Chapter 14
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
SASHA
“Don’t say another fucking word,” I growl, pressing my blade against Stone’s throat. His scent—woods and smoke—fills the room, sharp and biting, making my teeth clench. “You come into my house, eat our food, and have the balls to talk shit about my alpha? I think the fuck not.”
I push the blade a fraction harder, watching his Adam’s apple bob. The bastard’s lucky I’m in a patient mood tonight. If it weren’t for Levi staring holes into the middle of my forehead, I might have already let this blade kiss deeper.
Stone chuckles low, like he enjoys the threat. His eyes gleam bright with arrogance. “I’m a trained officer and an alpha, Little Minx. I could easily get out of this.”
Little Minx. He says it like I’m something to toy with. A flicker of anger sparks deep in my chest, curling through my ribcage, but I let it simmer instead of burning out. I don’t need to react. I need to control .
A cheshire-like smile finds my lips. “Oh, you could. But I might slice your neck in the process, and is that a risk you’re willing to take?” I tilt my head, watching for the slightest twitch of fear. “Bleeding out on my floor… I might even fuck Levi in your blood.” The words roll off my tongue, tasting dark and delicious. I want to see how far I can push him.
His breath hitches. It’s subtle, but I catch it. That flicker of hesitation, that second of vulnerability. It feels like a victory, sharp and hot in my chest.
I hear Levi shift behind me; he steps to my left and from the corner of my eye I watch him run his gaze up and down Stone. “I don’t think that’s as big a threat as you think it is, Brat. Stone here is getting a woody.”
“Fuck you,” Stone hisses, his cheeks flushing. “You try to think of your girl naked in blood and not get hard.”
“She’s mine!” Levi barks. It’s not just possessiveness—it’s something deeper, primal, like he can’t stand the thought of anyone else even thinking about me that way.
A smug grin spreads across my face. It feels good to be wanted—no, needed —by someone like Levi. As much as I am his, he is mine. Even when he’s growling like a territorial beast, I can sense the underlying love amidst the anger. He’s everything I need in an alpha.
I give Levi a playful wink. “Now, you two are not going to fight over an omega—or me. As hot as it would be to see you rolling around on the ground, beating the hell out of each other...” I pause, trailing my finger across the blade. “It’s not happening. Do you understand?”
“Yes,” they mutter in sync, glaring at each other from across the room like two wolves forced to share the same space.
I smirk, satisfied for now. These two alphas are stubborn as hell, but they’ll have to learn to share. They don’t know it yet, but the moment they laid eyes on that omega, their fates were sealed. We’re connected now, tangled together like threads in the same knot, and there’s no unraveling it. All that’s left is to get Flynn Ryan here. I can only hope this whole thing doesn’t blow up in our faces.
I step around Stone, just close enough to brush my shoulder against his. I feel his breath hitch again. Good. Maybe now he’ll think twice before running his mouth in my house.
I plop down in my chair, my blade in hand, and start picking at the dirt under my nails with the tip. The silence stretches between us, tense but charged with something else—something electric. The scent of dominance hangs thick in the air, both of them practically vibrating with suppressed energy.
We need a plan.
I keep my voice casual. “If Flynn’s being forced to stay with that pack and they’re as bad as we’ve heard... He might not want an alpha at all. Let alone two big assholes fighting over him.” I pause, letting the weight of my words settle over them. “He’s a person. An omega. Not a prize to be won.”
Levi blows out a breath, the tension in his shoulders easing just slightly. “You’re right, Brat.”
“And you,” I say, pointing the blade toward Stone. “Mr. Police Man—if you’re gonna be in my house, you will show some fucking respect. Or you might leave with less blood than you came in with.”
Stone doesn’t respond, but his jaw tightens. He knows I’m not bluffing.
I lean back, dragging the blade along my palm absentmindedly. “You both want Flynn out of that pack and safe. None of us know each other well beyond Jimmy, so it’s obvious what we need to do.”
Levi quirks a brow. “What?”
“Stone needs to move in.”
Stone barks out a laugh, his shoulders shaking with amusement. “Woman, I don’t even know you. I’ve got an apartment.”
I jump up from the chair again and slap the back of his head, hard enough to make him wince. “Yeah, an apartment. And I own this house. So it makes sense. Flynn needs to be somewhere safe, somewhere clean, somewhere that’s mine. I’m not an alpha, so I can help him in ways you two can’t.”
Stone rubs the back of his head, scowling. “Still sounds like a bad idea.”
I grin. “You’ll live. Now clean up this mess, then go pack up your shitty apartment and get back here. We’ve got a rescue to plan.”
Stone mutters something under his breath and heads straight for the door without looking back. Typical.
Levi watches him go, then turns to me with a knowing smile.
“You like bossing him around, don’t you?”
I flash him a sly grin. “What can I say? Someone’s gotta keep you alphas in line.”
He steps closer, his presence wrapping around me like a warm blanket, and I tilt my head up to meet his gaze. His hand brushes my cheek, his thumb trailing along my jaw. “You do it too damn well.”
