Omega's Choice

by Lilli Carlisle

  “Lock down the estate. Bring everyone inside the palace. Have half our troops surround it and the rest be ready to move out to the east,” King Leonidas ordered and people scattered. “How much time do we have?”

  “Ten minutes, fifteen tops,” Ceva answered as she began to scribe symbols into the walls using her now red-glowing fingers. “This spell should keep them out of the palace. I’ll go welcome our guests.” Ceva’s fangs extended before she winked at Lothar and took to the sky.

  The king leaned down and gave his mate a tender kiss. “I will return to you soon, my love. Protect the other women.”

  “I love you, Leonidas. Stay safe.” He kissed her one last time before reaching out and hugging Helena and leaving the room with his royal guard in tow.

  “I want six of my warriors to remain here in Helena’s suite with the royal guard to protect the women. The rest of us will fight to keep them from reaching the palace,” Aldric ordered, still holding Helena tightly to his chest. Everything was a blur as people began running and alarms sounded throughout the estate. Smaller male omegas and female omegas were being carried by men running for the safety of the palace walls. “You’ll stay here in your room, Helena, where it’s safe. I need to know you’re protected.”

  “I will, my alpha.” Helena clung to Aldric. “Promise you’ll return to me.”

  “I will always return to you. Just stay inside. We have a bonding ceremony to attend. I’m not going anywhere without you.” Helena felt like her heart was breaking as Aldric kissed her deeply. Finally, he broke away and stormed out of her door with his remaining guards. Her doors were barred from the inside with men stationed on either side of the entrance.

  From her balcony four stories up, Helena and the women watched as the last of their people ran into the safety of the palace. Numerous armored vehicles pulled up onto the lawns, and hundreds of royal guards began advancing into the east, led by the king. Half the troops were armored with conventional weapons, many with swords, knives, and guns. The other half shifted into their wolves.

  Ogres could take a lot of damage. It took more than bullets to kill them, but at least the shots would slow them down. The only true way to kill one was to either rip or cut their heads off or else they would just keep coming no matter how many body parts were missing.

  Alphas attending the Omegas’ Celebration poured out of the palace with their own security, ready to defend the innocent people inside. Several were already in courting relationships with omegas and had much to defend, and they would all would fight to the death to protect what was theirs.

  Helena watched as Aldric walked out into the eastern gardens with his family, advisors, and personal guards. Each man began to strip so they could shift. Nudity was not a concern for shifters. In fact, it was a regular occurrence.

  Helena knew her alpha carried many scars from the war, but the multitude that crisscrossed his back looked simply excruciating. Mercifully, he seemed to have only a few on his chest and legs.

  One moment, over thirty men stood in the gardens; the next, they seamlessly shifted into their wolves, all pretty much the same as she had seen her entire life. Except for the enormous black wolf at the center of the group.

  Aldric had to be at least three times the size of a normal werewolf, which was genetically significantly larger than their wild cousins. He was almost as large as the Clydesdales they’d ridden.

  “Has Aldric always been this big in wolf form, or is it a change due to our upcoming mating?” Helena asked, unable to take her eyes off the glorious wolf that was hers alone. “He’s magnificent.”

  Thank you, little one.

  Brilliant. She could hear his voice telepathically now that he was in his animal form.

  “Yes, Aldric has always been a rather large wolf. He’ll be happy you’re pleased with his other form. He was honestly worried he would frighten you,” Hilda answered, waving at her husband and two sons.

  Aldric’s blue eyes locked onto Helena. She raised her hand and blew him a kiss. I love you. Come back to me.

  I’ve just found you. I plan on spending many days with you and our children.

  “Are you talking with him?” Hilda asked.

  “Yes.”

  “Send them our love, daughter.”

  Helena opened her thoughts to all the wolves. Everyone sends their love and wants you all back safely.

  The group of wolves turned to face the balcony. Aldric raised his muzzle to the air and let out a great howl followed by each of the other wolves. All too soon, they turned and were gone, racing toward the east. Troops of men took up positions around the palace. In the distance, Helena could hear the pops of gunshots as screams and howls drifted on the wind.

