39. Koa
Koa
The house feels too quiet. I’m pacing, barefoot on the cold hardwood, my nerves fraying with every second that passes. My phone keeps buzzing on the counter, Carla’s name flashing on the screen, but I can’t bring myself to answer. I already know what she wants and I can’t deal with her right now. Not when Damien’s downstairs. Not when I’m on the verge of confronting the man who’s made my life a living nightmare.
I gnaw on the inside of my cheek, the adrenaline pumping through me like a second heartbeat. It’s not just mine—I can feel it through the bond. My mates are worked up, their rage simmering just beneath the surface, and it’s infectious. I’m fidgeting, twisting the hem of my sweater, chewing on the edge of my thumbnail until Amel walks in, his lazy grin doing nothing to soothe me.
“You’re going to wear a hole in the floor at this rate,” he muses, leaning against the doorframe.
I stop pacing, crossing my arms over my chest. “I can’t just sit here, Amel. I need to talk to him. I need to know.”
He chuckles, shaking his head. “Sweet girl, you’re not ready for what’s down there.”
“I am,” I snap. “I have to be.”
His smirk widens, but it doesn’t quite reach his eyes. “When you walk down into that basement, you’re not going to see your brother. You’re going to see a coward—a man stripped of every ounce of control he’s ever had. And you’re going to see what Valla can really do when someone crosses the line.”
A shiver runs down my spine, but it’s not fear. It’s anticipation. It’s rage. My fists clench at my sides, my breaths coming quicker as I straighten my spine. “Good. Then I’m ready.” I’m not ready in the slightest but I can’t wait anymore. I have to ask Damien why he used me like that. I have to know if he was just evil or if there was some warped plan in his head that somehow made sense to only him.
Amel pushes off the wall, his purr rumbling softly as he moves closer. His hands find my shoulders, his thumbs brushing against my collarbone. “Take a deep breath, Koa,” he murmurs. “No one will think differently if you don’t want to go down there. Still want to see your brother? Okay, let’s go. I’ll be with you the entire time.”
The air is suffocating, thick with the metallic tang of blood and the raw scent of anger. My bare feet hesitate on the cold stone, my pulse pounding in my ears as I clutch Amel's hand like it's the only thing tethering me to reality. The sounds of flesh meeting flesh echo in the basement and I can't stop the shiver that crawls up my spine.
Damien’s head lolls to the side, blood smeared across his jaw as Hunter pulls back his fist for another strike. His eyes are wild, his beast just beneath the surface, and I can’t tell if it’s satisfaction or fury fueling him now.
“It was just a few dollars!” Damien spits, his voice cracking as he struggles against the ropes binding him to the chair. “Your company is still thriving. You’re making a big deal out of nothing.”
Hunter freezes mid-swing, his lips curling into a feral grin. “Nothing?” he repeats, his voice low and dripping with menace. “You think stealing from us, betraying your own blood, is nothing ?”
Moses is leaning against the far wall, his arms crossed, watching the scene unfold with a twisted smile. He lets out a sharp laugh, shaking his head as he steps forward. “You don’t get it, do you?” he teases, his voice echoing off the walls. “It’s not about the money, Damien. It’s about the principle of the thing. You thought you could play games with us, and worse, you thought you could sell your sister —” He snarls the word, his eyes flashing with rage, “—and walk away unscathed.”
I let out a soft gasp, the sound too loud in the silence that follows. All three of them freeze, their eyes snapping to me like I’m prey that just wandered into a predator’s den. Damien’s bloodshot gaze narrows, but it’s the Valla who turn their attention to me with something deeper, something darker.
Hunter’s fists drop to his sides as he takes a step back, his chest heaving as he fights to rein in his beast. Moses doesn’t move, but his sharp eyes flicker with a darkness I’ve never seen before. Amel tightens his grip on my hand, pulling me close, his purr starting up in a soft, calming rhythm meant just for me.
“Koa,” Moses murmurs, his voice low and almost soothing despite the chaos in the room. “You shouldn’t be here.”
I take a shaky step forward, my heart threatening to burst out of my chest. “I needed to see,” I whisper, my voice trembling. “I needed to know.”
Damien laughs, the sound hollow and bitter. “Of course, you came down here. Still trying to play the victim, huh, little sister?”
