22. Levi
Chapter twenty-two
Levi
D amn. That scream.
It rouses my every instinct, and when I meet Magnus’s eyes beside me, he nods.
We both go at once.
I excuse myself from my captain. “Sorry, sir. Pack troubles.”
Gryphon gives me permission to leave, Barret and Lachlan flanking his sides as we move off.
Jeremy shudders, and his own pack brothers, Leo and Troy, regard us with sympathy.
“Damn. I know that scream…” Jeremy whispers.
“Good luck, Gold,” Theo says as we depart, Alastor and Kellen on his side.
Where the fuck is Reed when you need him? The Alpha has gone MIA as usual.
It's a bad look that he isn't by my side with Magnus.
Still, we have an Omega to find.
No, make that two Omegas.
Opal shouted Zayden’s name, and I have never heard so much fear in one breath.
I hope everything is okay.
Shit. Why didn’t we see the signs?
Zayden has gone into heat. I can sense his distress all the way from the ballroom, and now we rush through the hallways in search of our Omega.
We pick up on the sound of voices, and my nose is hit by a myriad of various Omega scents as Magnus and I round a bend.
But only the scent of my bonded Omega takes precedence.
The others pale in comparison.
Zayden is on the ground, laying his head Opal’s lap as she comforts him.
Ella and Brody comfort him, too, and there’s no missing how much they care for my Omega.
They’re his squadmates. So, they naturally look out for his interests.
“What happened?” I ask.
“Zayden has gone into heat. He needs to head home to his nest. I trust you know what to do.”
I meet Oliver’s eyes. “I do, sir.”
While he may not be my commanding officer, I still address him with the respect an Omega of his rank deserves.
“Well, then, I leave my soldier in your hands, Levi.”
Oliver steps back, and I kneel down beside Opal, checking over my Omega.
Damn. How did we not see the signs?
Zayden was going into heat?
Sure, all his talk of babies has grown relentless lately, especially since Opal came into our lives, but I never suspected he was going into heat.
“Will he be okay?” Opal asks, looking at me.
I sigh, meeting Magnus’s eyes.
Brody and Ella move aside, watching Zayden with twin expressions of concern as Magnus helps me get him to his feet.
Then, we haul him away.
Damn, he is burning up, and his scent…
It's stronger than usual.
Even for his heat.
“You take care of him now,” Ella says, and I meet her baby blue eyes.
I double-take.
What is that expression on her face?
Something happened here, and if Reed’s lingering gunpowder scent is any indication, then it was something bad.
I will deal with that Alpha later.
First, we need to get Zayden home.
Just as we get Zayden to his feet, heading toward the backdoor for the sake of his privacy, Ella and Belle pull Opal aside.
“He’s going to need you,” they both say to some degree.
I raise a brow, meeting Magnus’s eyes.
This is beyond our scope of knowledge.
Opal’s eyes widen in dread, but then she nods quickly, following us out of the building.
Reed is still a no-show as we rush down the back alley toward the waiting car, and it looks as if Gryphon called in a favor.
Still, our main priority is Zayden and getting him home.
He needs a knot and fast.
He's out of it, sweat dripping down his face as we lay him on the backseat.
Opal is quiet as she won’t stop staring at Zayden, and I smile, reassuring her as best as I can.
“He’ll be fine, Opal.”
She meets my eyes and sighs. “I hope so.”
Funny, I thought Opal would have gone into heat before Zayden.
Reed had said she'd displayed all the signs.
But that Alpha can detect other things others can’t.
We could really do with him now, and where the fuck is he?
Still, there's no time to dwell.
The car is pulling away.
***
We carry Zayden up to his nest, removing all his clothes.
Then, we do our best to knot him and ease his pain.
But only one word is on his lips.
“Opal.”
Magnus and I look at each other.
Zayden raises his head, yanking me close. “Bring her to me. I need her.”
A sigh leaves me, and I peer at Magnus.
The Alpha dislodges his knot from Zayden, then finds his pants.
Now, he goes towards Opal’s room.
I feel like a fool.
It's obvious what Zayden needs. His flushed skin and swollen pupils say it all.
After all, we can’t give him the child he wants.
Only Opal can.