Five
Pull in, put the supplies in the drop box, and leave. Watch the cameras for movement, from my bike. Prove Clement wrong.
That’s what I was supposed to do.
A feral, newly turned alpha vampire defending his mate is not at all what I expected, and nothing is adding up.
When I follow him into the house, mildly impressed he figured out how to get through the wards, I look around for signs that every single one of us was wrong; that this house isn’t empty, that it’s housing something far more than any of us bargained for.
It’s even more stale than it was a few days ago when we were here though, and the old perfume of floral and berries that Winslow left behind is nearly nonexistent, unless I count the bitter undertones of fruit gone bad.
I’m not even in a hurry to follow the alpha that Winslow managed to leave to all of us as a final fuck you, because I’m so convinced he’s fucking crazy.
So tell me why, when I walk into the downstairs den, there’s a fucking omega sprawled out underneath him, looking like she just got plucked out of the morgue, sucking blood from the feral alpha like he’s a popsicle?
“What. The. Fuck.”
I snap pictures before I convince even myself I’m wrong, sending them to the pack chat for proof that we’re all about to collectively hallucinate, and start running calculations in my head.
Ignoring the hissing and spitting of the now quite angry tomcat, I swat him to the side and approach what is clearly an omega, but I can’t make sense of her.
She smells…like Winslow. She looks like Winslow, maybe with a dash less evil bitch, but she clearly hates me on sight, which might indicate she knew about me, even if I can’t say the same.
I hate it when someone knows more than me.
I reach out a hand to touch her, because she’s too weak to do much damage with her pathetic batting, unable to get my hand to move more than an inch from its intended course.
I smirk at that, because women like this make my alpha feel so much damn stronger and it’s like a drug to me. It’s a good thing this baby alpha has me as a mentor now, because he’s going to learn everything he’ll ever need to know.
Or he’s going to bash me over the head with a chair.
“You don’t fucking touch her!”
I hold up my hands in surrender as I lie there on the dirty floors, wincing at the screeching of his voice while nursing a massive lump on my head.
The chair is in splinters next to me now, sharp pieces of wood spearing the air, and it takes almost all of my focus to not grab it and stake the bastard here and now. The only reason I refrain is because of the omega still on the edge of death, cowering behind both of us, trying to crawl away.
As soon as the alpha is done screaming at me, he goes back to his omega, checking her over in case his violence against me somehow impacted her as well.
She looks even more worse for wear after that outburst, shaking as well as looking like the grim reaper’s reject.
This time when he starts to feed her, he doesn’t put his back to me.
He keeps me in his line of sight, physically warning me not to try anything with his posture, and I can respect that.
Kind of want to tell him she isn’t a real omega, but I’ll let him figure that out on his own.
Remembering the bag of supplies I brought and left upstairs, I run to grab them because it’s clear that this fake omega needs them if I want to keep her alive.
Not sure what use she’ll be to me yet, but if she’s somehow related to Winslow, and Winslow left me explicit instructions in her will to care for the ward of her house, I guess I should probably find some investment within me for the girl.
I sit against the wall after dropping the bag off by the alpha, not too close so I don’t set him off again, watching them. She’s a looker, that’s for sure; or at least she would be if she didn’t look like a corpse. I like my women with a bit more life on their bones.
She’s staring at me, and I find my pheromones pumping out of me without my consent, making the whole room smell like dark honey. Maybe it’s simply my instincts trying to comfort her, but she’s a puzzle for sure.
My pack swore off omegas after Winslow fucked us up so badly, but we could probably provide for this pretend one a bit better than she is currently being provided for. Really wouldn’t take much, from the looks of it, and maybe it’d give us a few good karma points.
“You have a name?” I ask either one of them.
The alpha ignores me, rummaging through the bag I brought to open a protein bar and a bottle of water now that she’s got some fresh blood in her. Her eyes are still fixed on me though, tracing every inch of me over and over, though I haven’t the foggiest clue what she wants the information for.
Maybe her senses were muted from lack of nutrition, but as she starts to nibble away at her pathetic meal, one hand locked around her protector’s hand, her nostrils flare and her eyes dilate and she suddenly scrambles back, coming into herself and deciding she wants nothing at all to do with me.
Fine, whatever. I love being rejected. Not like I really want anything from her.
I get up and walk out, not ready, but needing to face the shit storm that is my phone blowing up from the pack chat responding to this new development.
General consensus is that no one really knows what to do, but that they all agree she’s sort of our responsibility so we should probably do… something.
I give them a quick update, wondering if I should include the fact that she’s somehow using Winslow’s scent. Omegas never have identical scent profiles, so there’s no way that what that omega is producing is natural. I don’t know how she’s doing it, but we’ll figure it out sooner or later.
