Omega's Wolves: Hell's Wolves MC

by J. L. Wilder

  The crowds began to teem less once we were outside, the perceived threat of the fire now receding. This wasn’t good news for me; it’s harder to stay hidden, according to Daniel, amongst a neatly ordered crowd than a rowdy one.

  In the pause, the moment between chaos and peace, I laid a hand on my stomach, and was rewarded with a kick. My babies were alive, and they were strong.

  Do I jump the fence now? I wondered. But there were so many people around; the crowds had become a double-edged sword. Because the moment I shifted, I ran the risk of being swarmed by the masses, and I couldn’t clear that fence without shifting. However, if I waited until the crowd thinned, my face would be more easily noticed, and then I’d be captured outright.

  Shit. I hadn’t thought this far. Or, rather, making it even to the outside had seemed like such a wild shot that my mind wouldn’t allow me to hope beyond it. What was I to do?

  But my strategizing was interrupted by a loud, familiar roar.

  “Stop sniveling!”

  I didn’t have to lift my eyes to know it was Brock. His voice was enraged. Had he already realized the alarm was a fraud?

  “You all ran out of there like scared puppies,” he spat. “I expect better from my pack.”

  Not that I could look around, but I imagined the crowd around me was looking quite chagrined. Certainly, the mood had changed. That wasn’t my concern, though. My concern was that, hard as I racked my brain now, I couldn’t come up with a single notion of how to get over the fence. A noise roared inside my head, origins undetectable. Possibly just my brain’s survival instinct screaming at me, begging me to do something, anything.

  I reached deep into the recesses of my mind. What was there left to do? I’d exhausted all options. I was, as of yet, undetected, but I was surrounded by enemies.

  “Now get back inside,” Brock was saying. “We found no evidence of flames. Something from our weapons hold must have misfired.”

  Time was running out. People were slowly moving back toward the door. I could feel the hairs on my arm raising, goosebumps that knew I was screwed. I had to wait it out; I couldn’t go back inside with everyone. Because if Brock learned I’d escaped at all, I wouldn’t get a second chance—either he’d triple my security or kill me outright.

  I glanced toward the fence, then back at the dissipating masses. I had about ten more seconds before the courtyard was cleared out. It was now or never: I needed to make a jump for it.

  That’s when I heard Brock’s voice, fifty meters away, say, “Emma?”

  Time was up. I’d been spotted. Either I tried for the fence, or I died. It was that simple. I turned to the fence, preparing to make one last desperate, crazy bid for freedom.

  And that’s when the fence split apart, its chain link gauged by three motorcycles.

  Chapter 22

  Before my brain could process what it was seeing, a person’s back was in front of me, arms thrown out in a defensive position.

  Long black hair. Pale skin. A willowy frame.

  It was Daniel.

  “Daniel?” I whispered. “Are you—”

  “Hey, Emma,” he panted. “Stay behind me. Don’t move.”

  “Wh—”

  A guard lunged for Daniel, who produced a knife from his belt and shoved it into the man’s belly.

  “Oh my God−,” I gasped, but Daniel cut me off. Another guard was running toward us.

  “No time for that. I’m going to shift, and I need you to get on my back and hold tight. It’s the best way to protect you, okay?”

  I managed to nod, and before I’d moved my head completely up and down, Daniel had transformed into the Wolf. Moving from pure instinct, I flung my body atop his, throwing one leg over his side and wrapping my fingers into his fur. From my position atop Daniel’s back, I could see the landscape of the courtyard.

  Which is how I was able to spot Caine and Tristan, locked in a standoff with Brock and at least ten of his guards.

  “No!” I screamed, the words tearing from my throat.

  They were alive. Holy crap, they were alive. But if they tried to take on Brock plus his men, they wouldn’t be alive much longer. I’d have lived just long enough to see them killed. No, no, this couldn’t be happening.

  Daniel batted away the guard who was approaching his right flank with an enormous paw, sending the man flying. Around the courtyard, everyone was beginning to shift into their animal forms: guards into bears, and Caine and Tristan into Wolves. I wanted to put a protective hand to my stomach, to soothe my babies, but I knew that letting go of my grip on Daniel for even a moment meant certain death.

