Chapter 19
NINETEEN
HUGO
Casey was humming to himself as he propped all our bags up against a pillar and started opening them. I spread out one of our jackets on the floor and sat down on it. Jewel came and nestled in right next to me, sliding his arm through mine.
“Personal space?” I asked him.
He scoffed. “You love it. Besides, I’m freezing. I need my big, hot alpha to warm me up.”
I tried to tamp down the surge of giddy glee that came over me when he said my alpha. Jewel gave me a smug smile and pressed closer. He actually did look a bit clammy, come to think of it, though I doubted this escape had been kind to any of us.
Had I really been planning to leave? What on earth had happened to that decision?
Casey’s humming made its way toward us, and he knelt beside me. “Here. Let me have a look at your arm.”
Casey’s soft hands gently took my wrist and rested it on my knee so he could examine my scrapes. He took some scissors out of the first aid kit and was about to snip off the remnants of my sleeve.
“Wait.” Jewel rose up on his knees, and the next thing I knew, my shirt was being stripped off.
“I don’t think that’s necessary,” I said weakly.
Jewel ignored me and settled back against my side, his head resting on my shoulder. I could feel a faint purr rumbling in his chest.
“I’ve got to clean it,” Casey told me. “There’s some gravel stuck in there, so it might hurt a bit.”
“Just do what you gotta do.”
I held still as he got to work, closing my eyes as he began humming again.
It stung like a bitch, but I’d dealt with worse.
Jewel gave a little huff, which had me opening my eyes.
“Look at you. Nurse Casey, looking after your alpha. God, you’re making me so horny.”
Casey went red and dropped the tweezers he was holding.
I used my good hand to smack Jewel lightly on the back of the head. “Behave.” He couldn’t go around saying things like that. That I was Casey’s alpha.
“Yes, daddy,” he said under his breath, earning him another smack.
Brat.
I looked up to find Casey re-sterilizing the tweezers, avoiding eye contact. It meant I could freely stare at him as he picked gravel out of my arm. Occasionally, his eyes would dart up and meet mine, and his blush would deepen.
He had such an expressive face, with large brown eyes. I couldn’t help thinking that maybe, just maybe, my alpha wouldn’t reject him if I rutted. There wasn’t a threatening bone in his body, after all.
I wanted so desperately to believe that.
But what if I was wrong?
It didn’t matter that everything about him, from the way he hunched over to the little crease between his eyebrows when he concentrated, triggered my protective instincts.
I wouldn’t risk hurting him.
Casey finished applying a dressing and carefully wrapped my arm. “There,” he said, giving me a sweet smile.
Gah.
A restless energy surged within me. There was a sharp tang of metal in my mouth. I tried, but I couldn’t stop my instincts from taking over.
Casey went to pull away, but I reached out and grabbed his face. He gave a sharp intake of breath, freezing.
“Do you want that, Casey?” My voice came out in a growl.
Casey’s eyes widened. “W-want what?”
“Do you want to be my beta, Casey?”
“Holy fuck,” Jewel whispered behind me, his scent perfuming in the air.
Casey’s eyes widened, his pupils dilating.
He swallowed.
“Yes,” he whispered.
A feral grin split my face, and the world seemed to sway.
Perfect.
I rose onto my feet. Casey was still kneeling on the ground, his eyes wide. I pulled him closer, breathing in his sweet scent of peach tea. He whimpered as I opened my mouth, tongue darting out to brush against his neck.
Then I bit down, trying to claim him.
Something was wrong, though.
I couldn’t.
The only connection I felt in my mind was Jewel’s temporary bond. Lurking deep within were shadows of the others, just out of my reach.
Not mine.
Not yet.
I let Casey go and turned back to Jewel. His eyes were wide, and his skin was flushed as he blinked up at me.
I had to bond our omega first. Then we’d have a pack, and he’d act as an anchor when I bonded our betas.
Jewel let out a whine as I crossed over to him. I’d mark up his pretty little neck right where everyone could see.
I could feel the heat from his skin as I lowered my face to his neck this time. He writhed beneath me, his hands grabbing on and pulling me closer still.
“Please, alpha,” he begged. “Bite me, please.”
