Owned by the Alpha

by Laxmi Hariharan

  He hauls the carcass over his shoulder.

  “Let’s get out of here before—”

  A war cry rings out and a bullet whistles past a second before another slams into my shoulder. Pain burns a line down my arm.

  “Get down,” I yell, dropping to the muddy ground.

  3

  Zeus

  There’s another whizzing; more bullets pepper the space around us. Next to me, Ryker falls to the ground. My shoulder throbs and I wince. I shove aside the pain then grab his arm and drag him to the trees. Ethan races over and drops next to me.

  “There are more than I anticipated.” He pants. Sweat beads his forehead.

  “Where’s Liam?” I crane my head to peer across the tree line.

  “He’s covering us from the other side.” The sound of bullets screaming back in the direction from where the gunfire came emphasizes his answer.

  “We need to teach these Vikings a lesson they’ll never forget.” I crack my neck. “Where are the rest of our men?”

  “At least two days away,” Ethan replies from upfront.

  “Fuck!” I growl. Blood thuds at my temples.

  Another hail of bullets bursts over us, followed by a shower of arrows. One of them scrapes Ethan’s arm, and he swears. “We need to get out of here.”

  “Cover me.”

  He opens his mouth to protest, and I shake my head.

  “We do this my way.” I spring up to my feet. The sound of gunfire follows me as Ethan trains his gun on the enemy and squeezes the trigger.

  I reach Liam and squat down next to him. “You’re good at hand-to-hand combat.”

  He frowns. “Yessir.”

  “You willing to follow me?”

  “You bet, sir.”

  “Good man.” I straighten and race to the tree line.

  Liam is right behind me.

  I take a wide detour, going all the way around the space from where the original firing had come, making a U-turn to come up behind where the group of Vikings are hidden in the trees.

  “Come on.” I pull my knife out.

  Grabbing the Viking closest to me, I slit his throat. The man falls to the ground without a sound.

  Next to me, Liam has twisted the neck of the nearest soldier with his bare hands and shoves the figure into the bushes.

  I creep up on the next one and plunge the knife into his neck. Blood spurts out, and he crumples. Liam kicks out the feet of the soldier in front of him. The man crashes to the ground, and Liam punches his fist into his opponent’s face.

  I leap across to the last man. Snapping my arm around his shoulders, I slit his throat. His blood seeps out, and his legs convulse. I drop his still-kicking body to the ground.

  The sound of bullets fades away.

  I straighten in time to see Ethan cross the tree line, and head for me. He half carries, half drags an injured Ryker with him.

  “It was an ambush.” Ethan pants.

  I hold up my hand, and he shuts up. In the distance, the sound of footsteps crashes through the undergrowth. There are more soldiers on the way.

  “Let’s split up.” I gesture for Ethan and Ryker to stay. Shooting a sideways glance at Liam, I beckon him to come with me.

  We race around the clearing.

  I sprint halfway to the other side, Liam at my heels, and duck behind the trees just as Harald stalks into the clearing.

  He’s followed by four of his men. They are in full armor, with guns and swords strapped to their backs.

  From the other side, Ethan strides in. There’s a Viking standing behind him, with a sword held out in front. Its tip is pressed into Ethan’s side.

  Ryker staggers into the clearing, arms folded behind his neck. Two Vikings have their guns trained on him.

  “Fuck.” How did I let them get the better of us? I curl my fingers into fists. My muscles bunch.

  I should have brought the rest of the troops with me; Ethan had been right. But there was no way I would have left the stronghold unguarded. Not with my omega there. She is what Harald covets, and as long as she is protected from Harald, well, it doesn’t matter what happens to me.

  I’ll go to my grave trying to kill this bastard. And kill him I will, for without his death, my omega is not safe. Besides, no way does he challenge me and get away with it. I need to survive this particular encounter, that’s all. I dig my booted feet into the ground.

  “Zeus.” Harald's voice rings out.

  A flurry of birds rise from the trees in alarm.

