The Lycan King's Outcast Omega (by Cara Anderson) novel Chapter 32

Chapter 32

Alaric

I feel it first as a sharp spike of terror that isn’t mine. The mate bond pulses with Sage’s fear, yanking me from a meeting about border security.

“—and the northern patrols—” Garrett’s voice fades as another wave hits me. Despair. Betrayal. Pain.

I’m on my feet before I realize I’m moving. “Find her. Now.”

“Alpha?”

“Sage.” Her name comes out as a growl. “Something’s wrong.

TI

My beast claws beneath my skin as I stride through the packhouse, following traces of her scent. She was in the library recently – honeysuckle and rain lingering near her favorite window seat. But the trail goes cold at the

entrance.

More guards join the search. No one has seen her for hours. Each minute that passes sends my wolf into greater frenzy. The bond pulses with her distress, but I can’t pinpoint her location.

“The grounds are clear,” Iris reports, face tight with worry. “No sign of her in the gardens or training fields.”

A servant mentions seeing her run from my study earlier. When I burst in, her scent is there but hours old, mixed with tears.

What happened, sweetling? Where are you?

The mate bond screams at me to find her, protect her, claim her. Our bond may never be sealed, too many obstacles in our way, but even so, she’s mine to protect, to keep safe. And she’s not safe outside these walls.

“My King.” A guard approaches cautiously, sensing my barely contained rage. “There are signs of someone leaving through the east gate. Several hours ago.”

Ice slides down my spine. “She ran.”

11

My feet carry me to the east gate. Her scent is stronger here, tinged with fear and determination. I place my hand against the cold iron, and a memory slams into me – pack. How many times will she have to run? How many times will I fail to protect her?

Sage, small and scared but fierce, facing down Cassius’s

“The tracks lead north,” a scout reports. “Through the densest part of the forest.”

Of course they do. She’s smart, my little mate. Using the thick forest to hide her trail, just like we taught her in training. The pride that flickers through my chest wars with terror – those woods aren’t safe, especially not for a wolfless omega alone.

1 shift forms, my Lycan taking over in a surge of power. Other wolves fall back – they’ve never seen their Alpha, their King, lose control like this. But I can’t focus on them. Can’t focus on anything except finding her.

Her scent trail weaves through the trees

it cost her precious time. I find places where she rested, her fear soaking into the ground. Places where she ran,

she doubled back several times, trying to confuse pursuers. Smart, but branches broken in her haste.

Then I find signs of the guards‘ pursuit, and Phantom nearly loses it completely. They tracked her like prey. Hunted my mate like a rabbit

“Alaric Iris’s voice carries through the trees. “There’s blood!”

Chapter 32

+25 BONUS

Just a few drops, probably from branches scratching her as she ran. But the sight of it breaks something in my chest. The mate bond pulses with her pain – physical now, not just emotional.

“Where are you, sweetling?”

The forest offers no answers. Just the wind in the trees and the distant howl of wolves on patrol. Somewhere out there, my mate is alone and afraid.

I head back to my office, determined to regroup, when Garrett bursts in, face grim. “The dungeons.”

“What?”

“Eris had her arrested. Claims she caught her stealing from the royal vault.”

The world goes red. I’m moving before he finishes speaking, taking stairs three at a time into the depths of the packhouse. Guards scramble out of my way as power rolls off me in waves.

I hear them before I see them – Eris’s musical voice carrying around the corner.

“-really, what did you expect? A wolfless omega thinking she could rise above her station? It’s almost sad.” Then Sage’s voice, smaller than I’ve ever heard it: “Why are you doing this?”

“Because you don’t belong here, little stray. You never did.”

I round the corner as Sage responds, “He’ll know I didn’t steal anything.”

Verify captcha to read the contentVerify