37. Keagan
Chapter thirty-seven
Keagan
K eagan Aged 22
She is so beautiful, but my heart is breaking into a million pieces. This is worse than the time Shale’s dad beat him almost dead. It’s worse than the time Beau got stabbed. It’s worse than the week I had no food and was seriously sick when I was alone.
She’s so scared of the world that she wants to have her heat in this filthy cave on the floor like an animal.
I wonder if she hates herself that much or everyone else. She sits cross-legged on the mattress and stares up at me.
It’s damp and musky. There are no blankets and pillows. Just this stained, gross mattress.
I don’t want to do it like this. I want to yell at her, rail at her, try to force her to see what I’m seeing when I look at her.
Try to show her how much better she is than us.
She is a rare flower. We are just the trash that everyone left behind. I hate everyone, every single person but the ones in this cave. But her, I’d do anything for her. Anything at all.
I peel off my top, watching as she gasps and gets all adorably nervous.
“Is this your first time?”
She looks down at her hand and refuses to meet our eyes. I stop undressing and just watch her.
She can’t be serious? How can she be a virgin?
“No one wanted me!”
She says it like she’s telling a truth, like she’s waving evidence again.
I blink at her. How can I tell her I want to peel skin from everyone she’s ever met? I want to make them ache the way they’ve made her ache. I want to put the fear of Daane into their eyes. Make them scream, make them bleed. I’ll have them crawling to her, begging forgiveness.
Because I’m the monster.
But I’m her monster, and I want her so badly, I think I might die if I can’t have her.
“Everyone on this planet is an idiot,” I rasp out hoarsely. She’s going to be ours, just ours forever.
I throw the unnecessary material away, impatient and so ready to begin our forever right now. I’m careful when I strip out of the last of my clothes and sit on the mattress beside her.
She nervously shifts away from me, but I pull her close, stopping her retreat. She watches me silently.
“I’m not going to fuck you yet. We need you to be comfortable, so we’re going to hug and talk.”
“Hug?”
“Yes, just hug!”
And I do that. I just hug her until she’s relaxed, and then I coax her into relaxing some more while I seduce her.
Before her heat hits fully, I take her virginity, promising that, one day, I will make this omega mine, no matter what I have to do.
P resent Day
The Raines family is large, and the alpha energy in the room could topple a small empire. I’ve done the rounds, and, by my assessment, Erin, Zaden, and Callan come close to our levels, but no one is stronger than Shale, Beau, and I.
I watch pack Bradley’s five members–Erin, Shane, Brayson, Finn, and Locke–slowly move into the room and join Pack Mirakill. They are dangerous, maybe as much as we are, because of their devotion to their respective omegas. But the MC’s omega is syrupy sweet, and Locke is clearly unhappy to be back here. Zaden, Ianto, Ranger, Mills, and Valen are getting quieter and quieter the more people arrive. The watchful eyes are searching for danger.
I don’t know if having the packs so on edge makes me relieved or not.
Bethany is brought in next with Pack Crow. She’s got a mane of white hair and three very uncomfortable-looking alphas. Hunter, Crow, and Saint nod to the other alphas but focus on us, maybe realising that we are the biggest threat.
Pack Mogel is a whole different matter. Wren and Raider walk in with the confidence that only comes from years in the spotlight. Kit, Callan, and their beta, Ryann, follow suit. They are laughing as they walk in, Kit teasing the beta, who glows with happiness. There is absolutely no sign they’ll cause trouble at all.
Kelly’s parents are here, too. The older pack is quietly brimming with happiness. Auggie came up to me and took my hand earlier, and her eyes welled up. I’d stood there panicking until Kelly rescued me.
“I’m just so happy to see you all here!” Auggie had gushed and hugged Kelly. She immediately took Aspyn under her wing, dragging her to meet Bethany and Ryann.
I’m about to retrieve her back when Shale shakes his head. I resist, growling under my breath, watching intently as Aspyn is presented to alphas, betas, and omegas alike, with no one but August and Sol for protection.
I hear a sound and turn towards the door. The alpha that walks in fools me for exactly thirty seconds before I realise the ethereal beauty of Alpha Envy is actually Omega Envy and his hand is tight around Ryn who is, despite all the information I’ve ever read, not a beta but an omega. Two of them in one pack. The alphas bring up the rear, Tyr, Digs, and Mako.
Everyone knows who they are. Even on our backwards island, we know who they are. I’m not sure what to expect from such famous people, but they seem totally normal, and Digs throws himself on the nearest lounge and wails about how sore his back is.
“So, we’re passing on our hotel stay, then?” Ryn asks.
Digs sits up straight. “I’m perfectly fine. Nothing wrong at all.”
Envy snickers but keeps an eye on Ryn as she wanders over to join Lia, Bethany, Aspyn, Ryann, and Auggie.
“Aspyn? Kelly told me about you. My name is Ryn. I’m his cousin and probably the closest family to him.”
Ryn smiles charmingly, but I feel nothing but mild curiosity as I watch from a distance. Aspyn hesitates and then finally murmurs something that could be passed for a greeting.
I watch the interaction with an intensity that I can’t hide. If anyone hurts her feelings, they are dead.
“Hi!”
I turn to find the small and fine-boned alpha casting probing gazes over Beau and myself. This is one of Pack Mogel’s alphas, though he doesn’t feel like an alpha.
I would bristle, but there is no threat of judgement from him. I get the impression he’s seeing something else. And now I’m curious to find out.
Out of the corner of my eye, Ezy approaches Aspyn and hands her a drink. Beau bounces over there, takes the cup, drinks out of it, and then hands it back. Smacking his lips on her cheek and stalking off.
It’s a huge territorial mark that no one misses.
“Keagan, this is Kit. The alpha with the clothes,” Kelly murmurs.
