Chapter 39 – SILAS
39
SILAS
I wipe sweat from my brow as I finish another set of push-ups, enjoying the burn in my muscles. The apartment we rented as a temporary base while Jordan goes through Trakiss’s files is spacious enough for a decent workout, even if it's not quite as well-equipped as our usual gym. But with Jordan needing somewhere stable to work, we all agreed it made sense to pause the tour for a couple more weeks.
Movement catches my eye and I look up to see Asher tiptoeing past with his arms full of junk food. He freezes when he spots me, looking guilty.
"And where do you think you're going with all that?" I ask, rising smoothly to my feet.
He clutches the snacks protectively to his chest. "Big brains need sustenance to work. She's been working non-stop all day."
I eye the collection of neon-colored bags and cookies dubiously. "Knox brought her real food earlier. Pretty sure her brain needs actual nutrients, not just sugar and artificial cheese dust," I say, unable to hide my amusement.
"Excuse you," Asher says with mock offense. "I'll have you know that Cheetos are an essential food group when you're doing intense mental work. And Oreos are basically brain food."
"Is that what they taught you in high school?" I tease, grabbing a towel to wipe off the worst of the sweat.
"Obviously," he sniffs. "You clearly never studied advanced neuroscience or you'd know about the vital role of processed snacks in cognitive function."
"You're both really loud, you know that?"
We turn to find Jordan leaning against her office doorway, an amused smile playing at her lips. She looks tired but pleased about something, her dark hair just long enough to pull back in a way that exposes the marks we've left on her throat. A purr builds in my chest at the sight.
"Sorry," Asher says sheepishly, holding up his contraband offerings. "I was bringing you brain fuel."
She laughs, the sound making my chest warm. It's still new, seeing her this relaxed around us. "Actually, your timing is perfect. I was about to come find everyone—I think I've made a breakthrough."
"Really?" Asher perks up immediately. "Should I text the others?"
"Probably a good idea," she nods.
"Dante and Damon are already out picking up food," I tell her. "They should be back soon. I'll grab Knox from his practice room."
"Perfect," she says, stretching in a way that makes her borrowed t-shirt—mine, I notice with satisfaction—ride up slightly. "Meet in the living room in fifteen? That'll give me time to organize my thoughts."
"And eat?" Asher asks hopefully, rattling his bags of junk food.
Jordan rolls her eyes but accepts a bag of Cheetos with a fond smile. "You're ridiculous."
"You love it," he says confidently, following her back into the office.
I shake my head, unable to suppress my own smile as I head to find Knox.
By the time Dante and Damon return laden with enough takeout to feed a small army, we're all gathered in the living room. Jordan has her laptop set up, looking more serious than she has since her heat ended a few days ago.
"Okay," she says once everyone's settled with their food. "So I've been going through Trakiss’s files, and he's smart. There's nothing obviously connecting him to the Sons of Epsilon on his work computer."
"But?" Asher prompts after swallowing a mouthful of lo mein.
"But," Jordan continues, "I did find something interesting in his schedule. He only works Sunday through Thursday according to his official hours. But there's an entry for lab access using his biometric data on a Saturday—specifically, at two in the morning.”
"That's suspicious," Knox rumbles from his spot on the floor. "What was he working on?"
Jordan's expression turns grimly satisfied. "That's the thing—the data from that night is completely missing. And I'm sure that's not an accident."
"Can you prove it was deliberately deleted?" I ask, leaning forward with interest.
She nods, turning her laptop so we can all see the screen. "I managed to access the security footage from that night. Look."
The grainy video shows Trakiss entering the lab, looking furtive. The timestamp confirms it was the middle of the night.
"So we've got him!" Asher says excitedly. "We can take this to the police, right?"
Jordan shakes her head. "Not yet. We need the physical logs first to prove what he was working on—those would be harder to erase. Labs that work with controlled substances have to maintain paper records, too."
"And those would be in the PheroMaster HQ," Damon says thoughtfully. "Where security's probably been increased since our little party crash."
"Exactly," Jordan confirms. "But if we could get those logs of what he was working on and it matches the samples my contact analyzed, that combined with the security footage and the missing data should be enough to pin Trakiss. And once he's in custody, I have a feeling he'll be willing to chat to save his own ass."
"Brilliant, as usual," Asher declares, beaming at Jordan with obvious pride.
I can't help but agree as I watch a pretty blush spread across Jordan's cheeks at the praise. Our new omega is certainly something special—brilliant, resourceful, and stronger than she gives herself credit for. But watching her work through Trakiss’s files also makes my protective instincts flare up.
We brought her in to help take down whoever attacked Asher, not realizing it could be connected to the cult she escaped. Now that we know the truth, the stakes feel even higher.
