Chapter 27

Chapter

Twenty-Seven

CAL

I couldn't comprehend everything that had happened within the past two hours. Everything happened so fast and it didn't go to plan.

It didn't go to plan at all.

But I held onto Ella, unsure if any of the alphas could handle it right now as we made our way far away from the Benjamin Davinson estate which looked more like a prison compound than a home.

I couldn't believe that he thought it was suitable for an omega, for anyone, but especially Ella.

I held her tighter as he made tiny whimpering sounds, tears pooling down her cheeks. It didn't appear she was exactly conscious, and with every tiny squeak, we all cringed and clenched our teeth, wishing to do anything that would make it stop.

She smelled delicious, even to me as we drove. The medics looked her over, and from what they could see, Ella was fine, albeit absolutely in heat. A shocked state of heat, but one that would surely fade.

They told us that we should take her home, though we'd have a lot of explaining and paperwork to fill out to make all of this right. However, it had been clear that this was complicated, and getting Ella off the Omega Services hands would be a blessing to everyone. The one Omega Handler who managed to help us get into the building undetected for sure would appreciate our quiet cooperation, though she at least did seem concerned for Ella's safety, genuinely.

So, we were going to take her home. We needed to make her feel safe. Loved.

Then the real work of seeing how we could best help Ella and everything she had been through would begin. Like, my god. That kid, Lucas.

I tried to hold the kid back, but he just wouldn't listen.

"I told you, I'm not letting them take her," he said with such determination in his voice.

I guess he just never thought about what was going to happen if he was taken. What would happen to Ella who looked like a shell of the vibrant woman I knew she was?

A scent match was taken away.

A bonded mate, even though it was an unwanted one, was taken away moments after he tore into her neck.

My teeth clenched harder as I tried to keep my anger frustration and utter agony inside myself, though I was certain the rest of my pack could feel it through our bond. Though, we were all feeling similarly.

Demetri may be worse than all of us for having the opportunity and not doing anything sooner to help her versus the whole picture. Even if it was over now.

Everything.

"Marko?" Ella whimpered once, one of the first things I heard her clearly say.

We all shifted to listen closer.

I rubbed her back. "He's ok. Just needed to be patched up. He'll be here soon."

She hummed and cried against me more. This time, her cries were more forceful than before, and I couldn't decide whether I was glad she was awake yet. They were soft, pitiful sobs that she couldn't help but let loose, though her voice sounded scratchy and rough from yelling.

My heart ached. My body ached.

I wanted to scream right along with her the whole time. Now we had her. We had our omega with us and yet she still felt miles away.

Eventually, we pulled up to the driveway, but she remained still.

"You're home, Ella."

Her forehead creased as she burrowed into me. Maybe she was too far into the heat. Or maybe, I glanced over towards Demetri looking back at us through the review with a tight jaw and worry written all over his face, we had a whole lot more work to do until she ever thought of us as home ever again.

But I was willing to do this. Somehow we were going to make this better.

Ella deserved it.

She deserved all of me.

All of us.