Chapter 5

The night had other plans.

Soft whines pulsed through the walls. They weren't loud. But my alpha woke up inside me, sending me up and down the hallway towards the omega, towards Ella, before I could give myself a chance to think otherwise.

I paused before I finally went in, pushing past the door.

I reached out, gently touching her exposed calf, half outside the blankets.

She flinched.

Looking down with half-lidded eyes, the door was partly open. Marko lay on the floor next to the bed still. I wondered if he ever moved. Unsure if I should come any closer, Marko didn"t move so I figured the big bastard would yell at me otherwise.

I was in control. It wasn"t as if I was going to jump and bite her.

I wouldn't bite her.

Why did I even think about that?

Even if the idea made my teeth age and mouth fill with saliva to just get one taste of her.

The omega"s whimper hitched in her throat as she curled up into a tight little ball as if to protect herself. A sheen of sweat covered her skin even as she shivered from the cold.

"Sh, darling. You were crying in your sleep," I whispered, reaching out to her, but not touching. "Let me help."

"No." Ella whimpered.

"Not like that. Let me take care of you a little." Carefully I reached for the things I brought into the room earlier with Marko while she was resting, just in case. Though she wasn"t in heat, her pain pushed me and my alpha to react as if she was between that and sick.

Helping them to carefully sit up, I pulled a sweatshirt that made her moan overhead.

"God," she dipped her face into the gray cotton.

I pushed back the hood to see her face. "Is that okay?"

"Smells so good," she moaned.

I chuckled, getting back to work.

"It"s like soaking in a chai latte."

I never heard that one before, but I didn't contradict her. I chuckled. Carefully, I grabbed each of her feet and pulled on pink fluffy socks. They were like clouds. "I'm sure Liam will be delighted to hear you like his scent. He is one of the sweetest of us."

Besides Cal, anyway.

"What's wrong? Why are you crying?" I asked.

She made a noise between a moan and a hum. "They're going to find me."

"Who? Who is going to find you?" I asked.

She shook her head. "He warned me. He said that they would if this happened."

I tried a different tactic. "Who told you that?"

"Peter."

Peter? Was this another alpha? I could feel a growl in my chest.

I shoved it down.

Opening her eyes, they were still half closed and tired as she stared at me. Her skin appeared hot and feverish though she didn't look as bad as she did before Allison had come to check on her. "My brother."

"Cal said you don't have a family," I said.

"I don't," she whispered. "Not anymore."

She swayed and I helped her back to lie down. I should leave her alone and go back out into the hall and get some rest of my own. I laid down with her instead, keeping a decent distance between us. "You know, I had a sister. She was an omega."

"Is that why you knew these fluffy socks feel like my feet are clouds?"

My lips curled in a smile before having to explain.

"My sister died when she was about nineteen," I told her. "It wasn't long after she expressed her designation."

"Wouldn't she have been with a pack?"

"She was starting to court."

"What happened?"

"She was sick. It had been going on for a while, but we didn't know. She didn't tell us and she wasn't tested until she was an omega." I swallowed. "It took her quick."

Ella did not say anything, she only stared at me, debating something. Her eyes closed and her body shook.

"We'll keep you safe, darling. Don't you worry." I stroked her back, up and down. "You can tell us everything after a little while. You just need to rest. Don't worry about anything else right now."

"But..."

"I'll worry for you."

Slowly, Ella took a deep breath, shutting her eyes under my gentle words. As I attempted to disentangle, she choked on a sound, as if she couldn't help the next whimper.

"Sh sh shh, omega. What do you need? You need me to stay for a minute?" I asked.

Unable to say a word, Ella nodded, leaning against my chest, and taking another breath. It looked like it wasn't only Liam's scent she liked. My chest swelled with unsaid praise.

"Okay. As long as you promise me to sleep."

After a second, Ella nodded again.

"Good girl."

Marko twisted around on the floor with an inhale, noticing me in the bed. "What are you doing?"

I shook my head, nose brushing up against the back of Ella's neck. Her curdled scent turned into something soft and sweet. It was almost peaceful.

"I thought you said you didn't want to get attached." He mocked me.

"Sleep."

Marko looked like he rolled his eyes but tipped his forehead back into the pillow. I curled myself further around the omega. I wouldn't admit it aloud, but I knew what it was clear Marko did too even though he wouldn't say it yet about this girl Cal brought home.

No matter what we decided to do next…. No matter what I decided we needed to do with this omega?

We were screwed.