How could I deny what he was literally begging for?
My teeth broke his skin before something crashed into my side.
?
JADE
I was antsy as I sat in the booth, shredding the napkin in front of me into tiny pieces of confetti. I jumped as Mord claimed the seat opposite me.
“Shade.” His voice was curt.
He still had a shadow of a bruise on one of his cheeks, and his stony face was even more fixed than usual.
“You okay?” I asked, reaching up to the mark. I stopped myself before I touched him; the last thing I needed was Jewel working himself into a snit because I smelled like a strange alpha.
Mord turned his face away. “I’ve had worse.”
I grimaced, lacing my antsy hands together. “Sorry again. Of all the people he could have punched at that party…” I shook my head, then gave him a grin. “Seriously. You’re not even in the top ten.”
“Why did you even bring a rogue? Thought you were smarter than that.”
I groaned and collapsed on the table, covering my head with my arms. “Ugh! I know, all right? I’m a big dumb dummy. I think my brain is fried or something, because that is not the only dumb-ass decision I’ve made in the last few weeks.”
I raised my head and held up my finger at him. “And don’t go lecturing me about getting my business and personal life crossed, because trust me, we are way past that point.”
“I didn’t ask.”
I scowled and flicked a crumpled bit of paper at the wall. “Look, I need a favor, okay?”
I hated having to ask for help. I’d worked my ass off over the years, proving I was a force to be reckoned with.
In order to be taken seriously by the men I worked with, I’d had to work triple time.
Thankfully, I’d dropped all that posturing with Mord years ago. It made asking a bit less humiliating.
Just a teeny bit.
“I need a discreet driver to smuggle me and a couple of others out of New Oxford. You’ve got contacts, right?”
Mord tipped his head to the side. “This wouldn’t have anything do with that missing Fairchild omega, right?”
“Shh!” I waved my arms frantically, then scowled again. “What does it matter?”
“More risk, more money.”
“I can pay. I just need someone I can trust.”
I was soaking wet and grumpy when I made my way back to Breaker’s Bridge. It had started to rain, because of course it had.
I had forty-five minutes to corral my idiots and get them to the pickup spot.
“Guys! Time to pack up, cuz we’re moving out!” I called, swinging through a beam and landing under the bridge.
It took me a second to process what was happening. Casey was kneeling on the ground, fresh blood staining his collar. He looked dazed, staring at where Hugo was practically straddling Jewel.
I took two steps closer, alarm rising in my chest.
What in the ever loving fuck nuggets—?
“Please alpha,” Jewel was saying. “Bite me, please.”
Hugo was—
On, fuck, no.
I tackled Hugo before I could think twice. We crashed into the ground, Hugo’s aura splitting the air. He pinned me down and snarled, blood staining his lips.
“Don’t growl at me, Hugo,” I snapped, jabbing my finger into his chest. He growled.
There was no recognition as his feral eyes met mine. Right.
Add ‘Tackling an alpha in a rut off of the omega he’s claimed’ to that list of dumb-ass decisions I was talking about earlier. I blamed Jewel for every single one of them.
My heartbeat was thundering in my ears as we stared each other down. I could have fainted with relief when Hugo blinked and the snarl fell from his face.
“Jade?”
Adrenaline was still buzzing through me and I wasn’t sure if I should laugh or cry. I settled for whacking Hugo hard on his hairy chest.
“What the fuck you guys? Can’t I leave you alone for five minutes without this shit happening?”
I shoved Hugo again, and he had the decency to move off me. I rose to my feet, glaring at my other two idiots.
Casey scrambled to his feet with a gasp, coming over to kneel beside Hugo.
“Oh no,” he said, face ashen.
“Damn right, oh no. What was that?”
I let out a choked noise as I got a good look at Jewel.
There was black on his neck, a black bite. I stumbled over, tugging down his collar. It wasn’t a full bite, but where Hugo’s teeth had punctured, black spidery lines had blossomed.
“Oh thank fuck.” I said. It hadn’t worked.
“Aw.” Jewel folded his arms, looking extremely put out. “You ruined it, Jade.”
“I ruined it?” I half screeched. “I. Me. Ruined that fucking dark bond?”
