Page 28 of Guarding the Runaway Omega

As Nic helped Asha, Hawk shook his head in disbelief, still reeling from both Asha’s and Nic’s revelations. He dropped on the chair and once both he and Nic were handed some tea, Nic perched on the edge of the rocker and fixed Hawk with an intense stare.

“Start at the beginning, from the moment you and Jasper crossed paths. There have been some serious charges leveled against you, an assumption that you’re a spy and in league with the rogue Deltas.”

Hawk growled. “That’s a lie!”

“Steady, wolf. I’m the Alpha in charge here.”

“My apologies, but whoever’s accusing me is wrong.” Hawk fought to hold his temper at bay. “I bet I can guess who it was, too.”

Nic set down his cup on a small side table then folded his hands. “That doesn’t matter. What I need to figure out is how you’re involved and what his story is.” Nic jerked his head in the direction of Jasper. “Someone was seen with you while you were escaping the Guardian compound and it was assumed they were another rogue Delta. But with talk of experimentation and imprisonment, we don’t dare move forward with our plan of attack in case we put innocent shifters in jeopardy.”

Hawk shook out his hands in an attempt to release a portion of the tension coiled tightly inside him. “Of course. I’ll help however I can. But I should start off by saying that I’ve discovered I’m not a beta. I’m an Alpha.”

Nic snorted. “No kidding.” He gave Hawk a tight smile. “I can’t promise anything, but after this is all over, I’ll see what I can do to help you get the charges against you either dropped or reduced.” He sighed as he regarded the unconscious form of Jasper. “I’d do anything for Elam, my mate.” Nic turned to Hawk again. “And while everyone is expected to follow pack rules—fated mate or not—I’m guessing there’s a hell of a lot of unusual circumstances at play here.” He arched his eyebrows. “So, from the top. What happened?”

* * * *

Strange images floated through Jasper’s head—photographs of laughing babies and flower-filled meadows which then dissolved into a scene of dozens of naked omegas, sobbing and cowering together in a dark corner. Someone with no face pointed at them and gave an order in Russian Jasper couldn’t understand. Several men wearing guard uniforms rushed in with guns and Jasper screamed, his eyes flying open as he shot upright. Dizziness overtook him and he collapsed against a cushioned surface.

Sascha? Where’s Sascha? Oh gods…I never should’ve left him behind.

“There, there, dear. You’re safe. And you never could’ve freed your friend and escaped.” A cold cloth was pressed against his forehead and he squinted, bringing the visage of an elderly woman into view. “And if you hadn’t escaped, there wouldn’t be a baby, now would there?”

Jasper frowned as he tried to grasp where he was, who this woman was and what the hell she was going on about.

Baby?

“Where’s Hawk?”

He needed his mate. Maybe he could explain.

“He’ll be back later. Nic took him to an emergency meeting with the Alliance.” She chuckled. “That’s two in a row. Good thing most of the council members from the other packs hadn’t headed back home yet.”

“Yeah. Good thing,” he agreed. Wait. What? Nic? His eyes widened. They must be at Wolf Creek. And this must be…

“Are you Asha, the spirit guide and healer?”

“One and the same. Do you think you could sit up enough to have a few sips of an herbal drink I prepared?”

“Yeah, sure.”

Jasper propped himself up on one elbow and allowed her to hold the cup for him while he drank. The taste of the mixture had a bitterness to it with an underlying floral tang. He hoped the queasiness from earlier wouldn’t come back. The last thing he wanted to do was hurl all over the pack’s healer.

“That’s enough for now.” She took the cup away. “You lie down and get more rest.”

“Okay, I will. But can I ask a few things first?”

She settled down on a footstool and Jasper realized the mattress he was lying on was on the floor.

“I’d expected you would. Go on, dear.”

“Thanks.” He offered her a weak smile. “For everything, I mean. I don’t remember much about it, but I was really sick.”

“Yes, you were. Those rotten excuses for shifters had no business experimenting on you the way they did. But you have nothing to worry about anymore. With some more rest and remedies, you and the baby will be strong and healthy.”

Jasper’s stomach turned. “Oh, gods. They experimented on a baby too?”

Asha patted his shoulder. “You weren’t pregnant then. But it’s early enough in the gestation, and I’ve drawn the worst of the poison out already, so you have nothing to worry about. Your child will be strong and healthy.”