  “We have to help them,” I pleaded with Daniel as I watched my Wolves circle the bears. “Please, I thought they were dead, I thought you all were. Please, let’s help them.”

  Daniel only managed to shake his furry head ‘no’ before a third guard (now a bear) appeared, as if out of thin air. Where were they all coming from? Daniel reared up on his hind legs, nearly sending me sprawling, before bringing his front paws down on the bear in question, pinning him to the ground and then ripping a large chunk of flesh from his neck.

  My screams rung in my ears. They were screams of fear, yes, fear of violence, but then, I’d seen violence before. I think, really, I was screaming from helplessness—my men were risking their lives for me, yet again, and there wasn’t shit I could do about it. But I couldn’t insert myself into the fight. For one, I’d slow them down, possibly ruin any plan they had going. Two, and more importantly, I had other lives to protect, the ones growing inside of me.

  So, I clung to Daniel’s fur, and watched with horror and prayer as my alpha and beta at last attacked Brock’s bears. Fur against fur, tooth against tooth. The sounds of their clashing, their snapping jaws, rung out across the courtyard, the sick sounds of battle echoing off the buildings.

  The guards that had been making a go at Daniel and me abandoned that effort and raced toward their leader, looking to assist him. Suddenly, the effort against Caine and Tristan more than doubled, from ten to at least twenty. They were as good as dead. My heart keened. We’d come this far, and I was going to lose them again.

  “I love you!” I screamed, my words splitting my mouth wide open. If these were their last moments, I wanted them to be filled with my love; I wanted them to know how much they meant to me.

  All at once, emotions that were not my own tumbled through my head, emotions of battle. I realized, with a start, that it was the pack link. I’m not sure why it’d been blocked before, or perhaps I’d just been too consumed with battling the feelings to realize they were not mine. In any case, one message came through loud and clear over the link, three minds moving as one, the emotions so clear they practically formed words: We love you too.

  The melee erupted. Tristan and Caine were flinging bodies right and left, moving with a speed and deftness that defied the laws of physics. They tore through Brock’s army, a selection of the strongest shifters in the country, as if they were nothing more than paper dolls. Their bodies moved in tandem, alpha and beta, them against the world, protecting their pack. The Hell’s Wolves were a force to be reckoned with.

  But then, something changed. Energy sapped, or the bears redoubled, but without warning, Tristan and Caine began to lose.

  The bears were backing them into a corner of a yard, Tristan and Caine snapping furiously but unable to keep them at bay. A bear lashed out, and blood seeped from Caine’s side. A sob burst forth from my throat, tears streaming down my face. He was keeping up appearances, like Caine always did, but it was evident he’d been really hurt.

  Beneath me, I could feel that Daniel was itching to be in the fight. I couldn’t contribute much to this, but I knew it was in my power to hold him back. And, selfishly, I needed at least one of them to make it through this fight. My children deserved a father. I was willing to play every card in the book.

  “You can’t,” I whispered, leaning across his back and toward his perked-up ear. “Tristan and Caine
would never forgive you.”

  I could feel Daniel’s pulse racing between my thighs, his hackles going up. He wanted so badly to join his friends, to give them aid. He tensed beneath me, and it was clear that if this fight didn’t turn a corner soon, he would join the fray.

  I used my final card. “I’m carrying your children. One of you needs to make it through this. Not for me, but for them.”

  Through our mind-link, I could feel the news rip through Daniel’s heart like a firework, spreading sparks amongst our entire connection.

  Across the yard, for a fraction of a second, as if in slow motion, Tristan and Caine froze, their eyes darting to me as if in wonderment. I nodded, affirming that what I’d said was true.

  Even in Wolf form, it was clear Caine was grinning.

  The moment was broken as another bear lunged for Tristan. This time, he threw him across the yard with ease, and I heard bones snapping.