  Cassandra began to cry. She sat bundled between Amalia and Giselle. Hilda held daggers in each hand as did the queen. Female werewolves were taught at a young age how to defend themselves. Helena’s warriors stood at the ready, large semi-automatic weapons and swords in hand while Helena poured a healing calm into Cassandra and her two attendants. Cassandra kept mumbling “south” over and over again between sobs.

  “Shit, there’s a group of them coming from the south,” one of Helena’s new warriors yelled from the balcony. “Call the others.”

  Helena ran out to his side in time to see a large group of ogres breaking through the tree line to the south. They were large, misshapen creatures filled with hate and rage for everything around them. Their small heads sat on top of overly large necks and shoulders. Their knuckles dragged on the ground, swords and spears filling their hands.

  Fur covered their abdomens and short stubby legs, even though they stood at over eight feet tall. They only concerned themselves with death and destruction. There hadn’t been many ogres left after the war they had started, and Helena wondered where all these live and healthy ones were coming from. She couldn’t send out feelings of contentment and peace toward the ogres because the wolves in the battle would be affected as well.

  She watched as waves of werewolves rushed the ogres, the sounds of man and beasts clashing with metal and claws filling the air. Bodies littered the ground as the battle waged below them. Helena felt the earth crying out for her to help. She sensed the large wisteria vines crawling up the eastern walls, searching for her until they crested the balcony. She reached out to them.

  Her warriors quickly drew their blades back, intent on protecting her and cutting away the multitude of flowing vines and flowers. “No. Leave them. They just wish to help our people.”

  The men withdrew their swords and the vines wrapped themselves around Helena’s hands, allowing her to immediately connect with all the surrounding vegetation. Helena called in every bird she could reach within the area, asking them for help. Then she called upon the roots and trees, asking for their assistance.

  Like some great symphony, flocks of birds in every shape and size began to dive and attack any ogre they could reach, trying to blind them with their beaks and claws. The ground rumbled and shook as roots as big as a man’s thigh burst through the soil, snaking out and wrapping around ogre after ogre, dragging them back beneath the earth and to their deaths. She could see and feel the other omegas standing shoulder to shoulder behind the windows, sending out their strength to boost Helena’s abilities.

  Once every last ogre was removed, the roots and trees retreated, leaving the bodies of wolves and men littering the ground injured and dying. Helena knew she couldn’t physically reach them all in time, but she refused to allow them to die. Desperately, she called on more vines. They answered eagerly, pouring themselves over the railing and wrapping around her body. Through them, she pushed her healing powers down into the roots reaching out to each downed person.

  Flowers and vines erupted through the soil beneath the injured, searching out their wounds and cocooning their bodies. She was vaguely aware that all fighting had ceased and the warriors returning from the east were quickly offloading their wounded onto the ground to be enveloped in flowers and vines.
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  A beautiful black wolf raced around the men and vehicles toward the palace as Helena pushed even harder, forcing every last bit of healing power outward filling the vines. One by one, the other omegas fell, and soon her own vision blurred and she collapsed into one of her warrior’s arms. Her aunt cradled her head, calling for the doctor.

  Aldric’s voice roared before everything went dark.

  Helena.

  Chapter Six

  Three hours. It had been just over three hours since Helena fell unconscious, and Aldric was one irate, volatile alpha. Almost everyone steered clear of him while he kept vigil beside Helena’s bed. The queen, Aldric’s mother, and her ladies sat in chairs at her side while the remainder of both families were scattered throughout various rooms waiting for her to wake up. Dr. Cosmas had raced into the room shortly after Aldric ripped the barred door from its hinges. He hadn’t wasted time waiting for them to be unlocked.

  The doctor guaranteed that Helena would be fine—she had expended a great deal of power and simply needed to rest and recuperate. Aldric wouldn’t be satisfied until she opened her eyes and told him that herself.

