Alpha's Protective Pup

4

Still, leaving her here was just not an option when I could save her, so I ripped some fabric from my shirt and rushed over to her. It was important to stop the bleeding until I got her back to the den.

Once I was done, I picked her up in my arms and ran as fast as I could in the den’s direction. I was faster in my wolf form, but there was no changing into it now with the woman in my arms. She remained unconscious, though, would moan in pain now and again.

When I got to the den, getting inside was going to be an issue. I couldn’t just waltz in with this human. I’d have to leave her out there and run in to get permission.

The last person I wanted to talk to was the head alpha of the pack, Joseph Durham. It would not be well-received to ask if this injured person could stay. It would be wiser for me to find Oliver, Joseph’s oldest son.

I was halfway there when I had to stop and look around. There was a strange odor. It smelled like a wolf, only more diluted with a hint of sweetness about it. Only omegas were typically associated with those scents.

Then it hit me like a ton of bricks that the smell was coming from the unconscious woman. I blinked, leaning down, and took a strong whiff of her. I made a mistake because her scent played tricks on my mind. All I could think was that I wanted to protect her, no matter the cost.

The smell was intoxicating, to say the least. I had to stop once or twice, just to get myself under control. My protective instincts were screaming at me to race toward the den as fast as my feet could take me.

That’s why I had to stop. What if I ended up making the wound on her leg worse? I had no idea when her wolf’s blood would kick in, either. The healer Margaret would know the answers to these questions, but she was back in the den.

I was in the dark about the situation, but one thing was obvious: she wasn’t entirely human. My guess was she was at least part human. Such unions were more common than people liked to admit. Packs usually didn’t accept half-breeds and would shun or sometimes even kill them. In the event of human discovery, the reactions would be alike. It was the one thing our two species had in common.

As I approached the den, I saw Alison sitting outside, a determined look on her face, ready to protect our territory. It was a relief she was the one on guard duty because we were friends. If I needed a favor, she’d be more than happy to do her best to fulfill it.

“What the f**k is that?” Alison hissed the second she spotted me.

I winced. “A rogue wolf attacked this woman during surveillance. I was afraid she’d bleed out, so leaving her there to die was not an option.”

“Lukas! She’s a human—”

“No,” I interrupted Alison before she could say anything further. “Well, I thought she was initially, but come close and check out her scent. She’s at least part wolf.”

Alison glared at me like she didn’t believe a word I was saying, but humored me. She stepped forward and did as I suggested. It took a moment, but she jerked away from the woman with wide eyes.

“What are the odds you’d find a half-breed?” Alison whispered.

I swallowed. “Not just a half-breed, Ali. She’s an omega.”

Omegas were becoming rarer and rarer as time went on. Betas were the most common, with alphas next in line, though the physicality of alphas kept them on top. It had been some time since an omega had joined our pack. Among the ones that remained, some had already formed close connections while others had passed their fertile phase.

“Well, that complicates things.”

“Yeah, which is why I’m eager to get her inside and healed. Do you think you could find Oscar and ask him to come out here to speak with me? I need him to convince his father to let her stay.”

Alison nodded. “I normally wouldn’t leave my shift, but these are special circumstances. If anyone else comes by, just tell them that the woman is a half-breed. Don’t let them get too close, though.”

“Trust me, Ali, I will not do that.”

She lifted a brow. “Interesting, Lukas. You displaying protective behavior already—”

I growled. “I thought you were going to go find Oscar for me and not stand there saying things I’d rather not hear, let alone discuss.”

“Touchy…” Alison smirked and rolled her eyes.

She gave me a knowing look before disappearing into the den. Alison was one of the few people in the den who could push my buttons and get my calm demeanor to melt in record time. Under normal circumstances, it would have been difficult for her to break through it so quickly, but these were special circumstances.

I shifted the woman in my arms and glanced down at her. Her dark skin had a pallor to it, showing that she wasn’t doing well. Half-breeds could be tricky to figure out. In some, the wolf’s side could remain dormant until something triggered their Lycan blood to awaken.

The wolf that attacked her was the catalyst here. Being a werewolf came with many perks, including an increased healing ability. I just didn’t know when her increased healing would kick in. For now, she was stuck with a human’s immune system, which could only do so much.

The wait for Alison’s return felt never-ending, but eventually, she reappeared, and to my relief, she wasn’t by herself. Beside her was Oscar, who looked concerned and confused.

“Ali explained what was going on. I wanted to believe her, but I had to see for myself.”

“I understand, though you’ll want to hurry and confirm what I said because she is fading fast, Oscar. Her Lycan blood still hasn’t kicked in yet.”

He paled and kneeled beside the still-unconscious woman, his concern clear in his furrowed brow. “I smell it. It’s weak, but it’s there.”

My first reaction was to jerk away, my hold on the woman tightening. Oscar stared at me, eyes narrowing just a smidge.

“Do you think your father will allow her to stay?”

Oscar winced. “One can never tell with him. I’ll tell him she’s a half-breed, but will leave out the fact that she’s an omega for now. You know how intense he can be.”

“He’ll find out eventually, Oscar,” I said, shrugging.

There was little that went on in the pack that Joseph wasn’t aware of. A good leader needed to be aware of the comings and goings on in their pack, but there was a fine line. Joseph crossed over into paranoid territory.

“I know, and I’ll cross that bridge when I come to it,” he told me with a firm nod. “I’m going to go ask him right now.”

I frowned. “Please hurry, Oscar. I don’t know how much longer she has.”

“Chances are her wolf’s blood will kick in when she needs it.”

Alison nodded. “Activation of the dormant wolf’s blood typically occurs when the human side is weakest, possibly causing near-death experiences.”