"We need to proceed with caution," I say, keeping my voice steady despite the rage building at the thought of what these people have done. "These aren't just anti-omega extremists we're dealing with. The Sons of Epsilon are organized, well-funded, and clearly dangerous."
To my surprise, Asher nods in agreement. I'm used to our omega charging headfirst into fights, consequences be damned. But there's something different in his eyes now—a fierce protectiveness that mirrors my own rather than the recklessness I'm used to on his own behalf.
"He's right," Asher says, growing somber. "And they're connected to Jordan's past."
"Now how does it feel?" Dante teases, clearly picking up on Asher's uncharacteristic caution.
"That's different," Asher huffs, but his hand finds Jordan's and squeezes gently.
"We have to do this," Jordan says firmly, though I catch the slight tremor in her voice. "As long as these people are out there, none of us are going to be safe to live our lives. And neither will any other omega."
"She makes a pretty compelling argument," Damon rumbles from his spot on the couch.
Asher groans dramatically. "Why do you have to be so logical about it?"
Jordan laughs, the sound lighter than I've ever heard it. "Someone has to balance out your dramatic tendencies."
"I am not dramatic," Asher protests, pressing a hand to his chest in mock offense.
"You literally rented out an entire department store just to take me shopping," Jordan points out dryly.
"That was a perfectly reasonable security measure!"
I watch their playful banter with warmth blooming in my chest. Seeing Jordan slowly come out of her shell, letting herself be part of our pack's easy affection and teasing, is deeply satisfying. But there's still a long way to go before she's truly safe.
"We need a game plan," Knox says, bringing us back on track. "And it sounds like it starts with getting back into PheroMaster. But Vince isn't just going to let us walk in and give a tour of his private facilities. Especially not if he figured out Asher was responsible for the disaster his party became."
"Well, I didn't think we'd have to go back ," Asher huffs.
"I may have something that could work," Jordan says, pulling her laptop closer. Her fingers dance across the keyboard as she pulls up a series of files. "I found these in a hidden folder on Trakiss’s computer."
"Is that..." Dante leans forward, then immediately recoils. "Aw man, I need a bucket of brain bleach to get that image out of my head."
Curiosity gets the better of me and I move to look over Jordan's shoulder. I immediately wish I hadn't. The security photos show Vince in his office and the break room, on his knees in various states of undress, chained up as a female alpha in impressive heels steps on him and does... other things I'd rather not think about too deeply.
Make it two buckets.
"I overheard a couple talking about Vince's... proclivities that night," Jordan explains, mercifully minimizing the photos. "Apparently it's a well-known secret around PheroMaster. Seems the whole 'big strong alpha dominating omegas' thing is projection."
"Why doesn't that surprise me?" Asher asks dryly.
"Wait," Damon says, his brow furrowing. "Those pictures were on Trakiss’s computer?"
"All those fuckers are freaky," Dante mutters, still looking slightly green.
"I think it was more a matter of blackmail than personal interest," Jordan says thoughtfully. "It was probably insurance, in case Vince ever found out about Trakiss’s activities."
"Normally I wouldn't be willing to blackmail someone over their personal life," Asher muses, "but considering Vince's entire line of work helps alphas subjugate omegas, I'm willing to make an exception for that hypocrite."
I study Jordan's face as she explains her plan. There's a hardness in her eyes I've never seen before—a determination that makes me realize just how much strength it took for her to survive everything she's been through. To escape that cult and build an entirely new life for herself, only to willingly face them again to protect other omegas.
If there was any doubt she's our match, and that Asher finally found his other half…
My scent shifts protectively without me realizing it, until Jordan glances up at me with a small smile that makes me breathless.
"It's a solid plan," I say, forcing myself to focus on the tactical aspects rather than my growing need to gather her close and never let go. "But we'll need to be smart about this. We can't just walk in and threaten him outright."
"No," Jordan agrees. "But we can arrange another meeting and let him know what we know."
"What makes you so sure Vince isn't in on all this?" Damon asks, voicing the concern I've been turning over in my own mind.
Jordan shakes her head, a bitter smile playing at her lips. "If it really is the Sons of Epsilon behind the attack, they'd never work directly with someone like him. Not when they know his... preferences, which Trakiss clearly does." She gestures to her laptop screen where the incriminating photos are still minimized. "They view alphas who submit to anyone as failures. The only way they'd work with Vince is as a patsy."
"And there's only one way to find out for sure," I say, already dreading what we'll have to do.
She nods, her dark eyes meeting mine with understanding. "We need those logs."
We finish eating in relative silence, each lost in our own thoughts. I can't help watching Jordan as she picks at her food, noting the determined set of her jaw. She's come so far from the skittish hacker we first met, but I still worry. The thought of putting her anywhere near people connected to her past makes my alpha instincts roar with protective rage.
