Omega Mine

Josie felt out of place as she hung back in the tree line with Jameson, watching Grayson and David stealthily creep toward the last truck in the line of armored vehicles. Her mate was as deadly as she remembered, his every move purposeful as they approached the human men unaware that they were only seconds away from taking their last breaths.

Although Josie had technically seen her mate kill before, that had been in a large room filled with smoke and debris, and she’d been so consumed by pain from her mating heat that it had been a struggle to focus on much more than escaping.

Now, as Grayson silently communicated with David to strike, it was much different. She could practically feel the glee in Grayson’s mind as he crept up to the driver’s side door. He reached into the vehicle at the exact moment David did, both male’s grabbing the necks of the two human men and twisting roughly.

The snapping of bone was audible, but as David moved away from the car, Grayson wrenched harder, removing the head completely before tossing it into the backseat. A spray of blood hit the windshield and Josie gasped, afraid that someone could turn and see the dark red stain of blood sliding down the glass.

“If you think that’s shocking, you’re in for a rude awakening if Grayson ever gets his hands on Ortega for hurting you,” Jameson muttered beside her. He stood up straighter as Grayson and David returned, nodding in greeting. David held a gun in his hand, as did Grayson, which he handed to her, swapping it out for the taser. He tossed the weapon into a bush as if it disgusted him.

Maybe it did. She could still remember the smell of his flesh burning as he’d been struck with volts of electricity in his cell for trying to keep her safe from the guards.

The weighted metal of the gun handle was cool in her palm. Josie looked down, inspecting the pistol. She hadn’t held one in a long time, but she’d trained with a few different types of guns before being sent to Hinkley. Making sure it was loaded, she slipped the safety into the off position before looking back up at her mate.

Surprisingly, she didn’t see a drop of blood on him, though he was breathing heavily, his ruby red eyes glowing in the darkness as he gazed at her.

“We’ll move closer, see if any of the guards outside leaves their group for a quick break or to search the premises. We want to take as many out as possible before we’re spotted. The guns are a last resort,” Grayson growled, his eyes narrowing on Josie. “You don’t shoot anyone unless you absolutely have to.”

“I won’t,” she said softly. “I plan on letting you do all the killing, anyway.”

“Good. I don’t want your hands drenched in anyone else’s bodily fluids but mine.”

“I–” Josie snapped her mouth shut as Grayson smirked, sending her a heated look from under his eyelashes that nearly burned her to the touch.

Was he flirting with her? At a time like this? About cum? They’d need to have a serious talk about acceptable forms of flirtation after they were finished here.

But what did it say about her that his unhinged method of flirting was working? Josie could feel her core spasming with need, her breasts becoming heavy and achy the longer he stared at her. Even her breath caught before she managed to clear her throat.

She looked away from her mate quickly, afraid one more sensual look from him would cause slick to dampen her panties.

A brief, featherlight touch drifted over her senses as Grayson’s dark chuckle echoed in her mind.

Her face flushed, and she shook her head at him, a bit awed that he was capable of teasing her at a time like this. He wasn’t falling into a mindless rage like she’d imagined after he killed someone. She could sense the darkness emanating from him, but he was in control of it, and of his more primal instincts, and she couldn’t help but be proud of him.

They’d only just begun moving out of the treeline and toward the center of town, keeping to the shadows and using the convoy as cover, when a door to the restaurant burst open, a male stalking forward with a growl. Piercing, glowing green eyes and dark hair were the first things Josie noticed before the male’s angry voice reached her ears.

“I can smell an Omega’s scent beginning to fill the air,” Samuel snarled as he approached the cowering women near the fountain. “Which one of you bitches wants to become tonight’s fucktoy before we put a bullet in your head? Which one of you is the scent blocking whore?”

Josie’s heart skipped a beat as she inhaled swiftly in a blind panic. Her hand snapped to her mating mark as Samuel’s hateful voice filled her ears, her fingers digging into her neck as she recalled the bite he’d placed there in an attempt to replace Grayson’s own mark.

Her mate caught the movement, his entire body going rigid as he followed her gaze back to the male by the women.

What was the brainwashed Beta doing here?

“I didn’t think Samuel would be here,” Jameson whispered, echoing her own thoughts. “He almost never leaves Ortega’s side.”

“Is that him?” Grayson asked, a deep, fearsome rumble sounding in his chest. His features morphed into a primal mask of fury, brows snapping down into a scowl, upper lip curling into a vicious snarl that showed off his teeth. “Is he the one that bit you? Is he the one that hit you?”

Josie barely understood the last question as Grayson’s voice morphed into a savage gravelly timbre, sending a shiver down her spine. The mate she’d just been marveling at for having such great control was gone, and in his place was a beast ready to attack the threat to her.

