of nowhere, where they can’t even get an Internet connection? That’s weird, right? I’m not crazy—that is a weird thing."
A rough laugh escaped my chest as I nodded. Rainwater was seeping into all my clothes, soaking me down to my underwear, and I was getting more and more miserable by the second. But still I couldn’t help but chuckle.
"It is weird, trouble," I admitted. "But we like the solitude. If there’s no Internet and no phone connection, no one can bother us." We weren’t social creatures, like omegas. Alphas could handle solitude with ease, whereas omegas thrived on being social.
She crossed her arms with a grumpy expression. "Fine. I’ll come back with you, but I demand a weapon," she said, her tone rushed.
I raised my eyebrows at her. "And what, exactly, are you going to do with a weapon?"
"I’m going to stab you if you annoy me," she said with a glare.
I had to bite my lip to stop myself from laughing at the idea of this fragile little omega taking me down. Even with a knife, she could probably make a valiant effort, but it would ultimately be futile. I could understand her reasoning—she wanted to feel safe—but I wouldn’t feel safe with an unknown person being armed in my home.
"You can stay here if you want to," I said, gesturing to the forest. "And you can try to make friends with all the forest critters. My pack mates are being nice and opening up their home to you. But they’re not arming a stranger—that’s crazy," I said. "But it’s your choice, princess. Take it or leave it."
She lunged forward, punching me in the chest. I wasn’t sure if she intended for it to actually hurt, but it kind of felt more like a twig had blown against my chest.
"Did you just try to hit me?"
"I did hit you!" Juniper stomped her foot, an actual stomp of her foot. I couldn’t stop myself from grinning, which only angered her further, but she had the punch of a little girl, so I was fine.
"I am not a princess!" she snapped. "Your dumbass pack mate also called me a princess. What is it with you guys? You’re such misogynistic assholes!"
I raised my hands in surrender. "Okay, okay. You really don’t like that name, do you? Come on, trouble, let’s get you back. Unless, of course, you want to stay and make friends with the mountain lions?"
She quickly glanced around the dense woodland. "There aren’t actually mountain lions, are there?"
"Occasionally," I said. "You’re more likely to run into a bear. Hence, why I always carry bear spray when I come out,” I said, pulling out the small canister from my back pocket. “I’m surprised you didn’t meet any, since there are quite a few around this time of year. They’re about to go into hibernation."
Juniper’s eyes widened as she moved towards me. "Let’s just go back and forget this ever happened," she snarled, stomping off in the direction of the cabin. Or, at least, the direction I came from, which I assume she thought was the direction of the cabin. I spoke up so she could hear me over the thundering rain, "The cabin’s actually that way," I said, pointing in the opposite direction.
She turned and shot me a withering glare before stomping past me. She was adorable, bedraggled, drenched, and I couldn’t help but laugh at her attitude as she made her way back towards the cabin, me hot on her heels.