8. Enrique

Chapter 8

Enrique

This is a fucking nightmare.

Of all the places to crash a plane, it has to be here—in fucking Exiled Sector. I know very little about the islands in this area, just that all of supernatural kind sends their feral and uncontrollable Alphas here to govern themselves.

I felt the barrier on the way in, the hum of electricity that keeps the rabid Alphas from escaping these islands.

Each one is different, supernaturals picking and choosing how they cage their inhabitants.

I can only hope that the barrier I felt ripple across my skin will allow Caja and me to leave.

Assuming we can even find a way off this godforsaken island.

I run my hand down my face, my legs tight from our abrupt landing. Fortunately, my wolfish genetics are already kicking in to help me heal.

It's been a long time since I used a parachute. And it was only supposed to be me jumping out of the jet—after I placed it on a self-piloted course for Venom Island.

My original plan was to crash the jet as a distraction so I could land safely on the opposite side of the island, find Caja's escape pod, then locate a place for us to hide while we waited for help.

But the final escape pod jammed, thus changing the plan to me jumping out of the jet with Caja in my arms.

The slight delay placed us a lot closer to the crash site than I originally anticipated.

Caja is still staring at it with wide eyes, utterly oblivious to the dangers waiting for her here.

She's an Omega on the verge of her first heat—a heat I only began to sense right as that lightning bolt hit—and stranded on an island full of feral Alphas.

This is about to go really fucking wrong, really fucking fast.

I check my watch. No signal.

Of course there's no fucking signal.

We're cut off from everyone here.

Our only saving grace is that Ander will soon realize we never made it to Nova Sector. Then, hopefully, he'll activate his tracking system on the jet and the pods and send a rescue team after us.

If his team can cross that barrier, anyway , I think, frowning. Ander's wolves won't be able to come get us if that magical barricade functions as a one-way entry system. This place is meant to keep the inhabitants inside of it—for good.

But maybe there's a backdoor method I don't know about.

I've never been a Sector Alpha, so I don't know the nuances of this place. I just know I've never wanted to come here.

Well, too late for that. Because we're fucking here now. And…

"We need to run," I tell Caja. "Take off your clothes and shift." Because she will very likely need her teeth and claws.

Her dark eyes blink away from the distant flames to look at me. "Shift?"

"Yes. Now, Caja." There's no time for me to be gentle or to explain. She just needs to do what I ask and let me lead.

I squat to cut another strand, freeing the bag I packed back on the jet. It's full of firearms, grenades, flares, and a few essentials. All of the escape pods should have been stocked with similar items, but there wasn't time to check each one individually. I could only point to the escape pod's automation system, then shut them inside.

And pray they all landed safely.

My gut twists at the idea of all those other Omegas being lost among these islands. I basically just transported them from one hell to another.

Caja called me a good Alpha while in the air.

She has no idea how wrong she is about that. I just lost eight Omegas. Eight . That's not the mark of a good Alpha.

I should have been paying better attention, realized something was going on, and helped Hel before her power imploded.

Granted, I have no idea what I should have been looking for. She was an Ulv wolf. I didn't even know they possessed the ability to control the weather.

Shit . I scrub my face again, then shake my head. There isn't time to dwell on this. I may not have been able to save all the Omegas, but I do have one I can protect. And I'm going to do everything in my power to ensure she survives here.

I spin toward her and still as I find her jet-black wolf sitting on the beach, gazing up at me obediently.

She's so fucking pretty. All I want to do is go down on my haunches and nuzzle her soft-looking snout.

Instead, all I say is, "You're beautiful." Because I can't not say anything. She's stunning .

But rather than touch her like I want, I busy myself by bending down, scooping up her clothes, and stuffing them in my pack.

She shakes out her coat in response, then blinks up at me expectantly.

"We're going to run now," I tell her. "I want you to follow me and do exactly what I say when I say it, okay?"

She cants her head, and I translate that as a confirmation.

"Good girl," I praise her, then secure the bag on my back. "Let's go."

Caja trots along beside me while I scan the coastline, my senses on high alert.

Venom Island used to be known as Jamaica, but the once resort-dotted beach has been reclaimed by the wild greenery around it. Like many other areas of the world, it boasts a dystopian flair, telling the tale of what life used to be in this world and what life on this planet has become.

I walk carefully and alertly, listening and searching for threats. I purposely chose Venom Island because it houses the creatures I know—fellow X-Clan Alphas. Much better than the neighboring Outcast Island, a volcanic landscape filled with vampires.

A shudder works through me at the thought.

I really hope Guerún didn't end up there, but she was in one of the last pods. An error in judgment on my part, but I wasn't paying attention to the order in which everyone escaped. I just wanted to get them all off the jet before it crashed.

There was no way I could have landed it safely. That jet was going down with or without us in it, and I chose the second option.

Caja and I continue down the beach, the moon bright overhead. It's maybe three or four in the morning. I check my watch and confirm that it's just after three.

And I note that the symbol showing we're disconnected from the world is still flashing at the top of my screen.

You know it's bad when satellite tech doesn't work in your location, I think darkly.

Pushing the thought away, I focus on a thick cluster of trees ahead. It's bordering one of the old resort properties, the underbrush thicker than the others. It looks like the beach thins beyond, turning into rocky coastline that starts to curl into a cove.

I pause when we reach it, noting the rapidly increasing elevation. Most of the cove is shrouded in cliffs, not beach, the terrain hillier than I expected for being so close to the water.

But that gives me an idea. The closer we are to water, the easier it'll be to mask Caja's scent. It's why I've been hugging the coastline—in case Caja needs to dive in and wash off her alluring perfume.

