Untouched Omega (Alpha Elite Series Book 4), V.T. Bonds [best books to read for success .txt] 📗

to the steaming mugs. Nova eyes me for another moment before following.

They sit on the large rock close to the fire, looking like a litter of puppies trying to all fit in the same little box. With shoulders touching and ankles piled together, they huddle close and sip their soup in silence.

My teammates emerge from the caves, packs full and faces serious.

We can handle special ops missions and covert maneuvers any day. This, though?

The uncertainty makes us all uneasy. Their lifemates being in potential danger brings out the animal in each of them. Mixed with their training, their lethality creates an ominous cloud of intensity around them.

Dirk’s eyes soften when he sees Shya in the middle of the Omega pile, but they harden as he looks my way.

I toss my pack at him before turning to Kwame.

“Don’t let the gentle giant or the hot head fuck up the plan. See you in three days.”

Without another word or backward glance, I head out.

Seeck responds with a less-than-favorable remark. I lift my hand above my shoulder and flip him off, letting him know what I think of his opinion of me. His masculine cackles follow me down the valley only for the wind to whisk them away when I exit.

Each one of them is capable on their own, but knowing they’ll stay together as a smaller unit gives me a fuller sense of comfort.

I dart between two large boulders and tuck the electronics case against my ribs with my bicep. A few leaps up smooth rocks leads me to a steep incline of jagged stones. Using the balls of my feet and my free arm, I skirt around the steepest part and aim for the next mountain to the west.

I wiped every electronic in the case as soon as Jumoke tossed it at me, but have no doubt such nuisances won’t deter my lifemate, should she choose to engage us directly.

While my lifemated teammates head deeper into the safety of the barren mountains, my first task is to relocate this case. Hence the medium-sized peak between where Jumoke leaked our location and the Sky-Flyer.

Without the weight of my pack bogging me down, my feet traverse the miles with ease despite the rugged terrain. I’ll have the ocean, Sky-Flyer, and town a few miles away, whereas my teammates will have nothing but rocks and sky. Tossing my pack to Dirk had been a no-brainer.

Before I reach the top of my intended peak, I spot an overhang with a lopsided platform underneath.

A sharp tug on my lifemating bond distracts me, an actual ache spearing through my chest. My foot loses traction, the unexpected sensation making me misstep.

Gravity pulls me downward, my pants tearing as I’m drug along the sharp rocks. I lean sideways, grinding my arm on the rough surface until I find a handhold big enough to grab.

The world spins for a moment, my situation becoming all too dire as I spot the open air about two feet from the soles of my boots. If I’d have slid just a little more, I’d have plummeted a bit too far for comfort.

This damn case is bulky, making my balance precarious as it is.

A spark of anger forces a growl from my throat, the howling wind drowning it out. On edge in more ways than one, I lash out at the main source of my frustration—my lifemating link.

To my surprise, it shivers in delight.

No, she shivers in delight. Her response feels as strong as if she’s in my arms, her purr vibrating my body.

I lock down my emotions, a deep sense of unease rolling through me.

Not in the best situation to parry with my opponent, I suspend the interaction between us, not impeding her response so much as stepping back and observing.

Seems I can manipulate our bond as well.

Interesting.

Good thing I have a few days of solitude to explore my newfound abilities.

I pick myself up and scale the slope, reaching the tiny platform within minutes. Without opening the case, I wedge it into the corner and leave it behind.

A winding trek around the base of several mountains proves quicker than climbing and descending each peak, yet the deep gravel causes my thighs to ache as though I’m running through loose sand.

Reaching the cliff where Jumoke and I scuffled, I check the cloaking device hidden in the pebbles. It continues to work, meaning the perimeter hasn’t been tampered with electronically.

I don’t have any No Smells, so when I find the door sealed, although a bit warped, I head back to the cliff.

A quick dive results in a few edibles, the sun drying my clothes before I even scale the cliff back to the level of the Sky-Flyer. The cold wind feels good when paired with the heat of the sun, but I’m grateful the cliff blocked the worst of it while I dried.

I make my way a few miles southeast, heading for a mountain with the things I require. Climbing until I can see over the nearest peak, I find a little outcropping to block the worst of the wind and settle my ass on the flattest surface available.

With the Sky-Flyer on my left and the case's location on the right, this area has the best view for observing. Any movement near the case will catch my eye, even if I’m not focusing on it.

Not quite standing yet not sitting either, I wedge myself against the rocks and cross my arms over my chest.

I keep my eyes open, letting them run like a background system, but turn my attention inward.

I have things to explore.

Chapter Twenty-Four

Jumoke

Thank holy hell, her heat finally broke.

She’s been sleeping for almost an hour—the longest break she’s had in four days.

I loved every second of relieving her, but my body now feels like a wet dishcloth that’s been wrung out too hard.

It would probably be wise to get some water in her, but rest is the biggest necessity at the moment.

She still hasn’t gotten the opportunity to build