40. Stone
Chapter 40
Stone
T he sounds coming from the nest are unbearable.
I press my forehead against the cool wood of my bedroom door, my fists clenched at my sides, nails biting into my palms. My chest heaves with every ragged breath, my body locked in a battle I’ve never fought before—not like this. The scent of Hailey’s pre-heat is everywhere, saturating the air, clinging to my skin, seeping into my lungs with every inhalation.
It’s pure torment.
My instincts are screaming at me to go to her. To tear through the door and take what’s mine. To bury myself inside her, soothe her, claim her, knot her. My body knows she’s an omega in need. My body knows I’m the alpha who can give her the relief she’s begging for.
My body doesn’t care about the promises I’ve made.
I grit my teeth, my jaw aching from the constant tension. The low, desperate moans filtering through the thin walls are like a blade slicing through me. I can hear every gasp, every whimper, every wet, slick sound of Finn’s cock sliding into her.
Fuck.
I shouldn’t be able to hear this. I shouldn’t want to hear this. But I can’t block it out. Every sound goes straight to my cock. It lies thick and heavy, throbbing against the confines of my sweats. The fabric is soaked with pre-cum, the slightest shift of my hips sending another wave of agonizing pleasure-pain through me.
I shouldn’t get hard like this. Not without relief. Not without her.
The scent of her slick is sweet, musky, intoxicating. It hits me again, and my knees nearly buckle. My stomach twists, my hands shaking as I force myself to stay upright. My chest feels tight, my skin burning, as though her heat has infected me, too.
“Finn…” Her voice, high and broken with need, filters through the door. I bite down on a growl, my forehead slamming harder against the wood. The force rattles the frame, but the pain isn’t enough to ground me.
I can hear Finn murmuring something to her, his tone low and soothing, but I can’t make out the words. I don’t need to. I know what he’s doing. I can picture it in vivid, agonizing detail—his hands on her soft curves, his mouth on her skin, his cock buried deep inside her. And him talking her through it, just like Jax would do for him.
Fuck.
My cock jerks at the thought, a fresh wave of pre-cum soaking through my sweats. I can feel the wetness against my thigh, sticky and hot, and I want to tear my clothes off. I want to run, to escape the scent and the sounds and the fucking need clawing at me from the inside out.
But I can’t move.
I’m rooted in place, helpless to do anything but listen as Hailey cries out again, her voice breaking on Finn’s name.
“Finn…”
It’s a plea. A whimper. And it shatters me.
I slam my fist into the doorframe, the wood cracking under the force. The pain radiates up my arm, but it’s not enough. Nothing is enough. The primal part of me—the part that lives to protect and provide for my omega—is raging in frustration.
She needs me.
But I can’t go to her.
Because she’s not mine.
Not yet.
I’m shaking as I tear myself away from the door, my legs unsteady, my cock straining painfully against the fabric of my sweats. Every step feels like a battle, my body screaming at me to turn back, to claim what’s mine, to make her scream my name, too.
But I don’t.
Instead, I grab my jacket and shove my feet into my boots, my movements clumsy and jerky. The frosty night air is the only thing that might save me now.
I stumble out the front door and into the darkness, the sound of Hailey’s cries still ringing in my ears. The chill hits me immediately, but it’s not enough to cut through the heat raging inside me.
I start to run.
The gravel crunches under my boots as I push myself forward, my breath coming in harsh gasps. The cold sears my lungs, but it’s a welcome pain, a distraction from the fire burning through my veins. My muscles scream in protest, but I don’t stop. I can’t stop.
The scent of her slick still clings to my skin, a constant reminder of what I can’t have. I can taste it on the back of my tongue, so fucking sweet and addictive, and it makes my cock throb harder.
I growl low in my throat. My body feels like it’s not my own. Even while running, the pressure in my cock is unbearable . My balls are aching, heavier and fuller than they’ve been in weeks, and I can feel that insistent pressure at the base of my cock that pushes some part of my brain to turn back and knot the sweet little omega crying out in our nest. Then there’s the slickness of pre-cum dripping down my shaft, soaking through my sweats, smearing against my thighs with every step. It’s humiliating, degrading, and I fucking hate it.
