by Nora Phoenix
The door opened and Ruari came flying in. “Is he okay?” the omega asked, gasping for breath.
“Yes, they’re still asleep. We need to go, now.”
Ruari nodded, and they both hurried into the baby room. There was no time for slings or carriers, Vieno decided. Time was of the essence here. He wasn’t sure what was going down, but a code orange was bad news. He held Hakon tightly against his chest and gestured for Ruari to follow him.
His phone beeped again. Code red.
Oh god.
This was the real thing. They were under attack. Even as he thought it, he felt his mates, felt the fear in all three of them. He pushed it down. Hakon was depending on him, and he would not fail his son. Or his mates.
Before he entered the hallway, he looked to the left and right, as Bray had taught him. When it appeared clear, he stepped out of the bedroom, Ruari on his heels. They had rounded the corner, on their way to the door that led to the basement, when gunshots rang out. The front door burst open with a kick, angry footsteps coming in. Pale with fear, Vieno turned and saw Grayson running in the direction of the door, growling with fury.
The back door was kicked in, the smashing sounds unmistakable. They wouldn’t make it to the basement, Vieno realized, even as sounds of fighting ensued. Another gunshot, much, much closer. They had to find a place to hide.
Jax stirred in Ruari’s arms, and before Ruari could do anything, the baby let out a little cry. It didn’t last long, but it echoed in the empty hallway, and Vieno froze in his spot.
“Find that baby,” a voice snapped, way too close to them.
Vieno opened the first door he saw, Grayson’s room, and went inside, Ruari quickly following him. They heard it at the same time and looked at each other in shock. The shower was running, meaning someone was in the bathroom.
The bathroom, Vieno thought. It wasn’t perfect, but at least they could lock it from the inside. It was better than nothing, and with the men already in the house, their chances of reaching the basement were zero. Ruari apparently had the same thought, and they hurried to the bathroom at the same time.
The water shut off as they closed the door behind them and turned the lock. “Is that you, Daddy?” Sven's voice called out.
“Hush,” Vieno whispered urgently.
Sven pulled back the shower curtain with force, looking shocked when he saw Ruari and Vieno standing there. “What…?”
“Be quiet,” Vieno whispered. “Please. There’s a code red.”
Sven paled, but to his credit, stayed calm. He gestured at Vieno to hand him a towel, and as they stood, listening with bated breath, he toweled himself off. He was still naked, though, Vieno thought. Not that it mattered, but if they had to get out of here, having clothes would help. But Sven solved that problem, tiptoeing to the laundry basket in the corner and grabbing some random clothes. The shirt obviously didn’t belong to him as it was way too big, even with his baby bump, but the shorts did, and at least he was dressed.
He stood next to them, linked arms with them, the three of them hugging each other as they waited. Jax had fallen back asleep, and Hakon had never woken up, and all Vieno could do was pray that it would stay that way. If the baby started crying… He swallowed, pushing down his fear. His son needed him right now. There was no time to freak out.
Then he heard it. They all did. More gunshots, outside. Sven’s grip on him tightened, and they huddled even closer together, joined in their fear. What was going on? Oh god, please, let Bray and his men be strong enough to fight off this attack. Please let his mates be safe.
There was shouting. Running footsteps in the hallway. Then they were hit with a wave of power so strong it made Vieno’s teeth chatter. Lidon had shifted. There was no other explanation for that power surge. And it was comforting, knowing that his mate, his alpha, was out there defending him, defending them, but he was scared, so scared. Was one wolf strong enough to defend them all?
Another power surge, equally big. What was that? Howling that made goosebumps break out all over his skin. Sounds of a struggle coming from inside. Grayson’s angry snarls, joined in by others. Vieno recognized Isam, Adar. Were they winning? He listened with all his might, trying to make out what was going on.
The door to the bedroom opened, the soft creak giving it away. Vieno’s heart rate tripled in speed. He resisted the urge to press Hakon even closer to his chest, not wanting to disturb the baby. Footsteps sounded in the room, slow, as if someone was methodically checking it. Vieno knew what was coming. There was no way whoever was in that room would not check the bathroom. Still, he almost jumped out of his skin when someone tried the door and found it locked.