Amel growls low in his throat, his grip on my hand almost painful as he steps in front of me. “You don’t talk to her,” he snaps, his voice sharp enough to cut through steel. “You don’t even look at her.”
Damien’s cackle grates on my nerves, the sound echoing off the cold stone walls like nails on a chalkboard. His face is swollen, one eye nearly shut from Hunter’s earlier work, but it doesn’t stop him. If anything, it fuels his cruelty. Damien’s bloodied grin stretches wider as his gaze locks on me. “Look at you,” he sneers, his voice dripping with venom. “The perfect little Omega, finally stepping into the role you should’ve played years ago. Mated to beasts, Koa. You’re no better than them.”
I flinch at his words, my nails digging into my palms as I fight the instinct to run. The room feels like it’s closing in, but I force myself to stand my ground. “Why?” I whisper, my voice barely audible over the pounding of my heart. “Why did you do it, Damien? Why me?”
His grin doesn’t falter, and that makes it so much worse. “Because you’re an Omega,” he spits as if the word itself is vile. “A pawn. A piece on the board to be moved and used to further everything else. That’s what you were born to be. You should’ve just fallen in line like Carla did.”
My stomach churns at the mention of my sister-in-law and my hands clench tighter. “What do you mean?” I ask, my voice trembling. “Did you… did you do the same thing to Carla that you did to me?”
Damien shrugs, as if the question itself is irrelevant, his nonchalance making bile rise in my throat. “Our father set it up,” he says, his tone flat, dismissive. “It was all business. Carla understood that. She didn’t fight it. She knew her place.”
Horror washes over me at the thought of another woman suffering like I did. I hate him. I hate every fiber of his being. My body trembles, my vision blurring as I spit at his feet. “You’re disgusting,” I hiss, my voice shaking with fury. “You’re scum. You’re nothing.”
Damien snarls, trying to lunge at me, but the ropes binding him to the chair pull tight, leaving him struggling like a rabid animal. His face contorts in rage, his swollen features making him look even more monstrous.
Before he can say another word, Hunter moves. His fist connects with Damien’s jaw, the sickening crunch reverberating through the room. Damien’s head snaps to the side, blood trickling from the corner of his mouth as Hunter growls, his voice low and deadly. “What did Amel tell you, you piece of shit? You don’t get to look at her.”
Damien coughs, spitting blood onto the floor as he glares up at Hunter. But there’s fear there now, lurking beneath the anger and it’s the first time I’ve ever seen him look truly powerless. Moses steps forward, his hands clenched into fists at his sides. “You’re not a man. You’re a coward hiding behind power you don’t deserve.”
Damien’s still fighting his fate, though as his voice rises, venom dripping from every word. “When I get out of here, Koa, you better believe I’ll teach your little mates a thing or two. And then, I’ll come for you. You’ll regret this, you pathetic—”
Amel squeezes my hand, cutting Damien off with a sharp growl that reverberates through the stone room. The sound alone makes the hair on my arms stand on end, a warning, a promise of what he’s capable of. He steps forward, his calm demeanor a terrifying contrast to Damien’s sputtering rage.
“Damien, you’ll be doing no such thing.” Amel holds up a hand, silencing my brother or at least what’s left of him. “There’s already a protective order in place. If you get within one hundred feet of Koa, you’ll end up behind bars faster than you can run that foul mouth of yours.”
Damien’s eyes widen for a split second, fear flashing across his face before it’s masked with fury. “You think that’s going to stop me?”
Amel lets out a low chuckle, the sound sending a shiver down my spine. “It doesn’t matter what I think. What matters is that you’re playing a game you’ve already lost. The only reason you’re still breathing, Damien, is because of her. Koa has a heart of gold. She doesn’t want blood on her hands, even if it belongs to someone like you. She’s shown you mercy. More than you deserve.”
Damien growls, his fists clenching as much as the ropes binding him allow. “You don’t know who you’re messing with.”
“Oh, I know exactly who I’m dealing with,” Amel says, leaning in closer, his voice dropping to a low, dangerous whisper. “And when you’ve returned home, you can expect a visit from the federal government. I’ve made sure they’ll be very interested in your business practices. Consider this a preview of what happens when you cross us—or our Omega.”
Damien pales, his bravado cracking as his eyes dart between me and my mates. He opens his mouth to speak, but no sound comes out. For once, he’s speechless.
