Chapter Text
Eddie held onto Buck's hand while the omega slept.
He had been out of surgery for nearly an hour now, and has yet to wake up. The bullet was in a little case and sent away to be checked by the police to see as to what type of gun it belonged too. Elian and Dylan, the two ranch hands who ran after Tommy after the alpha sped off, were able to give a description of the car to the police. Athena had immediately asked for a warrant to be issued, and the police rocked up to his apartment.
Only to find Tommy gone and his car impounded because he had parked it in a tow area.
He was out there, thinking that he had just killed his ex and probably laughing to himself that he was getting away with murder.
Not if Eddie had anything to say about that.
He raised Buck's hand up to his lips, kissing it softly before he rested his hand over the omega's stomach. The baby, still a little bundle of cells with how early the pregnancy is, had somehow survived the impact of the shooting and the surgery. "Strong like their Mama," Eddie thought to himself as he pressed a couple more kisses against Buck's hand, willing the omega to wake up.
With his own experience, Eddie knew that Buck would be unconscious for a little while longer. It was a miracle that he hadn't been placed in an induced coma for weeks on end.
Eddie took a deep breath as he pressed his lips against Buck's hand once again, nuzzling along the omega's wrist before he felt a presence standing behind him. Glancing over his shoulder, Eddie watched as Athena quietly closed the door behind her and made her way over to the pair. The silence was thick and heavy, brought on by the grief of a mother who was away from her child and couldn't keep them out of harms way.
Athena sat down next to the younger alpha, still carrying that same silence, her dark brown eyes never leaving Buck's almost peaceful expressing. If it weren't for the breathing tube down his throat and the multiple wires connected to various machines to keep his heart beating and measure his vitals, Buck would look like he was sleeping.
The two alphas remained in their thick silence, the sound barrier only breaking every now and then by the steady beeping of the machine. Indicating that Buck was still alive.
Finally, Athena let out a deep exhale as she reached forward, holding onto her son's hand tightly while gazing into Buck's face.
She lightly brushed her fingers against his left cheek, the only part of Buck's face that she could touch. Slowly, Athena turned her head towards Eddie, finding that he has not once moved his eyes away from Buck. Smiling faintly, Athena stroked Buck's cheek again before speaking up.
"That law applies to the part of California that you reside in. As it turns out, a couple of your ancestors had brought up their Texan laws when they were trying to look for gold. The Chief herself said that she was willing to turn a blind eye if you do choose to follow them," she commented, her hand moving down so that she was holding onto Buck's hand.
She tried to ignore how cold his hand felt. When she had first meet Buck back when he was younger, the omega often complained about how cold his hands would get sometimes during the winter and he would have trouble warming them up.
Since then, Athena would take his hands in hers and rub them together. Back then, she was always rewarded with a bright smile as Buck thanked her profusely for warming them. Athena could remember her heart shattering from the simple act, causing her to make a quiet vow to make sure that her baby boy never has to go a day where he had to thank anyone for such a simple act of care and love.
Picking his hand up, Athena started to rub his hand together. Only to pause slightly when she heard a quiet, bitter laugh escaped Eddie as a lone tear drop ran down his face and landed on top of Buck's hand.
Looking over, the female alpha saw that Eddie was wearing a broken expression as he held onto Buck's hand. The expression itself showed the alpha's internal turmoil with the choice he was about to make. It was clear that Eddie held a deep loathing towards Tommy, especially with the fact that Tommy had almost killed his mate and potentially put their child at risk. But Athena also knew why Eddie would be having mixed emotions: he had been a firefighter. The need to protect and save lives was still ingrained into his very body and soul. An instinct that had never escaped him even when he had hung his jacket and gear up.
Now, those same instincts were battling with the alpha's need to defend his mate's honor and finally get rid of the man who had terrorized Buck for the last few years.
Athena reached over and placed her other hand over his arm, causing Eddie to look up to discover that the female alpha was giving him an almost soft, compassionate look. "I know that this is a hard choice for you, Eddie. That there is a side to you that is telling you that it's wrong to kill another human being. But Tommy will do this again. Once he learns that Buck survived and that he and the baby are recovering here, then he will come back and finish the job. Buck will be in danger, and this time, his life really will be in danger. So just know, that those other instincts, the old ones that are telling you to act out and kill the man that harmed your mate and baby? There is no reason to feel ashamed of having them. You're an alpha who has been through a lot more than most people I know, and Buck has brought light back into you and Christopher's life," she started to say as Eddie turned his gaze away from his mate.
She watched as the silent battle slowly started to fade away, causing his dark brown eyes to hardened. Eddie lightly rubbed his thumb of Buck's hand, his fingers pressing against the gentle beating of his pulse. Giving Eddie the reassurance that he was still alive and well.