  “I have your men, Zeus.” He props his arm on his hip and widens his stance. “Perhaps you have a modicum of decency in your blood, something that will compel you to fight for the lives of your men? You are not going to let them die, are you?”

  I raise my gun and take aim at Harald. Liam touches my arm, "If you shoot you give away our position."

  Of course he's right. I should have thought of that. It's a testament to just how fucked up I am in my head that I'd forgotten a basic defensive tactic.

  Harald must have sensed something for he straightens and stares in my direction. He jerks his chin and his soldiers fire off a round toward us.

  I drop to the ground, and Liam mirrors my actions.

  The bullets fly over us and when the hail of firing stops, I peer up.

  “I warned you, Zeus.” He nods to his man, who drives his sword into Ethan’s back.

  “No!” I clench my fingers into fists.

  Ethan falls over on his front.

  The man grabs the sword and yanks it out. Blood spurts from the wound. Ethan’s body twitches, then stills.

  My pulse rate ratchets up. Icicles spike my blood and I clench my fingers. Fucker is going to pay for this. I didn’t mean for that to happen to Ethan—so what if I didn’t trust him? Fact is, that man is the reason I took over as General, why I had navigated the politics of the Council, why I am standing here today…and he…he’s dead.

  Harald's men killed one of my own and I am not going to let them leave without taking revenge.

  I spring up and Liam blocks my way. “You step out there, General, and he'll take you captive."

  “I can’t watch him take out another of my own.” I grit my teeth so hard that pain slashes my jaw. Somewhere along the way I'd mellowed enough to care for the lives of my team. It's the one thing that separates us from our cousins in the animal kingdom...the fact that when challenged we close ranks, and that even extends to someone as selfish as me.

  Ahead, Harald raises his gun and points it at the already bound Ryker. His gaze swivels to the edge of the clearing. “Guess you really are the kind of leader who’d readily sacrifice your team for your own life.”

  My muscles coil, and anger whips down my spine. I shove Liam to the side.

  “Your omega…if you die, she dies, too.”

  That brings me up short. “I’ve blocked the mating bond from taking root in me. If I die, she will suffer, but she’ll survive.” The mating cord in my chest twinges, and I resist the urge to rub my chest.

  “She’ll find another.” Liam narrows his gaze, his eyebrows draw down.

  One side of my lips curl. “That’s the idea.” My heart stutters, pain twists my guts, and I shove it aside.

  He blinks. “You’ve changed, Zeus.”

  Thanks to her. I toss the gun over to him.

  Yanking the sword off my back, I hand that over, too. “Tell her to use it to cut out the claiming mark on her neck.”

  I lean forward on the balls of my feet.

  Liam doesn’t move.

  I jerk my chin. “Go.”

  He doesn’t move. His features are solid and his eyes seem too bright.

  “That’s an order. You need to survive this and get out of there.”

  He jerks his chin, then steps back into the bushes.

  I stalk forward and into the clearing.

  4

  Lucy

  I race past the tree line. Mirela is right behind me. She pants, the sound of her breathing lou
d in the silence. I slow down until she catches up with me. “You need to keep it down; you are making too much noise.”

  “You’re too fast for me.” She sucks in her cheeks.

  “Yeah, that’s what they all say.” I can’t stop my lips from curving up in a satisfied smile.

  The alphas of London have no idea what’s going to hit them.

  “I can’t believe you coerced me into letting you free and also following you. If the General finds out…”

  “You leave the General to me.” I continue to survey the area. Did I hear a noise?

  “You are too confident for an omega.” She purses her lips.

  “My father taught me to be a warrior. He treated me and my omega sister more akin to the alpha sons that he wanted. He trained us so we could protect ourselves.” I clench my fingers into fists. "Didn't stop him from using us for leverage when it suited him." I curl my lips. "When the Vikings invaded our city, my father bartered off the virgin omegas—including me— in exchange for their leaving."