Amel straightens, turning back to me. His hand gently guides me toward the stairs, his other resting protectively on the small of my back. “We’re done here, sweet girl. You don’t need to hear any more of his filth.”
Amel leads me back upstairs, his hand firm and steady in mine, grounding me as the sounds of Damien getting another hit echo faintly behind us. My breath shudders as we reach the top of the stairs, but I hold my head high. I’m not afraid anymore—not of him, not of his venomous words, not of the past he tried to define for me.
We step into the quiet hallway, the door to the basement clicking shut behind us, cutting off the noise entirely. Amel pauses, turning to me, his brows furrowed in concern. His thumb brushes gently over the back of my hand, his voice low and soothing. “Are you okay, sweet girl?”
I nod, but the words come tumbling out anyway. “I’m okay. It’s just…” I hesitate, the truth threatening to stick in my throat, but I force it out. “At one time, I was so mad, Amel. Not because I didn’t get what everyone said I was supposed to want, but because I believed them. I believed that the Omega dream was real—that staying at home, pregnant, and caring for my mates was supposed to make me happy. But it wasn’t my dream.”
Amel’s eyes soften, his hand sliding up to cup my cheek. “I know, Koa. And that’s okay. That’s more than okay.”
I let out a shaky laugh, the bitterness of my past still clinging to me. “I’m not mad about that anymore, though. Not really. I’m just mad that my brother stole something from me that wasn’t his to take. He tried to shape my life like it was his to control, and it’s not. It’s mine.”
Amel’s lips press into a thin line, his purr starting up low in his chest as he pulls me into a hug. His warmth surrounds me, his scent wrapping me in its safety. “It’s yours, Koa. Every part of it. And I promise you, Damien won’t take another piece of it.”
My Alpha guides me to my nest, pillows and blankets arranged in perfect chaos. I crawl into the center of it, Amel following close behind. His arms wrap around me as I settle against him, my head resting on his chest, his purr lulling me into a sense of calm I so desperately need.
I wake up to the sound of low murmurs, voices blending in a hushed rhythm that doesn’t belong in my room. The absence of warmth around me makes it worse, my nest feeling colder without them. Rubbing the sleep from my eyes, I sit up and listen. The voices are just outside the door and my chest tightens. Why didn’t they come in here?
Sliding out from under the blankets, I grab the nearest sweater—Amel’s, from the scent—and pull it over my head before stepping into the hallway. They’re standing there, Hunter and Moses, whispering like they’re plotting the end of the world. Moses notices me first, his gaze softening as he nudges Hunter.
I cross my arms over my chest. “Why aren’t you coming to bed?”
Hunter shuffles, his eyes darting to Moses like he’s asking for backup. “Do you… want us in there?”
I blink at him, confused. “Of course, I do. Why wouldn’t I?”
Moses sighs, his shoulders falling. “Koa, you saw what happened down there. You saw what we’re capable of.”
There’s an ache in my chest at the way they’re looking at me, like they’re afraid I’ll shatter if they move too close. I frown, taking a step forward. “I’ve heard the stories. I’ve seen the nightmares. I know how vicious you can be. But do you think for a second that changes how I feel?”
Moses moves toward me, his hand gently brushing along my cheek. “You don’t see us as monsters?”
I shake my head, leaning into his touch. “Even if you were,” I whisper, “you’re my monsters.”
For a moment, they just stare at me, their expressions shifting from uncertainty to something deeper, something unspoken. Then Moses’ hand falls to mine, his fingers threading through mine. I grab Hunter’s hand with my other, tugging them both toward the room. “Come to bed,” I tell them softly. “Please.”
I don’t have to ask twice as they follow me into the room. I climb back into the center, patting the pillows, silently telling them to find a spot beside me. Amel makes some kind of incoherent sound before tugging me against him. Moses saddles up against my back, Hunter on the other side of Amel.
Nestled between them, the tension melts away. Their scents surround me, my Omega self burrowed safely in my nest. My lids fall shut as I curl in tighter, letting myself finally relax now that we’re all here. Maybe I should ask what happened to my brother or if he’s still down there, tied up, left to waste away until the morning. And then I realize I don’t care because I have what I was searching for all along.
Not the Omega dream, not what anyone else told me I should want. I’ve found my dream. And it’s perfect.