I veer off the gravel path and into the woods, the branches clawing at my skin, the uneven ground threatening to trip me up. But I don’t care. I need to run. I need to burn this out of me.
The cold bites at my skin, the wind cutting through my jacket, but it’s not enough. I’m still hard, still aching, still desperate. My cock feels like it’s going to split open, the need for release a constant, throbbing agony.
I stumble to a stop near the edge of a small clearing, my chest heaving, my body trembling with exhaustion and need. For a moment, I think about stripping down and letting the cold air bite at my skin—anything to shock my body into submission. But I know it won’t be enough. The fire burning inside me isn’t something the cold can extinguish.
Hailey’s scent is still in my nose, her cries still echoing in my ears. It’s like I can feel her under my skin, her heat wrapping around me, pulling me back toward the house, back toward her. My body doesn’t care that I’m out here, trying to run from the inferno. It knows where she is.
I slam my fist into the nearest tree, the bark scraping the skin off my knuckles. The sharp pain is grounding, for a moment, but not nearly enough. My cock is still throbbing, leaking , every nerve in my body still screaming for her.
What’s worse, it’s screaming for Finn, too. I want to fucking knot them both .
I let out a low growl, my breath fogging in the frigid air, and force myself to keep moving. I can’t stay here. I can’t go back to the house. So I push forward, making my way toward the driveway.
The gravel crunches under my boots as I stumble out of the woods and onto the long stretch of road that leads from the house. My legs are heavy, my chest tight, but I keep walking, putting as much distance as I can between myself and that fucking nest .
I stop near the end of the drive, my hands braced on my knees as I try to catch my breath. But my cock is still swollen, still aching, the fire in my veins refusing to die down.
I have no clue where the fuck Ren went off to—don’t fucking care at the moment—but I should at least warn Jax. We’ve been stupid. Should have prepared for this. But none of Finn’s pre-heat fevers were ever like this. Pre-heat usually involved his favorite things, nest building, and maybe a nice slow fuck if he wanted it.
Not this. This all-consuming need.
I close my eyes, letting out a ragged breath, and try to focus on the sounds around me—the rustling of the trees, the distant hoot of an owl, the crunch of gravel under tires?—
Wait.
My head snaps up, my body going still as the sound of an engine grows louder. A pair of headlights pierce the darkness, and I tense, my instincts sharpening.
That’s not one of our vehicles.
The car moves slowly, almost cautiously, as it comes up the drive, heading toward the house. Standing in the shadows at the edge of the trees, they don’t see me, and my senses go on high alert. Whoever this is, they’re not supposed to be here.
And with Hailey in pre-heat, that’s a fucking problem.
My hand automatically goes to my pocket, pulling out my phone.
I unlock it quickly, my fingers shaking slightly—whether from the cold or the lingering effects of Hailey’s heat, I don’t know. Logging into the security system is second nature, the familiar interface popping up on the screen. A quick swipe, and the camera feed for the driveway fills the display.
The car is close to the house now, its headlights cutting through the darkness. It’s not a vehicle I recognize—sleek, dark, and nothing like any of our neighbors’. Fancy for someone who’s just passing by. Not that anyone should be passing by. This is a private drive. There’s no way anyone could accidentally end up here .
The car slows as it nears the house, and I start heading back, keeping to the cover of the trees. My thumb hovers over the screen of my phone, ready to switch cameras, but I don’t need to. The car doesn’t pull into the gravel turnaround. It just…stops.
For a long moment, nothing happens.
No one gets out. No passenger-side door opens. No one goes up to ring the doorbell.
My pulse picks up, my skin prickling with unease. The headlights sweep over the porch, the nest of shadows near the front door, and then the car begins moving again.
It’s turning around.
