Chapter 31 – COSIMA #2
Once I decide I'm presentable enough, all things considered, I step back into the hallway, and that's when something drops on me from above.
"Fuck!" I shriek as a blur of red hair and fury tackles me to the marble floor.
Teeth sink into my shoulder, and I realize with dawning horror that I'm being attacked. She's a bit taller than me but wiry, made of pure vicious intent as she tries to get her teeth into my throat.
Oh my gods, it's a rabid fucking omega.
"This is for hurting my mate!" she snarls, her voice muffled by the mouthful of my silk robe she's currently trying to tear off.
Ivy.
Of course. I still owe her for the role she played in my kidnapping. It was sweet of her to deliver herself, really.
"Your mate fucking started it!" I snap back, driving my elbow into her ribs hard enough to make her grunt.
She's quick, I'll give her that. But let's see how she fares without the element of surprise.
I grab a handful of vibrant red hair and use it to slam her head back against the marble floor. She hisses like an angry cat and retaliates by raking her nails down my arm, drawing blood.
"I choked you out before," she pants, trying to get her hands around my throat. "And I'll do it again."
"Yeah, while I was distracted taking on your alphas, Little Red." I catch her wrists and somehow manage to pin her down. Briefly. "Let's see how you hold up in a fair fight."
We roll across the polished floor in a tangle of silk and fury, neither of us willing to give ground.
She's faster, but I'm stronger, and we're both perfectly willing to fight dirty.
She goes for bites while I use my sharpened nails to maximum effect, leaving bloody scratches all over her arms and face.
"Fucking feral weasel!" I gasp as she manages to get on my back again, pulling my hair hard enough to bring tears to my eyes.
"Says the psycho who poisoned a prince!" she retorts, wrapping her arm around my throat. "My fucking prince!"
That's when I hear familiar footsteps approaching. Multiple sets, moving fast.
"Alright, whose perverted dream are we in?" Nikolai's dry voice cuts through our grunts and cursing.
"Ivy!" Plague's voice is sharp with alarm.
"Oh, hey, baby," Whiskey's amused drawl follows as he skids to a halt beside the prince. "Biting again?"
I use the distraction to flip our positions, getting my thighs around the other omega's head and squeezing. She makes a strangled sound of pure rage and claws at my legs.
"Vryzat!" I curse at her in Vrissian, tightening my grip.
"That's enough," Plague growls, but I can hear the uncertainty in his voice. No one was planning on breaking up an omega fight today.
"You're only saying that because yours is losing," Raven observes with obvious amusement.
Ivy chooses that moment to sink her teeth into my thigh, right through the silk. I shriek indignantly, my grip loosening just enough for her to scramble free.
"Were you raised in a fucking barn?" I demand, checking the bite marks she left. "Disgusting!"
"Better than being raised by a psycho warlord," she wheezes, wiping blood from her split lip.
Before we can resume trying to kill each other, strong hands grab us both. Nikolai snatches me around the waist, hauling me back against his chest, while Whiskey does the same with Ivy.
"Let me go!" Ivy strains against Whiskey's hold, her green eyes blazing with fury. "I'm not done with the bitch yet!"
"There's plenty more where that came from, fetra blyara!" I shoot back, struggling against Nikolai's iron grip.
"The hell does that mean?" Whiskey asks, looking genuinely curious.
Nikolai's smirk is audible in his voice. "Oh, there's not really a one-to-one translation in Reinmichian."
Liar.
That's when Geo limps into the hallway, takes one look at the scene—two bloodied omegas being restrained by their respective alphas, silk robes torn, marble floor splattered with blood—and lets out the longest, most put-upon sigh I've ever heard.
"For fuck's sake, can I leave you alone for one minute?"
I point an accusing finger at Ivy. "She started it! The crazy bitch dropped down on me like a rabid weasel when I came out of the bath!"
Plague's pale eyes fix on his omega. "Is that true?"
Ivy hesitates, glaring at me with undisguised hatred. "She fucking poisoned you," she mutters finally. "I've spent the last few hours scrambling the search party, thinking you could be dead, and I'm just supposed to let that go?"
"Aww," Whiskey coos, nuzzling into her hair even as he keeps her restrained. "Our omega's protective."
Ivy's glare softens slightly at his affection, but she doesn't push him away even as she rolls her eyes.
Plague sighs, running a hand through his dark hair. "I appreciate the sentiment, but I'm perfectly fine. We have more pressing matters to deal with right now. Like Old Reinmich breaching the new borders."
Ivy's eyes widen. "Isn't that classified?"
"They'll be cleared soon enough," Plague announces, gesturing toward my pack. "As the new Ghost Alpha Unit."
Ivy does a double-take so pronounced I'm surprised she doesn't give herself whiplash, and her eyes narrow to slits. "You've got to be fucking kidding."
I smirk and wiggle my fingers at her spitefully, even though the prospect of being government puppets fills me with about as much enthusiasm as a root canal. "Surprise, Red."
"They've more than proven themselves competent," Plague continues, his voice taking on that commanding tone again. "It's just a matter of gaining official approval from the Queen, but I think once I explain the situation, she'll see my reasoning."
Ivy clearly isn't convinced, but she stops actively trying to break free of Whiskey's hold. "Fine. But you'd better keep that bitch on a tight leash."
"Me?" I scoff. "I'm the one who needs rabies shots now."
Whiskey looks between us with obvious amusement. "Are you two going to play nice if I let go?"
Ivy's jaw works like she's chewing on something particularly bitter. "I'm not apologizing," she says finally.
"Who wants an apology from a mad dog?" I sneer. "Your yapping will suffice."
Ivy lunges like she's going for my throat, but Whiskey hasn't let go just yet.
Nikolai's grip tightens around my waist in warning. Behind us, I hear Geo mutter something that sounds suspiciously like "fucking omegas" under his breath.
This is going to be fun.