The Alpha's Weakness Episode 2: An Omegaverse Romance Serial Read online

  Arabella Green

  The Alpha’s Weakness Episode 2

  Copyright © 2020 by Arabella Green

  All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, scanning, or otherwise without written permission from the publisher. It is illegal to copy this book, post it to a website, or distribute it by any other means without permission.

  This novel is entirely a work of fiction. The names, characters and incidents portrayed in it are the work of the author's imagination. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events or localities is entirely coincidental.

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  Contents

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 1

  Highever, a town situated atop a hill in the middle of dense forest, was a land known for tradition and political propriety. Alpha’s stood strong as the backbone of society. Omegas sat dutifully at their sides. It was a kingdom where everyone had their place. Except, I never seemed to fit in.

  The grass in the courtyard shuttered under a morning breeze. Birds chirped cheerfully from the trees, their voices carrying on the wind. Nature carried on, completely unconcerned with the goings on of the people she nurtured. She was confident and steadfast; nature did as she wanted to do.

  I bit my lip, worrying it between my teeth. I wanted to be free. I wanted to have that innate confidence she had. I wanted a lot of things.

  A spark flickered in my chest. Soon, I’d be setting foot outside of this city for the first time. I would get to do one of the things I’d always wanted - I would get to see what lay beyond the stone wall that enclosed the city.

  My boot-covered toes tapped rapidly at the courtyard cobblestone. Garett would be here soon; he’d promised to arrive just after breakfast. I wished he’d have come sooner. I’d been too excited to eat. Instead, I waited in the courtyard like a puppy awaiting its master’s return. I grimaced. How much more predictably omegan could I be?

  Fluffy, well-defined clouds drifted in the blue sky above. Counting them as they passed, I willed the time to pass faster. In that moment, I hardly recognized myself. I was an omega, desperately excited to accompany an alpha on a hunt. Granted, it wasn’t a real hunt, one with the intention of finding a mate. But the situation felt no less odd.

  A hunt is the first step in the courtship process. Alpha’s take their chosen omega’s out into a small neighboring village. For the duration of several days, the two get to know each other. If the alpha proves to be a good provider, and the omega a good support, then the hunt is successful and the courtship solidified.

  My guess is a lot of sex usually happened too, but Mother had left that part out when she’d explained the concept to my sisters and I as pups.

  Garett and I wouldn’t be having sex. Nor trying to impress one another with our ability to fulfil a role. This hunt would be better than that. For just a few days, with an alpha as my excuse, I would be free. I could see some small slice of the world that had always been just out of my reach.

  Unfortunately, the hunt wouldn’t be all fun and games. Garett and I would have to prepare for the courtship trials that were standard after the hunt. We’d have to get to know each other and establish a believable love story that would withstand the scrutiny of the Court.

  But that was a worry for later. For now, I was elated.

  “Eager are we?” A deep voice said.

  I turned to Garett, who stood leaning comfortably against the wrought iron front gate, and met him with a grin. He was teasing, but he had no idea how right he was.

  “So what if I am? Are you not used to omegas looking forward to your company?”

  This earned a small smile from Garett, who put his hands up in a show of defeat. “You’ve figured me out.”

  We walked out the gates of the Du Lac property and headed toward the only path in and out of Highever. Garett walked close beside me. Every few steps our arms brushed. The fleeting pressure proved distracting, yet I didn’t want to pull far enough away for the contact to stop.

  A gaggle of middle-aged women appeared on the street, walking opposite of Garett and I. As they reached earshot, the alpha leaned closer to me, speaking into my ear.

  “You look beautiful this morning.”

  My chest tightened, my ears growing unbearably hot. His praise was for show. But it still affected me in ways I couldn’t control. I only hoped that he didn’t notice.

  “Thank you, alpha.”

  I could feel the group’s eyes on us as we passed. I couldn’t gauge their reactions without looking directly at their faces. With any luck, they’d bought the show.

  The bridge connecting Highever to the wilderness came into view. The hairs on the back of my neck stood. My palms were sweaty at my sides. The other side was so close. The outside world was just steps away.

  The moment my boot hit the soil of the wilderness, I shifted to my wolf and ran. Without direction or purpose, I ran. I knew Garett would keep at my heels, so I let all worry fall away. My mind was blank. It was just me, my wolf, and the forest floor.

  The forests smelled better outside of Highever. The scents were livelier. They blended together in a natural perfume of autumn and moss. I wanted to bottle the smell and keep it with me forever.

  Leaves crunched beneath my paws, each pressing into the soft earth below. The flapping of bird wings disturbed the still leaves of the flowering plants. It was so natural. It felt so right. I ran until I couldn’t run anymore.

  Legs burning, I slowed to a trot. In moments, Garett’s gray wolf was at my side, matching my stride. I panted heavily. My lungs had set alight, but I’d hardly taken notice until now.

  “Leaving me for dead the second you’re outside of the city limits?” Garett teased.

  “Only if you can’t keep up,” I said. “It’s incredible out here.”

  “You’re easily impressed.”

  “Or you just take the world for granted.”

