Page 21 of Outlaw's Omega
Bree wouldn’t be the exception. Did it bother me that she had doubts? Yes of course. But I knew she would learn to love and care for me. I wasn’t a bad man, or at least with her, I wouldn’t be.
We would be happy.
Maybe in the past, things would have been different. I would have wooed her, made her realise that biology didn’t lie but that was then and this was now. If I didn’t claim her it was only a matter of time before another Alpha did. My only option was to claim her and make her realise that she could learn to care for me later.
“Alpha Kaelan?” The old man’s red-rimmed eyes rose to meet mine. He was puzzled to see me. That much was clear on his face.
Not bothering to wait for an invite, I shoulder barged my way past him and into the cool confines of the foyer. It was a shadowy space, all dark wood panelling. Like stepping back in time. But just being in it made me smile.
This was the place I had first met Bree. For me, this small hallway would always be a special place.
“How is she?” My eyes scanned around the room. Part of me had hoped to catch her scent straight away. That she would sweep down the stairs to come and greet me. But there was nothing. The whole house seemed silent. And Brees scent was faint. “I….”
“Alpha Kaelan why are you here?”
His words made me pause, the muscles in my back tending. What did he mean why was I here? Surely Zane would have told him that I would come for her here?
“For Bree, for….”
“But Bree isn’t here. She is with you. I was told that you had decided to keep her on your side of the river.” He sounded confused, his smooth, ink-stained fingers rubbing over this beard.
“My side of the river?” I shook my head. “No, I ordered her to be brought here for her safety until I could claim her.”
“I don’t know what to say to you Alpha Kaelan, I have not seen my daughter since the day you scared her so much she ran away.”
Part of me didn’t want to believe him but I could see no lie in his eyes.
It didn’t make sense though. Why would Zane not follow my orders?
Unease flowed over my skin. Causing the hairs on the backs of my arms to stand on end. I didn’t know what the hell was going on but I knew it was bad. Really bad.
“I need to contact Zane, maybe …” my words were cut off when one of my alpha underlings that I had left of guard duty barrelled through the doorway. Ripping it from the hinges like it was nothing.
“Alpha Kaelan.” He puffed out his chest, hands on his knees as he tried to catch his breath. He looked like he had run the whole way, his face was smeared with blood and what looked like ash. “You must come, the city in on fire.”
I moved without thinking. “What of Bree?” She was my first thought. If she was stuck in heat in the middle of a burning city there would be no way for her to escape. “Does Zane have her somewhere safe?”
If a fire had broken out it would make sense that he hadn’t brought her here to the safety of her fathers yet. He would have taken her to the closest possible safe place. All I had to do was find out where that was.
The alpha in front of me stiffened. “You misunderstand me Kaelan, Zane has taken over your manor. He is setting fire to any businesses or homes that do not bow down to his leadership. Those that show loyalty to you are being rounded up and executed.”
I barely heard him. I couldn't compute what he was saying. Zane was someone I trusted explicitly. My second in command. If I had been the kind of man who had friends he would have been one. And yet I was being told that he was trying to overthrow me. That he was tearing down everything I had spent my life building up.
Bree.
“My mate?” It came out a hiss. Barely audible, my teeth were clenched together so tightly.
He swallowed hard. His Adam’s apple bobbing. “He is claiming her as his own. Everything you have. He has claimed.”
Chapter Nine
Bree
The urge to nest was overwhelming. It took over all my other needs. Nothing else mattered. Not eating or drinking, not even relieving myself.
All that mattered was arranging the blankets and pillows on the wide ornate bed I had woken on into something suitable.
Luckily for me, there was plenty of materials to work with. Kaelan obviously liked his comfort. It could only be Kaelan’s bed I was shackled too. His scent was everywhere, it clung to the bedding and lingered in the air. Driving me crazy and calming me in equal measures. My estrus was still raging through my body but the drugs helped.
