The Omni-Wolf’s Choice novel Chapter 20

Chapter 20 St. Vincent

Bridget’s POV

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I shot awake with my pulse pounding. Ryder. I knew it without being told.

I didn’t try to pull at him through the bond. If he needed me, he would come, or he would mind-link me.

We had gotten a lot better at that-at giving each other room.

So I stayed where I was, propped against the pillows, and worked at the one thing I could control.

I practiced.

A book hovered above my knees. A candle floated near the headboard. A remote spun slowly between

them, all three moving in a clumsy little orbit as I tried to keep my focus steady. Teleportation had

been mentioned as a possibility, but I still hadn’t shown even a flicker of it.

Eventually my concentration slipped, and I drifted off.

The next time I woke, it was to Ryder coming into our room. He let out a long breath and walked

straight into the bathroom like he didn’t trust himself to stop anywhere else. The shower clicked on.

Something in that sound made me sit up.

padded after him-and froze.

Ryder was drenched in blood, from his hairline to his hands.

“Ryder-oh my God. What happened? Are you hurt?” I was on him instantly, palms on his arms, his ribs, searching for gashes, for breaks, for anything I could mend.

“Hey. Babe.” He caught my wrists gently, firm enough to stop me. “I’m okay. It’s not mine. If it were,

you’d feel it-remember?”

I looked down and realized my fingers were smeared red now too. My whole body started trembling

like it was trying to shake itself apart.

His expression tightened. “You’re shaking. Look at me, Bridget. I’m fine. I swear.”

I hadn’t even noticed the shaking until he said it. Then my chest seized and breathing turned into a

thin, panicked struggle.

“Come in the shower with me,” he said, voice low. “I’ll hold you until you settle. I’ll answer whatever you ask. Okay?”

I nodded because I couldn’t get words out.

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He undressed like he was on autopilot. Somehow the sight of him-solid, alive, uninjured-eased the pressure behind my ribs. Ink and old battle scars mapped his skin, and when he loosened his hair it fell to his shoulders in damp, dark strands. Then he tugged my favorite oversized T-shirt up and over my head.

Clothes hit the tile.

The shower’s twin sprays hit us from both sides. Steam fogged the glass as the water ran clear and the blood slid away from him in pink ribbons. I still kept checking, anyway, because I couldn’t help it.

It was strange-being this calm in my own skin with him, bare and close, and still having a line neither of us had pushed past. He never tried to rush me.

Unfortunately, my eyes had their own opinions.

“Bridget,” Ryder warned, voice rough. “Eyes up. Unless you want me to pin you to the wall and make

you scream my name.”

Heat rushed to my face. I smiled despite myself.

He started washing me, taking my hands first, rubbing away the blood that had transferred to my palms.

“I was supposed to be helping you clean up,” I said.

“Oh, there’s exactly one place I want you to ‘help’ with,” he said, exhaling like he was fighting for

control, “and if you start, you’re going to end up against that wall.”

The fatigue in him cut through the flirting. His shoulders were tight, his eyes heavy.

I shifted gears, stepped onto the built-in bench, and reached for his hair. “Tell me what happened.”

As I worked shampoo through the strands, the water turned red again and then washed it away.

“Montgomery showed up last night,” he said. “He brought intel. There’s a group asking questions about you.”

My hands stilled.

In a blink my mind raced through exits, distances, the pack house layout-every instinct screaming to

run far enough to keep everyone here safe.

Ryder’s voice sharpened, like he could hear it all anyway. “You’re safe, and you’re not running, Bridget. He had a captive. We questioned him. He gave up a location. We’re verifying it. It’s going to be handled.”

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My fingers resumed, slower this time, and I felt Ryder’s body ease as I massaged his scalp.

“Should I talk to the captive?” I asked quietly.

Ryder’s answer came flat and almost casual. “There’s nothing left to talk to.”

I stared at him. “You killed him?”

He turned his head, eyes locking on mine. “He threatened to do things to you.”

My throat tightened, but the logic was brutal and simple. “Then you did what you had to do.”

I leaned down and wrapped my arms around him.

He closed his eyes for a second, like that was the first time he’d let himself breathe.

“You look worn out,” I told him. “Let’s get you to bed. I’ll braid your hair and put you out.”

A quiet laugh rumbled out of him. “You can braid?”

“Yeah. Years of practice.”

“I haven’t had my hair braided since I was a pup.” He tilted his chin toward the door. “Come on, then.

Show me.”

We rinsed, dried off, and dressed for sleep. Ryder stretched out with his head in my lap while I parted

his hair and worked it into neat rows. His eyelids drooped almost immediately.

By the time I finished, he was already asleep.

“Morning, beautiful.” Ryder’s voice pulled me out of a dream. “Evelyn and the girls are taking you shopping for clothes.”

The sky outside was barely light-just a pale line across the horizon.

I blinked at him, horrified. “It’s… four in the morning.”

He brushed his knuckles along my cheek like that made it reasonable. I still felt like I needed five more

hours.

“I’ll have a team with you the entire time,” he said. “Lucas and Pierce are on your detail. I’ve got

business to handle.”

My stomach sank. “You’re going after them.”

“Yes.” He didn’t dodge it. “The intel is solid. We can be there and back in a few hours.”

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His jaw tightened. “This matters. I want the message clear-my mate and my pack aren’t something

anyone gets to take.”

“Then be careful,” I said, the words scraping out of me. “And come back fast.”

He leaned in and kissed me, and I didn’t miss the relief in his eyes that I wasn’t arguing with him. I had

a temper. I also knew what kind of life this was.

