Chapter 22
Emmett
“Are you good?”
Diego’s deep voice breaks my concentration as I start to doze off.
“Huh? Yeah, I’m good,”
I say, my voice already tinged with the gravel of sleep. Auryn curls closer to me in her sleep, burrowing her face into the crook of my neck, and my entire body heats. I can’t help but stare at her like this. Hair splayed out all over her bare shoulders, down her back. Eyelashes fluttering and her soft snores filling the air.
When she’s awake she’s a force to be reckoned with, but right now she looks…
Almost peaceful.
“We move out in one hour,”
he says as he slides back into his pants, latching his belt.
I know I should feel weird about what happened between us. But it’s the opposite. I don’t feel anything but good. Like, really fucking good.
My gaze slowly travels up his back as Auryn pulls me closer like I’m a giant fucking pillow and not a person. It’s probably my warmth. Omegas crave body heat.
“You can take the Humvee; I’ll take the Jeep. It’s older and dirty, so they won’t suspect as much if I come up pretending to be a migrant looking for work. With any luck, it’ll be a good enough ruse to get me inside.”
“Got it,”
I say as his gaze catches on the omega clawing at me in her sleep. I’m sure her nails are going to leave a mark, and something about that makes me grin like an idiot.
“Take your time, but don’t get comfortable, Em. We have a job to do.”
“I know,”
I say as I carefully extricate her hand from my back. She doesn’t wake.
Diego is out a second later, leaving only Auryn and me. The sheen of sweat covering me has gone cold but the heat between us is more than comforting. I wish I could stay here forever, curled up in this queen-sized bed with my omega, but Diego is right. We have a job to do. A job for Auryn.
Those bastards are not touching my little kitty kat ever again if I have anything to say about it.
I regrettably pull away, knowing I, too, need to get my shit together, so I do. I take my time, trying to be as quiet as possible as not to wake Auryn, which is no small feat. When I am finally dressed, I take one last look at my sleeping princess, suck in a deep breath, and open the door.
It’s late, that I can tell just from the overhead lights and the sound of Gage snoring through his door.
One glance at Olly’s open room tells me he’s not sleeping, but he rarely does.
Save for this afternoon after he fucked Auryn, apparently.
I still don’t know how the fuck that happened. Didn’t think the guy was capable of doing that, honestly, and I don’t mean that to be rude, but I was under the impression being asexual meant he didn’t, you know, want to fuck–period.
Guess I was wrong, if the sounds coming from Auryn’s room this afternoon were any indicator.
Part of me is happy the guy got laid. Maybe now he won’t be so fucking uptight all the time. But the larger part of me feels slighted. Threatened, even, which is insane.
I’m pretty sure if I barked at the man and used my alpha tone, I could get him to fucking kneel for me, and I wouldn’t have to blink to get him to do it. He’s a beta, I’m an alpha. It’s fucking nature’s hierarchy.
Why the thought of commanding Olly to kneel has my stupid cock twitching is beyond me. I can’t fucking stand Olly. He’s an asshole. He’s a fucking nerd. Yeah, he can suture like no one’s business, and he’s talented as hell with blood, and Auryn seems to be really fucking into him, but still. Two experiences with my alpha brothers is one thing.
We’re alphas. We’re built from a different cloth. A better cloth.
Olly’s a fucking beta. Not an omega.
Christ, I swear this cock has a mind of its own.
I head for the kitchen to grab some protein bars to toss in my pack, not knowing how long our little stakeout-operation Orion is going to take. Diego’s plan to pose as a migrant worker should get him inside, enough to get a handle of the layout of the house since Auryn’s memory isn’t enough to give us a clear idea. The plan is simple—get in, grab an Orion, get the info we need, and take out the man who let those fuckers hurt our Omega.
He will pay for his crimes, that’s for sure.
When I get to the kitchen, it’s dark. I don’t bother to turn the lights on, knowing where everything is. I grab some protein bars and make for my stash of jerky, because if there’s one thing I love on a stakeout, it’s salty food. Chips are too noisy, but I can grind the tension in my jaw away with some tough meat.
My hands are starting to get full, so I shut the cabinets and head back out into the hall, immediately hitting a brick wall. I move to brace myself, and I drop my food all over the fucking floor, and when I look up, I see the reason is…
Fucking Olly.
“Watch where the fuck you’re going asshole,”
I bite as Olly huffs out an annoyed sound.
“I believe it is you who needs to be more aware of your surroundings, Emmett. Clearly you need to be reminded to look both ways before crossing any sort of street.”
I bend down to grab my protein bars with a growl, noting that he stands tall.
