Fated to the Warrior Wolf (The Hunted Omegas #3)

3. Leigh

THREE

Leigh

I approached the jet with dread keeping me in a choke hold. Partly because I got airsick, yes—really hoping Bri’s magic forehead rub was going to keep me puke-free for this flight—but also because I knew Gael was already inside waiting.

Judging.

Pissed off.

He’d certainly seemed pissed off when he took the door off the hinge in his haste to get away from me. From us , I amended.

It was weird to be an us. But a good weird.

I stopped not five feet from the stairs up into the jet, shaking out my shoulders and lifting my chin. Yes, this situation was unexpected. Yes, it hurt that he’d freaked out and walked away from me instead of staying calm and talking this out. But I didn’t have to sink to that level. I could keep my head on straight and focus on the most important piece of all this.

Protecting Petal.

With a quick nod to myself, I strode forward, doing my best to appear like I wasn’t the least bit rattled by the morning’s revelations.

“Leigh! Wait!” Olivia’s panicked tone stopped me in my tracks, and I turned around warily. Her red waves were unusually wild, her shirt slightly askew, as if she’d tugged it on hastily before bolting out the door. She’d seemed nice enough, but we didn’t know her, know her. I was a healthy skeptic at this point in our get-attacked-repeatedly phase of life and stayed alert as she ran to a skidding stop three feet away. Olivia dropped her hands to her knees, bending over and huffing to try to get her breath back.

“Uh, what’s up?”

“Is—” She sucked in a deeper lungful of air and tried again. “Is Brielle already on the plane? I need to speak to her. Urgently.”

“I think so. I was supposed to be the last one, and we’re literally about to lift off for Romania. Can she call you when we land?”

Something about this situation was making me itch.

“No, please. It’ll only take a minute.” Olivia bit her bottom lip, anxiety clear as she clasped her elbows for dear life, almost hugging herself. “Actually, fudge. I don’t know how long it’s going to take.” She made as if to step around me, and I moved automatically to block her.

I wasn’t Shay, with her preternatural connection to her wolf and almost superwolf powers of protection, but I was still a strong she-wolf.

Alpha, actually, to Shay’s beta. And that itch was getting worse, the longer I felt the desperation roll off this wolf.

Wait.

I scratched my palm with a frown. I was literally itching. What the?—

Near-blinding silver light beamed from my left palm like a beacon, and I had to snap it away from my face to cover my eyes with my other arm.

What the actual fuck is happening? Did Olivia put some sort of spell on me ?

The itch eased, and I carefully peeled my forearm off my eyes, peeking down to see if the light was still shooting out of me like a freaking cartoon power ring. It wasn’t, though there was still a dim glow radiating from my palm.

I carefully flipped it over, Olivia temporarily forgotten as I stared slack jawed down at my palm. There was a crescent moon glowing up at me, shining pure white light amid a sprinkle of tiny stars that almost looked like they were dancing.

“Oh my Goddess, it’s not just me!”

I looked up with concern at my forgetfulness that she was there.

Olivia’s hands shook as she pulled back the linen bandage wrapped around her own left palm. Before it was fully uncovered, the same silver light began to seep out around the edges, as if it was trying to escape, to make itself known.

I swore as I heard footsteps on the stairs.

“What’s going on?” Dirge was halfway down before he zeroed in on my palm, hand going to his stubbled cheek as he stared at me in concern. “What happened to your hand?”

He took it between his, and I had to resist the urge to snatch it back.

“I don’t know. It started itching, then, bam. I’m a human glow stick.”

He traced the crescent shape with his thumbnail, but it didn’t hurt or flare back up again. It didn’t seem to do anything other than freak out the wearer.

Suddenly, I understood Olivia’s panic on a very personal level.

“Is yours the same?” I asked her quietly as Dirge jogged back up the stairs, calling for Kane and—so freaking unfortunately—Gael.

I gritted my teeth as they all swarmed out of the jet like ants, Bri and Shay hot on their heels. All I wanted to do was ram my hand into my pocket and pretend like nothing had happened.

Move along. Nothing to see here, folks, no sirree.

Yeah, that ship had sailed. Everyone crowded around, staring at either my or Olivia’s palms, a low murmur of discussion undercut by heavy tension.

We hadn’t even made it off the ground to fix our last problem before a new problem popped up.

I refused to count Petal as a problem and studiously avoided her father’s gaze as Brielle examined my hand, flipping it over and placing her hand carefully over the glowing mark as she let her eyes fall closed.

I felt that sensation again, except this time instead of a cool flood of relief, there was a gentle probing directed at the mark.

It only shone brighter, the light flaring up around Brielle’s fingers.

I shot a wary glance at my pack mates, standing around us watching. “Careful of your eyes. When it first showed up, it was blinding.”

Gael said nothing, but Shay gripped my shoulder a little more tightly, offering her usual brand of silent support.

Brielle’s power was strong, until it wasn’t. It evaporated between one heartbeat and the next, and her palm went limp before slipping from mine.

“Brielle, are you okay?—”

“Bri!” Shay lunged for her, grabbing her under the arms before she could hit the ground.

She blinked groggily in Shay’s grip, and all the air left my lungs in a horrified whoosh .

My bestie’s eyes had gone completely white, exactly like the mark.