Asher yawns dramatically, stretching like a cat. "Well, I'm beat. Who's coming to bed?"
"Me," Dante says immediately, already gathering empty takeout containers.
Knox and Damon exchange looks before nodding. "Us too," Knox rumbles.
"I should make that call to Vince first," I say reluctantly. "Since I was the point of contact before."
"And I have a few things to finish up," Jordan adds, though she looks tired. "But I'll join you soon."
Asher pouts but accepts it, moving to kiss Jordan softly. The others follow suit, each pressing gentle kisses to her lips or forehead before heading toward the bedroom. My chest warms at how natural it feels now, watching our pack show her affection.
Asher pauses to kiss me as well, smiling. "Don't work too late," he murmurs against my lips before following the others.
I expect Jordan to retreat to her office as planned, but instead she surprises me by crossing to where I sit on the couch. Without hesitation, she settles into my lap, wrapping her arms around my neck.
"What's wrong?" she asks softly, roses and rain blossoming around me.
I blink at her in surprise, both at her boldness and her perceptiveness. We've all been intimate during her heat, of course, but this casual affection is new. "That obvious, huh?"
She smiles, running her fingers through my hair in a way that makes me want to purr. "You get this little wrinkle between your eyebrows when you're worried about something. I've noticed it a lot lately."
My hands settle on her hips automatically as I lean into her touch. "We just found you," I admit quietly. "The thought of putting you in danger..."
"Hey." She catches my face between her hands, making me meet her eyes. "I'm not some fragile thing that needs protecting. I survived nine years on my own, remember?"
"I know," I sigh, pulling her closer. "And you're incredible. But that doesn't mean you have to keep fighting alone."
Her expression softens as she studies my face. "I'm not alone anymore," she says quietly. "That's why I'm not afraid. I have you—all of you—-watching my back now."
The simple trust in her voice makes my throat tight. I capture her lips in a gentle kiss, pouring all my protective instincts and growing feelings into it. She responds immediately, melting against me with a whine that goes straight to my core.
"Besides," she murmurs when we break apart, "I'm more worried about what they might do to Asher or other omegas if we don't stop them."
"Always thinking of others," I say fondly, kissing her throat. Her scent grows sweeter as I nip at the marks we've left there, faded as they are. And I can't stop thinking about how I want to put a permanent mark in their place. We all do. I feel it like a current of understanding that runs through our pack without words, but not now.
Jordan is right. No one is truly safe right now, and when we mark her—if she allows it—I want there to be no lingering fears in her mind. No doubts.
She shivers, pressing closer. "Silas," she breathes.
"Yes, beautiful?" I ask, sliding my hands under her borrowed shirt to stroke the soft skin of her back.
Instead of answering, she kisses me again, deeper this time. Her fingers tangle in my hair as she rocks against me, drawing a growl from my throat. I can smell her arousal building, her omega scent turning headier with each passing moment.
"Need you," she whispers against my lips. "Want to feel you inside me."
The words send heat straight to my cock. "Right here?" I ask, already helping her pull her shirt over her head. She's not wearing anything underneath, and the sight of her bare skin in the dim living room lighting makes my mouth water.
"Right here," she confirms, working at the button of my jeans. "I want to ride you."
I groan at her words, at how far she's come from the shy, hesitant beta we first met. Heat or no heat, she knows what she wants now. And what she wants is us. Is me.
Together we manage to get my jeans open and pushed down just enough to free my cock. Jordan's already wet when I slide my fingers between her legs, her body eager and ready for me.
"So perfect," I murmur as she positions herself over me. "Made for us."
She sinks down onto my length with a gasp, taking me deep in one smooth motion. The tight heat of her body makes me growl, my hands tightening on her hips as she starts to move.
"That's it," I encourage as she finds her rhythm, rolling her hips in a way that has us both gasping. "Take what you need from me."
I watch in awe as Jordan moves above me, her head thrown back as she sets a steady rhythm. My hands slide up her sides, mapping every curve and dip of her body. She's so different from how she appeared when hiding her true self—all soft skin and gentle slopes where angles used to be.
"Beautiful," I murmur, trailing my fingers across her ribcage. She shivers at my touch, her inner walls clenching around me deliciously.
She whimpers as I lean forward to capture a nipple between my lips, her movements becoming more desperate. I can feel her starting to chase her release, but I want to draw this out. Want to savor every moment with her.
"Slow down," I tell her gently, gripping her hips to guide her into a more languid pace. "We've got all night."
Jordan makes a soft sound of protest but follows my lead, her movements becoming deeper and more deliberate. The new rhythm lets me feel every inch of her wrapped around me, hot and tight and perfect.
"That's it," I encourage, sliding one hand up to cup her breast. She arches into my touch with a gasp that makes my cock throb inside her. "Let me worship you properly."