“Don’t just fucking stand there,”
I bark. “Clean up the mess you made, Olivander.”
Olly looks nonplussed, completely unbothered by my growl or bark.
What the fuck?
He crosses his arms, judging me from where he stands. Seriously, what is his problem?
I think he’s going to say something to piss me off, maybe even walk away. But he doesn’t. He drops to his knees and carefully picks up some bars and a few packs of salted nuts. He hands them to me like they are made of glass, and I snatch them from his hands. My fingers slide against his as I do so, and my cock twitches.
No. Fucking no way in God damn hell am I touching that with a ten foot pole. We could be the last two idiots on the face of the planet, and I wouldn’t let Olivander Montgomery within distance of this fucking cock. Fuck that.
He wrinkles his nose and then gives me a questioning glance.
“Why do you smell like Auryn and…Diego?”
I chuckle darkly. “Aren’t you supposed to be smart, Olly?”
His scowl makes me grin and chuckle, and we both stand up.
“I—”
“Think about it, Boy Genius. Why do you smell like Auryn?”
His expression pales for a moment as his eyes go wide, and I think he might actually pass out. But instead, his eyes light up, and a grin spreads on his face, and I think I miscalculated his reaction altogether.
I wondered if he’d be pissed. Diego and Gage, yeah, I’d expect them to bristle and peacock the fuck out because we’re alphas. Asserting our dominance is part of our DNA, just like the drive to rut and breed an omega is part of our DNA. I get the posturing from them, but I would be lying if I said I didn’t want to see Olly get his fucking panties in a twist.
The idea of shaking him, of cracking his stone armor, is almost as enticing as pushing Auryn’s buttons.
“I have so many questions,”
he says, his pupils fucking dilating, and I think I’ve fucked up.
He’s not pissed. He’s curious.
I groan, knowing if I don’t evade him now, I’m not going to make it out of this compound on time.
“Later,”
I bite as I push past him, knocking into his shoulder hard.
He whines. Like a little kid who’s dropped his fucking cookie. I roll my eyes. “But—”
“Go to bed, Olly,”
I nip, turning around and flashing my glare at him. He pouts. Fucking pouts. “That’s an order!” I bark.
His eyebrows furrow, and he looks at the ground like he’s about to fucking cry, which is…new.
Something inside of me flips and feels bad. Like, I feel shitty for hurting his fucking feelings.
Jesus, these post-mating chemicals are fucking with my brain.
“Sorry,”
I say, clearing my throat. “Didn’t meant to yell, I just—”
“No, I suppose you’re right. It’s late. I should…”
He looks down the hall, towards his lab. His shoulders loosen as he runs a hand through his dark hair. The overhead lights cast a shimmer on his smooth locks, and I notice the faintest flex in his forearm.
He’s smaller than I am, but not quite as small as Auryn. I see the guy every day, so I know what he looks like. But I find myself wondering how defined he is underneath his scrubs. I’ve never seen him naked before. He practically runs to the showers first, and we all know enough to give him his space. He’s more solitary than us. More uptight.
But still, I wonder.
“Go to bed,”
I say, lighter now. Trying not to sound like an asshole.
“Sleep is good,”
he mumbles. “Sleep means I’ll be more efficient.”
I shake my head. “Yeah, whatever.”
He wrings his hands together, chewing on his lip, and I think he wants to say something.
“What is it?”
I sigh, knowing it’s best he just says it so I can leave and not feel like a guilty asshole.
“Are you mad at me?”
he asks, and it’s almost childish. Like he really doesn’t know or understand.
Maybe he doesn’t.
“Why would I be mad at you? Because you clearly need to watch where you’re going?”
He shakes his head. “Because Auryn and I—”
I laugh. Because it’s so not like him to ask, and also it feels so juvenile. But the look on his face tells me he actually is worried I’m mad at him, and something about that changes my tone. I take two steps toward him, clutching my goodies.
“Let’s get one thing straight here, Olly,”
I say as I catch his gaze. I tower over him, even though I’m the shortest of the alphas at six-two.
“What?”
he asks, furrowing those dark brows again.
“I am not mad at you,”
I say. “I don’t understand why in the fucking world Auryn wants you, and maybe I’m a little surprised that you actually know how to use your dick, but I just fucked Auryn with another alpha’s cock inside of her, so I think it’s safe to say I can share just fine.”
His cheeks turn scarlet from my words, and I have to stifle my laugh because fuck, I didn’t think Olly was capable of blushing. The guy’s got two settings, apathetic as fuck or pissy as fuck.
