6. Beau
Chapter six
Beau
B eau Aged 16
My mother died when I was a child. My Gran had raised me since then, but she’s struggling. There’s not enough work and not enough money, never enough food. She’s too old, I’m too young. But we get along, and of the three of us, I have it much better than Shale or Keagan. She loves me, and the moment she met them, she loved them, too.
I’ve resorted to stealing and telling her I earned it. It’s not like anyone will give me a job.
I can’t make anything easier. I tried. Everyone in this town knows I’ve tried. Hell, I even talked to her employer, but cleaners need to be fast, so he keeps pushing her. Keeps forcing her to do more. I hate it. I sneak in and help her whenever I can, but I think someone told him because he’s been hanging around, checking up on her.
Keagan passes me a cigarette. I take three long puffs and pass it to Shale.
Shale’s dad has a bit of money, and Shale has been instrumental in covering me in tattoos. He says he likes making me smile.
I think he loves me.
I’m laying with my head in Keagan’s lap when Orla comes running over. Her long black hair is messy, and her eyes are wide like she’s been into her mother’s pills again. She’s speaking so fast her words trip over herself.
“What?” I ask, sitting up.
“Your Gran died!”
“The fuck you say?” I roar at her.
I jump up and run. As fast as I can move my legs. I don’t think I’ve ever moved faster.
It doesn’t change anything. When I get to the doctor’s office, they tell me Gran is dead. She jumped off the cliff. The words are so confusing, how could she have jumped off a cliff? He hands me a sealed envelope with a note inside, explaining everything.
It makes no sense.
I rage.
I scream.
I cry.
But it doesn’t bring her back, and even Shale and Keagan can’t quiet the voice inside that tells me I’ll never be good enough to save the people I love.
I don’t want to watch them all leave me one after another. So I promise that I won’t. I simply won’t let them go. Next time, I will find a way to stop the person I love from leaping.
From leaving me.
P resent Day
“Are we sure about this?” Keagan asks. “We could just bury them somewhere.”
“Nah, she wants ‘em,” I say back and wrinkle my nose.
“I don’t understand why, though.” Shale huffs and tips the bottle of whiskey back, drinking deep.
He throws the empty bottle at the wall and lets out a wild whoop. I echo him with my own undulating call. Keagan lets out a crow that rings through the night. The sound of us hunting.
The locals will go to ground pretending they don’t see anything. We might hunt them occasionally, but we protect them just as fiercely. Do no wrong and no wrong will come to you.
I get on my motorbike and start it, loving the feel of throbbing power between my legs. Tonight, we need to be powerful.
Tonight, we ride to bring the Raines pack to their knees because I’m not losing her.
The air is crisp tonight but not warm either. It’s a moonless night. Shale peels off to go get things ready.
We get to the hotel and walk in.
Barty throws us the key, his twitchy eyes looking left and right. I snag it out of the air and continue down the hallway to room seven.
It’s a good number. A solid number.
I smile and bite my lip hard enough to hurt. God, I want to laugh. This might be the craziest thing I’ve ever done.
The door opens easily, and I find the three alphas passed out. Their dinner was laced with a healthy dose of sleeping tablets from Muriel, who owes us a favour.
There’s a huge bed, two alphas are slumped on it, but Kelly is on the floor. The dim lighting might stop anyone else, but I know this room like the back of my hand. Gran used to clean the hotel every night.
I walk over and kick Kelly hard in the guts.
“That was for making her cry.”
I miss Ezy rising up and lunging for me but spin when Keagan laughs. He’s pressed against Ezy’s back with a chunky knife held to the alpha’s throat.
“Oh, baby, I knew you were going to be the fun one.”
I kick Kelly and turn to Gael.
“Wake up and get up or we’ll make Ezy smile permanently.”
Kelly’s eyes snap open with no trace of sleepiness. Interesting. I smile as I wait for the pair of them to slowly get to their feet.
“Let him go,” Kelly barks.
I shudder as the alpha bark rolls over me, making my toes curl with delicious pleasure.
“Ooh, do it again,” I laugh maniacally and fist bump Shale as he slinks in.
Kelly looks like he’s going to be sick.
“Now, come on, we just want to have a wee little chat with you,” I tease and pinch his cheeks.
“Where are we going?” Gael asks and swallows hard, stepping back from Shale.
“There’s a beach a couple clicks from here that will offer us the privacy to get to know each other.”
They blanch. I shake my head in disgust and smack the back of Kelly’s head.
“Get your head out of the gutter! I’m not going to rape you, fucking hell.”
Kelly looks suspicious, but Gael just points at the door.