“Someone is in here,” a voice said, followed by a crackle. They had a com system, Vieno realized. Not one of Bray’s men, then, not that he’d had any hope it would be. It was only a matter of time before they would force their way into the bathroom, and the three of them were pretty much helpless. How could three omegas defend two babies?
Despair tried to force its way into his system, but he pushed it back. He couldn’t give up now. There had to be a way.
He looked around for a way to escape, but there was nothing. Sure, the bathroom had a window, but it was too small for them to fit through. Anything to defend themselves with? Again, he looked around but came up short. There was nothing in that bathroom, except for them. And how could three tiny omegas fight off attackers?
He was almost ready to give up when it hit him. During the first attack, when Grayson had told him to do something, Vieno had refused. Not only that, he had been able to somehow tap into Lidon’s powers and use alpha compulsion on Grayson. He had never done it since, but he hadn’t tried either. There had been no need, but what if he could do it? He’d tapped into Lidon’s powers during the delivery, hadn’t he?
He forced down all thoughts it wasn’t possible and nudged Sven. “I need you to take Hakon,” he whispered almost soundlessly.
It was the hardest thing he had ever done, to hand over his son when he wanted to hold him and protect him the most, but he had to.
Sven nodded and held out his hands to take the baby, cradling Hakon as soon as he received him. “I’ll defend him with my life,” he whispered back, and for that, Vieno leaned in and pressed a soft kiss on Sven’s lips.
He stepped away, taking a spot as far from them as possible. He closed his eyes and with his mind, tried to find Lidon. He was in wolf form, Vieno could feel it, the power of his shift still running through his body. Vieno needed that power, so he sought it, embraced it, held it in until it rose in frequency, in force. It filled him until his body was shaking with it.
He was so close, but it wasn’t enough. He needed more. Lidon had tried to explain how he shifted, but it had been hard because he still wasn’t sure how he did it exactly. But Vieno thought of what the alpha had mentioned, how they could feel it when Lidon shifted because he took their powers for a few seconds, before returning them with force. That’s what Vieno had to do, borrow all the alphas’ powers.
He pinched his eyes shut, reached out even farther until he could feel them. Grayson was fighting inside. Bray was close to his father. He could sense some of Bray’s alpha men around the house. He found Enar, then Palani. They were alive, angry and fighting.
Outside, voices closed in on the bathroom, and seconds later, someone rammed on the bathroom door again. “Open this door or we will break it in!” a voice shouted.
Fat chance, Vieno thought. He took another deep breath, then sucked in all the powers from everyone he could sense. It hit him like a lightning bolt, like he put his fingers in a socket and was about to get electrocuted. Then it rushed through him, and his adrenaline peaked so high he couldn’t breathe. On instinct, he threw his head back and opened his mouth, not even shocked when he started howling. His body froze, then shook with a force that rattled his teeth, and in one glorious second, he transformed.
One second, he was a man, and the next, he was a wolf.
; Sven and Ruari gasped in shock, but at the same time, the door shook with the force of someone kicking it in. Vieno braced himself, but he wasn’t scared. If they wanted to get to his baby, to Ruari’s baby, they would have to go through him. He would kill them before they ever put their hands on his son.
And how wonderful this wolf body felt, how familiar and powerful. He shook his limbs loose, readying himself for the fight.
The door splintered, then gave way completely, and it was dragged off its hinges by strong hands. Vieno didn’t even wait for them to step into the bathroom, but attacked the first man he saw, his strong jaw clamping around the guys wrist, severing his artery in seconds.
It was amazing how he was man and wolf at the same time, how he had all these heightened senses and instincts, but his mind still worked the same. It was what Lidon had described, but it had been hard to believe.
Vieno didn’t wait for a second man to appear but leaped through the broken-down door into the bedroom, where he encountered two more men. One went for his gun, so he jumped at his throat with all his weight. He wasn’t sure how big he was as a wolf, not as big as Lidon, but he had no issues reaching the man’s neck.
