Chapter 38 Rowan
Rowan
“Well, look who it is,” Jett sneers, leaning against the door of his car.
His face is mottled with bruises. They’re in the later stages of healing, so he’s more green and yellow than he is black and blue, but considering his alpha healing, the beating must’ve been pretty rough for him to still be healing.
I don’t feel bad.
Maybe one day I’ll be so far from this place that I’ll be able to look back on things and see that Jett was an asshole who controlled those weaker than him with violence because that was the only language he was taught.
But then again, he taught me the same shit and I’m not a crazy psychopath like he is.
Sure, I’ve definitely got my issues, but if Mirabelle’s faith in me has taught me anything, it’s that I have the potential to do better. Be better.
Mirabelle shifts nervously behind me, her strawberry perfume souring.
I wish our bond were complete. But as a beta, I’m lucky that an omega found me worthy enough to be a companion for her heat. Being bonded to one? That’s something a lot of betas would sell their souls for.
And Mirabelle offered it up to me willingly.
Hell, she even fought the doctor, insisting that I be a part of things.
“You guys just gonna stand there and ignore me?” Jett snarls, drawing my attention back to him.
His eyes lock onto Mirabelle’s body. I don’t have to be able to feel her emotions through the bond to notice that she’s fighting the urge to tug her robe closed.
The twitch in her fingertips tells me that much.
She’s wearing the same lingerie and robe outfit as last time, except this time around, I ordered her a more conservative pair of heels. That way, she’s not risking breaking her ankle with every step.
A wave of possessiveness catches me off guard when I notice the way my brother’s gaze lingers on her chest.
It’s the same level of possessiveness I’d feel if I took a dose of the booster recently. Is this an aftereffect of the bond?
“We’re not ignoring you. Just making sure you’re not going to cause issues tonight, right?” I say, my voice low.
I hover in front of Mirabelle, doing my best to block the sight of her with my body.
“Shut the fuck up, Shitstain,” Jett snaps before wrenching the car door open with more force than necessary. “Father dearest already had his talk with me.”
He waves at the bruises on his face before rolling his eyes.
If that’s the only language Jett understands, I’m glad our dad could talk some sense into him.
“I can’t touch, but that doesn’t mean I can’t look.” He deliberately steps to the side, away from his car, to look at Mirabelle behind me.
Keep your cool. He’s just trying to piss you off.
His moldy scent and alpha dominance swirl around in the air around us, despite still being outside.
“That’s enough looking.” I wrench the passenger side door open, blocking Mirabelle from Jett’s view.
He rolls his eyes as Mirabelle climbs into the car. I keep an eye on her every move, cataloguing her shallow breaths, like she’s trying to get as little of Jett inside of her as possible.
She’s keeping herself together remarkably well, considering this was the first time she’s seen Jett since he drugged her.
I’m no stranger to violence, but sexual violence of any kind seems to be the kind that sinks its claws into all the crevices of your soul, lingering there forever.
Even if he didn’t rape her, he still violated her.
Especially because of the nature of a heat in general, let alone that heat from hell he forced her into.
“I’m starting to think this omega’s more trouble than she’s worth,” he hisses, narrowing his eyes on me.
We stare each other down, neither of us breaking eye contact to get into the car.
He’s surprised. I can see it. He expects me to cower.
Well, that’s not going to happen. I have a mate to protect now.
“Why? ‘Cause you can’t take advantage of her the way you want to?”
“Oh, shut up. You can sound all high and mighty, but I know you’ve probably fucked her at this point. So if anyone’s taken advantage, it sure as shit isn’t me.”
He’s trying to provoke you. Stay calm. Stay fucking calm.
The time Mirabelle and I spent in her nest together was magical. He can’t taint that, no matter how hard he tries. Mirabelle wanted me. She still does.
She didn’t need to include me in anything at all, because of my status.
“You’re so green with envy right now, if I spat on you, you’d melt away,” I mutter under my breath.
Standing out here and posturing isn’t going to do anything other than make us late, so I’m the first to look away and climb into the car.
“The hell is that supposed to mean?” He snarls.
I can’t help the quirk of my lips as I slam the door shut behind me. Of course he wouldn’t get that reference.
I meet Mirabelle’s eyes and there’s a bright sort of curiosity in her expression. She must be feeling how good it feels to actually talk back to Jett, even if the reference was a little silly.
Jett grumbles as he gets into the driver’s seat. Then, probably to get back at me, he starts playing screamo music at the maximum volume.
Mirabelle stiffens beside me, her eyes going wide.
Shit, she’s probably never heard music like this before.
I pull out my phone and open my notes app, typing away a message for her to read as Jett pulls off the farm.
I rest my phone on my thigh, facing her before tapping it.
She’s so observant. Her eyes immediately fly to my phone screen.
Sorry, Sugar. Jett’s being an ass. The music is just to freak us out. Try to ignore it.
Easier said than done, considering the bass feels like it’s bouncing back and forth in my skull.
To distract her, I type up another little message.
I’ll have to show you this movie sometime. It’s called The Wizard of Oz. It’s pretty old. My mom used to like it, I think. The evil witch of the west was green and she died when water was thrown on her.
Her eyes fly up to meet mine and I can see the smile she’s trying to bite back.
My lips quirk up ever so slightly in response.