I squint at the feed, watching as the car backs up carefully, maneuvering so it can head back down the driveway. The headlights sweep the house one last time before the vehicle heads back my way.
“What the hell…” I mutter under my breath.
My instincts are screaming now. That wasn’t someone who got lost. It’s impossible to get lost out here. The drive is too long, too isolated, too clearly marked as private property.
Whoever they were, they came here on purpose.
So why didn’t they get out? Why didn’t they approach the house?
I pocket my phone and step farther into the cover of the trees, my boots crunching softly on the frosted ground. The car’s engine gets louder again as it approaches me, heading back down the drive toward the main road. I crouch low, staying hidden among the shadows, watching as the vehicle passes by.
From my vantage point, I glimpse the driver’s silhouette. A man, I think, though it’s hard to tell for sure in the dark. The windows are tinted, and the angle of the headlights makes it impossible to see much.
The car moves fast, much faster than how it approached the house. Every instinct in me is screaming that something isn’t right.
I stay crouched until the car disappears around the bend, its taillights fading into the darkness. Only then do I straighten, my hands clenched into fists at my sides.
That wasn’t a random visitor.
Whoever they were, they came here for a reason.
And for some reason, they left without doing whatever they came to do.
The unease in my gut deepens as I turn and head back toward the house. My pace quickens, my breath fogging in the cold air. I keep my senses sharp, my eyes scanning the shadows, my ears straining for the faintest sound.
By the time I reach the house, my heart is pounding for an entirely different reason than the one I originally left for.
I don’t stop when I get to the door. I don’t hesitate. I step inside, closing the door firmly behind me and flipping the lock.
Something’s wrong.
And I’ll be damned if I let anything happen to Hailey and Finn.
Jax
The road stretches endlessly before me, dark and quiet, the hum of the engine the only sound filling the car. My fingers tap against the steering wheel in an uneven rhythm, punctuating the silence. Tap. Tap. Tap. I can’t stop. My thumb is restless, mirroring the unease coiling in my gut.
The stack of papers on the passenger seat draws my attention like a magnet, but I force my eyes back to the road. I don’t need to look at them again. I know exactly what’s in that folder—addresses, locations, notes hastily scribbled in the margins like an afterthought.
Abandoned warehouses.
My beta assistant brought the file into my office earlier today. The memory flickers to life, sharp and vivid despite the hours that have passed.
—
“Here’s the list you asked for.”
I glance up from my desk to see the beta standing in the doorway, the folder in his hands. He looks curious, but he knows better than to pry. I motion for him to come in, and he sets the folder down in front of me.
“Thanks,” I say, tone as neutral as I can manage. I flip the folder open, scanning the contents. The locations match what I’d been expecting—most of them on the outskirts of town, far enough from prying eyes.
The beta lingers for a moment, shifting on his feet. “Expansion plans?” he asks, a tentative smile on his face. “I know the Burlington merger will need a manager…”
“Something like that.” I don’t look up, keeping my focus on the papers. “You’re one of my top guys. I’ll keep you in mind.”
He hesitates, then nods. “Alright, boss. Let me know if you need anything else.”
I wait until he’s gone to let out a slow breath, leaning back in my chair.
The weight of the folder feels heavier than it should.
—
Now, as the car eats up the quiet road toward home, I feel that weight again—this time pressing down on my chest. The folder sits there, silent and unassuming, but its presence is a constant itch at the back of my mind.
Why am I so fucking nervous?
I can’t tell if it’s the papers themselves or something else entirely. Maybe it’s the silence in the car, or the way the shadows outside seem thicker than usual, stretching long and dark across the road.
Or maybe it’s just me.
A low sigh escapes me, and I shake my head, trying to clear it. I’m overthinking. I’ve been wound too tight all day, and I know it. Spending the night in the nest with Hailey and Finn after so long was like taking a hit of coke when I’d been in rehab. I’ve been itching in my skin all day.
Even so, I can’t shake the feeling that something’s off.
