Chapter 6

Ezra

The thick, sweet, marshmallow and caramel scent of her heat permeated the air, stopping me in my tracks. The fragrance was so potent I could taste her on my tongue. My wolf lunged against my skin with possessive need, the force so strong it took every ounce of self-control to resist the change.

Three thoughts crossed my mind.

One: she was the same Omega the Council baited the units with.

Two: she was in fucking heat.

Three: she was our fated mate.

My thoughts ran a mile a minute as she slipped past me and broke through the trees like a damn cheetah.

Why was she in heat? The Council always ensured the Omegas were on heat suppressants before releasing them into the Hunt because of the increased chances of sending the males into a mass rut.

My instincts told me this was done on purpose.

And my instincts were never wrong.

Valor and I gave chase, counting on Korren's speed to intercept our skittish mate.

It felt like a guillotine hung over our heads. If another unit got a whiff of her, we'd have an archaic battle for dominance on our hands. They would descend on her in a craze and do whatever they could to claim her.

A dark lick of anger ignited within me at the thought.

No one will take what is ours,my wolf warned.

"Fuck, she's fast," Valor said, a hint of pride lacing his words.

"Maybe we focus on catching her before admiring her athleticism," I said blandly, trying to distract my straining cock.

With the scent of her slick permeating the air, shifting would be dangerous. My wolf was on the verge of a rut, and from the firm stretch of his engorged muscles and the stiff line of his jaw, Valor wasn't doing any better.

"Stop," Valor ordered just as the Omega fearlessly jumped from the edge of a cliff.

My heart lurched.

Unbelievable.

She jumped.

She fucking threw herself off a ledge without hesitation.

Despite my gut-wrenching terror, a tremor of stunned fascination moved within me. Just who was our mate?

A breath later, Korren detonated through the tree line and jumped after her.

"You've got to be fucking kidding me," I muttered, knowing I'd have to follow.

It became clear how this Omega had survived three Hunts. The tricky little thing had managed to hide her scent—something I'd have to ask her about later—and outmaneuvered our attempts to grab her. Her reflexes weren't adding up with the Omega lifestyle and restrictions we learned about from our Alpha's mate, Isolde. This Omega was different. She knew how to survive—how to escape. The question was, where did she learn those skills?

We reached the ledge in time to see the Omega being thrashed by the rough current of the river below. Her head darted in and out of the water as she reached for rocks and branches, clawing to find purchase before being pulled under again.

Korren came up behind her, and she screamed as he looped an arm around her waist and tugged her toward the shore.

I exchanged a look with Valor, and we jumped together.

The fall was quick, and the water was icy against my feverish skin. But none of it mattered with our mate so close. The addictive call of her heat drove my wolf forward, begging me to claim her.

When we reached the riverbank, Korren was crouched before the female. Her eyes darted from him to the woods, still searching for an escape.

Valor noticed her actions, and we wordlessly positioned ourselves on either side of her, blocking her exits.

I disregarded the way the thin, see-through slip clung to her large, round breasts so as not to torture myself as we figured out how to get her collar off.

She stiffened, and a warning growl sounded from her chest.

She didn't break eye contact as she rose to her knees.

Smart. Staying seated would have only increased her disadvantage. It was easier to attack or defend in a kneeling position.

Even in her anger, soaked to the bone, she was breathtaking. The image the Council showed us hadn't done her justice. She scanned each of us, her catlike eyes guarded. The tantalizing peach flush to her cheeks deepened with every passing second.

The smell of her slick strengthened, perfuming the air, and my cock pulsed in response.

Fuck.

"I'm going to remove your collar now," Korren said, his voice low as he cautiously reached for her.

"The fuck you are," she snapped, swiping at him with her claws.

Her sultry, husky voice buried itself in my core, and I was suddenly desperate to hear it again.

My wolf practically purred at the sound.

She stood, taking a defensive stance.

"We won't hurt you," Korren assured her, using his healer's tone. It was the voice used to calm fearful and aggressive patients. It was infused with magic and allowed him to access a small portion of their emotions, reassuring them of his intent.

Valor's eyes were soft, his voice a low rumble. "We don't want to take anything from you; we want you to give it to us. Give us your collar, sweetheart. We'll take care of you."

Her brows furrowed as if she couldn't quite understand why she wanted to believe him, but then she blinked the hesitation away and hardened. "No," she said, her voice unsure. "You'll just use me like some little toy until you've—"

Her words cut off with a yell as she clutched her abdomen and winced.

Korren was by her side in a second. She didn't back away—a testament to the pain she was in.

"Let me help you," he said, placing his hand over hers.

The moment she felt Korren's gift, her head snapped toward him, and her eyes widened.

"You're a healer?" she whispered.

Korren smiled, but his eyes flashed as he fought to keep control of his wolf. "I am. This isn't going to last long, unfortunately. There's only one true remedy for an Omega's heat cycle. But I can manage your pain."

She stared into his eyes, their faces a breath apart. He hadn't moved his hand from hers.

"Why haven't you taken my collar?" she asked.

She was right to question him. As close as he was, it wouldn't have been hard to unclasp the collar from her slender throat.

But she didn't know Korren would never do something like that. He wouldn't put her in a position where she felt like her autonomy was violated.

None of us would, no matter how hard our wolves rode us to take what was ours.

"Valor told you already," Korren said. "We're not here to force you to do anything. We want you to come with us willingly."

"And if I don't want to?" she asked cautiously, keeping all three of us in her field of vision as she stepped back.

The movement only brought her closer to me.

Her eyes strayed down to our nakedness. Bare and hard, I almost groaned when her eyes skimmed my length and flashed with her inner beast. Her breathing was harsh as she assiduously lifted her gaze back to eye level.

The air around us hummed and writhed beneath the sultry whisper of our instincts.

Claim her, my wolf growled. Before the others come. She is too sweet to ignore.

"That's going to be a problem." When Valor saw the alarmed look in the Omega's eyes, he quickly continued, "You're in heat, and we won't be the only ones who notice."

"So you're saying I should choose you?" she challenged. "Take the . . . well, I can't even call you the lesser evil, considering I don't know any of you."

"You can," I said, not bothering to alter my matter-of-fact tone. "If you're smart—and from what I've assessed thus far, you seem capable of making logical assessments—you'll realize that we've had multiple opportunities to take that collar off you. Korren didn't have to neutralize your pain. We didn't have to speak with you. From the moment he dragged you out of that river, you were caught. Even if you tried to get away, you wouldn't get far. Yet we're here, talking to you. Trying to convince you to make the best decision. The only decision."

She narrowed her eyes.

"What Ezra's trying to say is—" Korren started, trying to temper my words.

"I'm saying you're our fated mate," I interrupted.

She paled.

"Ezra!" Valor scolded.

I shrugged. "She's going to find out eventually. May as well tell her now before this damn forest becomes a medieval coliseum, because if any other male comes near her, there's going to be a fight to the death." I turned to her, pinning her with an unwavering stare. "You're ours. We won't let anything happen to you. If you can't trust us, trust the Goddess. Trust your wolf."

She studied me, indecision flaring in her eyes.

I decided to push her further.

"We're yours. I won't ever lie to you." The words felt right. Her nostrils flared, and tension radiated from Korren's and Valor's bodies. "The second you allow me to remove your collar, we will claim you. Right here, right now."

Her eyes widened. "Now?"

"The units have probably caught wind of your heat by now . . ." Valor didn't have to finish his statement.

She swallowed audibly, understanding clear in her gaze. We were giving her a choice. The others wouldn't.

Korren extended his hand as if approaching a prey animal. "Can I take your collar?"

Slowly, she nodded.