The Lycan King's Outcast Omega (by Cara Anderson) novel Chapter 20

Chapter 20

Alaric

I can’t stop watching her.

Sage has fallen asleep halfway through the movie, her small frame gradually relaxing until her head rests against my shoulder. The sweet scent of honeysuckle and rain that clings to her skin is slowly driving me mad, but I don’t dare move. She needs this rest, this moment of peace.

My animal prowls restlessly beneath my skin, desperate to claim what we both know is ours. Our second chance mate. The truth sits heavy in my chest, unspoken. Every protective instinct I possess screams at me to tell her, to sweep her into my arms and never let go.

But I remember the terror in her eyes in the pantry earlier. The way she’d pressed herself into that corner, expecting punishment for daring to seek food. The fresh wounds Cassius left on her soul are still bleeding, and I won’t be another source of pain.

Iris catches my eye from her end of the couch, where she’s curled up against Garrett, who joined us an hour ago. My sister’s knowing look makes me want to growl.

“Border patrol report,” Garrett mouths silently over Sage’s head, careful not to wake her. I nod slightly. Even now, I can’t escape my duties.

The movement causes Sage to stir, making a small sound of distress in her sleep. Before I can think better of it, I find myself running my fingers through her silver–blonde hair. She settles immediately, pressing closer to my side.

Mine to protect. Mine to cherish. The possessive thoughts come unbidden, and I clamp down on them hard. I lost the right to easy trust when I let her care for me in that cottage without revealing who I was. Even if I’d been half- dead and investigating rumors of mutant wolves in the area, I should have told her the truth sooner.

“Alaric,” she mumbles in her sleep, and my heart clenches painfully. There’s fear in her voice, and I wonder which nightmare has found her – the torture she endured at Cassius’s hands, or the moment she realized I’d deceived her about my identity.

“I’ve got you, sweetling,” I whisper, too quietly to wake her. “You’re safe.”

The movie’s credits begin to roll, and Garrett shifts forward, his expression grim. Whatever news he has won’t wait, even though every part of me rebels against disturbing this moment of peace.

“Iris,” I murmur, “would you…”

My sister is already moving, gentle as she helps me ease Sage onto the couch. I tuck the blanket around her, allowing myself one moment to brush a strand of hair from her face. She looks so young in sleep, so vulnerable. The urge to hunt down every person who ever hurt her rises like a tide in my chest.

Instead, I force myself to follow Garrett to my study, though my beast fights me with every step that takes us further from our mate,

“Three more attacks along the northern border,” Garrett reports as soon as the door closes behind us. “The mutant wolves are getting bolder. And Ric… they’re organized. This isn’t random anymore.”

Ice slides down my spine. “Casualties?”

“Two injured, none dead. But…” He hesitates. “The victims report the mutants spoke. Actually spoke, while shifted. It’s never been recorded before.”

Chapter 20

+25 BONUS

“Fuck.” I brace my hands on my desk, the wood creaking under my grip. “Someone is weaponizing them somehow. But who? And How? I have to find proof so I can put an end to this!”

“Do you think Cassius could be involved? I mean, the timing of these attacks…” Garrett’s voice drops lower. ” Seems interesting they started escalating right after you brought her here. I don’t think that’s a coincidence.”

My head snaps up, a growl building in my throat. “You think Cassius is retaliating because I took her?”

He nods grimly. “His father might have been willing to let her go, but Cassius… you told me what you saw on his face when you claimed pack rights over her. You said he looked murderous. This feels personal.”

The desk splinters under my hands. That sadistic bastard had tormented her for months, playing his gentle suitor act while plotting Moon knows what. And now that I’ve denied him the satisfaction of watching her die…

“I don’t know,” I shake off my murderous thoughts, trying to see things clearly. “Cassius is an arrogant prick, but does he really have the intelligence or the drive to pull off something like this? I’m not sure he does. Maybe it is just a coincidence.”

Before we can argue it further, a scream splits the air – high, terrified, and heartbreakingly familiar.

“Sage,” I breathe, already moving. I take the stairs three at a time, Phantom clawing to the surface. The scent of her fear hits me before I reach the media room, making my eyes bleed to amber.

She’s thrashing on the couch, caught in what must be a vicious nightmare. Iris hovers nearby, clearly unsure whether touching her will make things worse.

“No, please,” Sage whimpers. “Cassius, don’t-”

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