The heat between us simmers, slow and inevitable, like the moment before a storm breaks. I don’t know how this thing between us is going to work—but I do know one thing.
I made a promise to myself: no one will ever suffer the way Nadia did. If that means possibly breaking my own heart to save Levi’s omega, then so be it.
“You’re being amazing, Sasha, but I know you still have doubts. I want you to call Owen... please,” Levi murmurs against my hair.
“Fine. I will. But don’t push me.” I sigh.
I step out onto the back patio, the cool night air wrapping around me. The moon hangs low, casting a pale glow over the backyard, and the familiar scent of pine, wet grass, and distant smoke fills my lungs.
I close my eyes and grip the railing, grounding myself before my mind spirals again. If this thing is going to work—if we’re going to save Flynn and figure out what we are together—I need advice from someone who’s been through this. Someone who gets what it’s like being a beta with alphas all around them.
I unlock my phone and scroll to Nadia’s contact. My thumb hovers over her name. She’s always had a way of cutting through the bullshit, but still… this conversation isn’t for her… it’s for Owen.
I press call before I can overthink it.
The line rings twice before her voice flows through the speaker, soft and familiar. “Hey, Sash! What’s up?”
“Hey, Nadia. Just… checking in.” I lean my hip against the railing, staring out at the dark tree line. “How’s my nephew doing?”
“Oh, you know,” she says, her voice warm with affection. “Growing faster than I can keep up.” She laughs lightly, and I can practically see her smile on the other end of the line. “He’s a handful, but a good one.”
A small smile tugs at the corners of my mouth. Hearing her talk about her son makes the ache in my chest soften. “That’s good. I’m glad you’re happy.”
“I am,” she says. “But you didn’t call just to ask about him, did you?”
I suck in a deep breath, my thumb rubbing small circles over the metal railing. “No… I didn’t.” My voice comes out quieter than I intended. “Actually, I wanted to ask if I could talk to Owen.”
There’s a pause, and I can hear the slight shift in her tone when she responds. “Of course. Give me a sec.”
I hear her shuffle the phone, muffled voices in the background, and then Owen’s voice comes through, calm and steady like always. “Hey, Sasha. What’s up?”
I hesitate for half a second. “I wanted to ask you… some questions.” I blow out a slow breath, forcing the words to come. “About being a beta with alphas who found their Kismet.”
“Ah,” Owen says, the knowing smile in his voice clear even over the phone. “I figured that’s what this was about.”
There’s no judgment, no impatience—just Owen being Owen, steady and understanding.
“For me,” he continues, “it was easy because Nadia was my Kismet too. But the guys and I were Luminary bonds long before she came into the picture.” His voice softens, full of affection. “I love them, Sasha. Always have, always will. And I never doubted that they loved me back. I never worried about being left out or them choosing each other over me. That bond we have? It’s unshakeable.”
I chew on his words, letting them sink in. Luminary bonds. The kind of connection I know Levi and I have—but with this Kismet omega looming on the horizon, the doubt still gnaws at me.
“When Nadia came along,” Owen continues, “I didn’t see her as a threat. I just… wanted to heal her. Help her. Care for her.” There’s a quiet devotion in his voice when he talks about her. “Omegas are special, Sash. They need things alphas can’t always give, and I think… when this omega shows up, all those worries you’ve got? They’ll disappear.”
I let his words settle, staring out into the yard. “What makes you so sure?” I ask quietly.
“Because,” Owen says with certainty, “you’ll see how much he needs you . Not an alpha. You. And when that happens, you won’t be able to help yourself. You’ll want to be everything for him—because that’s what we do. Betas… we’re level-headed, less possessive. And, well…” He chuckles, the sound easy and warm. “We don’t get knotted, so we can fuck more.”
A laugh escapes me. “Leave it to you to bring up sex.”
“Hey, just trying to lighten the mood.” He’s grinning; I know it.
“Thanks, Owen. I needed that,” I admit, running a hand through my hair. “I love Levi—I really do. But… being a Luminary beta, with this Kismet omega in the mix? I’m scared it might be more than I can handle.”
“I know Levi, babe,” Owen says, his voice full of quiet assurance. “And trust me when I say I doubt that. We’ve all seen the way he looks at you. If anything, having an omega around is only going to bring you two closer, not push you apart.”
His words hit me right where I need them, wrapping around my fears like a safety net.
“Thanks,” I murmur, feeling lighter, like a weight has lifted off my chest. “Really.”
“Anytime, Sash. You’ve got this.”
I end the call, lowering the phone from my ear. Owen may be Nadia’s Kismet, but in this moment, he’s done a lot to soothe me.
I stand there for a moment longer, letting the night wrap around me like a blanket. The doubts haven’t vanished entirely, but they’re quieter now, easier to carry.
Whatever happens next—whether Flynn becomes part of our pack or not—I know one thing for sure. I’ve got Levi.