And Eddie was going to make sure that it remains that way. He was going to watch Buck's belly round out with their baby. Eddie was going to wake up with Buck in his arms, alive and glowing with that pregnancy glow that will make the omega shine like the stars.
Buck was going to walk around the property, a slight waddle to his pace while he talked to Christopher or one of the ranch hands. The horses no doubt will flock around the omega, pressing against his bump and feeling the little life growing inside him. Lastly, Eddie was going to spend the rest of his life showering Buck with love and give him the wedding he deserves. He was going to watch Bobby walk Buck down the aisle. Christopher would stand against his side, dressed in a smart suit and beaming happily. Their family and friends would watch their union, while Buck would gaze at Eddie with eyes as blue as the endless sky and ocean around them.
But Athena was right: as long as Tommy was around, Buck will forever be in danger.
So he had to do what he could to save his mate.
Looking back towards Buck, Eddie stood up and pressed his lips against his forehead, his hand resting against his cheek while the omega continued to doze peacefully.
"I love you, mi amor. I'll be back soon, I promise," Eddie whispered, his eyes warm and tender as he stroked the soft skin gently before moving back. He heard the door open again, causing him to turn around to find Bobby and Maddie both walked in.
The older alpha and female beta had been banished to their homes by Athena after they haunted the hospital for the past two days. She had tried to send Eddie home, and it wasn't until Christopher arrived and ordered his father that he needed to at least go home and have a shower. The tone, as well as the look, reminded Eddie so much of Buck that the older alpha had let out a small laugh before he made his way home.
Taking a deep breath, Eddie gazed his omega one last time before Athena stood up as well.
"I'll call if he wakes up," Bobby promised as he gave Eddie a weak smile before he walked over to sit beside the omega. Bobby lightly placed his hand over Buck's, squeezing it softly before he opened up his book.
Placing a comforting hand on Eddie's back, Athena gently guided the younger alpha out of the hospital room and down the corridor.
While his heart broke at the mere thought of leaving Buck behind, Eddie was doing this for him and their future.
He was going to get rid of Tommy Kinard and make him pay for all the misery and heartache that he had inflicted upon the omega. The pair walked in silence before Athena turned towards the younger alpha.
"So, what plan do you have in mind?" She questioned. Athena had only looked over at Eddie and saw that there was a dark look in his eyes.
Now, Athena had seen plenty of alphas who wore expressions of pure anger and bloodlust. However, the look on Eddie's face had almost chilled Athena to the bone. It was a stare of an alpha who was finally giving into his anger and was going to bring hell upon Tommy.
"Oh, you'll soon find out. Let's just say that there will only be a true hunter in this little game," he replied as they walked out of the hospital.
Tommy quietly closed the door behind him, sighing heavily as he dropped his keys onto the little entrance table beside the front door.
Humming to himself, the older alpha walked further into the little cabin that resided just outside Santa Cruz. He wanted somewhere by the beach, but he had to settle with somewhere further in the woods. It wasn't his cup of tea: he would rather be sitting out by the beach or somewhere more fancy. But when you're on the run from the police, you have to settle with whatever you can find.
Placing his take away bag on the table, Tommy went to grab a glass from the little case he had brought from his apartment. He had only managed to pack a couple of items in his mad dash to get out of Los Angeles and go up north.
He figured he could buy some more stuff once he crosses the Canadian border. He had already brought an apartment up in Montreal, and was even looking at flying to Europe for a little while. There was no way that Eddie Diaz would reach him there. Eddie would no doubt be planning that whore's funeral, acting the part of a grieving alpha.
"You shouldn't touch other people's omegas, fucking ashore," Tommy thought grimly as he grabbed a whiskey bottle and went to pour himself a drink.
Only to drop it when he saw a figure sitting in one of the armchairs.
Eddie was slowly cleaning his pistol, his boots gleaming in the light while his Stetson rested on top of his head. The alpha painted the image of a scorned lover: while his face was calm and nonchalant, there was a quiet, murderous rage brewing from Eddie. Like a storm forming over an ocean, gathering enough form to carry onto shore and bring hell upon the land before it.
"You know, for someone who thought that they would get away with trying to harm an innocent omega, you're a real fucking idiot," Eddie commented as he slowly looked up from his gun cleaning, eyes dark and burning like a wildfire that threatened to burn everything in it's path.
Tommy immediately reached for his draw, ready to pull out another gun he had purchased. Only to come up empty.
"Looking for this?" A voice asked as Athena stepped out, waving through gun in the air while a cold, emotionless mask adored her face. Tommy felt his stomach twist violently as he heard more footsteps approach and echo throughout the walls of the cabin.
Left.
Right.
Back.
Forward.
Spinning around in a circle, Tommy saw that there were at least six other people surrounding him. All dressed in the same way as Eddie. He recognized them as the ranch hands that were with Eddie when they had come across him shooting Buck. Slowly, Tommy could feel something rising inside him, causing his heart to race slightly while his stomach twisted and churned violently.