“That way, right?”
I point at the alpha, who leaves the room. “What’s his deal?”
Kelly glares. I elbow him and lean in close.
“Lighten up, Raines. This is going to be fun. After all, we all share an omega. It’s in our best interests to get along, right?”
Kelly stalks out silently. The three of them pile into the car that we have waiting for them. I hum and squeeze in, sitting on Gaels’ lap and staring at his face.
He ignores me, but I can’t look away from the fascinating micro tics of annoyance and exhaustion.
It doesn’t take long before Shale stops the car, and I turn to smile at our prisoners. Ezy is stiff on Keagan’s lap, trying hard to ignore the blade that’s stroking him.
“All right. Now these are the rules. If you run, we’re gutting someone. If you hurt us, we’ll hurt you back times three. But, if you behave, we’re all going to walk away at dawn with nothing more than an understanding between alphas.”
“Kidnapping doesn’t construe goodwill,” Kelly snaps.
“Making my omega cry doesn’t either,” Shale hits back and pulls the door open. “Get out. Walk to the bonfire, and sit down.”
They do what we say, but Kelly is obviously not used to doing what other people instruct. I gape as the alpha stops on the beach at the sound of his phone. He whips it out before I can say anything and stares at us.
“Talk to me,” he says, despite me advancing on him.
“We have them all. Everyone is safe. Are you coming back?” I make out the tiny voice through the phone and wonder just who he’s talking to, then I realise I don’t care.
I shove Kelly, and when he falls, I climb over him, straddling his body. I reach for the phone, ignoring his struggles.
“I can’t, Bailey. I’ve got to-”
“Goodbye, Bailey. Kelly has to pay for making his omega cry.”
“Who the fuck are you?”
“Come find out,” I purr and hang up the phone. “That was very naughty.”
“Just break it!” Shale says in disgust.
“No!” Kelly shouts. “Please, no. My brother’s beta was almost kidnapped tonight. Just, please. You can hold it and answer any calls, but don’t break my phone. It’s the only way I can contact them.”
I exchange a look with Shale. He holds out his hand, and I toss it to him.
“You’re lucky we have a weakness for rescuing damsels.”
I push Kelly’s shoulder, and he lays down in the sand glaring up at me.
“Good dog.”
He snarls, and it’s just so cute I have to dip down and lick the side of his face. Tequila. Hmm, interesting scent.
“We’re going to play a game,” Shale says with a grin. “It’s called truth or submission.”
I climb off Kelly but don’t move away from him. He sits up and watches Shale.
“Why are we playing games?”
“Because I want to,” Shale says and pulls out two bottles of whiskey. He passes them around and, to my surprise, Gael drinks. Ezy and Kelly refuse, but that’s okay.
“Why did you hurt her?” Shale says and points at Kelly.
“Because she was going to be in lots of trouble with my uncle.”
“Truth,” I declare and force the bottle to Kelly’s lips, making him drink.
“And you!”
Ezy stares at them. “Because I thought she hurt me first.”
“Truth,” Keagan says, “but I don’t like the answer.”
“Agreed!”
Keagan rips his hair back and puts the bottle to his lips. “Drink, Alpha.”
I bite my bottom lip to stop moaning at the tingle of pleasure the barks give me.
Ezy obeys instantly, his eyes wide and cutting to Kelly, who is finally realising just how fucked he is.
Kelly isn’t strong enough to bark us into anything. And all of our barks can control all three alphas. They are helpless.
“Gael, why do you want her?”
“She’s everything I’ve been looking for forever. I don’t want to leave.” Gael starts crying.
“Perfect,” Shale says and looks at me.
I shrug. “May as well get it over and done with. We can celebrate later.”
Shale straddles Gael so he’s pressed right up against the teary alpha. Shale drags him up by the t-shirt and leans in, mouthing the alpha’s neck.
“You said you wouldn’t do that,” Kelly shouts. “Get off him!”
I turn on Kelly, but he tries to fight, rolling onto his stomach and getting up on his knees. He’s strong, I’ll give him that, but I fight dirty. I slam into him and pin him to the sand. I grab his t-shirt and rip it at the back.
In a way, what we’re going to do is worse than rape.
But I’ll do anything to keep her.
Anything.
I sink my teeth in deep. The bond unfurls inside me. I remove my teeth and put my forearm in front of the shocked alpha.
“Bond me!” My command gives no room for disobedience.
Kelly shudders as his mouth closes over my forearm and his teeth sink deep.
The pain is delicious. I grab his hair and yank his head back, licking his ear.