When he pulled away, I muttered, “And I hate shopping. This is going to be miserable. Especially with

security like I’m royalty.”

“You need to finalize your gown for the ball,” he said, amused, “and you need a few other things. Also-

tonight is our first date. I planned it.”

That got my attention. “Now that I have to see.”

I climbed to my knees on the mattress so I was level with him and kissed him again, softer this time. The tingles still hit like a spark under my skin.

Breakfast put me between the twins-Ryder’s youngest siblings, home from boarding school for the week. The school was private, built for magic and abilities, and it showed in the way they carried

themselves.

They looked like a perfect split of their parents: jet-black hair like Alpha Marcus, olive skin like Luna Kendra, and those unusual silver eyes they’d inherited from some great-grandmother. They were

thrilled to meet me in person after a handful of video calls.

Adrian talked with her whole body, waving her phone in my face as she scrolled dresses. “Bridget, you

have to wear your hair down. Maybe highlights. And emerald green? It’s everything right now. It’ll look.

insane with your skin tone.”

On the screen was a green sequined gown that shimmered even in a photo.

“The color could be nice,” I admitted.

Evelyn cut into her waffles, smirking. “Let her wear whatever she wants. I swear, Adrian-you act like

you’ve never left that school.”

Adrian huffed. “She’s fine, Em. Are we leaving soon? I want to get back early.”

I tried not to show how tightly my nerves were wound, but it was hard. Ryder had left. The house felt

different without him.

Montgomery had been introduced to me earlier, and he was basically a giant teddy bear with lethal

edges. Nicest guy. And I hadn’t missed Archer flirting with him like it was a sport.

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Aiden, calmer than his sister, leaned forward. “Ryder is the best. He always comes back. He keeps his

word.”

For a sixteen-year-old boy who bragged about being top of his warrior class, he had a surprisingly steady heart.

“Thank you, Aiden,” I said.

Evelyn rose and passed her plate to a staff member with a bright smile. “We’re ready. Sienna and

Archer will meet us at the cars.”

“Cars?” I repeated, sitting up straighter. “How many cars do we need?”

I paused, already resigned. “Because I hate attention, and a shopping convoy sounds like the

definition of attention.”

Adrian looped her arm through mine as we walked. “Maybe five. Security details and all that. You’ll get

used to it.”

I wasn’t convinced.

Ryder’s POV

We hit the drop point with enough muscle to flatten a small army.

Connor was with me. Montgomery too, along with thirty of my best warriors. Five elite vampires from our own pack moved like shadows at the edges of the group. Eleanor had come with three witches, already preparing the kind of protective work that kept people alive.

Bridget had been relieved when I told her the witches would be there.

Our surveillance had confirmed roughly fifteen vampires inside the cave-St. Vincent included. The one arrogant enough to think he could take my mate.

The plan was simple.

We boxed them in, and we wiped them out.

The forest around us felt awake, thick with damp earth and restless movement. Every man was coiled

tight. Vampires were fast, and they went for the bite.

We weren’t unprepared.

Our people had trained under the best vampires we had, and we carried antidotes for venom. Connor

and I had pushed those ideas hard.

“Connor,” I said quietly, “east side. Montgomery, take west of the mountain. When I give the word, we

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<Chapter 20 St. Vincent

hit. No survivors.”

I let my gaze sharpen. “And St. Vincent is mine. Understood?”

“Yes, Alpha,” they answered together.

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The witches started their safety spells, staying close to my line. I caught movement in the cave’s

mouth and mind-linked Connor, who had eyes inside.

‘What do you see?’

‘Five moving deeper in. None near the entrance-too much sunlight. The rest look like they’re asleep.

But I’m not seeing St. Vincent.’

My pulse didn’t slow. ‘He’s close. Lucian-run perimeter. Vampire speed. I want to know if he’s

outside.’

‘Copy, Alpha.’

Seconds later-before I could even reset my stance-the mountain shook.

An explosion thundered from behind the ridge.

“Move in!” I barked. “Move in!”

We surged toward the cave.

The moment we crossed the threshold, Talon took control. My wolf tore forward and we caught the first vampire before it could even turn. We ripped him in half.

Claws raked for my back leg. I spun and found another one scrambling toward me.

Montgomery, already in full were-bear form, grabbed the vampire and flung him into the cave wall like he weighed nothing. The impact left him a ruined, barely recognizable mess.

Talon gave a sharp nod to Montgomery’s bear, Magnus, and we pushed deeper.

Darkness didn’t matter. Our eyes cut through it.

To my left, Connor fought in wolf form-Drake-locked against two vampires. He ripped the throat out of one, then gutted the other, organs spilling onto the stone.

Then I saw him.

St. Vincent.

I drove him back until he had nowhere to slip past. Talon’s growl filled the tunnel. The stench of fresh

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death clogged the air.

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St. Vincent smiled like he was enjoying a party. “Ah. The chosen one.” His gaze flicked over me, mocking. “Where’s my future bride? Have you broken her in yet?”

My voice came out cold. “Remember this: I will finish you.”

No more words.

We launched at each other.

We met mid-air, and for a single beat I watched surprise flash across his face when he registered my

speed-faster than he expected.

I went for his throat. He barely twisted away.

He vanished and reappeared in the same breath, teeth sinking into my hind leg.

Talon howled.

I clamped my jaws into St. Vincent’s torso and tore down, deeper, until flesh ripped and his rotten

blood flooded my mouth.

Another explosion detonated.

The force threw me into the wall hard enough to crack stone.

The world snapped to black.

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