Page 25 of The Sad Omega
I continued down the path and Irian met me at the backdoor, having shifted back again.
“They’ll be here soon,” he told me. “He can go in the guest room. The bed’s made up.”
I carried him in. Irian had the covers turned down already, and I laid Isca on the bed as gently as I could. We pulled the covers up. The little omega didn’t move this whole time, just lay there limply, partly in this world, mostly out of it. It might have been a mercy to let him escape his pain, but I couldn’t bear him to leave this life without ever having had someone to care for him. The sight of my own mate’s pain cut me deeply. I knew he felt the same.
Irian took the seat on the far side of the bed, holding Isca's hand, and stroking his hair, murmuring soft words. He looked up at me, moisture glistening in his lashes, and I realized then how much he had already come to care for the other omega.
“We have to save him! He can’t die like this, he can’t,” Irian sniffled, waves of distress rolling off him.
I walked around the bed, coming to stand behind my mate. I placed a reassuring hand on his shoulder.
“We’ll do everything we can,” I promised him. “And he can stay with us when he’s better.”
If he gets better, I thought, but I didn’t say that. Irian was already sufficiently distressed. I didn’t need to add to it. And I didn’t want to think about the little omega dying, not now that we’d found him. If he died, part of the guilt would be mine. I should have acted sooner.
If he survives, I vowed to myself, we will protect him, regardless of the consequences. I just hoped the cost would not be too high. I had my own omega to consider after all.
A gentle cough at the door signalled the arrival of the healer.It was rare that we called for a healer - only the most severe injuries required it since as shifters we could generally heal ourselves provided we could shift.
I was both relieved and disturbed to see that this time they'd send Mugales. He was an older healer of great skill and wisdom. That he was the one the Council had sent was a grim reminder of how serious Isca's condition was. That we might still lose him. Irian must have asked for him, and he was right to do so - Mugales represented Isca's best chance at survival. They'd visited here once before, when one of the betas had an accident with a chain-saw. They'd managed to help us then, I hoped they could work a miracle now.
They stood there in their human form, black bag in their hand, a concerned expression in the soft brown eyes half-hidden by spectacles. I nodded to them to enter.
“What happened to him?” they asked, approaching the bed and looking down at the omega, lying so still and pale.
“He was brutalized by his pack. I found him in the forest.”
The healer bent down to examine him, noticing the mark on the omega’s neck.
“He’s mated. Where's his mate?” they asked, a frown coloring their voice.
“He’s responsible for this,” I growled, fury rising in my throat.
The healer shot me a concerned look. Whether they were worried about the involvement of the omega’s mate in the attack or whether they were afraid I was about to lose control and attack them, I wasn’t sure.
“Can you save him?”
“I need to examine him first.”
The healer pulled back the covers. Although they blanched, there was no other sign that they were affected by their patient’s injuries, and they worked quietly.
Irian whimpered, seeing the damage that had been done to the other omega. Seeing how much blood there was everywhere. It covered his body and there were fresh bright red stains still leaking into the bed. I folded Irian in my arms, where he began to cry softly, the warm tears soaking my shirt. I wanted to weep too, but instead I kissed him and held him close. We both knew many alphas viewed omegas as sex objects, having no value other than the pleasure that could be taken from them. But for an alpha to turn on their own mate was unheard of, unthinkable. And to turn their mate over as a plaything for his underlings… it was beyond cruel. How much had this poor omega suffered?
It was about half an hour before Mugales stepped back from the bed with a sigh.
“I’ve done all I can,” they said quietly, stripping the gloves off their hands. “Now it’s up to him. I’ve used magic to heal the worst of the injuries and his body will have to complete the process. I’ll leave you some herbs to brew for him once he wakes, to speed up his recovery. But I have to be honest with you, it’s touch and go. He’s lost a lot of blood, and his body has taken a battering. If his psyche has been similarly damaged, then it wouldn’t take much for him to… slip away.”
Mugales shook their head and rummaged through their bag for the medicinal herbs. Setting them on the side table, they bowed slightly.
“If he has no desire to live, then he won’t. I’m sorry,” they said heavily, before turning and leaving.
Irian let out a sob, muffled as it was against my chest.
“I want to take care of him,” he begged, lifting his head, brown eyes wide and appealing.
“Of course you can,” I gave him a squeeze.
He drew in a shuddering breath.