My fingers tap against the steering wheel again, faster now, more erratic. It’s a small, stupid habit, but it grounds me. It keeps me from spiraling.
Tap. Tap. Tap.
The entrance to our private drive comes into view, and I ease off the gas, preparing to turn in. But then I see it.
A dark car parked just off to the side of the drive.
I squint, slowing down even more as I approach. There are two figures near the car—betas, by the look of them—crouched by one of the back tires. At first glance, it looks like they’re changing a flat.
But something about the scene twinges in my mind.
I roll down the window as I pull up, my headlights washing over the two men. They look up, blinking against the glare, and I glimpse their faces. Betas. Normal enough. Ordinary, even. But the unease doesn’t go away.
“Everything alright here?” I ask, keeping my tone casual.
The taller of the two straightens up, brushing his hands on his jeans. “Yeah, we’re fine,” he says, his voice easy. Too easy. “Just a flat tire. Bad luck, I guess.”
I glance at the car, then back at the two of them. They’re dressed like normal guys—hoodies, jeans, scuffed boots. Nothing about them screams threat . But the way they’re looking at me, the faintly guarded expressions on their faces, makes my instincts prickle .
“Bad spot to break down,” I say, leaning my arm on the window. “Not a lot of traffic out here.”
“Yeah,” the shorter one chimes in, shooting me a tight smile. “We were just heading home and heard the pop. Figured we’d pull over and deal with it here.”
“Home?” I echo, raising an eyebrow. “You live around here?”
The taller one nods. “Just moved in a few weeks ago. Couple miles down the road.”
I hum, my gaze flicking between them. “Haven’t seen you around before.”
The shorter one shrugs, his smile widening just a fraction. “We keep to ourselves. Quiet types, you know?”
I don’t know.
We’ve lived on this stretch of road for years. I know every house, every neighbor. And I know damn well no one’s moved in recently.
But I don’t call them out on it. Not yet.
“Need a hand?” I ask instead, nodding toward the tire.
The taller one hesitates, glancing at his companion. “Nah,” he says after a beat. “We’ve got it under control. Appreciate the offer, though.”
The shorter one crouches down again, fiddling with the tire iron. “Unless…” He glances up at me, his tone almost casual. Almost. “You the only one home tonight? If your omega’s home, we’ll call a recovery service instead. Wouldn’t want to take your time away from her.”
My blood runs cold.
The question is innocent enough, but the way he says it—light, conversational—makes my skin crawl. I don’t miss when his gaze shifts to the back windows of the SUV, probably trying to see in, but they’re tinted.
“How would you know I’m the only one home?” I ask, my voice sharp.
The taller one’s eyes widen slightly, and he laughs, the sound forced. “Just meant you looked like you were coming back from somewhere. Didn’t mean anything by it.”
But I don’t miss the flicker of tension in his shoulders, the way his companion’s hands still for just a fraction of a second.
I force myself to smile, though it feels tight and unnatural. “Right,” I say, my tone flat. “Well, good luck with that tire.”
I roll the window up before they can say anything else, pulling forward just enough to angle my car toward the drive. But I don’t go all the way in.
Instead, I stop just past the turn, switch my lights off, and glance in the rearview mirror.
The two men are still there, but they’re not working on the tire anymore. They’re standing by the car, heads bent together, talking in hushed voices.
I don’t like this. I don’t like this at all.
After a moment, they get back to work, the taller one crouching down again while the shorter one pulls out his phone.
I stay there for another minute, watching them, my fingers tapping against the steering wheel. Then I take a deep breath, forcing myself to keep moving.
The papers in the passenger seat are suddenly the least of my worries.
Something’s wrong.
And I need to get back to the house.
It’s dark when I pull up. The house, that is. Pitch black.
I ease the SUV into the driveway, my headlights sweeping over the front porch. No lights on inside. No warm glow spilling from the windows. It looks empty, abandoned, like no one’s home.