Immediately, she placed her hand on his bare wrist, praying like hell that skin on skin contact would soothe him. Now wasn’t the time for him to fly off the handle, not when they had an unknown amount of enemies lurking within that restaurant.

What if there were a dozen or more guards inside? What if there were Mongrels? Bloodthirsty, insane Alphas would be a nightmare to deal with, even with guns.

Grayson shook off her hold, taking a large step forward. His eyes never left Samuel’s.

“Grayson!” Josie hissed, grabbing his arm and tugging with all of her power. She might as well have been trying to pull a tree from the ground for all the good it did her. Grayson didn’t budge, rooted to the spot as Alpha waves began to pour from him. They slammed into her, Jameson and David with brutal force, nearly bringing her to her knees. “It hurts.”

Immediately, the force of Grayson’s power receded, leaving her gasping as she bent over, clutching her stomach. David and Jameson reacted similarly, taking heaving breaths as they struggled to remain upright.

“I’m going to fucking kill him,” Grayson snapped, prying her loose from him gently. “Watch her, David.”

That was all the warning Josie got before her mate prowled through the night, moving so swiftly that he was like a blur. She blinked and he was gone.

Just like that.

“What the hell?” David asked in disbelief, coming to stand by her side. “Where did he go?”

“I have no idea,” she breathed, swallowing thickly as the last of Grayson’s power slid away from her. “We need to get closer. Now. As soon as Grayson attacks, whoever is inside that building will know, and they’re going to come out here. We need to watch his back.”

And when this was over, she was going to slap some sense into him for being so foolhardy.

Hadn’t she just been praising his adaptability to compartmentalize his rage in order to focus on their goal?

Josie groaned, running a hand down her face before looking back up toward Samuel.

A chill ran down her spine as she saw him grab a woman by the hair, yanking her to her feet.

“Ah, look what we have here. An Omega.”

Grayson was all instinct as he moved toward his prey, the rage he’d only just begun harnessing like a weapon overrunning his senses until he was all instinct, succumbing to the depraved need rioting within him as he locked onto his target.

The unsuspecting Beta was going to die tonight for ever laying a hand on Josie. For scaring her, beating her, marking her. Samuel had signed his own death warrant days ago, he just hadn’t realized it then.

But he would soon enough.

Grayson’s claws grew marginally at the thought, the sharp tips more than ready to be covered in the Beta’s blood.

But first, he’d need to handle the human guards standing between him and his target. There were only a few left, and as he had the element of surprise on his side, it would only take him a handful of seconds to take them out.

Quickly, Grayson moved to the first male, coming up behind him and snapping his neck. The body barely hit the dirt before he was onto the next, grabbing his neck and twisting with a brutality he’d been known for in the arena.

Tendons snapped, skin split and blood shot from the guard’s neck as Grayson released him. The sound of gurgling as the male choked on his own blood alerted the other guards to Grayson’s presence right as the male toppled over, hitting the dirt with a sick thud.

The three remaining guards turned toward him with startled shouts, pointing their guns right at him.

Only, he wasn’t there anymore. He slammed into the guard closest to him, wrenching the rifle out of his hands. He crashed his forehead into the male’s, hearing a sickening crunch of bone as the guard’s head caved in. Grayson tossed the gun aside, the weapon useless to him as he had no idea how to wield it properly.

He moved just in time to avoid a spray of bullets, rushing away from the women and Samuel in order to keep the females from harm’s way. A second later, as one of the guard’s began to reload, Grayson struck.

He crashed into him, swiping at his throat with his claws. Blood coated his hands as he severed the guard’s jugular. Not bothering to wait for him to bleed out, Grayson caught the next guard easily, cutting open his throat as well.

He wasn’t even breathing hard as he turned toward Samuel, locking eyes with the Beta who’d placed the females between the two of them like a buffer for Grayson’s rage. His hand was locked around one female’s long hair, holding her head back, her throat exposed.

Clearly it was meant as a threat, that Samuel would slit her throat if Grayson attacked. An interesting, and pathetic move, only confirming every notion he’d had about the male to begin with.

Pathetic vermin.

“Samuel,” Grayson spat, the male’s name a sour taste on his tongue. “I take it you know who I am.”

The Beta snarled in answer, and Grayson smiled, flashing his sharp canines. “We’ve been looking for you and your bitch. I’m surprised you were stupid enough to show your face here, Seven.”

Grayson’s smile died at the insult to Josie. “It’s time for you to die.”

Soon enough, the rest of the city guards would pour into the town square from the restaurant, and Grayson would be surrounded. He wanted the Beta long dead and the females moved to safety before then.

And he only had so much time.

Samuel laughed, wrenching the female up to a standing position. “The only one dying tonight is you. And this Omega here.” As the female whimpered, Samuel reached for her throat.