  In that single second, the entire tenor of the fight changed. Once again, Caine and Tristan were on top, their energy unmatchable. Because, unlike the bears, they were fighting for something they believed in. They were fighting for me, and for their children. And a father’s love is unparalleled.

  The battle turned. My Wolves were on top, and within half a minute, they’d disposed of the remaining guards. Bodies scattered the courtyard, the ones that were still alive were in bear form. The ones that were dead, as with all shifters, had transformed back to their human forms. I’ll sum up the battle cost by saying, there were more human bodies on the grounds than bears.

  Now, Caine and Tristan were facing down Brock, and Brock alone. I wanted my children to be safe, yes, but I also needed to close this chapter. I knew that, for this to end, I had to properly bear witness—no pun intended.

  “Can you bring me over there?” I asked Daniel. “To Caine and Tristan?”

  He nodded, anxious to finally be a part of the fight, and bounded across the yard. Tristan, Caine and Brock had formed a triangle-shaped standoff. Daniel skirted to a halt at the edge of the triangle, now more of a rhombus, positioning us between Tristan and Caine.

  Then, for reasons I couldn’t fathom, Brock shifted from bear to human. Why he did it, I’ll never know. As a human, he’s strong, yes, but as a bear, he’s unbeatable. Why take the risk of tender human skin?

  “Hello, Emma,” he said.

  Oh, that was why. Just to taunt me. Yeah, that tracked.

  Brock’s glassy stare fixed on me, and he said, “I’m going to murder all three of your mates while you watch. Please enjoy.”

  I don’t know what it was—maybe the sweat dripping down his head, or the way his words came shallow from hard breathing. In any case, something about this struck me as so funny I burst out laughing, the laughter shaking my legs so hard they tussled Daniel’s fur.

  “What’s so funny?” he demanded.

  “Oh, nothing,” I said, wiping my eyes. “Just that … you lied before, about them being dead. And I know it was because you couldn’t defeat them. Why else would you leave the Hell’s Wolves alive? You were trying to get under my skin, but instead, you basically told me that no matter how hard you try, you’ve been unable to get my mates. I think it’s hilarious that you would admit your own weakness like that.”

  He stuttered. “That’s not—you’re—no, it’s not—”

  I raised a hand, my omega birthright coursing through me, the children in my stomach kicking furiously.

  “Don’t bother,” I said with a smirk. “They’re going to end your life, right here, right now, while I watch. And then me, my mates, and my children are going to start our future together.”

  “Children?” he asked, his face going pale.

  I lifted up my shirt and patted my round belly. “Three, to be exact.”

  He spat blood on the ground, then snarled, “Go to—”

  But he never quite got to the word ‘hell’. Because, while he was busy talking with me, Caine and Tristan were making gestures toward one another, coordinating an attack. I’d just needed to keep Brock distracted long enough while they made plans.

  It worked.

  Brock went down beneath their paws. I couldn’t see the intricacies of the fight through the thick fur of my mates, but after a few moments, what I did see was Brock’s head rolling across the AstroTurf.

  I was free at last.

  Caine and Tristan breathed heavily for a moment, then transformed back into humans. I slid off Daniel’s back, allowing him to do the same. The four of us—or, really, the seven of us—looked at one another.

  “Well,” Caine said, with a wolfish grin, “looks like we’re gonna be dads.”

  We all laughed, and together, no words necessary, walked to the men’s abandoned motorcycles. I hopped on behind Tristan, my pregnant stomach pushing gently into his back, and together, we rode off the compound and into the sun.

  Epilogue—4 days later

  I was on Caine’s motorcycle, shouting in his ear, “Faster, faster!”

  Daniel zoomed ahead, Tristan hung on his bike behind us. We were racing through the woods. Another contraction burst through my bones.

  “Come on,” I begged. “Faster.”

  For the past four days, we’d been on the road, headed toward the Promised Land. Or, more accurately, a large cottage in upstate New York that the president of the Hell’s Wolves had promised us, saying that, with a pack as strong as ours (strong enough to take down the infamous Brock), and an omega as famous as I, we deserved ample space to raise our family. We’d stopped at different HW spots every night, and were lovingly housed by other members of the nationwide pack.

