Chapter 14 Kai
Kai
I’d never been more in love with her than I was at that moment.
Where the blood drained from her face and she fell ass-first onto the floor, as a sob racked from her, and the harsh echo of Sin locking the refrigerator door.
Because fuck me. She was stunning.
Alphas sometimes used this phrase, which I thought was bullshit.
Light of my life.
Like, what the hell was that? What did that even mean?
I literally didn’t get it until I saw the woman I loved throw the woman I hated straight into hell.
I stared, amazed at her as a fresh round of those constant tears poured down her cheeks and the deafening silence that followed the closing door.
As I stood behind her in the space I’d shoved Zania, I could only see the side of Brandy’s face, and horror sank through her as she realised what we’d done.
There were times when I’d missed out on comforting her. Looking back on them, it was so fucking important, and we messed up. We should have been there for her. Fucking all of us. At the same time. Because we were her mates and we could never get this right.
So, I looked up, meeting Sin’s eyes, and he gave me a nod.
We both flowed towards her, totally in sync, knowing exactly how we needed to take care of our omega.
I dropped to my knees behind her, wrapping my arms around her chest, holding her as close as I could as I pressed my heart against her body so she knew it beat for her.
Sin took a calmer approach, lowering on one knee in front of her, taking her tremoring hand away from her lips so he could kiss her cheek before leaning back. She met his eyes, her heart blooming for him. But I let it go, because he softened for her as well.
“We’re here now,” he said as he pulled us close, reaching to stroke her hair. “You don’t need to worry anymore.”
I didn’t expect her to relax into us or sigh or do anything that would show she felt safe.
Because the screams started, along with Brandy’s trembling.
Zania’s screams were so fucking satisfying that I buried my face in her shoulder to hide my wide grin.
I knew they could feel how elated I was, but I wanted to keep my smile to myself.
Killing her mates, who had played a huge part in making me feel like scum, had been work.
But there wasn’t a single trace of guilt as Brandy and I looked past Sin and watched the fridge door like we could see through it.
I’d endured her for so long, and it was exactly what that bitch deserved.
“Just hold on to me, Melanie,” Sin said, covering us with his aura, trying to calm her down as her shakes grew worse. “We’re right here with you. You’re not alone.”
He could try as much as he wanted, but it didn’t change the fact that Zania’s panic, her shouts for help, and her unbridled fear poured out through the refrigerator door in her aura, and it was fucking delicious.
I had no problem torturing her mates to get information. When they told me where they put Caspian, maybe I already had an inkling of what I wanted to do to her.
But I had no idea that the light of my life would be the one to finally take care of her. That, in the end, after all my promises, she was the one who protected me.
The screams changed, growing more guttural, pure terror singing through me.
I wish I could be in the room with Cas as he took revenge like I always wanted.
Brandy’s attention was glued to the door, her own pain and guilt crashing through her.
We could all sense exactly what Cas was doing to her in there.
Bursts of pain in my hands, my legs, scratches on my chest, neck, and cheeks. Tearing at my hair, my knees thudded as he fell to the floor.
The screams wouldn’t stop; ringing in Cas’s ears, muffled by the thick fridge door.
Brandy whimpered, crying, shaking at the strength of Cas grasping his fingers around his mum’s neck and pressing hard.
We held her as she shook, but it wasn’t enough. Brandy needed Cas as well; she needed her alpha. Because his rogue state flared, and the agony that beat from him increased.
It wasn’t only violence that poured from him.
As his awareness came back, so did his grief. It descended on us like a torrent in those last seconds, and my heart broke as Brandy cried with him. His hands tightened, and all three of us experienced the crack vibrating in his palms.
Cas’s chest heaved along with Brandy’s as he froze. We were so connected when he went rogue that we could feel the smallest twitches and spasms in his hand as he let go of Zania’s throat.
I groaned as Caspian rocked back, his ass thudding back onto his heels. I knew it was fucked up, but I was so horny that I had to push my hips away from Brandy so I didn’t rub my cock against her.
Because I was so proud of him, of all of us.
If Cas’s mind wasn’t fracturing from the sheer overwhelm of his rogue state, I would have kicked the door down and leapt on him. Right in front of Zania’s fucking body so she could see he was going to be mine until the end.