The force of the impact sent the man flying, and Vieno leaped on his chest as soon as the guy was down. He struggled, pushing Vieno away, even tried to land a blow, but with his wolf’s senses, he was so much faster and stronger. His strong teeth clamped down on the man's arm first, then went in for the kill without queasiness or hesitation. He knew where to bite, ripping out his throat without blinking.
The third man scrambled away, was already halfway in the hallway. Vieno overtook him with a few leaps, his body graceful and fast, growling low and threatening. He crouched in front of him, content when the man paled underneath his sweaty face. God, he wanted to kill him, so badly, but he didn’t. They needed survivors if they wanted to find out who had been behind this. That had been their issue last time, that no one had survived to tell.
So he threatened him until the man sank to his knees, his hands raised behind his back. He was an alpha, early fifties, with eyes that now shone with fear. Vieno stood, content to wait for someone else to show up, determined not to let this asshole out of his sight.
Seconds later, he smelled something. Something rancid and sour. He looked down at the guy and noticed with a deep satisfaction that the alpha had peed his pants.
26
When it was all over, it was a bloodbath. Bray checked, then double- and triple-checked before giving the all clear. But his instincts told him it was safe, and when both Lidon and Palani confirmed that, he felt confident to send out a code green.
“Vieno is okay,” Lidon assured him. “I can feel him, and he’s fine.”
There was something in the alpha’s tone that Bray couldn’t identify, something that told him there was a lot more going on, but he let it go. In the same way, he didn’t comment on the fact that Lidon was stark naked, having just shifted back. There were far more pressing things to worry about.
It had been a carnage. He’d watched Lidon shred some attackers to pieces, had killed two himself, and he’d seen his men fight valiantly. But had it been enough? Lidon said Vieno was safe, which meant Hakon was okay, and he would’ve mentioned it had he felt anything about Enar and Palani. But what about the others? What about Kean and Ruari and Jax? His chest was tight with worry.
When they turned the corner, Bray’s heart stopped. Kean was leaning against the wall of the house, his shirt soaked with blood.
“Kean!” Bray called out, rushing over. Had Kean gotten shot? God, he looked like he’d been beaten, too, his eye swollen and turning blue and black, various scrapes on both arms. What had happened to him?
“It’s Jawon,” the beta said, his voice constricted.
Bray hadn’t even seen the man slumped against Kean, the beta’s arm holding him, too focused in his worry for Kean. Jawon wasn’t moving and looked pale as a ghost, a sharp contrast with his shirt, which was crimson.
“Jawon!” Lidon said, kneeling next to Bray. “What happened, Kean? I thought he was okay when I left you guys.”
“He was. I put pressure on the wound and held him, and I thought he was okay. Then he started bleeding like crazy.” Kean’s voice broke. “Alpha, I did everything I could.”
Bray found himself choking up. Jawon was dead? Lidon reached out for Jawon, checking the pulse in his neck with trembling fingers. After half a minute, his hand dropped, the alpha pale and shaken. “He’s gone.”
Lidon gently took Jawon from Kean and laid him on the ground. With shaky hands, he closed his cousin's eyes for good.
“I’m sorry, alpha…” Kean said, ending on a sob.
Lidon grabbed the beta’s head with both hands and kissed him on his forehead. “This is not on you, Kean. You didn’t shoot him.”
His voice sounded wobbly, as if the alpha had to push down his emotions. He had to, Bray thought, because he was feeling the same thing. He wanted to grieve for Jawon, but he couldn’t. Not until they’d checked on everyone. Not until he was sure Ruari and Jax were okay.
“Bray…” Kean sobbed and Bray gave in, pulling him close for a hug.
“I’m sorry,” he whispered in his ear. “I’m so sorry.”
He heard Lidon leave them, heading inside to check on the others, but he couldn’t leave Kean yet. After about a minute, the beta finally let him go. When Bray released him, Kean yanked him back and kissed him, a desperate kiss that wasn’t elegant or even practiced, but that somehow communicated everything Bray felt too.