  “You’ve gotta admit that trees coming alive, roots dragging ogres down into the earth, and healing by flowers is pretty amazing,” Godric said conversationally from the open balcony doors while admiring the vines that remained. Aldric had never accused his brother of being dumb, but to poke the beast right now was just suicidal.

  “Amazing? My mate is lying unconscious and you want me to admit it was amazing.” Aldric stormed toward a now backpedaling Godric. He’d never seriously hurt his brother, but he was reconsidering fast. His father and Lothar jumped in between them, either hoping to slow Aldric down or join Godric in death—Aldric really didn’t care which at that moment.

  “Don’t kill your brother. Mom will be upset.” Helena’s soft voice drifted from the bed.

  Aldric immediately changed directions and was at Helena’s side within seconds. The skin around her beautiful green eyes seemed drawn and tired looking, but she was awake, and that’s all that mattered.

  “Little one, how do you feel?” Aldric crawled onto the bed, gathering Helena’s small body into his arms. After today’s events, no one would be separating them. They may not be able to consummate their mating until after the ceremony, but he wouldn’t be taken far from her side.

  “Like I’ve been sleeping for days and I could sleep for a few more,” she answered before burrowing further into his chest. The family gathered around as Amalia brought in a tray of food and tea for Helena.

  It was now well past midnight, and she hadn’t eaten since lunch. Dr. Cosmas had left to help care for the other omegas who had fallen unconscious and the warriors who had suffered at the hands of the ogres. Some had their major injuries healed by Helena, but some nonlife-threatening wounds still needed to be cared for. The doctor had left strict instructions for when Helena woke up; she was to eat and drink as much as she could to help regain her strength.

  “I’m so happy you’re awake, my dear.” Queen Alexandra blinked rapidly, clearing her misting eyes before she continued. “The doctor promised you would be fine, but it’s infinitely better to see you awake. Your uncle wished to be notified immediately. He’s organizing a search for those responsible for today. I’ll be back shortly to sit with you, but you must try to eat while I’m gone.”

  “Maybe later, sleeping now,” Helena mumbled into Aldric’s shirt.

  “Not a chance, little one. You have to eat and drink a bit of something, and then when you wake up in the morning, we’re going to have a long talk about putting yourself in danger again.”

  Instead of answering, she raised her face from his chest and began kissing the side of his throat along his tattoo. Electricity shot through his body, pooling in his groin and bringing his cock to life at record speeds. With the two of them so close to their mating, she was obviously having a hard time controlling her wolf instincts. He had to stop her before he ordered everyone from the room.

  “No distracting me, Princess. Sit up, you’re eating,” Aldric gently scolded.

  “You have to keep everything PG for at least one more day, young lady, until your ceremony,” Ceva admonished before groaning in pain from her perch in a corner chair.

  Helena’s popped her head up quickly, searching and finding a bruised and bloody white witch sprawled over a wingback chair like it was a couch. “Ceva, how badly are you injured?”

  “Not bad enough to distract from the shitstorm you’re about to receive from your mate, so you’re on your own.” Ceva leaned forward slightly—Aldric thought to take pressure off her cracked ribs. “Doc’s a saint. Let me tell you, the man’s got skills. I’ll be healed by breakfast. I just need a nap.”

  “I wish I could heal you,” Helena said in a sad, hushed voice.

  “I wouldn’t let you if you could. You’re too weak. Besides, we both know it doesn’t work on me.” Ceva seemed unconcerned that she alone was left with the gravest injuries of anyone because she couldn’t be healed.

  “If you hadn’t decided to take on seven of those assholes by yourself, you wouldn’t have half the injuries,” Lothar shot out. He hadn’t left Ceva’s side since she just about crash-landed onto the balcony.

  “Small ears in the room.” Aldric’s mother held up a sleeping Cassandra. “You never know what she can pick up in her sleep.”

  “Well, if you hadn’t dived in the way, I would’ve sliced that fu… fudgesicle’s head right off,” Ceva countered.