In the end, I decide to let the guys know, because I don’t want any of them rushing over here to see her for themselves without the heads up that she’s going to smell exactly like our quasi-late omega.
Well, exactly the same, but slightly better, somehow. Maybe their scents aren’t identical after all. I don’t fucking know. I do know though that I am not leaving this house because who knows what the hell either of those two wild vamps will do without adult supervision.
“She needs more nutrition. Fresh vegetables, fruit. You need to get back on that fancy bike you parked out there and go to the store,” baby alpha says as he comes barreling into the nice, quiet room I settled into.
I scoff and throw my legs up onto the table, lacing my hands behind my head. “Ask nicely.”
I know his pride is taking a hit, but he’s being a good alpha and trying to care for his omega the only way he knows how. “Please.”
I snort and close my eyes. “Sorry, don’t feel like it. That protein bar will tide her over for now. She’s been living off shit this long and she’s still alive; she’ll be fine.”
He throws something, but I’m too busy closing my eyes to care. My head fucking hurts from his earlier tantrum.
“What the hell kind of alpha doesn’t want to drop everything and take care of an omega in need? I’ve only been one for a few weeks, but even I know that’s what we’re supposed to do.”
Time to break the news. “The kind of alpha that doesn’t cater to betas pretending to be omegas.”
“What the fuck are you talking about?”
Time to go for broke. I pull my wallet out, sliding out the small zipper bag I keep in there with a lock of Winslow’s hair like a total creep. She was a fucking bitch, but I was still obsessed with her for a good while. “Smell this”
He leans forward to inhale the stolen lock, his brow wrinkling in confusion as he looks toward the staircase his mate is down. “That’s not right. Whose scent is this?”
“I’m guessing maybe that woman downstairs was Winslow’s sister? I don’t really know, I’d have to talk to the broken one. She tell you her name?”
“Fable. Though I don’t think you really deserve that information.”
“Fuck off. What’s your name?”
He sighs, zipping the bag back and tossing it onto the table. He props his hands on the backs of his hips, refusing to sit and get comfortable in case the girl snaps her fingers and needs him again. Been there, done that.
“Anderson.”
“Anderson. Okay, Winslow turned you, yeah?”
He nods, jaw clenched.
“And you thought it was a good idea to fuck with an omega vampire as a human?”
“Not actually human, not fully anyway. But yeah, it was dumb.”
“What does that mean, not fully human?” This guy just got slightly more interesting.
“I was an Unfinished. Not that you even know what that is, but I had a few cool tricks. To answer your question, I think you can understand the appeal of Winslow, and how hard she was to resist when she wanted something. She caught my eye, and then I caught hers, and she decided whatever the fuck you and her other men were doing for her wasn’t enough, so we started a thing.
It was…fuck, I don’t have words. She was crazy. ”
I don’t hide the smile on my face, because that’s exactly what she was. “She was. Kind of the best, but also the worst.”
“If you don’t mind me asking,” he hedges, “how did she die? I know I wasn’t a part of her real life, that she was just playing a game spending time with me, but it’s been eating at me that I don’t know.”
I finally drop my feet, leaning my elbows on the table so I can bury my face in my hands.
“Autopsy said she was poisoned, but they’re still trying to figure out by what, exactly.
Everything they’ve tested her for has come back negative.
It…wasn’t pretty. We came home, found her collapsed in our entryway.
Blue like she ran out of oxygen and suffocated. ”
He sucks in a breath, clutching at his chest. “She wasn’t mine, and I’m sure you want to kick my ass for touching her, but it hit me pretty hard when I heard. Even though I knew we didn’t have a future together, there was a piece of her that was mine for a brief moment in time.”
Enough of the sappy shit. We need to get back to what’s actually important here.
“Me and the guys will have to take a vote to see if everyone wants you in our pack, and if you’re approved, there’ll be a trial period.
Most important thing to know is that you are not in charge.
Not of this house, and not even of that ‘omega’.
Winslow was our omega, and she left us everything in her will, so technically you’re trespassing right now.
I could throw you out, but I’ll make a deal with you.
Help us figure out why that fake omega smells like our late omega and we’ll let you visit her during approved hours. ”
“Fuck you,” a quiet voice spits from everywhere and nowhere.
“I don’t need any alphas dictating my life.
I don’t need anyone dictating my life. If you really believe Winslow was an omega, you’re stupider than you look, which is saying something, because you look pretty fucking stupid. Now kindly get out of my house.”
Ooh, a doll with bite. “Nice try, sleeping beauty. I don’t know which vent you’re hiding in, but you’re not scaring me off. In fact, the rest of your guardians will likely be here soon, so you might as well come out now. Most of them are not nearly as patient as I am.”