The unease that’s been sitting in my gut since I left the office sharpens into something colder, heavier. I put the car into park and kill the engine, sitting there for a moment as silence settles around me.
This isn’t right .
They should be home. Stone, Finn, Hailey, Ren—someone should’ve left a light on.
As I step out of the car, the crisp night air bites at my skin, but it does nothing to cool the rising tension in my chest. The papers on the passenger seat are forgotten; the strange encounter with the two betas on the road pushed to the back of my mind. Right now, all I can focus on is the house and the suffocating wrongness pressing down on me.
The gravel crunches under my boots as I make my way to the front door. I reach for the doorknob, but the moment I open the door, it hits me.
The scent.
Sweet. Musky. Overwhelming.
Omega .
Hailey.
“Fuck,” I hiss, stumbling back a step as the smell slams into me. My cock stiffens instantly, straining against my slacks, and I grit my teeth against the rush of heat that floods through my frame. My skin suddenly feels too tight, my mouth dry as I try to swallow.
Hailey. She’s in heat?
The scent is everywhere, wrapping around me like a vice. My head swims, my body reacting instinctively, aching for her, needing her.
I can barely think past the pounding in my skull, the way my cock throbs against the zipper of my slacks. My hand grips the edge of the doorframe, as I fight to stay upright.
“H—” My voice comes out hoarse, rough. “Hailey?”
Before I can say anything else, a hand clamps down on my arm, yanking me inside.
Stone.
He looks like absolute shit. His hair is a mess, his face pale and drawn, his jaw tight with strain. His eyes are wild, and there’s a faint sheen of sweat on his forehead.
But even as I take in the state of him, I can’t ignore the way my body is reacting to the scent permeating every atom in this space. I can smell her on him—on his skin, his clothes—and it only makes the fire inside me burn hotter.
“Jax,” Stone snaps, his voice low and urgent. “Focus.”
He drags me into the sitting room, shutting the door firmly behind us. The action does little to block out the scent, but it’s quieter in here, the overwhelming pull of Hailey’s heat slightly muted.
Still, my cock is rock hard, my body aching with the need to go to her, to touch her, to bury myself inside her. My hands shake as I press my palms against the wall, trying to ground myself.
“What the fuck is happening?” I rasp, my voice raw. “Why are the lights off and is that—shit, Stone, is that Hailey?”
Stone’s jaw ticks, his own struggle written all over his face. His hands are clenched into fists at his sides, his posture rigid, like he’s barely holding himself together.
“Lights were the least of our concern when this started. And yes,” he grits out. “It’s Hailey. She’s in pre-heat.”
“ Pre -heat?” I echo, my breath feeling like it’s too hot for my airway. “That’s not—fuck, that’s not pre-heat.” I can feel her. Smell her. Her need is everywhere, clawing at me, demanding my attention. “That’s?—”
“Jax.” Stone’s voice is sharp, cutting through the haze clouding my mind. “Focus.”
I blink at him, my vision swimming. It’s hard to concentrate, hard to think about anything other than Hailey and the sweet, intoxicating scent of her slick.
But then I see the look in Stone’s eyes—the tightness in his jaw, the faint tremor in his hands—and it pulls me back just enough to register that something isn’t right.
“What’s going on?” I ask, cringing slightly at the fact my voice is thick with need. “Why does it smell like this? Where’s Finn? Where’s Hailey? ”
Stone exhales sharply, running a hand through his hair. “Finn’s with her,” he says. His tone is clipped, strained. “He’s handling it.”
That doesn’t ease the tension in my chest. If anything, it only makes it worse. “And you’re not?”
His eyes flash, and for a moment, I think he’s going to snap at me. But then he shakes his head, stepping closer. “I need you to fucking focus,” he says again, his voice low and urgent. “There’s a problem.”
“What kind of problem?” I ask, though my attention is still split between him and the way my cock is throbbing, aching for relief.
Stone doesn’t answer right away. He glances toward the door, his jaw clenching before he turns back to me.
