Alpha Shield

Alarm - Killian

Omega.

Once he'd realized the scent that made him react so strongly wasn't some harmless fruit, but the pheromones of an Omega, he'd nearly stumbled into the street in shock.

At thirty-seven years old and a hardened warrior, he'd had his share of women. Mostly Beta women so there'd be no temptation to form a bond, but he'd seen an Omega through her heat once. It had been a wild ride. Something he'd treated like an item to be checked off a bucket list. Even though he'd knotted inside of her and provided for her during her heat, it had stirred only some minor warmth, and he'd never felt the pull and longing that that simple apple scent had produced.

He'd never wanted an Omega of his own.

Until now.

Even now, a week later, it took all of his considerable willpower to stay on the opposite side of the street from where the owner of that sweet scent had taken refuge. He'd forced himself to stay away from that section of Sanctuary, but it was the hardest thing he'd ever done. He'd once survived three weeks in the desert until his unit had tracked him down, but this pull towards Sanctuary made that seem like a holiday at the fucking beach.

Adding to the burning in his chest was the realization that the Omega... his Omega... resided behind the walls of a rehabilitation center for abused and broken Omegas.

Someone had hurt her. Hurt his Omega. Enough that she had to hide.

Where was her family? Who fought for her?

What had happened?

Maybe she was just recovering from an illness or accident?

But Killian didn't think so. The apple scent had a lingering undertone that he'd come to associate with trauma. Bone deep trauma that hurts a person to their very core.

Those questions burned in his stomach like acid, and the more he lingered outside of Sanctuary the harder it was to control his instincts. One of the few things stopping him from breaching the walls himself and taking the owner of the delectable scent to safety was his promise to Malcolm to protect Selah and by extension her friend, Abby.

Selah and Malcolm had arrived a few minutes ago for her visit with Abby. After only a moment inside, Malcolm had messaged Killian to ask if he'd be able to take her home. A meeting he had to be at meant he wouldn't be able to wait for Selah as usual. He'd asked Killian to wait outside for Selah and escort her home, and Malcolm was updating Selah on the change of plans.

Killian allowed himself an out of character moment to bask in the trust that Malcolm showed him by giving his pregnant Omega into his care, but he'd agreed with a desperation unbecoming of an officer if it would get him away from the temptation across the street even for a few hours.

A blaring alarm and sudden flood lights from Sanctuary had Killian moving across the street before he'd even realized he'd stepped off the curb. Approaching the high wall, Killian pressed against it to make himself a smaller target as he approached the front visitors' entrance.

Alarmed voices and the acrid scent of fear filtered over the wall beside him, and he knew from studying their response plan that Sanctuary's Omegas were evacuating to the outdoor courtyard area. It was another thing on his long list of grievances with Sanctuary's security measures.

His nostrils flared as he unconsciously scented the air for the apple scent that kept him awake at night, but when a myriad of different and clashing scents filled his lungs instead, he quickly focused his attention on the gate in front of him. With the cacophony of scents and sounds, his keen Alpha senses couldn't detect the sweet, tart scent that he craved so he didn't know if his Omega wasn't among the evacuating Omegas.

Focusing on why he'd been prowling around Sanctuary for the last two weeks, he turned his attention to the massive wrought iron gates in front of him. Before he reached within six feet of the entrance, preparing himself to scale the massive structure, it swung open, and Malcolm stood in the opening with one hand keeping the door open behind him. The predatory look on his face promised pain for whomever had triggered the alarm and undoubtedly upset his pregnant mate.

At Malcolm's nod towards Sanctuary's entrance, Killian didn't waste time with the small problem of the rehab facility not allowing unmated Alphas through the gates. He slipped in behind his friend and let the gate slam shut behind them with a metallic clang. Concentrating on Malcolm's rigid spine and low, almost sub vocal growl, that emanated from his friend, Killian entered the facility.

Emergency lights along the ceiling and floor illuminated the darkened hallway, but the overhead lights flickered to life as the shrieking alarm cut off. Malcolm continued without pause down a hallway to the right. From studying the building schematics, easily obtained with a few well placed inquiries, Killian knew they were headed for the visitation rooms.

Killian paused as a premonition sent a shiver down his spine.

On a mission, those shivers of warning had saved his life and his squad more than he cared to think on. His father claimed his instincts were a product of generations of pure Alpha/Omega pairings. His maternal grandmother would roll her eyes and whisper stories of ancient pagan Omegas whose senses were legendary. Whatever had blessed him was inconsequential. Killian's extra sense always warned him when something life-changing was about to happen.

Right now those instincts were screaming at him about following Malcolm down that hallway. Something down there would change his life forever. Something -

A breeze. A simple wisp of air flowing in the hallway from where Malcolm disappeared into a visitor's room told him what waited for him if he followed Malcolm.

Apples.

In the same room with Malcolm and his mate. It could only be one person.

Abby.

His feet carrying him forward before his brain could engage, he paused outside the door. Angry emotions swept through him fighting for dominance. Mostly anger. Anger that he knew exactly what had happened to his Omega to land her in Sanctuary and that he hadn't been there to stop it. To fight for her.

Anger at someone harming a delicate Omega seemed natural, but a distant part of his brain wondered at the possessive fury that roiled through him. His Omega? He'd never wanted an Omega, and he'd made damned sure to stay away from all possible mate-hunting mamas. One whiff of apple-scented Omega, and he'd fallen harder and faster than the last time his team had stormed an enemy stronghold. He understood the scent belonged to Abby, but except for a grainy black and white photo in the file Malcolm gave him, he didn't even know what she really looked like. What color was her hair? Her eyes?

In the end it didn't really matter. She was his. His. And some asshole had dared to scare what was his.

Fuckers.

Dead fuckers, the raspy, rarely used voice of his Alpha whispered in his head.

Roger that, he thought to himself.

Killian lived in full harmony with his Alpha instincts. He'd learned at an early age that his Alpha half was a primal beast that took no shit from anyone and had no fucks to give. As a juvenile Alpha, he'd woken up more than once in a different location from where he'd gone to sleep. Once or twice, only his family's connections had saved his ass from being taken for re-education.

Entering Alpha Corps straight out of school was the best choice he could have made. Years later, the two halves of his dual nature worked seamlessly together with little overt interference from the predator lurking inside of him. That his Alpha side already thought of the little Omega as his, would be a challenge as Killian the man still had no intention of taking a mate.

Pull your head out of your ass. Taking a deep breath of apple scented air, he stepped into the room.