My stomach was killing me, but I’d put it out of my mind long ago. Physical pain was temporary, and my actions now would put an end to the emotional pain my mate had been suffering for so long now.

I brought my lips to his, and kissing him with more passion than I’d ever felt in my life, turned my attention back to the enemy pack, and shifted.

The man in the snakeskin suit, Bates, I’d heard him say, looked afraid for once, and he was right to feel that way. They were outnumbered now – at least their alphas were. And I’d put the strength of my pack up against theirs any day.

My pack…

The thought came so naturally, I realized. I hadn’t been formally inducted yet, but I knew Matias well enough to know that he would be more than welcoming. Nate was my mate now, and that made me part of them.

Bates shifted, exploding out of his clothes which must have cost a fortune, and with a snarl, I leapt forward to begin the attack.

The roar of the alphas behind me was deafening as we all charged into battle. The enemy was caught off-guard by our arrival, which gave us the upper hand as we attacked.

Bates’s coat was a sickening gray with green undertones, like he was rotting from the inside. I aimed my attack at him but he leapt back, sheltering himself behind another alpha.

My teeth found the alpha’s hide, and I clamped down hard, whipping my head to the left. I felt his neck snap and dropped his lifeless body to the ground. The sounds of battle were all around me.

Alphas collided all around me. Yelps, roars and the sounds of death rang out like a horrific melody played by an out-of-tune orchestra. I heard the sound of a beta dying, and an alpha – one of theirs.

Charles roared and crashed through a group of alphas beside me, slinging them aside like the monster he was. One of them hit the wall of the warehouse so hard it must have broken his back. He slid to the ground in a lifeless heap.

Behind me, Matias howled in pain and I turned to see two alphas latched onto either of his legs. He was snapping furiously at them, trying to break free. Leaping into action, I sprang at one of them, aiming straight for his throat. My teeth found flesh, bit down and I tasted blood as his jugular tore. He yelped, let go of Matias, and collapsed into a heap.

I turned to the other, but Bryce was already on him, delivering a hard blow to his chest and knocking him away. Matias was bleeding, but with a snarl, he was on his feet again.

I turned back to the frenzy, searching the mayhem for my mate.

Nate!

An omega in this situation wouldn’t last long on his own. He needed me by his side.

Buck and Will were on top of an alpha. He was about to be done for. Two betas were doing their best to fend off Martin and Tate, but that was a lost cause. And then I saw him – Bates, facing off against Nate.

Instantly, I was at my mate’s side, our bodies pressed together. His warmth fed my determination as I stared down the horrible alpha. His stench was overwhelming and as our eyes met, the rest of the violence around me faded into a dull roar.

I readied myself for an attack, but just as I was about to strike, the son of a bitch leapt at Nate.

Reacting the best I could, I darted in front of him, cutting him off from my mate. His jaws clamped shut beside my ear, narrowly missing my flesh. I hit the ground hard but was on my feet in a second.

Nate was hunched down, baring his fangs at the horrible alpha. I couldn’t believe his strength, and used his courage to fuel my own, leaping forward for a strike.

But Bates saw me coming a mile away. He met me midair and knocked me aside. I hit hard and rolled, and as I tried to get to my feet, I felt a set of fangs pierce the skin of my belly.

Howling with pain, I shook off my attacker and twisted to my feet, panting, dripping blood onto the ground beneath me. I turned to see one of his alphas with blood on his teeth as he snarled at me.

Alphas were going down all around me – on both sides. The scent of blood and fear filled the air. I was wounded. Somewhere behind me, I heard Martin yelping in pain and Charles roaring with anger.

Shit!

I glanced to my side and saw Nate ready to engage Bates, and I knew I had mere seconds to react. I feinted at my attacker, causing him to leap back and brace himself, then I leapt forward and buried my teeth in his neck. Blood fountained and he fell, giving me the opportunity for a killing blow.

But there was no time.

I spun around as Bates leapt at Nate. The world seemed to slow down as he soared through the air, mouth open, ready to strike my sweet omega.

No!

But then, something happened that should never have happened. Fueled by something – the rage of the loss of his son, the pain of the last couple of days, or the pure hatred for the man who’d taken his child from him – Nate leapt aside, dodging Bates’s blow, and brought his teeth down hard against the skin on his side.

Bates howled in pain as he hit the ground, his legs splaying out from underneath him. I saw my chance and took it.

With a powerful leap, I opened my jaws and brought my fangs down. Blood sprayed into my mouth as I pierced his arteries. He whined in pain and squirmed, but I wasn’t letting go. I knew the stitches on my belly had torn, and I was bleeding from a fresh bite wound, but Bates had to die.

Nate joined me, burying his teeth on the other side of Bates’s neck. More blood sprayed and I felt him starting to die in my grasp. I looked around the warehouse and saw we were winning. The betas were all down, and the remaining alphas were cornered, baring their teeth at our group.

Nate and I locked eyes over the body of the cruel alpha who’d taken his son away from him, and I felt myself start to calm down as he died between us.

Letting my jaws relax, I let go of his lifeless corpse and raised my head, taking a deep breath. Nate let go and crept toward me, nuzzling into my neck. I let his scent fill my lungs before shifting back to human form.

“You’re bleeding badly,” he said as he shifted beside me.

“It’s nothing,” I said dismissively. “Let’s find your boy.”

I staggered to my feet, clamping a hand over my wounds. He was right, I was bleeding pretty badly, but I was going to see this through.

I followed Nate into the warehouse, my eyes sweeping across the horrors inside.

More cages lined the walls, filled with omegas ready to be loaded onto the trucks parked at the far wall. Nate moved quickly, searching for his boy. I wondered if he could even remember the scent, but when I saw his head perk up, I knew the answer.

He turned, moved to the right wall to a smaller cage. I followed, but my head was spinning and the world was starting to close in on me. My peripheral was nothing but black clouds, and my legs were getting weak.

“Here, Tyler!” Nate shouted, overjoyed. The cage was unlocked, and he tore it open, just as my legs gave out from me.

I hit the cold concrete hard, my eyes on my sweet mate as he plucked his little baby boy from the cage.

Yes… I thought as the world went dark. We did it.