  “Dived in the way. I saved your as…astonishingly thickheaded self from a knife in the back.” Lothar’s usual calm demeanor was nowhere to be found.

  “I took out four of them. I had it under control, Captain Cra…Crackers.” Ceva looked as if she were ready to slice Lothar in half.

  “Why the heck do they call you the white witch anyway? Aren’t they inherently supposed to be good and helpful, and oh, I don’t know, full of white light? You wear black leather, carry more knives than an armory, have black wings, and gleefully traipse off into battle chopping down everything in your path without thought for your own safety. Besides, I’m not all that sure you’re good.” Lothar was yelling by the time he was done with his tirade.

  “Oh, Captain, I’m very, very good,” Ceva purred and then groaned in pain.

  By now, everyone was laughing, even Helena, pleasing Aldric enough to release the rest of the tension he’d been carrying since his mating tattoo first began to change color.

  When he originally saw the glow coming through his shirt on his way to the king’s suites, he immediately thought of Helena, but to hear that his mate might be in pain when he called sent Aldric into full-out enraged alpha mode. Staff in the corridors had run to get out of his way. No one had dared tried to stop him when he was on his way to his mate. Luckily for them.

  He could finally breathe again when he held Helena in his arms, knowing she wasn’t hurt, only to have that relief immediately destroyed by the attacking ogres. They were still trying to determine how so many ogres were able to not only arrive on the estate grounds, but also go completely undetected until they were within minutes of attacking. Since the ogres had been defeated years ago, there had been reports of dwindling numbers in their population. But what he saw today was anything but. They had large numbers with organized strength, and had been trained and prepared for battle. It should be impossible to hide such a thing.

  The battle had been brutal and bloody. Many lay injured and dying on both sides until out of nowhere birds began to swarm the ogres, attacking their eyes and drawing them away from the wolves. Hundred-foot trees lifted their long, leathery roots from the ground, using them like whips, wrapping around and dragging each ogre deep into the earth.

  Aldric had just finished ripping one ogre’s throat out with his claws when a root wrapped around its legs and dragged the dying ogre away. It was then they knew Helena was fighting alongside them, sending her aid through her gifts.

  Their i
njured were loaded onto the trucks before racing back to the palace. On their way, they’d received reports that ogres had reached it from the south. His father had been slashed across his back with a sword during the battle and was losing a lot of blood. Even with Godric’s attempts to stem the flow, they knew he would die.

  They arrived back at the palace in time to watch the last of the ogres being dragged away by a jolly-looking oak tree. Great flowering wisteria vines covered the exterior of the eastern side of the palace, snaking up toward Helena’s balcony where his brave omega stood, regally commanding the elements.

  Wounded who lay on the ground were quickly being covered by growing flowers and smaller vines, and their injuries were being healed. Quickly, they placed their father and the remaining injured on the ground and watched as they too were cocooned and healed.

  Aldric raced to his mate’s side, knowing full well Helena would never stop until she herself suffered. Unfortunately, he’d been too late, arriving only after she had already collapsed. It would never happen again, even if he had to strap Helena to his side—problematic, yes, but at the moment he just didn’t give a shit.

  “I’m happy to see you’re going to be perfectly fine, goddaughter, but if you’ll excuse me, I’m taking my thickheaded self to my bed, if that’s okay with the captain here?” Ceva groaned, holding onto her right side. She wobbled a bit as she attempted to stand straight and walked out of the now missing doors. Wisely, Lothar didn’t try to help her stand. Ceva might have cut off his arms for assuming she had any type of weakness. Even injured, she was fierce and deadly.

  “I’d better follow you or you might run into someone else you want to try to beat up.” Lothar turned to follow her out but smartly left at least five feet between them—turned out it wasn’t far enough.

  “I’ll tell you who I want to beat up, Captain.” Ceva yelled, her wings bursting from her back. She cuffed Lothar across his head before she stormed away, which would have been a hell of a lot more dramatic if she hadn’t been limping. Lothar had a big grin on his face as he followed. Aldric never claimed Lothar to be normal or sane.