Chapter Twenty-One – Run

"You're going to want to run," Azriel said like she was telling a child that the sky was blue.

It had taken four hours. And on arriving at the border's on the Omega's Den, a couple of Omega's had stopped us, until they'd seen me in the passenger seat, only then did they tell Azriel to get me in as fast as possible. I didn't have a chance to ask why, instead, all I had were Azriel's word about running.

"Run?" I asked as she pulled to a stop.

"I'd recommend you run inside and to his room," Azriel replied. "Unless you want to give everyone a show."

"A show?" I asked, damn it, I was starting to sound like a parrot!

"Remember what I said about Darius wanting to mate you when you get back?"

"But he said he wouldn't..."

She glared at me. "That was before you were nearly Kalb Flow's sacrifice."

I jumped as I heard the sound of a large body running into the front door. Bang! Bang! Bang! Each time, the wood splintered.

"And if I shout rape?"

Azriel shrugged. "You're on your own with Darius. Godrick's our second in command and not even he can hold Darius."

"Crap!"

Scrambling out the car, I ran around the building that was too big to be a house. It looked a look like a several story high Gothic mansion with Gargoyles to complete the scene. Running around the building, I searched for another door, because a building this size couldn't just have one door, it just wouldn't be right.

I just reached the back when the front door gave in, and a howl shred the air. I sealed my lips so that I wouldn't return the howl as my wolf begged me to do. But that didn't seem to matter. I heard him head in the same direction I'd taken, following my trail like I was a rabbit, like I was his prey.

Panting, part fear, part exhiliration, I ran for the door that came into sight, ripped it open to see Omega's stalking around. But I gave them no mind. There was only one Omega I feared. The others were like puppies. Puppies that liked to be in the way, I growled in my mind. Dodging around them made me feel like I was in a maze. But at least this should confuse him and take Darius off track.

Stairs, stairs, stairs, my mind chanted. How hard is it to find God damn stairs! Turning around a corner, I saw stairs, but they weren't heading up. Basement? Werewolf basement. Werewolf basement means cages. Silver cages. My wolf growled as she realised what I was about to do. But I wasn't ready. I wasn't ready to mate with him. Not yet.

I took several steps at a time, nearly tripping down some, as I ran into the basement. I had to dodge another Omega – how many could you really have in your way on one route? Making it to the cages, I ignored the cages that had wolves in them, instead, I saw an empty cage and dived in it. Skidding, I turned to grab the cage door, and yanked it shut, the banagages protecting me from more harm. But the pain still spread like wildfire from my previous injury.

I hadn't realised how close he'd been to getting me. Just as the lock clicked, a golden furred half-wolf half-man, crashed into the room, pausing when he saw that I was in a cage, door closed and locked as the lock engaged automatically. Not my brightest idea, but who has time to think when they have an Omega on their tail?

He was horrifyingly majestic in his half-form. Jade green eyes stared at me, demanded that I come out as his wolf stalked the cage with a growl.

A couple of Omega's came into the room, either unaware or curious as they stared at me in the cage to Darius' half-shifted form that growled low. The moment they stepped within three cages, Darius turned at growled warningly at them. The Omega's backed up like they were eyeing a bomb not even a bomb squad would touch.

After they left the room, I turned back to Darius who turned back to me at the same time. He gave me a huffed growl.

"Thanks for the welcome party," I said in response, crossing arms. "Really appriciate it. It's great to be hunted like a pack's next meal."

He growled and I growled back.

"You need to calm his wolf down with yours, Zarah."

We both span to see Godric in the room, standing three cages away. Darius growled at Godric.

"Oh, really," I snapped, as my head span, still trying to expel the silver and wolfsbane. "And how am I supposed to do that? I locked myself in a cage!"

"So calm him down and ask him to let you out. He is your mate, Zarah."

Glaring at Godric, Darius growled for me, stepping in my line of sight. How on earth do you calm down an Omega? I sighed, thinking back to everything Tyler and Azriel had told me, and Azriel's words hit me:

"You need a pack, so you work to protect them, correct? You love them because you need them. Omega's don't need pack. We don't need to protect or care about anyone else but ourselves... where you have pack, we have no one. We have no bonds. But by chance, we sometimes find our mates... Wolves are pack animals, yet Omega's are cursed to have no one."

Where wolves had loyalty to pack, Omega's didn't, instead, they gave all their loyalty to their mate because they had no where else to give it.

Touch would calm down a pack member, a hug. I'd seen touch calm down a mate, the security and knowledge that another was there for you. So if an Omega had none but their mate, did that mean that touch felt stronger to them? Moving forward, I stretched my arm out careful not to touch the silver bars, and touched Darius' furred back. Golden fur that was silky smooth.

His growl stuttered in surprise. His form paused. And I became aware that this was the first time that I'd willingly touched him.

"You promised you wouldn't mate me until I was ready."

The growl that came out of Darius vibrated the bars making me hold still, hoping that the bars wouldn't touch my arm.

"Calm down and let me out. I was close to considering before you gave chase." Not one hundred percent truth, but it was part truth.

Darius stepped forward before turning, I pulled my arm back into the cage. Darius' muzzle wirnkled as he scented the air. Exhaling warm breath, his wolf gave me a warning growl before he turned to find the keys as he shifted back, his clothes hanging off him like he was the hulk. Although, there was one good thing about all that ripped fabric, you could see his thighs flex as he walked away, and their was even a tear over his left– No! Don't go there. You just said no, and you're not ready yet.

Swallowing my desire, I knew I'd failed when on return, Darius sniffed the air, darkening eyes landing on me as he unlocked the cage before shredding the gloves. He left the keys in the cage lock as he dragged me to him. As he grabbed my thighs, lifting me so that I had to use my forearms to grip his shoulders, which made me press against him more, to avoid harming my hands any more.

He walked us over to a wall, pressing me against it. Then he did nothing. He stared at me. Those jade green eyes stared at me with a mixture of longing, lust, hate, rage, and relief. Such a tirering combination. But as he stood there, holding me, I couldn't take it any more. I couldn't fight it any more. I didn't want to fight it any more.

Using my hands, I thread my fingers through his soft blonde locks, while I pressed my lips against his. Our wolves growled at the connection. I wrapped my other arm around Darius' neck and legs around his waist, tight, pulling him closer, the want of touch too strong to deny. He kissed me back furiously. We kissed like it might just be the last time. Which, with how things were going, it might just be.

He forced my mouth to open with one of his hands, placing preassure on my jaw, sliding his tongue against mine, making a furious fire burn hotter. Burn with demand. Never, had I ever been kissed like this. Never did I ever want to again... unless it was Darius. Darius, my Omega mate. The mate I never wanted. The mate I ran from. The mate I'd never leave...

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