The Lycan King's Outcast Omega (by Cara Anderson) novel Chapter 149

Sage

Power surges through me like nothing I've experienced before – not the gentle healing energy I once knew, not even the evolved abilities that fought corruption. This is something primal, instinctive, responding to threat against mate and self.

Light explodes from my hands without conscious direction, forming a barrier between us and the approaching wolves. Not destructive force but something more subtle – energy that neutralizes the pheromones driving them to madness, temporarily dampening the biological imperatives overwhelming their reason.

The pursuing wolves falter, confusion replacing feral hunger as my scent suddenly becomes muted to their senses. Through our bond, Alaric's surprise mingles with fierce pride as he takes advantage of their momentary disorientation.

"Now!" His partially shifted form moves with lethal grace, clearing a path toward our chambers. His claws extend, not to injure packmates who can't help their reactions, but to establish dominance, to warn away any who might recover too quickly.

We make our desperate dash through the momentary opening, my powers maintaining the barrier even as heat burns hotter beneath my skin. The effort costs me – each step becoming harder as biological imperatives war with conscious control.

"Almost there," Alaric growls, his arm secure around my waist as more wolves appear at corridor junctions, drawn by instinct they can't fully understand.

My barrier weakens with each passing second, the pheromones beginning to seep through as my focus fractures under mounting need. Behind us, the first growls resume as wolves shake off the temporary reprieve, their pursuit renewed with primal determination.

Our chamber door appears like salvation ahead. Alaric practically carries me the final distance, my legs weakening as heat consumes more of my rational thought. The door crashes open under his shoulder, then slams closed behind us with finality that resonates through the ancient wood.

"Lock it," I gasp, my barrier finally collapsing as we reach safety. "All of them."

The last thread of his control snaps. In one fluid movement, he crosses the space between us, gathering me against him with enough force to steal my breath. His mouth claims mine in a kiss that holds nothing of civilization, nothing of restraint – pure possession that I return with equal fervor.

Clothing becomes inconsequential, barriers to be eliminated with whatever means necessary. His claws make short work of ceremonial garments, my own hands no gentler with his royal attire. Through our bond, coherent thought dissolves into primal sensation – need and claim and possess cycling between us with increasing intensity.

I’m so lost in his touch, I don’t even realize he’s picked me up and slammed me against the wall until my back hitting the smooth stone finally registers. The pain is fleeting, barely a thought, before the sharp sting of his tug on my nipple overrides the sensation. He swallows my moan with another devouring kiss.

Alaric spreads me open wide, pushing my knees up and apart, holding me against the wall with only his hands digging into my thighs. His muscular biceps bulge and the veins on his forearms distend, sending a rush of slick soaking us both as my wolf purrs for our powerful mate.