Jewel did his wrinkly-nose pout thingy and folded his arms.
“Yes,” he said, turning away from me. He refused to elaborate further.
I turned back to Casey and Hugo, who’d gotten to his feet. Hugo looked haggard and pale, like he’d seen a ghost.
“I’m so sorry.” Casey’s eyes were wide. “The pheromones got to me. Got to us all.”
“Okay. Well, while you guys were fucking about here, I got us a ride to our next stop. So please pack the fucking bags and follow me.”
Jewel stood up and took a step toward me. He’d traded his pout for a small smile. “Come on, angel. Don’t be all grumpy.”
I glared at him. He sidled closer, raising an eyebrow. “Don’t even,” I snapped.
He slid his hand into mine. When I didn’t pull away, he tugged me closer, resting his chin on my head. There was a faint purr rumbling in his chest.
“You still angry?”
“Yes.” My voice was muffled by his chest.
No.
It was impossible to be angry when you were being cuddled by a purring omega.
He pulled back and gave me a lopsided grin. “Aw, come on,” he teased, booping my nose. I snapped my teeth at his finger, and his eyes darkened.
I swallowed, gazing up at him. God, he smelled really good.
“Time to go,” I said, ducking away from him. My voice didn’t quite work right, coming out as a squeak.
My cheeks heated, and I didn’t dare look at him again as I started to grab our things.
?
HUGO
Jade stood up and shouldered her backpack. “Okay, let’s get moving. They’re gonna pick us up a few blocks from here. “
“I can take that,” offered Casey, but I beat him there and took her bag. My heart was pounding in my chest, and I couldn’t stop looking at her.
My worst fear had happened. I’d lost control, and Jade had tackled me away from my omega, when I was halfway through bonding him.
I should have torn her to shreds.
But I hadn’t.
I hadn’t.
I’d stopped.
Then Casey had rushed at me, and I hadn’t attacked him, either.
I closed my eyes for a second, terrified of the hope swelling in my chest.
Was it possible I’d found a miracle?
I couldn’t coexist in a pack with other alphas. But with these betas?
Was it possible?
I glanced at Jewel, who was staring off into the rain. A wince of pain ran across his face; here one moment and gone the next.
“Jewel. You coming?” Jade said.
“Yes, yes.” He shook his head and gave a huge stretch before sauntering over.
I shouldn’t get my hopes up. I hadn’t really been in a rut, not a proper one. Maybe I could find a way to test it, though? If I locked myself up for my next proper rut, then asked them all to come close…?
“Come on.” Jade shoved her burner phone back into her pocket and led us out into the rain.
She set a quick pace as we walked through the downpour, but after a few blocks, we started to slow. Jewel was lagging behind. I heard Jade grind her teeth as she turned on him, just as he began taking off the hoodie.
“Put that back on, you idiot!” she hissed. “Do you want someone to recognize you?”
“I can’t. It’s too hot,” he whined. “Fuck, maybe we can stop for a minute? You have water, right?”
“Jewel, stop messing around.” She snatched the hoodie from him, then stopped short.
She blinked and took a step closer to Jewel. His face was flushed, and his hair was wet and plastered to his forehead. His face suddenly scrunched in pain. He let out another whine as he clutched his stomach and pitched forward.
“Shit. Jewel?” She caught him, shoving his shoulders up. “Are you in heat?”
“I don’t have heats,” Jewel panted, his arms wrapping around her. He buried his face in her hair and inhaled.
I reached their side and looped an arm around his waist to steady him. Now I was close, the rain no longer masked his thick scent. It was sweet and rich and flooded me from head to toe with arousal.
“You’re in heat,” I gritted out.
Fuck.
Fuck fuck.
“No, I’m—” Jewel doubled over with a groan.
“What do we do?” Casey asked, his voice hoarse.
What could we do?
There was no way I was letting a stranger drive us around when Jewel was in heat. Getting inside a closed space like a car would make us all loopy with lust, and no one could drive safely like that.
“Shit,” Jade spat. “We’re nowhere near the safe house—”
Then her eyes widened.
“The Safe House,” she repeated, and whipped out her phone.