Untouched Omega (Alpha Elite Series Book 4) V.T. Bonds (mystery books to read TXT) 📖

of his head, I buck until he has no balance. Yanking my leg, I force his weight off to the side and push, disengaging and rolling in the other direction.

Gravel crunches under me, sharp rocks nicking my exposed skin as I ensure I’ve moved far enough away from him. When my knees hit the ground a few meters away, I pop to my feet, ignoring the cacophony of injuries screaming at me.

A flash of silver shows Vander has already made it to his feet, his salt-and-pepper hair reflecting the sunlight. Meeting his eyes, I see clarity—the haze of fury has dissipated.

“I don’t need sand to make my point, Jumoke. Go cool off,” he whispers. With the howling wind, even my acute hearing struggles to pick out his voice. Before the last word leaves his mouth, metal glints in the sun’s rays.

The first blade whizzes past my temple, my dodge almost unsuccessful. Another sharp projectile barrels toward my ankle while yet another aims for my heart.

Lifting my leg away from danger, I leap sideways, still in the path of the third knife. My boot lands on an uneven stone, sliding until empty air hovers below my heel. To escape the razor-sharp edge from piercing my shoulder, I lean away.

Too late, I realize nothing will stop my descent.

Crouching low and using my last purchase on solid ground, I lunge off the cliff, hoping the movement will put distance between the ragged cliff face and my body.

Frothy black waves churn closer as air rushes past me. Free falling, I straighten my body and point my toes towards the water, letting the air rushing past carry away my negativity.

Vander ended the battle, but not the war.

I revel in the surge of adrenaline, enjoying the speed and danger of my situation. For a few brief moments, nothing matters except the wind, deadly rocks, and sinister waves.

No evil scientists. No invasive lifemate. No being unwanted or left out.

Ice slams into my feet, the impact making every joint in my body flare in agony. Frigid water sucks me deeper into the sea, the salt causing so much misery in my wounds I’d rather suffer through the original cuts than this nonsense.

Embraced by cold, I don’t bother to fight the currents. Letting the temperature seep into my bones and reduce swelling, I orient myself. Pushing down and breaking from the swift current, I swim until the ocean floor comes into view. Away from the churning waves and turbulent coastline, the crystal quality of the water allows me to see the beauty hidden beneath the ugly surface. Brightly colored fish dart out of my way as large ominous shapes lurk near the rocky floor. Slivers of dark green seaweed reflect the magnified rays of sun, dancing in the muted currents.

The drag of my boots, clothes, and weapons in the water makes swimming a tad bit more difficult, but nothing I can’t handle. As my lungs begin to strain for clean oxygen, I relax my body and float in the middle of the quiet chaos. Watching the bid for survival going on around me, I smirk as a cloud of my blood forms. The tiny cuts on my arms emit tiny blooms of crimson while the gash near my hip grows a pillow of darker red.

A school of fish scatter from under me, zooming away from a large mass heading in my direction. As it shoots up from the depths, large beady eyes flash closer, a mouth full of gnarly teeth shimmering in the light. Dark gray flesh ripples in the surrounding water, tendrils of appendages splaying upward, sharp talons preceding the gnashing teeth.

Unsheathing one blade, I wait, not bothering to avoid the charging creature. When the first set of talons get within millimeters of my flesh, I reach beyond the sharpness, latch on to the spongy appendage, and spin.

Unable to cease its momentum, it swings around and around, the tornado of man and monster disturbing the natural currents. When the teeth snap perilously close to my face, a quick slash and jab ends with my blade sunk deep between the creature’s eyes. As inky black spillage fills the water around me, the beast goes limp. I retract my knife and push the talons toward the dead face in front of me.

Sliding my weapon back into its sheath, I avoid the swirling carcass around me, pushing upward with a savage kick of my legs.

My lungs scream for nutrients.

My soul feels calmer than it has for quite a while.

Breaking the surface of the water, I suck in as much air as my lungs will hold. The mountains along the coast rise high above the clouds, harsh and unrelenting. Bare rock lends credence to their inhabitable nature, the perfect barrier between us and the world.

Fuck.

I have two options. Swim down the coast toward the little town and hike back to the Sky-Flyer. Or fight the waves and scale the cliffs.

The purple streaks in the sky denote the approach of dusk.

To the cliff it is.

Flipping onto my back, I watch the changing of the sky as I angle the top of my head toward my destination. After a sigh, I backstroke through the choppy water, using the severity of the waves as my indication of distance from the cliff.

I needed this outing. The expulsion of energy and aggression was way overdue.

Enjoying the rare moment of solitude, I let my mind relax, letting go of my frustrations and worry.

I focus on nothing except getting to the cliff.

I don’t know what will happen when I return to the Sky-Flyer, but I’ll deal with it when I get there. For now, I’ll savor the multicolored sky and adventure. The gorgeous pinks and purples are highly intriguing.

I never noticed how stunning the pale orange of the last rays of sunset were, but the color resonates deep in my soul.

Damn it.

Her eyes shine in the sky.

And in my heart.

What a load of shit.

Chapter Three

Anastasia

Squelching noises accompany his arrival. There’s no need to straighten