Experiment Omega

Chapter Nineteen

Ian only stopped running when he had made a full circle around the house. Quinton still stood in the driveway, staring disappointedly at his side alpha that was bleeding out on the gravel driveway.

Ian slid the rifle off his shoulder and lined it up. He stared down the scope with Quinton in the crosshairs. With both alphas down the betas would scramble.

Suddenly, the wind was knocked out of Ian and he was lying on the ground, the rifle falling a few feet away.

A beta was above him, kneeling on his chest and wrapping his thick hands around Ian's throat. He pressed the webbed part of his hand into the front of Ian's throat, choking him.

Fear momentarily spread through Ian's chest, the thought of his omega being harmed urged him to fight.

Light-headed, Ian rammed his arm in the crease of the betas inner elbow, breaking the hold he had on Ian's throat. He rolled the beta off of him and flopped onto his stomach, crawling for the rifle.

"That was our omega!" The beta roared, angered and agitated somewhere beside Ian.

Ian rolled onto his back once more, the rifle in hand. The beta stood above him, unafraid of the rifle aimed at his chest.

"My omega." Ian growled in response before pulling the trigger and watching the beta drop. He took a moment to breathe. He could feel a bruise forming on his throat already and his chest hurt from where the beta knelt on it, but despite that, he still pushed himself to his feet and ran again, the rifle in his hand.

Four betas and one alpha to go.

Ian had to stop to catch his breath. He was running circles around the house, making his scent strong on one path only.

He could tell two of the betas were following him, their footsteps loud in the silence of the woods. He assumed the other two entered the house to look for Ash.

Ian found a spot on a small hill to stop. He hid behind a tree and readied his rifle. Not even thirty seconds later, the two betas appeared from the darkness, sniffing the air in search for Ian. His finger curled around the trigger and a loud bang resounded through the trees. One of the betas fell to the dirt with a shot through his stomach. The second beta leaped at him, grabbing the gun in attempts to rip it from Ian's grip. He cried out when the beta landed a swift kick to his shin, white hot pain shooting up his leg.

"You should've given up the omega when you could. Now we'll just take him." The beta snarled, still mercilessly tugging at the rifle.

Suddenly, the pain was gone and replaced with fury. Instead of attempting to pull the gun from the betas grip, he shoved it forward, knocking the side of it into the betas nose. The beta fell to the ground and his nose began to bleed. Ian clenched his jaw and shot the beta in a chest, swallowing back the bile in his throat.

Leaning against a tree, he stared at the bodies of the stupid betas. If only they had chosen the right side in this war. With shaking hands, he continued his journey back to the house, holding the rifle ready.

He was right. The betas had entered the cabin and turned the lights on to tear up the place.

"Come out, come out, wherever you are, little omega!" One taunted loudly.

Ian silently entered through the back door. He knew he had one more round left in the rifle and three more enemies. He wasn't sure if his father had any more ammo boxes in the closet and he wasn't about to find out.

The beta who continued taunting walked into Ian's room, realizing the door was opened. Ian was knelt behind the bed, rifle aimed at the door. He pulled the trigger, the last round ripping through the chest of the beta.

As soon as his body fell to the floor, the last beta ran into the room letting out a howl at the sight of his dead comrade.

Ian stood quickly and threw the rifle at the beta as a distraction. He meant to run after, but the beta simply swatted the rifle to the floor, lips pulled back in a snarl. He was blocking the doorway into the house. He was blocking the only area where Ian could've found a weapon to defend himself.

He supposed he would have to do it one-to-one. He didn't have time to think about it before the beta was in his face and landing a solid blow right under his ribs. Ian gasped for air that didn't seem to exist as the beta pushed him into the wall, hands wrapped around his bruised throat.

It was such a familiar situation and Ian knew what he had to do, but he couldn't. There were black patches dancing in his eyesight as the air was restricted from his lungs. The beta only squeezed tighter, Ian's hands weakly attempting to push him away.

A sickening thunk was heard and the beta released him. If he had choked him a few moments more, Ian would've passed out. He collapsed to the floor with the beta, coughing and gasping for air.

Standing above the knocked out beta was Ash, holding a rock that was wet with blood.

Ian whimpered at the thought of his omega doing something that he should've done instead.

Ash dropped the rock and stepped over the beta's body to kneel next to Ian. "Ian! Ian, Ian, Ian..." Ash repeated his name over and over like a mantra.

Ian knew what he was saying. He was apologizing for disobeying orders, but also worrying over his alpha.

Still wheezing, Ian leaned his shoulder into the small chest of his omega, nearly letting out an uncharacteristic whine as Ash wrapped his arms around Ian and rested his head on his shoulder.

"Let's go." Ian whispered to Ash, unable to speak any louder.

He stood on wobbly knees and wrapped a comforting arm around Ash as he led him to the front door. He opened it to find Quinton still standing in the driveway, despite the fact that his entire pack had fallen.

Ian immediately put himself between Ash and Quinton.

"There's my little omega." Quinton grinned wickedly.