"Stay here for a minute," I say, darting into the trees to see if there's a good path to the rocky coastline. What we need is a cave. Preferably one that's hard to access and only has a single entry point—a point I can easily guard.

It takes a few minutes, but I finally locate a path that allows me to better evaluate the cove. I perch up on a rock, surveying for anything promising.

The water bathes the stones, then draws back to the sea, only to rush forward again.

Nothing catches my gaze as a potential hiding place. However, I know there has to be something.

I sit and observe, all the while counting minutes in my head.

Caja isn't far behind me, her scent slithering through the air like a fucking beacon. My cock hardens more and more with each inhale, her heat fast approaching.

We're just going to have to gamble, I decide, picking a darkened location in the distance that appears to have a sunken facade in the rocks. If it's not a cave, we'll?—

A howl in the distance has the hairs dancing along my nape, that sound one I know too well.

It's an Alpha alerting his pack.

An Alpha on the hunt.

An Alpha who just scented a fertile Omega.

" Fuck ." I sprint out of the woods to where Caja is cowering by the water, her wolf's tail between her legs. "This way," I tell her urgently.

She doesn't hesitate, her wolf leaping to my side to follow me through the underbrush. It's a literal jungle in here, the rocky ground a lot harsher than the sandy beach. But Caja follows me with ease, her wolf agile and small, allowing her to move quickly at my side.

I pick up the pace as the howls grow louder, my inner wolf snarling in response.

Ours, he's saying. This Omega is ours.

And we do not fucking share.

"Focus on me," I say, wanting Caja's complete attention. "Ignore their howls."

It's probably easier said than done. Especially for an Omega on the edge of her heat.

All it will take is a growl to make her supplicate and shift back into human form. She's vulnerable to an Alpha's demands even when not in this condition. Add in her estrus, and she's hopeless to our call.

She'll roll onto her back and spread her pretty legs, then beg for a knot.

My own knot throbs at the thought.

It's a basic need. A drive to fuck. To claim. To breed .

Is that why I've found her irresistible? I wonder, then frown.

No .

She's not the first Omega who has gone into heat around me. I saw Kari through one a year ago, purred for her and forced her to sleep while her body contorted in agony. Never once did I want to fuck her.

And I attended my fair share of estrus parties, too. However, no Omega ever called to me like Caja does now. Maybe because Kari was always my focus, but I would have deviated if someone like Caja caught my attention.

There is just something about her that calls to my inner wolf, demanding I pursue her.

If she'd been at one of those parties, I would have struggled to pick between Kari and Caja. I would have wanted to select them both for very different reasons.

Kari, I just wanted to save.

Caja… Caja, I want to drag back to my lair. I want to knot her until she can't fucking walk. I want to sink my teeth into her flesh and make her mine .

Another howl stirs a responding growl in my chest. It's possessive and feral, and it causes Caja to stumble alongside me.

"Shit," I mutter. "Sorry. It's my wolf. He feels challenged."

Because he is being challenged.

By an island full of feral wolves.

My feet move faster, the need to find somewhere safe for Caja driving my instincts. She runs along with me, but I can feel her anxiety now, smell her fear. It's a fucking aphrodisiac that's going to attract even more predators.

And it's driving my inner beast mad with lust.

I fight the urge to growl and demand that she shift. To take her against a godsdamn tree like a savage.

The crashing of the water against the rocks is the only sound that grounds me in the present, forcing me forward as we run along the interior of the cove. We're on an incline, jogging upward and toward more trees situated along a cliff's edge.

There are no old buildings here, just lush trees and jagged underbrush.

I pause to glance out over the coast, my gaze seeking the space I noticed while searching the area earlier. Almost there , I think, taking off again.

But the howls are loud now, the sounds scattering goose bumps down my arms. Faster, I tell myself. Fucking. Faster .

Caja sprints alongside me, her terror mounting.

Then I freeze as an unwelcome scent hits my senses. Alphas .

A growl tightens my chest. " Run ," I tell her, taking off away from the coastline and abandoning the cave plan. Caja follows on my heels, her wolf panting with the effort.

I have no idea where we're heading now, just away from the Alpha scents. Away from the howls. Just… away .

I leap over a fallen log and she does the same, then I sprint toward the sound of rushing water. It's inland, suggesting it's either a creek or a waterfall, but maybe it can help hide Caja's scent.

Oh, who the hell am I kidding? Her perfume is like a damn beacon that's screaming, Fuck me .

Twigs and leaves snap behind us, confirming we're being pursued. Of course, the snarls and howls already told me that.

Most of them are in wolf form, giving them an advantage over my human body. But I can't fire a gun with my paws.

I duck under a low-hanging branch, then come to a screeching halt as I realize we've just hit a dead end.

Or rather, another cliff.

In the form of a waterfall .

I quickly survey the area, my night vision allowing me to see every detail.

We can't jump; there are too many rocks down below. While we would absolutely survive the fall from this height, thanks to our enhanced genetics, it would take a while to heal.

Shit .

Caja brushes against me, her body vibrating with nerves.

I place my palm on her nape, then cock my head to the side, silently telling her to follow me once more.

We travel the cliff's edge until we find what looks like an old, overgrown path. I start down it, then think better of it and whisper, "You go. I'll meet you down there in the water."

Her eyes tell me she doesn't like this idea, her energy humming with alarm. But like a good wolf, she starts the trek while I crouch to open my pack and pull out a few helpful items.

Most wolves fight in animal form.

In any other situation, I would.

But pride is irrelevant tonight. Survival is all that matters. Caja's survival.

Slipping the bag back into place over my shoulders, I move to hide behind a tree.

And wait for the Alphas to come out to play.