I know it’s silly. Just had to share it with someone.
With her. There’s no one else I’d rather share anything with.
I think I need someone to be proud of me whenever I talk back to him cause I never used to.
Her eyes scan across my phone screen before her gaze darts back up to meet mine. I don’t need our bond to be complete to see how proud of me she is.
I don’t think it was ever a decision, on my part, to take care of her. It comes as easily to me as breathing. But I know my heart is in good hands with her.
Jett leaves us alone, for the most part, on the drive to the fight night. I have a pounding headache by the time we make it to the abandoned warehouse, where the night is being held.
But honestly? That’s not the worst shape I’ve been in after pissing off my brother, so I’d say things went as well as they could.
The headlights from his pick-up truck cast dark shadows across the tall buildings. There’s already a decent crowd of cars parked behind the building in the makeshift parking lot.
I feel something prickling at the back of my spine. The stack of cash I have tucked into the inside pocket of this zip-up hoodie feels like it’s burning a hole through the fabric. I don’t know whether it’s just paranoia or something, but I don’t like the idea of parking in the general parking area.
When our dad was with us, he always insisted we park with the transport trucks.
“You sure we want to park here?” I yell over the music.
“Huh?”
“Shut that shit off!”
Jett rolls his eyes before turning the music down. Of course the motherfucker doesn’t turn it off, but hey, it’s not new news that being an asshole is built into the fiber of his being.
“What the hell do you want now, Shitstain?” He grumbles, as if I’ve made it a habit of asking him for a lot.
“We should park around the back. With the transport trucks. Dad insists on always doing that, why change—“
“You really are a fucking smartass,” he mutters under his breath. “Why’d you have to turn into a goody two-shoes now? You’re a fucking ass kisser, you know that?”
For all his insults, he starts driving the truck to the back.
“Thanks,” I mumble quietly, my eyes glued to the outside of the window.
Jett finds our transport truck and pulls up in front of it.
“There, you happy now?” He rolls his eyes, putting the truck in park.
“Yeah, thank you,” I say, throwing open my door and extending my hand to Mirabelle.
The less time we have to spend around my brother, the better.
She takes my hand in hers, squeezing it as I help steady her against the uneven concrete. It takes all the willpower I have to drop my hold on her. Bile fills my throat as I pick up the end of the leash hanging between her breasts.
In the tiny moment of quiet we have together, her lips quirk up in a reassuring smile.
Fucking hell. She’s too good for this world.
It’s hard not to get upset at the injustice of this whole fucking situation. And it grates on me she so willingly accepts her place in this situation. Sure, she’s playing a part. But I still fucking hate that she has to.
“We’re going to go check on the alphas before the match. You gonna go up and talk to Dad’s business contacts?”
The threat of Jett’s job tonight doesn’t go unnoticed. Dad actually gave him work to do tonight, probably with the hopes that he’d leave me alone to get my job done.
I’m not one to complain about that kinda shit. I’m never going to get what kid-me wanted from my dad, but I sure as hell am going to accept his help if it keeps Jett away from Mirabelle.
“Yeah, yeah, whatever.” His jaw ticks as he rolls his eyes. “They better fuckin’ win tonight, got that? I’m betting on them.”
“I’ll do my best,” I shrug.
Jett makes his way up the ramp and to the back door of the building, nodding to one of the guards stationed there. He gestures down the hallway to our right.
“You’ll find the holding rooms that way,” he says. His eyes linger on Mirabelle. “Sure you need her with you? I’ll take great care of her upstairs. She sure got people talking when we brought her last time. Apparently, there was buzz for weeks about people wanting little omega pets of their own.”
Mirabelle is frozen in place, her hands by her sides and her head down. The perfect picture of submission.
But her sour scent shows just how terrified she is.
I wish my presence were enough to keep her from reacting like that. If any of her alphas were here, would she still react like that? Would Jett even ask that fucking question?
Stop it. Now’s not the time to confront my insecurities.
“You can fuck right off,” I say. My voice is clear. Unwavering. “You want us to win tonight, right? Then she comes with me.”
Jett’s jaw works as he narrows his eyes on me. I see his hands clench into fists by his sides.
Let him hit me. I don’t give a shit. It’s not like he hasn’t done that to me a million times before.
Except this time, if he does, then our dad will beat the shit out of him in return.
“Fine,” Jett growls, spinning on his heel and practically stomping his way down the hall towards the stairs.
The hallways are surprisingly empty. The last event had more guards out and about. I guess they don’t have the same sort of infrastructure this time around, since they’ve been moving locations so much because of all the politics going on.
Mirabelle takes this opportunity to close the robe she’s wearing, tugging it shut.
“Thank you,” she whispers.
“Nothin’ you need to thank me for, Sugar. I never would’ve let you go with him.”
“Really?”
“Really,” I nod.
A bald beta with a tattoo running up the back of his neck jumps up from a folding plastic chair.
“Hey, what’re you doing back here?” He asks, shoving his phone into his back pocket.
“Just wanted to check on my fighters. I’m with the Mercer Family Farm.”
“Ah, you’ve got the three. They’re in the holding room cell to the left,” the man says, gesturing over his shoulder.
“Thanks.”
Then something I never could’ve predicted happens.
The fire alarm goes off.