  An emptiness yawns in the pit of my stomach. "I escaped with my sister and others from my clan. My mother didn’t make it. The berserkers slaughtered her. She sacrificed herself so we could survive."

  Mirela touches my shoulder, and I move away, not wanting her empathy.

  "And your father?"

  "After what he did to us?" I straighten my spine, "bartering us like we were his possessions...? I refuse to accept him as my parent anymore." My chest hurts, a pressure pounds behind my eyes. Why did my father's action hurt so much? I should have known that when it came down to it my father's alpha nature would prevail. He'd treat us like we were objects to be traded: omega pussy that could be bought and sold.

  “I’m sorry.” She whispers. “That’s why you want to go after the Vikings? You want revenge?”

  “Yes. No.” I twist a strand of my hair around my fingers. “Not only.” I blow out a breath. “It’s complicated.”

  “It always is.” She observes me from under hooded eyes. “It’s the General, isn’t it?”

  “The alpha who took me when I was not quite in my senses?” I tilt my head. Did I hear something? Every muscle in my body goes on alert. I squat and pull her down next to me.

  “What is it?” Her shoulders shake with fear before she rights herself.

  This omega has guts. She is afraid but she hadn’t hesitated to up and come with me. She'd helped me slip out from behind Sol’s back. Yeah, she’d agreed to drug his food, and I’d wanted to bind and gag him, but she’d insisted I desist.

  Doing so would have completely lowered his standing in front of the other alphas, and, well, we can’t be having that, now can we? Macho alphas with their over-inflated egos. Get an omega to carry out his job, and she’d do it with half the fuss, better planning, and with less of the bravado.

  “Can you hear anything?” She swats at her arms waving away the hovering mosquitoes.

  “Shh!” I angle my head, trying to home in on the sound.

  There’s only the hum of crickets and a woodpecker in the distance hammering away. We didn’t miss them, did we? We didn't come this far to lose the Vikings.

  “How did you know where to find them?”

  “Before I escaped I overheard my father talking about the trade routes of the Vikings." I glance sideways at her, "There’s only one functioning port for their ships to dock in this country—"

  "Southampton?”

  I nod.

  A moan rends the air, and I stiffen. She clutches my arm.

  “I heard that,” I whisper.

  Rising, I follow with her close on my heels. I manage to avoid the dead trees and fallen branches, and try to keep as quiet as possible. She steps right on a fallen branch, which cracks under her weight. The sound echoes through the area.

  “Damn.” I swear under my breath.

  She halts next to me. “Sorry,” she whispers.

  I strain my ears but can’t hear anything. She probably alerted whoever it is that we are coming. The hair on the back of my neck stiffens. All my instincts go on alert.

  “Stay silent and mind where you place your feet.”

  She nods, her lips draw down, her shoulders stiffen.

  I swivel around to find a gun pointed at her temple. The man holding it is…

  “Ethan?”

  His gaze darts from her to my face. His features are dazed, his eyes are dilated, and he’s holding himself straight, like he is in a lot of pain.

  “Ethan, it’s me, Lucy. Don’t you recognize me?”

  He doesn’t move, but his throat muscles flex as he swallows.

  “You’re hurt. Let us help you.”

  He cocks the gun.

  “Don’t hurt me, Ethan.” Mirela’s chest heaves. "I was worried about you."

  He blinks, and his gaze falls on her face. His features clear. “Mirela?” His hand wavers.

  I snake out my arm and grab the gun from him and shove him aside. He topples over on his front.

  Mirela gasps and drops to her knees next to him. Blood leaks from his back. His clothes are mottled with blotches of red.

  “He’s hurt.” She swallows.

  “He’s dying.” I rise to my feet and try to think.

  “We need to save him. We have to.” Her chin trembles.

  I bend down and slap his face. “Ethan, wake up.”

  “Hey.” She shoves at my arm. “What are you doing?”

  “I need to know where they have taken Zeus and the rest of his men.” My stomach lurches. I was wrong. I am not empty inside… Fear burns my guts.

