Chapter Twenty-Two

"I'm taking him out of here," I barked at Maverick who stood over the carcass of the asshole Sloan had just killed. He held his gun, waiting for any twitch worthy of another bullet. We wanted to make sure this one was deader than dead.

"Go," Maverick answered. "Get him to the truck. We've got this."

I picked up Sloan and carried him like a little one all the way through the wreckage and back to the SUV. My mate was silent—too silent, and I had been exactly where he was. My first kill. His first kill.

It had to have hurt my good-hearted omega. Taking another's life and breath away, no matter how dangerous and awful that person was didn't make it easy. It was a horrible thing to carry out, and the aftermath might've been worse than the deed—for the person still living.

"Talk to me, Sloan," I begged, noticing his glassy stare and how he'd gone completely pale.

He said nothing in return but then pushed me out of the way and got out of the car.

"Wait, you can't go back in there," I yelled, not wanting him to revisit the scene. What was already ingrained in his head was enough for a lifetime.

He turned. "I'm not. He…I had to." Sloan took off at a sprint toward the trees on the side of the building, and I heard his heaving before I saw him bent over, spewing his breakfast onto the ground.

"Let it out. It's okay." I rubbed his back and reached for a water bottle I kept in my bag. "It's over now."

"He had a collar on me," Sloan said after throwing up until his face was red and there was nothing left. "He killed your brother. The gods only know what he did to countless omegas like me. I had to. I didn't think. But I had to. He was a terrible person. I couldn't let him do that to someone else. No more…"

I grabbed him and nestled his shaking body in my hold. "No one will ever hold this against you, Sloan. If there is anyone on this earth who deserved to stop breathing because of his crimes, it was him. I know you acted on instinct, and that instinct was right."

"But I killed someone," he croaked, fisting my shirt with both hands while sobs wracked him.

My sweet omega. He'd been so damned brave and strong.

His crying, both audible and not, continued through the cleanup and the entire ride home. When King got into the truck beside us, he wrapped a blanket around Sloan and told him that he did the right thing.

King was my brother. My bear didn't growl once or feel a single twinge of jealousy as the lion told my mate how strong he was and how that asshole had died immediately. A clean kill. Probably kinder than what I would've done. Certainly a better ending than what my bear had in mind.

By the time we got back to the warehouse, Sloan had somewhat calmed down. He let me lead him to our bedroom and even drank a bottle of water and nibbled on some crackers for his stomach.

"Do you think differently about me now?" he asked, chin quivering.

"Yes," I answered and kneeled in front of him as he sat on our bed. "I think you are the fiercest omega there ever was. You avenged my brother's death. You avenged your mate's pain. That took bravery and bigger balls than I have."

Sloan let out a little chuckle. "No one has bigger balls than you, alpha."

My bear grumbled. "True, but you did well. And now it's over. He can't ever hurt another omega again. Keep your thoughts focused on all the lives and hearts you saved. The trauma you prevented."

"Is that what you do?" he asked.

I nodded. "That's what I did. I won't kill another unless it's defending my family."