  Garett stopped, ears perked forward.

  “Oh, come on, I’m just kidding,” I said.

  “Quiet,” he barked.

  I stuttered to a halt. The lightheartedness of the moments dissipated, instead replaced by tense stillness. Garett’s head moved, searching for something.

  “What is it?” I whispered.

  “Be quiet.”

  “I don’t hear anything.”

  “What part of be qui-” He didn’t finish his sentence before a blur of white fur pounced from the shadows. The strange wolf lunged at Garett, snout snapping shut near his neck. Garett dodged. Just barely.

  Instinct screamed at me to run, but I held my ground. I wouldn’t leave Garett behind.

  The white wolf circled around Garett, his scent menacing and aggressive. I looked to Garett, hoping he would give me a sign of what he wanted me to do. But his gaze was firmly on the other predatory alpha.

  “What do you want?” Garett asked.

  “What a stupid question.”

  Garett growled. The sound was sharp, unlike anything I’d heard before. His pointed teeth flashed at our attacker. “You can’t have her.”

  All at once I felt like someone had knocked me off balance. The alpha wanted me? That didn’t make any sense. I backed up deeper into the brush.

  Run. Run now, my omega demanded. But I stood my ground. I needed to help Garett. I just didn’t know how.
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  “You don’t have a claim on her. She doesn’t even bear your scent,” the white wolf said.

  “That doesn’t mean she’s available for the taking.”

  “On the contrary, that’s exactly what it means.”

  The spikey tingles of adrenaline pumped through my limbs. The stranger sought to claim me. Or at least take me with him. Father had said this would happen out in the wilderness, but I never believed him. It sounded too archaic, too stupid to be real.

  I’d had enough of this.

  I jumped forward, aiming to bite the white alpha’s back leg. He stepped out of the way and growled at me.

  “Know your place, omega,” he said.

  Garett postured at the man, his fur making him seem even larger than he already was. His lip curled back, baring his canines once more. The white alpha looked back and forth between the two of us, ultimately choosing to focus his attention on Garett.

  With his eyes off me, I snapped at his hind legs again. My teeth grazed muscle before he moved out of the way. Before I knew what was happening, his teeth locked on the back of my neck. I yelped and tried to pull away.

  Garett lunged at the other alpha, sending the two tumbling into a ball of claws, teeth, and limbs. They fought savagely. Their alpha scents merged into something murderous.

  Dark crimson matted down patches of their fur. Who the blood belonged to, I couldn’t tell. I felt useless. Worse than that, I felt helpless.

  The fight was over when the white alpha’s, whose skin leaked red, bowed his head in submission. Garett pulled back and allowed the man to limp off back into the safety of the trees.

  “Thank you,” I said, my voice shaking.

  “Are you hurt?” Garett’s eyes were intense. Seeking.

  “No.”

  “Let’s move, before he can gather his pack.”

  “You think there are more of them?”

  “No, but I’m not willing to take any chances. Follow along behind me and stay quiet. I mean it.”

  I nodded meekly and did as I was told. Unfortunately, following him made it impossible to ignore the fresh droplets of his blood that trickled to the dirt as we walked.

  Chapter 2

  We arrived at the cabin just as the sun reached the highest point in the sky. It was a small one-room building constructed specifically for lodging couples partaking in the hunt. It’s creaky wooden floors and cobweb covered rafters left much to be desired. But there was a lock on the door and running water, which was the only thing that mattered to me by then.

  The longer we walked, the weaker Garett had grown. Outwardly, he did little to show how badly the other alpha wounded him. The bloody tear on his shoulders still oozed, but he carried himself as though he was unharmed. I only knew something was wrong from the way his speech grew less frequent, and more clipped. It didn’t match the laid-back spirit I’d come to associate with him over the last few days.

  Inside the cabin, Garett shifted back to his human form and stalked immediately toward the bathroom. I gasped at the new, clearer view I had of his shoulder. The muscle looked mangled and torn. I couldn’t imagine how he’d walked with it like that for so long.

  As my human, I rummaged through the sparse drawers and closets of the cabin. Eventually, I came upon a linen sack of bandages. It wasn’t much, but it would have to do.

  My palms grew wet with sweat. The anxiety in the back of my mind reached new, louder heights. The longer I waited alone in the main room, the most obtrusive my thoughts got.

  Would Garett be ok? Did he blame me for the attack? If I’d have been quiet when he told me to be, this never would have happened. His injury was my fault. What if he needed medical attention that I couldn’t provide? I had no idea where we were, let alone where to find the nearest healer.

  When the alpha emerged from the bathroom, his hair damp and body freshly cleaned, I was nearly in tears. I looked away. Blinking rapidly, I tried to push back the wetness of my eyes.

  “Are you ok?” I asked, still not looking at him.

  “I’m fine.”

  “I found some cloth bandages. If you sit on the bed, I’ll wrap your shoulder.”

  The wooden floor boards groaned underneath his weight as he walked across the room. I could hear the metal frame of the bed creak. I took a deep breath. Then, unable to think up any reason not to, I grabbed the linen sack and went to face the source of my dread.