“There was a car,” he says finally.
I blink, trying to process his words. “A car?”
“Yes,” he explains, his voice tight. “It came up the drive, stopped near the porch, then turned around and left. No one got out. No one rang the doorbell.”
A cold knot forms in my stomach, cutting through the haze of arousal clouding my mind. “Wait.” My voice sharpens as the pieces click into place. “I think I saw them.”
Stone’s head jerks up, his wild eyes narrowing. “What?”
“Two betas,” I say. “At the entrance to the drive. They were parked there when I pulled up—said they had a flat tire.”
Stone steps closer, his body going rigid. “Did they say where they were from?”
“They claimed they were new to the area. Said they had just moved in a few miles down the road.” My jaw flexes as I replay the conversation in my head. “That already felt like bullshit. No one’s moved in around here. I’d know.”
“What did they look like?”
I rub the back of my neck, still struggling to focus past the oppressive pull of Hailey’s scent that feels like it suddenly clings to every surface of the house. “Normal,” I admit reluctantly. “Jeans, hoodies. Nothing that stood out. They didn’t act threatening outright, but…” I trail off, my hand dropping to my side as Stone’s sharp gaze stays locked on me. Without the lights on, his usual warm amber eyes look like dark pits.
“But?” he prompts, his voice tight.
I exhale sharply, my mind circling back to the moment when one of them asked me a question that hadn’t sat right. “They asked if I was the only one home,” I say finally, my voice dropping lower.
Stone’s face darkens, and a muscle in his jaw twitches. “They what?”
I nod, my hands clenching into fists at my sides. “It was subtle, like they were just making conversation. But the way he said it…” I take a step back, running a hand through my hair as unease twists in my gut. “It felt wrong. Like he already knew who was home and who wasn’t.”
Stone curses under his breath, his fists flexing. “They knew something,” he growls. “They weren’t just passing through. This wasn’t random, Jax. They weren’t just looking for directions or fixing a flat. They were scoping the place.”
The weight of his words settles over me. My throat tightens, and I take a step forward, my fists clenching. “You think they know about her? About Hailey?”
Stone doesn’t answer right away, his jaw flexing as he stares at the floor. Finally, he looks up, his expression hard. “I don’t know,” he admits. “But the timing isn’t a coincidence. And if they do know…”
He doesn’t finish the sentence, but he doesn’t have to.
The thought of someone coming for her—of someone trying to take her away—makes my blood run cold. My protective instincts surge to the surface, and I can feel my hands trembling with the effort to stay calm.
“Jax,” Stone says, his voice cutting through my spiraling thoughts. “I need you to focus.”
I blink, my gaze snapping back to him .
“Whoever they are, they’re not gone,” he continues. “They didn’t just show up here for no reason. They’ll be back. And when they do, we need to be ready.”
I nod, though my mind is still reeling. There’s a reason Stone is my second. At least one of us can be level-headed in any circumstance. Like now.
The scent of Hailey’s heat is still clawing at me, making it nearly impossible to think straight. It’s a constant pressure, a primal need that’s pushing at the edges of my control. But Stone’s words cut through the haze just enough to bring me back, just enough to remind me there’s a bigger problem to deal with right now.
“We need to lock this place down,” I say, my voice low and steady. “Check the cameras. Make sure every door and window is secure.”
Stone nods, his expression grim. “Agreed.”
I rub the back of my neck, my mind still spinning. “Where’s Ren?”
Stone’s jaw tightens immediately, and his eyes flick away from mine.
The shift in his demeanor is subtle, but it’s enough to set me on edge.
“Stone.” My voice is a growl this time, a fresh wave of unease rolling through me. “What the fuck happened with Ren?”
Stone doesn’t answer right away. Instead, he exhales slowly, dragging a hand down his face as if trying to buy himself a few more seconds. But the look in his eyes when he finally meets my gaze tells me everything I need to know.
Whatever Ren did, it’s bad.
And it’s going to make everything worse.