Eddie slowly stood up, twirling his gun in his hands like the old tricks they used to pull in Westerns. He had shown the move to Buck once, and the omega had thrown his head back and laughed loudly.
"Who would have thought that I would be dating an old school cowboy," Buck had joked as he gave Eddie a warm, bright smile while his eyes sparkled.
Tommy watched as a flicker of heartache, then pure, uncontrollable rage swiftly replaced it. The alpha took a step back, then another as Eddie slowly opened the chamber up before removing all but one bullet. Glancing over at Athena, Tommy was greeted with the burning anger of a mother who had spent the last two days sitting beside her son as he battled for his life. Who had thought hard for him to be put behind bars, only to be defeated by the very system that she worked for.
Taking a deep breath, Tommy turned back towards Eddie and found that the alpha was giving him an almost feral smirk.
His steps faltered slightly as Eddie took another step. Which each step Tommy took, so did Eddie. It felt like a game of cat and mouse. The beginning of a dangerous theme of hide and seek. "You have brought nothing but misery upon my mate, and just when he found solace, you tried to take him away from that solace. You almost killed my mate and child, taking him away from not only me, but my son and his family. Now?" Eddie let out a small, dark laugh before he leaned forward and gave Tommy a shove.
Tommy fell back and felt his back hit the door, sending him flying down the stairs and onto the hard gravel. There was a brief, white hot pain as little stones pressed against his face and palms, before he quickly got up and pushed himself forward.
Click.
"This gun has six empty chambers and only one bullet in the seventh. So we're going to play a game of Russian Roulette," Eddie called behind Tommy as he patiently walked after the alpha, his smirk still on his face while Tommy made a run for it into the woods.
Click.
Branches smacked against Tommy's face as he tried to battle his way through the undergrowth, wincing in pain. He felt little cuts and scratches bloom across his face while a pained whimper escaped him.
Click.
"That's three down! Only four more and then we will see which one is the winning chamber," Eddie continued to call as he disappeared within the trees. When he was younger, he used to be the best at playing hide and seek. He would always be the last one to be found, as well as the first one to always find the others. His abeula used to joke that he had wolf blood in his veins, since he was so good at finding his cousins.
Now, he was using his skills to herd Tommy towards his little trap.
"You should be grateful. I'm showing you mercy by not killing you straight away. Especially after everything you put Buck through," Eddie continued to call as he aimed his gun in the air, firing out another blank.
Click.
He knew that they were getting close. They had ventured deeper within the woods, and Eddie could almost taste Tommy's fear as the alpha continued to run. His smirk widened, almost resembling a wolf with bared teeth as the forest around them seemed to be surrounding them.
Just then, there was the sound of metal clashing against bone, and a blood curling scream filled the forest.
Tommy crashed to the ground, withering in pain as the bear trap started to become stained with blood while the metallic scent of blood filled the night air. The alpha struggled to pull his leg out, and instead let out another cry as he felt the tenderloins and muscles around his ankle break and strain even more.
Eddie slowly walked up behind him before circling the alpha. Kneeling down in front of him, Eddie aimed the gun in the air. Tommy barely had time to flinch as he closed his eyes, expecting the bullet to hit his head as the chamber unloaded. However, no bullet came. Instead, Eddie just dropped the gun and stared Tommy's eyes. They were nothing like Buck's precious, beautiful lighter blues: they were dull, dark and forgettable.
"I was going to shot you point blank, but that's too boring. So, I decided that this would be a more fitting punishment. What are the chances of you dying from an infection before an animal eats you alive? For years, you have inflicted pain onto my omega and made him feel scared and worthless. Now? I'm getting revenge for him. You're not going to die a fast death. Oh no, you're going to die a slow and painful one. Maybe a ranger would find you, maybe they won't. Either way, you will never, ever, harm my mate or come near my family again," Eddie hissed, his eyes dark and almost sinister against the fading lightly. Moving back, he tilted his head before a smirk slowly appeared on his face when he heard the distant grunt of a bear trying to hunt for food.
He knew that they would be starting to get ready for hibernation, so what a kind gesture it was for him to offer them a meal.
"Goodbye, Kinard. May Hell greet you with open arms," Eddie said before turning his back as he walked back to the cabin. He knew that the chances of Tommy being found were 50/50. Either way, Athena had reassured him that he had the law on his side and that the police would turn an blind eye to it.
As he left Tommy withering on the forest floor, surrounded by hungry apex predators, Eddie stepped out of the forest just as Athena ran towards him.
Her face had lost the aged, grieving mother expression. Instead, there was a light in her eyes that caused Eddie to stop dead in his tracks. His heart slowly started to beat faster while the world around him froze for a moment. Reaching forward, Athena placed a comforting hand on his arm while her smile wobbled slightly.
"Buck's responding. He's starting to wake up."