My attention sharpens, and I watch another alpha approach, the one they call Callan. He and Kit exchange a deep look of silent words to each other before they turn back.
Aspyn and Ezy rejoin our group, and she leans into me, looking exhausted. Her hand is clenched too tightly around her cane.
“I have a gown that’s going to suit you perfectly. Actually, I have two now that I’ve seen you,” the alpha says kindly.
Kit’s eyes travel down Aspyn’s walking stick. “May I?”
Aspyn is hesitant, but she hands it over.
Kit clucks his tongue. “Why do they make such necessary items so damn ugly? I can fix this, too.”
Callan chuckles. “He loves a project. Ryn has banned him from making any more clothes for her.”
“I’d need a second tour bus if you keep making me more clothes.”
“Would you mind?” Kit hands the stick back and gestures for Aspyn to follow. I move to go with, but Beau springs into action, charming and teasing the group as they move away from me.
Which leaves me in a perfect vantage point to really get a good look at how things might go tomorrow night at the party.
Gael is still deep in the office, buried under a mountain of paperwork and things none of us understand. He’s happily humming along and grateful to be missing this.
I spot Shale with the bikers and turn away, unconcerned.
He walks straight down the stairs from the second floor, and I know he didn’t come in with the rest of us. The cocky swagger, the dark hair. He thinks he’s fooling everyone, but he’s not. I follow him on the bottom floor, watching as he moves from shadow to shadow. No one is the wiser.
Shale looks up, alerted by the bond, and I use sign language, just the basics we’ve picked up on to alert him to the intruder.
As soon as I have him, I’m going to find out how he got in and cement the area up.
He makes it all the way to the ground floor and sneaks up on Lia. He hasn’t seen Shale or I closing in on him. I grab his wrist and spin him around as Shale puts a knife to his throat.
I know I’m shocked and enraged, but I don’t feel anything from Shale. He grins easily at Raider’s double and huffs.
“Well, well, well. Baby Bailey, isn’t it? Is that what they call you?”
Now this alpha is strong. Almost as strong as Shale. But not quite, and there’s something strange about him that isn’t sitting right.
He smiles, but unlike Raider’s open smile, Bailey’s is one of fun, taunts, and mockery.
“How’d you get in?”
“Through the window,” he teases, winking at me.
“Which window?”
He laughs again and lets out an oof when Lia slams into him from behind. I let go and Shale makes his knife disappear.
“I missed you!”
Bailey laughs and scoffs. “You did not. I bet you haven’t even left the nest.”
For a second, I’m blind with envy. What would it be like to spend a heat and more with our omega in an actual nest that was ours and not something we hired? Or a cave.
He transforms before our eyes, becoming this person that everyone likes. I stiffen, watching him in alarm. He’s a chameleon, blending in with everyone.
Through our bond, I can feel Shale’s interest, too.
“He’s fascinating isn’t he?” Ezy murmurs. “Grew up in an MC, belongs to the Raines. Straddling both lives but not fitting in anywhere. He’s a wildcard.”
“And very fucking skilled,” Shale murmurs.
“Yes. He is that,” Ezy murmurs. “But devoted to his sister.”
We all turn to look at the diminutive Lia. It’s bizarre to see all these dangerous men doting on someone who looks like she wouldn’t be in the wrong place on the set of a holiday romance movie. She screams innocence.
“So, this is the Raines family,” I say in a little bit of awe. They are not what I expected.
“Yes.”
“And they all know what to do?”
“They do.” Ezy leans into me, and I take a moment to kiss him. Needing the contact and to reassure my alpha.
“Well, I guess we’re ready, then.”
W e’re all gathering in our expensive and custom-made clothes, thanks to Kit, but I’m waiting for one more person. She arrives at the top of the stairs, ignoring the people who are starting to trickle through into the massive ballroom.
It’s transformed with low light, chandeliers, huge buffets, live music, and people in gold walking around handing out drinks. But all of it pales in comparison to her.
She’s wearing a gold satin gown that hangs off her shoulders and clings to her body like water. It turns her skin luminous and makes her hair and eyes shine brighter. But her lips are painted a deep blood red, and her eyes are ringed with this smokey brown that shimmers gold.
A single necklace winds around her throat three times, the end dangling down to sit on her chest.
“Okay. It was all worth it. Everything was worth it,” I growl. “I’m going to kill everyone who looks at her.”
Shale has a drink halfway to his mouth, but he doesn’t move it further. He’s as stuck as I am, too busy staring at her.
Gael appears at her side, and Beau on the other. I didn’t even notice her walking stick, but it’s now a burnished gold with dark wood lights. It matches her dress perfectly.
She starts down the stairs, our alphas flanking her. It takes effort to turn away from her.
She doesn’t know how beautiful she is. I’m going to spend the rest of my life trying to convince her, I just know it.
I circulate around the room, taking notes of people and who they are talking to, eavesdropping shamelessly.
Kelly is the man of the hour, doing everything he was trained to do, and who cares if that smile is a little brittle or if his eyes look a little desperate. I stroke the bonds, reassuring him that we’re all here.
He glances towards me, the only acknowledgement I get as he schmoozes the rich and very rich.
Every Raines is working the room, Charles, Locke, Lia, Ryn, Raider, and Bethany. The only one missing is Bailey, who is watching from the shadows, a dark threat to our evening.
I move to the side of the room and wait for him to come to me.
Bailey is silent when he arrives beside me. All that tells me he’s here is the threat in the air.
“It’s working.”
I sip my drink and silently agree. The Raines are celebrities with such strong reputations that everyone needs to speak to them. They need to be friends with them.
It’s almost sick.
Bailey leans against my back, and I stiffen, wondering what he’s going to do.
“My uncle has arrived.”
I smile. The game is about to start.