Absolute Devotion (An Omega’s Preference #3)

29. Nala

twenty-nine

NALA

I’m curled up just behind the bedroom door, gripping a cast-iron pan like it’s a sword. The adrenaline keeps my grip steady, even though my heart is all but beating out of my chest.

I can feel them. Bear’s fury, Xylo’s pain—a sharp, stinging echo in my own shoulder—and beneath it all, this overpowering wave of fear coming from Montgomery. He’s afraid, not just for himself, but for me, for all of us. My vision blurs for a second as anger rises within me. Why does it have to be this way? Why can’t I just have my happy ending?

I try to tamper down my own feelings even as I pull open the door a smidge to see my Alpha by the front door, her gun cocked, my woman ready for whatever comes.

My phone buzzes in my pocket. I fumble for the device, sighing with relief when it’s Montgomery’s number running across the screen.

“Montgomery?” I whisper, trying to hold back the emotion from my voice.

“Nala,” he says, the rumbling growl following it more comfortable than scary. “You’re doing great, princess. Just stay right there, okay? I’m five minutes out.”

A small, shaky laugh escapes me, more from nerves than anything. “The lock isn’t going to stop anyone, Montgomery.”

“I know, but I need you to stay on the line with me. Don’t leave your nest until either Zahria or I come in. You got that?”

I swallow, the pan feeling cold and heavy in my hands, and nod, even though he can’t see me. “Got it.”

A pause, and then I hear his smile in his voice. “Did Zahria give you anything to defend yourself?”

“Um,” I hesitate, but I can’t stop the small smile from slipping through. “She gave me a… pan.”

A low chuckle comes through the earpiece and somehow, despite the situation, the tension eases. “A pan? Only Zahria.”

I clutch the phone to my ear, listening to his steady breathing on the other end, feeling the rumble of his car engine as he speeds toward me. The whole thing feels like déjà vu, a nightmare reliving itself from just a few weeks ago when I thought I’d finally escaped all this. And yet, here we are again, chased by similar demons, the same threats that have haunted me for as long as I can remember.

I grip the phone tighter. “Montgomery… what if…?”

“You’re not going anywhere,” he interrupts. “I’ll be there in less than five minutes. You just stay put. Let us protect you.”

I can feel his determination through the bond, his absolute refusal to let anything happen to me, to us . I close my eyes, letting that reassurance wash over me, leaning into the feeling.

A loud bang crashes against the door, making me flinch. My breath catches in my throat as Montgomery’s voice tenses over the line. “Nala?”

“It’s… it’s someone at the door,” I manage, barely able to get the words out as I crouch lower, heart pounding. The door rattles on its hinges, Zahria creeping closer just in case.

“Nala, stay calm. Keep quiet,” Montgomery’s voice is barely above a whisper now, but it’s strong and confident. “I’m almost there. Don’t move.”

But another bang has me shrieking into my hand, the door bursting open, splintering as one of the men from my nightmares steps through. His eyes lock on me from the crack in the bedroom door, Zahria suddenly in front of him, her gun raised.

The Alpha, the one I used to know as Wyatt, turns to my mate, not a hint of fear in his eyes, “She’s paid for. You can’t keep her from me.”

The weight of his words carries a certain chilly tone. He looks down the hallway at me like I’m nothing more than property, something he can take whenever he wants, and a shudder runs down my spine. It’s the same feeling as before, Wyatt staring at me through the bars, promising me a lifetime of being his personal hole to fuck whenever he wanted.

My grip tightens around the pan. I won’t go back with him. I can’t.

“Back off!” Zahria’s voice rings through the room, steel in every word. “Leave her alone. You have no right.” Her gun is still raised, her finger hovering over the trigger. I’m not sure what she’s waiting for, why she hasn’t warned him off with an actual shot until she glances down the hallway, meeting my gaze.

Zahria knows that I’m watching and she doesn’t want me to see. Just as the Alpha lurches forward, a bang rings out in the darkness, the dim lights in the house showing Wyatt stumbling back a few steps. His hand is splayed over his stomach, Zahria about to shoot again when screeching tires pierce the night air outside, followed by the rumble of an engine.

A second later, a ferocious, bone-chilling growl fills the house, echoing through the walls and rattling the very foundation. It’s a sound I’d recognize anywhere, a sound that sends a rush of relief flooding through me. It’s then I remember I’m still on the phone with my Alpha, that sound seeping right into my soul.

“He’s here,” I whisper, my voice trembling with both relief and terror as Wyatt freezes, his face paling.

Montgomery’s here.

The man turns, his face twisted with fear as he glances toward the open door, realizing too late what’s coming for him. Another growl rips through the air, louder and closer, shaking the walls. Wyatt hesitates, his confidence finally cracking.

With Zahria’s gun still pointed at him, Montgomery crashes through the doorway, a furious, unstoppable force of raw anger and strength. His eyes lock onto Wyatt, the Alpha of my nightmares suddenly so much smaller than I remember. My Alpha lunges forward, knocking Wyatt back with a ferocity I’ve never seen—not even in the cages as Alphas and Betas alike clamored to be at my side.

The man stumbles, trying to regain his balance, but Montgomery doesn’t give him a chance. He’s on him in seconds, fists flying, a blur of movement and raw power that leaves Wyatt no room to breathe. I can feel the anger radiating off him, feel the way he’s channeling every ounce of rage into each punch, each strike.

And in that moment, I know he won’t stop until the threat is gone. Until I’m safe.

Wyatt lets out a strangled yell, trying to push Montgomery off, but it’s useless. He’s overpowered, outmatched, and he knows it. The fear in his eyes is palpable, and it only fuels Montgomery’s wrath. He pins him down, deadly growl reverberating through the room that sends a chill through the air.

“You don’t ever come near her again,” he snarls, his voice dripping with venom. “You don’t even breathe in her direction.”

The man whimpers, his bravado crumbling as he realizes just how badly he’s miscalculated. He tries to scramble back, but Montgomery’s iron grip is unforgiving.

Just as I think Montgomery is going to release him while telling him to never return, I hear the sweet clank of metal. I lean forward, making sure not to leave the bedroom but the sound of handcuffs is hard to mistake. They got him. The door pushes open, Zahria there as she gathers me into her chest, rocking me back and forth as she strokes my hair. “I got you, sweetie. He’s been taken care of.” The pan clatters to the floor as I cling to my Alpha, burying my face into her chest.

“You fucking shot me!” Wyatt wails. “This shit isn’t over!”

A yelp tears from the Alpha’s mouth and then a groan. Montgomery seems to be doling out his own sense of justice to one of my demons who’s now helpless to fight back. I should feel sorry but I really don’t. He tortured me for so long that I only wish for his demise and his discomfort.