“Sorry, Alpha Raines, but I’m not letting you walk away from her. It makes her sad.”
I turn around just in time to see Keagan sink his teeth into Ezy’s stomach. The alpha writhes, panic and pain on his face. His lips are bloody, so I know he’s got the first bite.
Shale gets up with a whispered command to Gael so stay. I give up my place on Kelly, and Shale rolls him, glaring down at the alpha who was going to walk away from the most precious woman in creation.
“You made her cry. So many tears. I promised I’d ruin you, Kelly Raines, but, unfortunately for me, fate has different plans.”
Kelly’s eyes are wide with fear.
“Don’t do this.”
“I have to. She needs to heal. And you’re going to help me fix it.”
Shale lunges down and bites. I walk over to Ezy and pull him to his feet.
“You’re certainly not easy now. You’re a wildcat.”
He huffs, his eyes narrowed and shiny, and swings at me, but I step into him and sink my teeth into his chest.
He howls and tries to shove me off. I can feel his erection against my stomach, but, though it surprises me, I have no intention of taking that by force.
I remove my teeth, staring at the defeat in his eyes.
“Bond me, Alpha,” I command.
Ezy sobs but obediently leans forward, taking my proffered throat and biting deeply.
He sobs and shakes, and I hold him close. Patting his back. I almost feel sorry for them.
“It’s going to be okay, Ezekial. It’s going to be fine. She’s extraordinary. You’ll thank me one day.”
He cries harder.
I gently let him go as Shale approaches him and move to Gael. He reaches for me with no resistance. Kelly snarls and spits curses while Ezy cries. Kelly’s rage and fear batter at me, but it’s Ezy’s pure fear that has me wondering if this was a mistake.
I think of her and her tears, and I shove the image through the bond.
I shove the horror of seeing her laid out on the floor, crawling in agony.
I remember her almost dead when we found her.
All my panic, the fear, the hatred of the people who hurt her. I flood the bonds with what her life has been like and how much she needs us.
The crying stops.
Kelly stops fighting.
I open my eyes as Gael leans down, biting deep into my shoulder.
I cradle his head. “She’s worth it. She’s really, really worth it.”
My teeth sink into Gael’s shoulder. When I remove them, the alpha doesn’t pull away but falls into me. Agave syrup, it's thick and intoxicating and very unusual, but it suits him.
I hold him up, wondering at the joy that dances quietly behind the sorrow in his bond.
Shale sits down and lets Kelly go.
Kelly staggers and collapses on the ground. I can tell he’s in shock, but I don’t take my arms from the alpha clinging to me. Ezy looks at us and stands up.
“Are we done?”
“Sure,” Shale says and drinks deep. “But the minute you step off this island, I’m going to hunt you down and break your fucking legs. Just warning you.”
Kelly stills. “We have a surfing-”
“Your stupid competition can go fuck itself. You have an omega that you caused significant damage to, and now you’re going to fix it.”
“I’m going!” Ezy hisses.
Gael pulls away from me and turns to his pack mates. “I’m staying.”
“What?” Ezy shouts.
“You saw her, Ezy. That’s our scent match. Our omega. I want a chance to get to know her.”
Kelly stands up. “Give me my phone.”
“Give me my phone, Alpha, please!”
“Give me my fucking phone, you fucking crazy prick!”
I snort out a laugh. “Ah, we snapped the formidable Kelly Raines' icy control.”
“I’m reporting you. I’m reporting all of you.”
I take a swig of the bottle and smile at him. “Please, do so.”
Kelly snatches his phone from Shale and stalks off, Ezy a half a step behind, but Gael stays with us, staring into the flames.
I’m not sure what to think about this quiet alpha. He’s got misery inside of him like it’s been a constant companion. He’s heart-sore.
Maybe we’re fixing more than just her.
I pass him the bottle and smile at him. “Hey, Gael?”
“Yeah?”
“Welcome to Pack Daane.”
His head snaps around, and he stares at us like he’s seen a ghost. “What?”
“We’re Pack Daane. Welcome.”
His mouth works, but it takes forever for him to move. When he does, he surprises me by reaching into his pocket and pulling out a small business card. He passes it to me. I look down at it and study the interesting painting. I recognise the style instantly, but I had no idea she’d created this.
Three demons dancing. Three shadows stretching back behind them. Did she know? I shiver. Sometimes, I think she truly has the Sight. No, I know she does. But this, this is us, tonight. Three demon shadows hunting and holding on to three demons.
How did she know?
There’s one word on this oracle card.
One word that encapsulates the entire evening.
Daane.
I throw my head back and howl with laughter.