Her cheeks flush at my words, but she doesn't look away. That's progress—she used to hide from any kind of praise or attention. Now she lets me see how it affects her, how it makes her scent bloom.
I trail kisses across her collarbone, tasting the salt of her skin and the sweetness of her scent. My teeth graze the spot where I want to leave my mark—where we all want to mark her—but I resist the urge. Not yet. She needs to feel completely safe first.
"Silas," she breathes as I suck another temporary mark into her throat instead. Her fingers tangle in my hair, holding me close as she continues to move above me in that maddeningly slow rhythm.
"I've got you," I murmur against her skin, sliding my hands down her back to cup her ass. The position lets me guide her movements even more, helping her maintain the easy pace that's driving us both crazy.
Her breath hitches as I hit a particularly sensitive spot inside her. "Please," she whimpers, trying to move faster again.
"Patience," I tell her with a gentle smile, keeping her steady. "I want to feel every inch of you."
She shivers at my words but doesn't argue, letting me control the pace. Her trust in me, in all of us, still amazes me. After everything she's been through, she chooses to let us see her like this—vulnerable and wanting and completely herself.
My hands roam her body as she moves, memorizing every curve and sensitive spot. The way she gasps when I brush my thumbs across her nipples. How she trembles when I trail my fingers down her spine. The little sounds she makes when I grip her hips just right.
She leans down to capture my lips again. I lose myself in the taste of her, the feel of her body moving with mine. Everything about this moment feels perfect—the weight of her in my lap, her scent, the way she sighs my name between kisses.
When we finally break apart for air, I rest my forehead against hers. "I love you," I tell her, the words slipping out before I can stop them. We haven't said it yet—not since Asher's declaration during her heat. Haven't wanted to pressure her.
But instead of tensing or pulling away, she melts against me with a sigh. "I… I love you too," she whispers, and the vulnerability in her voice undoes me. "All of you."
My hands tighten on her hips at her words, drawing a gasp from her throat. The admission changes something between us, makes everything more intense. Each touch feels electric, each kiss deeper and more meaningful.
I trail my lips down her throat again, tasting the salt of her skin and the sweetness of her scent. My teeth graze that spot again—the one that calls to my alpha instincts—but this time she tilts her head, offering more access.
The gesture of submission makes me growl, but I force myself to pull back. "Not yet," I tell her gently, pressing a kiss to her pulse point instead. "When you're ready. When you're sure."
She makes a sound of protest but doesn't argue. Instead, she kisses me again, pouring all her emotions into the kiss. I can feel how much she wants it—wants us—in every movement of her body against mine.
My hands slide up her back, holding her close as we move together. The slow pace is maddening but perfect, letting us feel every sensation. Every shift of her hips, every clench of her inner walls, every shared breath between kisses.
"Mine," I growl against her lips, unable to help myself. "Ours."
"Yours," she agrees breathlessly, and the word sends heat racing through my veins.
The admission pushes me closer to the edge, my knot starting to swell at the base of my cock. But I fight to maintain control, to keep the languid pace she's matching so perfectly.
"So good for me," I praise, sliding one hand between us to circle her clit. Her whole body jerks at the contact, a desperate sound escaping her throat. "That's it, beautiful. Let me feel you."
She starts to tremble above me, her movements becoming less coordinated as ecstasy builds. But I keep her steady, guiding her through it as I continue the slow, deep thrusts that are driving us both mad.
"Please," she gasps, her fingers digging into my shoulders. "Silas, I need..."
"I know what you need," I tell her, pressing harder against her clit. "Come for me, Jordan. Show me how good I make you feel."
She falls apart with a cry of my name, her body clenching around me rhythmically. The sensation almost sends me over the edge, but I hold back and my knot slips in the moment her pussy relaxes. I'm locked inside her, my knot swelling to its full side and pressing into her G-spot hard enough to make her scream.
If there was any doubt the others know what we're up to out here, it's gone now, but I don't care. All I feel is pride and arousal knowing I made the collected omega come loose this way. Jordan's hips rock desperately against me and the movement sends me over the edge with her, my come spilling into her wave after wave.
When I feel the last hot spurt of seed enter her, she's still thrashing on my cock, until she comes again and collapses against my chest with a ragged moan. I hold her close as we come down from the high, pressing soft kisses to every inch of skin I can reach.
"I meant it," she whispers against my neck once our breathing has steadied. "What I said. I love you. All of you."
My pulse quickens at her words, at the vulnerability in her voice. "We love you too," I tell her firmly. "You complete us. More than you could ever know."
She makes a soft sound of contentment, nuzzling closer as we wait for my knot to go down. Soon, we'll rejoin our pack, but I'm in no hurry for this moment where she's only mine to end.