“At the same time?”
His voice comes out as a whisper, almost like he can’t breathe.
I grin proudly. “Yes.”
“I see,”
he says as he blows out a breath.
A strange ache pulls in my chest as I look down the hall to the quarters. One glance at the clock tells me I’ve got to leave in less than twenty minutes. I need to get rid of Olly and fast, before his smart brain kicks in, and he starts asking where the fuck I’m going.
“So no, I’m not mad if you want to play doctor or whatever the fuck it is that you two do together. I wouldn’t give a shit if you crawled into bed with her right now,”
I say, my mind wandering to her naked body in her nest. Without me to keep her warm…
My voice turns more serious. “In fact, I think you should do that. Right fucking now.”
His gaze holds mine, and he looks a little confused, but when he looks down the hall, I know he wants to. When he looks at me questioningly, biting his lip, I think he needs more than just assurance.
He needs permission.
From me. Something about that makes me feel almost as shocked as when I felt Diego’s cock against mine.
“She likes you. And if she wants you, who am I to tell my omega she can’t have what she wants?”
I say, my voice dropping an octave. “It’s…okay.”
I let out a sigh. “I’m okay with it. Promise.”
Olly nods. “Okay, then.”
His shoulders loosen. “We’ll, uh…talk soon then? About my…questions.”
I know damn well I won’t be here, but I don’t want him to be suspicious. Still, I can’t help but give him the assurance he seeks. “Sure,” I say.
He looks at the snacks in my arms, almost as if he wants to question me, but thinks better of it.
“Good night, Emmett,”
he says, and with that he turns around and leaves me alone.
“All right, you know the plan?”
Diego says as he meets me on the side of the Humvee.
“Yes, yes. We’ve been over this, like, a hundred fucking times, man.”
Diego implores me with his gaze.
“You go to the door and do your schtick, and I hang back waiting for your signal.”
Diego’s dark gaze holds mine. “If I am not out in twenty minutes, you know what to do.”
I wave him off with one hand while I dump the packet of salted peanuts into my mouth with the other. “Yeah, yeah. Go home, get Gage.”
Diego nods. “Sí.”
We’d both agreed that if things went south, the best plan of action was to get our commander. Olly could take care of Auryn on his own. Not that I like the idea of leaving them alone at the compound, but Olly isn’t completely defenseless. Just because he works in the lab and is a pain in my ass most of the time doesn’t mean he doesn’t know how to use a weapon or defend the base.
“Alright then, let’s get this fucking show on the road,”
I say as I grab my gun from the trunk and slide it beneath the waistband of my pants, hiding it underneath my shirt.
We break for our positions, me taking up the rear on the edge of the forest line. I step over the shallow, freshly mounded graves, careful not to leave footprints in the mud there. I watch as Diego knocks on the door, staying out of sight.
I’m not close enough to hear what they are saying, but he taps his thigh and gives me the signal just before he enters the front door, so I know everything’s going according to plan so far, which is good.
I settle up at the back, kneeling behind the dark brush, watching both the back door and the front. I pull out the pack of beef jerky and gnaw on it a bit while I wait. I check my watch every five minutes, only to see a minute has passed.
The wind blows, and it’s cold, and I can’t shake that something feels…off.
Ominous. I watch the front door, waiting for Diego to come back out. I glance at my watch and it’s been five minutes, which isn’t that long, right?
Right.
The air is quiet, and I feel anxious in a way I don’t normally, which makes me wonder if fucking with Diego has messed with me more than I realize. I’m not the kind of guy who gets…attached.
I’ve fucked a handful of omegas, but alphas are a new development all together.
Well, I guess I’m not really fucking them. Gage fucked me. Diego didn’t really fuck me, but his dick was touching mine inside of Auryn, knot and all, so that counts, right?
I shouldn’t be thinking about my packmates’ dicks right now. I really shouldn’t, especially because I’m getting hard, and while I could probably bludgeon someone to death with my solid cock, I don’t think it would feel too good for me.
I push the thoughts out of my mind and check my watch. Nine minutes. Almost halfway.
He should have definitely come out by now. How long does it take to talk some dudes and scope the place out?
Instinct tells me something is wrong, but my training tells me I’m just being anxious. I’m letting personal shit affect my job, which I never do.
When I glance at my watch to see it’s now been ten minutes, I can barely contain myself.
“Fuck it, I’m going in,”
I say as I grab my gun and head towards the back. As soon as I get flush with the wall next to the back door, I hear shouting, and I don’t waste a second as I kick the fucking door in and head for Diego’s scream just as the first gunshot rings out.