13. Chapter 13 - Dahlia
I grip the door handle as Leo's car follows the medical transport van carrying Mara back to the safe house. Onyx sits in the back seat; his eyes never leave the van ahead of us. The tension in the car is thick enough to cut with a knife.
"Evan's going to lose his shit when we show up with company," Leo says, breaking the silence.
"Let him," I reply, staring out the window. "Mara needs help, and we have the equipment to give it."
"I don't care what Blackthorn thinks," Onyx growls from the back seat. "My cousin is dying."
Leo's eyes meet mine briefly. "Just be prepared for a storm."
He's not wrong. The moment we pull up to the safe house, I catch sight of Evan standing at the front door, his arms crossed, and his jaw is clenched tight. Great. He's already pissed.
"Brace yourself," I mutter to Onyx as we exit the car.
Evan's icy blue eyes narrow as they lock on Onyx, then shift to the medical transport behind us. "What the fuck is this?"
"Hello to you too," I say, stepping forward. "This is Onyx Stonefang. His cousin Mara is infected with the Crimson Plague. I'm going to study her symptoms and try some treatments."
"You brought an infected shifter to my safe house?" Evan's voice drops dangerously low. "Without consulting me?"
"There wasn't time," Leo interjects, coming up beside me. "Her condition is deteriorating rapidly."
Evan's nostrils flare. "And you went along with this?"
"She's a doctor," Leo shrugs. "I'm just the muscle."
The medical team begins unloading Mara on a stretcher. She's still unconscious.
"Get her to the lab," I direct them, then turn back to Evan. "You can yell at me later. Right now, she needs help."
As Leo guides the paramedics toward the house, Evan grabs my arm. "We need to talk. Now."
"Let go of her," Onyx growls, his eyes flashing gold.
"It's fine," I say, extracting my arm from Evan's grip. "Let's talk inside. Onyx, go with Mara. I'll be there soon."
Onyx hesitates, then nods, following the stretcher into the house.
"You've got some fucking nerve," Evan hisses once we're alone on the porch. "First you disappear… again and then you return with not one but two strays?"
"They're not strays," I snap. "And this isn't about you, Evan. It's about finding a cure."
"By bringing the virus directly to our doorstep?"
"By studying a live subject in controlled conditions," I counter. "Do you want a cure or not?"
He runs a hand through his perfect hair, messing it up in a way that shouldn't be attractive but somehow is. "Of course, I want a cure. But not at the expense of your safety."
"I'm touched by your concern," I say dryly, "but I can handle myself."
"You could have called," he argues. "Give me some warning."
"Would you have said yes?"
His silence answers my question.
"That's what I thought," I say, crossing my arms.
Onyx enters the room, his presence immediately filling the space. "Problem?"
"Several," Evan replies coldly. "Starting with you."
Onyx's eyes narrow. "I go where Dahlia goes."
"Is that so?" Evan steps closer to him. "And what exactly is your relationship with Dr. Baldwin?"
"That's none of your business," I interject.
"It is when you're bringing him into my house," Evan counters.
The air in the room grows heavier, each second stretching tighter than the last. These two alphas circling each other like wolves on the edge of a fight make my heart pound.
A sharp knock at the front door cuts through the standoff.
"Now what?" Evan mutters.
Leo appears from the hallway and moves to answer it. I hold my breath, half-expecting government agents or more infected shifters.
What I don't expect is Axl Valentine standing on the doorstep, looking like he just stepped off a magazine cover in his leather jacket and torn jeans.
"Holy shit," I whisper.
Axl's eyes find mine immediately, and a slow smile spreads across his face. "I found you."
"What the fuck are you doing here?" I blurt out.
"I missed you," he says simply, stepping inside without waiting for an invitation. His eyes scan the room, "Nice place. Very... secure."
"How did you find this address?" Evan demands, stepping forward.
Axl shrugs. "I hired a private investigator. It cost me a fortune, but it's worth every penny." His gaze returns to me. "You're a hard woman to track down, Dahlia."
"So much for a safe house," Onyx mutters, leaning against the wall with his arms crossed.
"You need to leave," Evan says to Axl, his voice cold enough to freeze hell. "Now."
"Not happening," Axl replies cheerfully. "I came to see Dahlia, and I'm not leaving without talking to her."
"This isn't a fucking concert venue," Evan snaps. "You can't just show up uninvited."
"And yet, here I am." Axl turns to me. "Can we talk? Privately?"
Before I can answer, Evan steps between us. "She's busy."
"I think she can speak for herself," Axl counters, his smile never wavering, though something dangerous flashes in his eyes.
"He's right," I say, finding my voice. "I can speak for myself. And right now, I need to check on my patient."
"Patient?" Axl's brow furrows.
"Yes, I have a critically ill patient downstairs who needs my attention."
"I'll wait," Axl says, making himself comfortable on the couch.
Evan looks ready to explode. "This isn't a waiting room!"
I place a hand on Evan's arm. "Let me handle this. Go check on the security system or something… clearly it needs upgrading if he can find us."
Evan hesitates, then nods curtly. "Fine. But he's gone in thirty minutes."
As Evan stalks off, Onyx pushes away from the wall. "I'll check on Mara."
"I'll be down soon," I promise.