I’d drag Brandy in there; I’d make Sin come as well. We’d all just bask in the fact that Zania Risler would touch us again.
I held Brandy close as Sin sent her his love, but she was too shocked. So much had happened to her in such a short amount of time that we couldn’t push her. If we put any more strain on her, she might really shatter. And I couldn’t live without her anymore.
A huge wave blasted through the bond, and the three of us jumped as it whooshed through our bodies. Sin and I had never felt anything like it. Cas wasn’t exactly the freest bird, but something suddenly unlocked inside him, and every piece of shit he’d been carrying was being sucked out of him.
I gasped, holding Brandy tighter, trying not to be taken over by the force that was draining me.
“What’s happening?” I asked, looking at Sin, but he had turned to stare at the door with wild eyes. “Is it Zania? What did she do to him?”
“I don’t know,” he said, worry tinging his voice. “Your guess would be as good as mine.”
Even when Caspian was full-on rogue, Sin had never been this worried. It was only after Brandy struggled in the restaurant that he actually showed us any emotion. But his panic was pulsing inside him now.
It was like the hold Zania had on him finally vanished now she was gone. Like everything that had built up in him from years of her unhinged fucking abuse was flowing out of him because she was gone.
And, even better, he was the one to end it.
As quickly as it started, it suddenly stopped. In the same way Sin had slammed the door again to keep Cas inside.
It was this weird, eerie feeling, like our bond was suddenly emptier, or lighter, or silent. But, in that, there was more space and openness. Almost like there was more space for the omega in my arms to come closer to us.
But what the hell were we supposed to do about it? I had to stay connected to her. I couldn’t leave her side; I had to make sure she was stable.
I didn’t know how long we sat there. None of us moved.
We just kept holding Mel and pouring love into her and Cas.
I wanted to tell Sin to bite her, but the danger was over, and I was going to fucking tear into him for that later.
If they ever thought I was letting them off, they had another thing coming.
She couldn’t take her eyes off of the door. I think we all hoped that Cas would suddenly throw himself against it again, or blood would seep out from under it, or just anything to show what we’d done.
I wouldn’t be able to see her body unless we let Cas out. I needed to make sure Zania was really dead, and there wouldn’t be some stupid revenge arc where she came back next year all fucked up and ready to kill us.
If she wasn’t dead, then we’d get Brandy out of there, and I’d do the last honours.
I was becoming tenser and tenser, torn between wanting to be there for Brandy and wanting to make sure my alpha was okay.
Caspian was never quiet during his rogue state.
He could shout and roar for hours if we locked him up in a room.
So, the fact he had barely made a noise since we felt a crack under our fingers was worrying me, too.
“I think it’s time,” Sin said, gently letting Brandy go. “He’s been still long enough.”
Brandy reached out for him, catching the sleeve of his suit, looking up at him with hazy eyes.
“Please don’t leave me.”
“We aren’t going anywhere,” he said, bending down to press a kiss to her cheek. “But we need to release Caspian, and then bring you home to keep you safe. I don’t want my omega to spend any more time in this cold kitchen.”
She fluttered with happiness at him calling her his omega.
I really didn’t want to let her go, but her safety was more important.
I softly unfurled from her before I rose, keeping my shins pressed against her back so we still had contact.
“You’ve gotta be ready for this,” I said as I drew the gun out from my pocket.
She rocked her head back to look up at me, her eyes wide. “Are you…are you going to shoot him?”
“Well, only if I need to. I’ve never had a chance, so I wouldn’t mind having a go.”
Fear pulsed in her, and I wanted to laugh. “Come on, after everything you’ve seen so far of Cas, do you really think he’s going to die from a little shooting? He’s like a fucking tiger; he won’t go down so easy.”
Besides, when I really thought about it, the pain coming from Cas’s neck could have already been a shot. It had the same flavour as the other times Sin had to shoot him for going rogue. Though Cas never remembered that tidbit.
Which was another thing my alphas had to explain to me when this shitshow was over. They’d definitely driven Cas to that state, and it wasn’t just Zania ripping him and Mel apart after they bonded.
“Brandy, do you feel that?” I asked her, nudging her with my shin, hoping I could distract her from what was coming.
I held up my fist, beating it against my chest. “That thumping? That sound? That’s Cas’s heartbeat. So, you just focus on that, and we’ll do the rest, okay?”