  But, due to my condition, we couldn’t go very far every day. My legs would get swollen, or I would need to pee every hour. In short, what should have been a two-day trip (given the way the men usually drove) had doubled into a four-day one. And now, mere hours from our new home, I was going into labor.

  I could hold it though, right? If I just concentrated, and if Caine could just drive a little faster—

  Another contraction wrenched my body apart. I screamed.

  “How fast are they coming now?” Caine asked.

  “Not far,” I panted. “Not far at all.”

  He pressed the pedal down, coaxing the bike faster and faster. We were racing through a mountainous road, twisting and turning, the paths narrow and steep.

  Another contraction, and this time, I knew I wasn’t going to make it.

  “Pull over!” I bellowed.

  Daniel veered off the road, coming to a halt beneath a pine tree. Caine followed behind him, his speed declining more gently, and Tristan brought up the rear. Caine helped me off the bike as the other two put down their kickstands and raced over to me.

  “Are you okay?” Daniel asked.

  “What can we do?” Tristan implored. “Anything you want—”

  “Just help me undress and then lay me down,” I instructed. Though I hadn’t had time to take any basic birth classes, I knew my body would guide me through this. I was an omega. I was born for birth.

  In a flash, Tristan and Daniel whipped off their black leather jackets, spreading them across the ground to make a distinctly Hell’s Wolves style blanket for me.

  Caine helped pull my t-shirt, jeans and boots off, doing everything so deftly that I recalled with a small smirk that he really must have been quite the womanizer. He made quick work of my clothes, and soon, I was naked, and he was scooping me up in his arms, laying me down on the leather blanket.

  The men gathered around me, their handsome faces looking over me. It’s like the first time I saw them, I realized with wonderment, when they’d first saved me from Brock. I’d awoken to all of their faces, peering down at me, distrustful but inquisitive. My, but how far we’d come. In the interim, thanks to their help, I’d grown stronger, gained confidence in myself. I liked to think that, in turn, I’d made them less hard, less wary, and more open to all the beautiful things life can provide.

  I spread my legs, my
back arching as another contraction fell upon me. I was sweating profusely, even in the cold air. Caine whipped off his shirt, and used it to dab at my forehead, while Daniel gently stroked my hair, murmuring that it would be okay.

  “They’re coming,” I whispered. “One of you needs to catch them.”

  The men looked amongst themselves. They had slain an army of bears, but all were stricken, paralyzed, at the potential responsibility of delivering a baby.

  I didn’t have time for them to debate. “Tristan, you’re the alpha,” I said through gritted teeth, resisting the urge to scream again.

  He hesitated, his eyes widening, but at last, nodded. “Yes, of course.”

  Taking a deep breath, he moved down toward my feet. I splayed my legs open and grabbed Caine’s and Daniel’s hands, gripping them for dear life.

  “Get ready!” I shouted. The pain and excitement were demanding my attention in equal parts.

  Tristan gasped. “Oh my God, they’re coming. Push, Emma, push.”

  I did as he said, bearing down, forcing life from my body.

  Moments later, I was rewarded with the sound of a baby’s cry.

  “You did it,” he crowed. “Holy crap, you did it. Two more, Emma, two more, you can do this.”

  He passed the baby off to Daniel just in time, because I was pushing again and another baby was coming. This one slipped out of me so easily, it was like butter on a hot pan. This cry was weaker than the other, but still audible. Tristan caught that child, too, and beckoned Caine over to take him or her.

  “This is the last one,” he instructed me. “You are so strong, Emma, and so, so powerful. You’re going to deliver this baby, and then we’re going to live happily ever after, okay?”

  I nodded. “Okay.”

  And then, with a gigantic roar, I dug my fingers into dirt, threw my head back, and gave a final push.

  The last baby tore out of me, and I heard another shriek. The baby was out of me. I had delivered my first litter to the Hell’s Wolves. I gasped, looking up for the first time, and saw that around me, all three of my men, Daniel, Caine, and Tristan, were cradling my—our— babies, looking down upon them as proud papas.