  Garett sat shirtless on the edge of the sagging mattress, his elbows on his knees. Stray beads of water slid down his muscular arms. My stomach tied itself into a knot.

  Not now, I chided my omega.

  I crawled onto the bed. Finger’s shaking, I traced the outline of the gash. With the extra blood washed away, the marking was clearly a bite. My teeth sunk uncomfortably into my bottom lip as I unrolled the bandages. I needed to say something. I needed to apologize.

  “I’m sorry,” I said finally, voice wavering.

  “Why?” He sounded tired.

  “This is my fault. If I hadn’t taken off when we left Highever, we wouldn’t have been attacked.”

  Garett sighed wearily. His hazel eyes looked back at me, his expression soft.

  “Maria, you did nothing wrong. The only person at fault is the idiot who attacked you.”

  “But if I hadn’t been there,” I started.

  “You shouldn’t have to worry about lone alphas trailing you. You’re not responsible for his lack of honor.”

  “Why aren’t you angry?”

  “I am. But not with you.”

  Brows knitted together, I look closer at Garett’s shoulder. Fresh blood dampened the two layers of cloth I’d wrapped over it.

  “You’re losing too much blood.”

  “How foolish of me. I’ll stop immediately.”

  “Garett, I’m serious.”

  Garett sighed and ran a hand through his mussed hair. The action forced more blood into the bandage. I gritted my teeth.

  “Stop moving,” I demanded. “Please. Lay down. I’ll go into the village and try to find someone to help.”

  Garett’s shoulders stiffened. “You’re unbelievable. You were just targeted and you think it’s a good idea to go back out there without me?”

  “We’re near a village, right? They don’t build these cabins outside the reach of civilization. If I need help, there are other people around.”

  “You can’t trust complete strangers.”

  “I trusted you,” I said pointedly.

  Garett didn’t reply immediately. His breaths were shallow, almost stunted. I put my hand on his bicep and gave a gentle squeeze.

  “I’ll be ok,” I said. “I trusted you. Now it’s your turn to trust me.”

  “You’re ridiculous,” he said, though there was no bite to his words. I smiled. His fight had gone out.

  “I’ll be back soon,” I said, moving to get off the bed. A rough hand on my wrist stopped me.

  “Wait.”

  Garett pulled me to him, situating me so I stood between his legs. I blinked. He looked up at me, tired lines etched deep in his skin.

  “On your knees,” he said.

  I blinked again. It was a strange request. What could he want me to do on my…

  Oh.

  My face grew hot.

  “T-this hardly seems like the time for that,” I stammered.

  Garett chuckled, his smile just barely meeting his eyes. He tugged at my wrist.

  “I’m gonna scent you. You won’t get as much unwanted attention if people can smell me on you.”

  “R-right,” I said dumbly, sinking down to my knees.

  Garett’s large, warm hand cupped my cheek. Gooseflesh rose along my arms. I leaned into his palm, baring my neck to him. He leaned down. I shivered as his nose skimmed along the length of my scent gland. The intensity of his musk made my head swim.

  My hands gripped tightly at his knees as he scented me. His touch and smell made me dizzy. Had I not been sitting, I wouldn’t have been able to hold myself up.
The rough scratch of his stubble along my neck sent a heat to my core. I squeezed my thighs together tightly. If he could smell my arousal, I’d die of mortification.

  When Garett pulled back, my omega whined. I swallowed the sound down with a hoarse cough. I stood abruptly, turning away to keep Garett from seeing the flush I felt burning from my chest up to my face.

  “Keep still. I’ll be back soon.”

  Chapter 3

  Time moved slower the closer I moved toward the village. The gods of time sought to torture me. I couldn’t move quickly enough. Every second I wasted was a second that Garett sat alone, bleeding.

  A rotting oval wooden sign sat perched above the tall grasses of the forest floor. In bold, neat script read the name Fae’s Landing.

  Frantically, my eyes scanned the mostly barren dirt streets of the village. The only signs of life were the flickering porch lights of a storefront, and a young pup chasing after some small rodent further down the way. Assuming the five-year-old wasn’t a healing prodigy, my best bet appeared to be the general store with faulty lighting.

  The screen door of the store swung inward with a deafening creak. A wall of dust hit my nose, causing an annoying tickle in the back of my nostril. Everything in the cluttered room of mismatched shelves was covered in a layer of gray dander. Lovely.

  “Hello?” I called out.

  A short woman with red hair teased high upon her head stepped out from behind a bookshelf. She held a notepad in her well-manicured hands.

  “What can I do for ya?” Her voice was nasal and shrill.

  “I need a healer. Urgently.”

  “You and me both. I’ve got boils like ya wouldn’t believe. Sorry kid, no healer around these parts.”

  I gaped at her. What sort of village didn’t have a healer? How did they heal or tend to the sick?

  Seeming to sense my unasked question, the woman pointed to the back corner of the room.

  “We keep healing poultices and potions stocked for anyone who needs ‘em.”

  “Do you have anything to stop bleeding? Maybe some pain-reducers?”