This is a goddamn nightmare.
If someone wanted to derail our entire operation on the island, this is the way to do it.
A possibility I will analyze after I catch her.
I leap over a fallen log, landing on my bare feet in the grass. Then I pause to inhale, searching for the little Omega with my nose.
Snarls sound to my right as two wolves come barreling toward me.
Volt leaps between us, still in human form, and takes them down with a set of throwing blades.
“Try not to kill them!” I shout at him. Those knives are silver. I can feel the heat of them from here. Which means the wolves won’t be able to heal unless the blades are removed.
He responds with a grunt, yanking out his knives as he passes the two knocked out Alphas. Then he takes off toward the woods to tackle a third wolf with his bare hands.
He’s either going to be furious or elated when this is done. The psychotic bastard loves the taste of blood. But the cause of all this insanity is troublesome.
And still running, I think, catching her scent on the wind.
I take off toward her, my heart pounding in my chest.
If another wolf finds her first…
I cut off that line of thought.
That is not going to happen.
I bound over the earth, my bare feet used to the rough terrain.
She’s naked, alone, and has no idea where she’s going.
But her scent seems to be… diminishing.
I frown, pausing again to sniff the air. Where are you, little one? I wonder, trying to seek her out above the other fragrances of the island.
It’s early winter and we’ve already experienced our first snow, but it recently melted, thickening the streams that lead to the ocean below.
They’re made of fresh water until they meet the bottom, which doesn’t carry a strong scent, but can wash away the natural perfume of others.
Humming, I bend to touch a nearby stream, my focus on the mud beneath the surface, searching for foot prints.
Clove is small because of her Omega heritage, making her light on her feet.
But she’s clever.
Because she’s running down the stream in an attempt to mask her scent.
It almost works.
Except I’ve spent the last two days inhaling that sweet perfume and while the water may dilute it, it’s still there, lingering in the wind like a beckoning kiss.
I prowl behind her, my senses on high alert for potential intruders. This is my chase. Not theirs. I will destroy anyone and everything in my path. Then I’m going to teach the little brat a lesson in possession that she won’t soon forget.
The only reason I’ll even consider going easy on her is because I know she’s new to this. She has no idea what she truly is. Fuck, I don’t really know what she is.
A Carnage Wolf Omega, definitely.
But she’s also a Nantahala Wolf.
What will that do to her genetics? Will she be able to take an Alpha’s knot the way an Omega should? Or will her heat cycle be pure agony with no benefit of release?
I’m starting to understand why she killed her mother. I’m furious on Clove’s behalf. Her heritage never should have been kept from her.
Although, I strongly suspect her mother did it to protect her.
Which makes the entire situation utterly fucked up.
And her running isn’t helping.
However, my wolf is rather pleased inside by the chase. He likes that this female is challenging him. It’s making him hungry to capture her, mount her, claim her.
Fuck.
I move faster, my animal riding me hard.
My ability to maintain control is why I’m the Carnage Island Alpha. It’s what makes me suitable to lead. Because I’m not giving into the rutting lust—a consequence of an unclaimed Omega going into heat. All available Alphas will react to her need to mate, her yearning for the knot.
I can feel their desire on the wind, their animalistic aggression mounting with each passing second.
Volt and Caius are the only two I trust on this island not to lose themselves to the rutting madness. They’re strong wolves, which is why we’re a triad clan. It’s not about intimacy, it’s about power. We feed off each other and provide necessary balance.
Like now.
I can sense their power overshadowing the others, their infallible control allowing them to be my weapons while I hunt our prey.
Little wolf, little wolf, I echo, pursuing her down the stream. We’re almost to the ocean, a fact that has more than impressed my inner animal.
She’s fast.
Smart.
Worthy.
How this little Omega ended up here is the only thing that may keep me back from outright claiming her the moment I find her.
Because I don’t know how she’ll actually react.
She’s not a pure blood.
What will that do to our potential mating bond?
I reach the water’s edge, my gaze narrowing.
“Playing hide and seek won’t lessen your punishment, little one,” I murmur, aware that she’s close.
My beast is growling in excitement, loving that she not only gave us chase, but hid. He wants to sniff her out and drag her beneath him, then bite her throat. Not hard. Just enough to claim for the world to see.
But three Alphas join us in wolf form, none of them Caius or Volt. I can sense them up on the hill, battling the others.
The daring little Omega has sent the entire island into a lust-driven battle.
There will be hell to pay once this is resolved and not just because I’ll have to dole out punishment to my men, but because they’re going to be furious I kept her from them.
Our pack is built on trust.
I defied that trust when I didn’t allow her to meet the men. It was in her best interest, not theirs. It’s almost fortunate that she ran because I can say they were all given an equal opportunity to claim her.
Assuming I survive this battle.
Because two more wolves have entered the beach, their focus on me as the prime predator on this island.
I’m their main competition when it comes to claiming this Omega.
Therefore, they want to rip me to shreds.
“You are all going to regret this when your senses come back,” I say conversationally as I unfasten my pants.