Chapter 22
Maverick
My omega’s distress is so strong that it’s suffocating. Her body is trembling as she clings to me, and I wrap my arms around her, crushing her to my chest and purring.
“I’m here, I’m here,” I whisper into her ear, not caring about the strands of blonde sticking to my lips.
Duke snarls, launching himself at the man who had been holding on to her.
Brielle’s state is the only thing stopping me from doing the same.
Comforting her is what she needs from me, so I smile while I watch my packmate take him to the floor and start wailing on him.
If this were a regular drunken fight that happened during rodeo hours, I would have put a stop to him by now.
I don’t need him fucking up his hands for some dumbfuck, but every sick thud of Duke pounding his fists into this man’s face and ribs has satisfaction curling inside me.
“Watch, baby. We got you,” I encourage her. Brielle pokes her head out, turning to look at Duke, and under the bitterness of her scent, small tendrils of arousal leak through, and I grin wickedly.
When the man on the floor groans and effectively passes out, a few of the rodeo hands attempt to pull Duke off him, but he snaps and snarls at anyone who gets close.
Cooper appears at my side, huffing and out of breath from running across the stadium, still exuding energy from the bull ride.
His eyes check on Brielle first, zeroing in on the marks on her arms before blowing out a breath and nodding toward Duke.
“Sunshine, you gotta bring him back. His alpha is protecting his omega, and he will kill that man.”
Brielle has a look on her face that says she might prefer that, and it draws a laugh from me.
“We’re yours, Princess. But I don’t think you want conjugal visits for the next twenty years,” I coax her, and she nods weakly.
I set her on her feet, keeping her to my side as we walk over to Duke.
She bends down, cupping his blood-speckled face to look up at her.
His chest rises and falls in quick pants, and his eyes are glazed with fury, but he’s still like putty in her hands.
“I’m okay, but I need you,” she whispers.
Duke blows out a breath and stands, pulling her into his arms and inhaling her scent in deep gulps.
It’s still peppered with tangy distress, but the longer he holds her, the more that sweet citrus I’m in love with comes through.
She holds him just as tight, crying softly into his shoulder while her fingers pull so hard on the back of his shirt, I’m afraid it may rip apart at the seams.
I nod at Buck. “Can someone take this loser to the hospital? Don’t need his death on our hands.”
A few men step forward, carrying the unconscious goon to an empty truck bed, and the rodeo manager walks up to us.
“Got reports about someone trying to kidnap an omega. We good?” He glances between us, raising an eyebrow as a few rodeo-goers block the view out to the parking lot where they carried the beaten man.
I smirk. “We’re all good.”
Henry grunts. “Yeah, I’m sure. Well, if anyone comes sniffing around, I’ll let them know I didn’t see a damn thing.”
Cooper claps him on the shoulder. “Just like the honest, hardworking man we know you to be.”
He shrugs off Cooper’s taunt and nods at a few other people before making his way back to the office. My attention turns back to the omega on her knees and the panting alpha holding on to her. I walk over to them, and squat down to their level.
“You good to get out of here? Or do you need another moment?”
Duke growls, and Brielle lifts her head to blink up at me, tears streaming down her face.
I move closer, ignoring the prickling of hairs on my neck at the rumbles from Duke. I know I’m a stronger alpha than he is, but I made a promise to not use my bark on any of them. “Let’s get our omega somewhere safe, yeah?” I say, pleading with him.
With a shuddering breath, Duke stands, and Brielle tangles her arms and legs around him.
He doesn’t look at me as he heads to our truck, but I check over my shoulder that Cooper is following.
It’s a silent drive to the hotel we booked before the show.
We sometimes all stay in the trailers or camp out near the horses instead of the hotel rooms, but we wanted some privacy with Brielle.
Once we get them both settled in one of the beds, Cooper heads to find us all food as I sit on the bed across from them.
“When Cooper gets back, you both need to be ready—Brielle to talk, and you need to control your alpha, Duke.”
They tense, but don’t say anything. I know I’ve unofficially become pack lead, and I’ll gladly claim it to get to the bottom of what happened.
After a few minutes, Brielle untangles herself from Duke, presses a kiss on his cheek, and then heads to the bathroom.
The shower turns on, and Duke sits there, flexing and stretching his fists.
Thankfully, he didn’t break much skin, but they’re already turning a dark red, and I’m sure will bruise more by morning.
He breathes deeply before finally meeting my eyes, and I have to steady myself at the feralness still present in his dilated gaze.
I’ve never seen a feral alpha, not even one in rut, since I’ve never fucked an omega before Brielle.
“How you feeling?”
He shakes his head. “Like I need to track him down and kill him.” The deep, hoarse quality of his voice is so unlike his usual charming self, and my jaw tightens with unease. Now stuck in the room, I can scent his strong pheromones fermenting, and it’s calling my own alpha to the surface.
“We can’t have you in jail. You did enough damage.”
Duke scoffs. “You smelled her terror.”
I nod. “I did, and I’m not saying you did anything wrong. If I didn’t have her in my arms, I probably would have done the same.”