He cupped Kean’s cheek, his heart clenching at how lost and forlorn the beta looked. “I have to check inside,” Bray said softly.
Kean nodded. “Isam dashed by earlier and said Ruari and Jax were okay.”
“Oh god, thank god. I was so worried,” Bray said, that tightness in his chest finally uncoiling.
Kean’s eyes softened. “I know you were.”
He shouldn’t, but he kissed him again, then rose.
“I need to stay here for a little,” Kean said. “Everything fucking hurts. I’ll be there in a few.”
Bray nodded and went inside. The main house was in pure chaos, his men dragging out bodies, while pack members sought comfort with each other. He found his dad in the kitchen, his lip split and his face already swollen. Both his hands were raw and bruised, and they held a trembling Lars, who was plastered against his alpha, his dad’s hands putting pressure on Lars’s arm.
“You okay, Dad?” Bray asked.
“Lars was shot. I need Enar or Maz.”
“They’re on their way,” Palani called from the hallway.
“Where is Sven? Please, Bray, tell me he’s okay,” his father asked, but before Bray could answer he hadn’t seen him yet, running footsteps sounded from the hallway, and then the omega launched himself at Bray’s father.
Bray’s eyes watered as he watched the reunion, his dad cradling his two boys in such a sweet manner it made Bray almost look away because it was too private and intimate to watch. Kean had been so right. This wasn’t about sex or kink. This was love.
He put a soft hand on Sven’s shoulder. “I’m really glad to see you’re okay,” he said.
He was rewarded with a tentative smile that grew bigger as Sven realized Bray meant it. “Thank you. Ruari is fine,” Sven said, and for that news, Bray could’ve kissed him.
Enar rushed in, his face tight with worry. “Lars, what happened?”
“He got shot,” Bray’s father said.
Enar was already reaching out for Lars’s arm. “Grayson, I appreciate your protectiveness, but I need Lars to tell me himself, okay?”
“Yeah, of course, sorry, I’m…”
His father sounded out of it with worry, Bray thought.
“I’m okay, Daddy,” Lars said, and for the first time, Bray could see the love behind that term. “Let Enar do his job.”
Bray left Lars in the capable hands of Enar and walked into the hallway, where blood stains h
ad splattered everywhere. Then his eyes widened as he tried to process what he was seeing.
A man lay flat on his stomach on the floor, his hands folded in his neck. His black shirt and fatigues indicated he was part of the group that had attacked them. That in itself wasn’t so astonishing, though Bray was a little surprised to see one of them had survived unharmed by the looks of it. What was mind blowing was the wolf standing right next to him, softly growling.
It wasn’t Lidon, because the alpha was standing beside the wolf, holding his son against his bare chest, his big hand resting on the wolf’s head with affection. He’d apparently found some shorts somewhere, though he was still barefoot. It wasn’t Palani either. Bray had heard him call out, and he’d seen Enar as well. That left…
The wolf was light in fur color, almost white, and much, much smaller than Lidon was as a wolf. It had to be Vieno. How had the little omega managed to shift? And why was he still in wolf form?
“Ruari is in the bedroom with your son,” Lidon told him. “They’re fine, Bray. They’re all fine.”
The relief in the alpha’s voice matched what Bray felt inside as he hurried into the bedroom Lidon had indicated. He almost stumbled over the bodies of two men, clearly taken down by a wolf. Blood was everywhere, and the gruesome sight made his stomach turn.
He found his son sleeping on the pristine white bed that had somehow escaped the carnage, looking pure and innocent, completely unaware of what had happened. Next to him sat Ruari, his small shoulders shaking as he sobbed.
“Ruari,” Bray said, rushing over. “Are you okay, baby?”
Tear-filled eyes looked up at him, the horror of what he had witnessed clear on his face. “Oh, Bray,” the omega cried. “It was horrible.”
Bray wasn’t sure who made the first move, but he opened his arms wide and held him, taking the omega on his lap as he sat down on the bed, careful not to disturb the baby, cradling Ruari against his chest. “I know, baby. Are you okay? Are you hurt anywhere?”