  “I thought you didn’t care about the General?”

  “I don’t.” Lies, all lies.

  The hollow space in my chest seems to grow wider, deeper. A chill stutters down my spine, and I gasp.

  Mirela's gaze falls to where I rub at my chest.

  “You’re mated to him?”

  “He claimed me, only to slam down a barrier on the bond so I cannot connect to him…” His absence haunts me, and that is much worse.

  Her eyes narrow, and she flinches. Her features pale, and pity fills her gaze.

  “Don’t.” I touch Ethan’s shoulder. “Did they take him to their ships? Are they planning on taking him with them?”

  He coughs. Turning his head in my direction, he rests his cheek in the dirt. “They didn’t say much, I didn’t hear much, but it’s clear they are going to take him as hostage and probably head back to London to claim the city.”

  “No way.” I rise to my feet and slide his gun into the back of my pants. They are my alpha’s and many sizes too big, but I’d torn off the bottom and managed to bunch them and hold them up with a belt. It was the best I could do, considering…I’d taken on another half-assed, not-properly-planned venture.

  “Time is short.” His breathing grows ragged. “You need to get to them and set him free, and he and the men will do the rest.”

  I almost chuckle at that, the irony. “So send the little omega on to save the big alpha, then ask her to fall back and let him have all the fun?” I jut out my chin.

  “Zeus is going to have his hands full with you, isn’t he?” He wheezes.

  “Not just his hands.” I plonk my palms on my hips. “You are obviously in no shape to fight.”

  “But you are.” He narrows his gaze on me.

  “You got that right.”

  “My sword…they left it in the clearing, and you’ll probably find some of the other guns from those who were killed in our encounter.”

  I purse my lips. Should I believe him? “Don’t you alphas all stick together.”

  “I am doing what’s right to save the General. He has to live so he can lead the people.”

  “So can you.” I toss my head.

  “I am not as ambitious as he is.” He frowns.

  “Yeah right,” I sneer.

  “I enjoy the machinations of the mind too much. The parry and thrust of strategy turns me on.”

  Mirela tears the sleeve of her s
hirt. “Is that the only thing that turns you on?” She balls it up and presses it over the open wound on his back.

  His entire body jerks, but he doesn’t utter a cry.

  “You do, too…”

  “Finally!” Mirela’s actions stop, she stares at him. “You must be more hurt than I thought to admit that…”

  “Probably the fall I took earlier,” he mutters.

  "Probably." She jerks her chin at me. “Hold this, will ya?”

  I place one palm on top of the other and apply pressure on the makeshift tourniquet.

  She tears off another strip of cloth and binds it around his chest.

  He sucks in a breath. “Woman…” His shoulders bunch. “You trying to kill me already?”

  “Don’t be such a baby.” She ties up the bandage with a flourish. “All done.”

  Together we heave Ethan to his feet. He’s almost as big as Zeus, and between the two of us we can barely hold up his weight. We help him deeper into the forest and lean him against a tree.

  “You need to leave, Lucy. Get to him. He's not going to be happy though, that you put yourself at risk for him.”

  “Won’t be the first time. The stubborn alpha needs to accept that I can take care of myself.” I pause and step back.

  He leans more of his weight on Mirela who straightens and wraps her arm around his waist. Hmm! They do fit well together, though I don’t say that aloud. Nope, not that anyone could miss the chemistry sparking between these two.

  “I can’t leave you like this.” I frown.

  “I’ll take care of him.” She lifts her chin.

  “I know you will.” I peel off the gun he gave me and hand it to her.

  “What about you?”

  “I’ll find the abandoned weapons from the other soldiers.”

  “Go.” He gestures with his chin. “Mirela will help me back to London, and I’ll alert the troops to come out and meet you.”

  “Umm, that may not be needed.” Heat flushes my chin.

  Mirela shifts her weight from foot to foot. “Yeah, we just need to stay, help is on its way.”