That leaves me alone with Axl and Leo, who's still hovering by the door like he's unsure whether to stay or go.
"Leo, could you give us a minute?" I ask.
He nods, though his eyes linger on Axl before he follows Onyx downstairs.
Once we're alone, I turn to Axl. "How did you find me?"
"I told you… I hired a private investigator."
"Why?"
He stands, moving closer to me. "Because I can't stop thinking about you. Because what happened between us felt... different."
"It was just sex," I say, though the words sound hollow.
"Bullshit." He reaches for my hand, and I let him take it. "We both know it was more than that."
As his fingers touch mine, I feel that same electric current from the night we met. His scent hits me then… It's wild and intoxicating, and something clicks.
"Wait… You're a shifter," I breathe.
His eyes widen slightly. "How did you know?"
"I can smell it on you now." I step closer, inhaling deeply. "You're a wolf?"
He nods slowly. "You couldn't tell before?"
"I was... newly awakened then. I'm still learning."
"Whoa… You're an Omega."
It's not a question.
"Yes," I admit.
"Fuck," he whispers. "No wonder I couldn't get you out of my head. No wonder I feel like I'm losing my mind when I'm not near you."
"Axl…"
"I've been a shifter my whole life," he continues, "but I've never felt a pull like this. I have never wanted someone so badly; it hurts."
His words stir something in me, a response I can't control. My body remembers his touch, the way he made me feel, and it wants more.
"This is insane," I say, more to myself than to him. "You can't be here."
"Why not?"
"Because it's complicated."
He laughs softly. "I told you on the phone… I'm good with complicated."
"Not this kind of complicated." I run a hand through my hair. "You don't understand what's happening."
"Then explain it to me."
I take a deep breath. "The three men you just met…I've been with all of them."
His eyebrows shoot up. "All three?"
"Well… Two."
"Like... at the same time?"
"No!" I feel my cheeks heat. "Separately and recently."
"Ah." He nods slowly. "And they're all Alphas?"
"Yes."
"And they all want you?"
"Apparently."
He considers this for a moment, then shrugs. "Makes sense. You're fucking incredible."
I blink, surprised by his reaction. "You're not upset?"
"Should I be?" He steps closer, his fingers brushing my cheek. "I want you too. More than I've ever wanted anyone. If I have to share you to have you at all... well, I've never been good at sharing, but I can learn."
His acceptance throws me off-balance. "It's not that simple."
"It can be," he insists. "If you want it to be."
Before I can respond, the others return. Evan, Onyx, and Leo enter the room almost simultaneously, as if drawn by some invisible force, or perhaps by the scent of an Alpha getting too close to me.
"Time's up," Evan announces, glaring at Axl. "Say goodbye."
"I'm not leaving," Axl replies, his arm sliding around my waist. "Dahlia and I were just getting reacquainted."
Evan's eyes narrow at the possessive gesture. "Get your hands off her."
"Why?" Axl challenges. "She doesn't seem to mind."
"She's not yours to touch," Onyx growls, stepping forward.
"Funny, she didn't mention having an owner when she was in my bathroom," Axl retorts with a smirk.
The temperature in the room seems to drop ten degrees.
"What did you just say?" Evan's voice is deadly quiet.
"You heard me," Axl replies, "Dahlia and I have already been intimate. Several times. And it was fucking amazing."
"You son of a bitch," Evan snarls, lunging forward.
I step between them. "Stop it! Both of you!"
Evan freezes, his fists clenched at his sides. "He's the one you fucked after the concert?"
"Yes," I admit, seeing no point in lying. "But that's not important right now."
"It feels pretty fucking important," Evan mutters.
"Well, it's not," I snap. "What's important is finding a cure for the Crimson Plague. Everything else is a distraction."
"She's right," Leo speaks up from where he's been watching the drama unfold. "We have bigger problems than who's sleeping with whom."
"Easy for you to say," Axl remarks. "You've already had your turn with her."
Leo's eyes flash dangerously. "Watch it, rock star."
"Or what, Detective?" Axl steps closer to him. "You'll arrest me?"
"No… I'll break your pretty face," Leo growls.
"Enough!" I shout. "All of you, just stop!"
To my surprise, they do. Four pairs of eyes turn to me, all filled with varying degrees of desire, possessiveness, and frustration.
"This is ridiculous," I continue. "There's a woman dying in the lab downstairs. The virus is spreading. People are in danger. And you're all acting like territorial teenagers fighting over who gets to dance with the prom queen."
None of them speaks.
"I'm not a prize to be won," I say more quietly. "I'm a scientist trying to save lives. That has to come first."
"What are you saying?" Onyx asks.
I take a deep breath. "I'm saying I need all of you to work together. No more fighting. We have one goal, and that is to find a cure."
"And what about..." Evan gestures vaguely between all of us.
"I'm not choosing between you," I state. "I can't. And I won't."
"So, what, we're supposed to share?" Axl asks, sounding more curious than offended.
"I don't know," I admit. "This is all new to me, too. But I do know that I need to focus on my work, and I can't do that with all of you at each other's throats."
The four men exchange glances.
"What if we don't agree to your terms?" Evan finally asks.
I lift my chin. "Anyone who's not comfortable with this arrangement should leave now."
The silence that follows is deafening. I hold my breath, half-expecting all of them to walk out.