CHAPTER SIXTEEN
HARPER
BAD THINGS HAPPEN
Dustin and Sawyer still hadn’t come back. Two days had passed. Whatever business they’d been involved in had to be dangerous. Archer and Thatcher kept their mouths shut—offering no clues.
I peek around the archway leading to the living room, searching for any hint of information. Four massive men sit on the oversized sofa, nodding along with whatever Archer says. Who are they?
“Trust is everything,” Archer states firmly.
“We know what’s on the line,” the brown-haired man replies.
Fury rising, I storm into the room. “I demand to know where Dustin and Sawyer are,” I shout, glaring at all six men.
Thatcher rises and pulls me close.
“Harper, this is Maximus Thorne, Titus Ashcroft, Wilder Ambrose, and Cain Weylin.”
One by one, they grasp my hand.
“Nice to meet you,” I say.
Each man is strikingly handsome, standing about as tall as Archer and Thatcher.
Thatcher continues. “They’re a pack from South Carolina—also Wolves. They helped us with a clean-up mission a year ago. Since then, we've supported each other through tough times. Our fathers expanded the Wolves into two more states. I’m sure their aim is to spread the Wolves worldwide.”
“Big changes are happening and they are involved,” Archer adds.
“Thatcher and I need to stay here and protect you. The Thorne pack will find Dustin and Sawyer.”
My heart plummets to the floor. They don’t know where they are. My acidic apple scent permeates the air.
The Thorne pack jaws twitch. It’s clear my scent is making them feel uncomfortable.
“You have to find them,” I plead.
“We will do all we can,” Wilder reassures me with his sad gray eyes.
My eyes move over their pack again and I notice they all appear somber. Do they have an omega? Maybe they’re lonely without one.
“Thank you.” My smile doesn’t quite meet my eyes.
“I’ll walk you out,” Archer says.
They walk into the kitchen.
“Thatcher, where are they going?”
He takes my hand and leads me upstairs. “To the underground tunnels.”
“The tunnels we were inside the other night?”
“No, we didn’t know about those tunnels. I have a feeling our fathers did. Not sure why they didn’t tell us about them.”
He releases my hand. “Have a seat on the ottoman. I’ll run you a bath.”
The guys have turned my nest and bathroom into an oasis.
I love the plush purple ottoman. It matches the purple walls in my nest. My hands move across the soft fabric. Sawyer picked this out for me. And it was Dustin’s idea to paint the nest. I run my hands over my hair.
“Thatcher, I really shouldn’t be staying in an all alpha secret society house.”
He moves his large hand around the water flowing into the oversized tub.
“We kicked them out. The Wolves will meet underground for the time being.”
“I can’t live her indefinitely,” I tell him.
A possessive purr rumbles in his chest. “Yes, you can and will.”
“Dustin said he’ll walk away from the Wolves.” I push down the overwhelming worry in the pit of my stomach.
“Archer being the president gives us the upper hand.”
My brows rise. “To do what?”
“You’ll see.” He winks.
“Get undressed,” he orders.
I slip out of my pink and red stripe pajamas. Thatcher’s blue eyes rake over my naked body. “You are the most beautiful omega I’ve ever seen.”
“Thatcher,” I purr, blushing under his heated gaze.
Talking to Nana everyday helps keeps me from losing my shit. I hadn’t told her Dustin and Sawyer are missing. Can’t have her worrying too. I want Dustin and Sawyer here now.
He leans over and sucks a nipple into his mouth as he palms my ass lifting me off my feet. I grip his biceps to keep steady. Carefully he lowers me into the tub while still sucking my breast. So strong and gifted. He releases my nipple and kisses my lips.
Thatcher kneels on the side of the tub, picks up a loofah and rubs it up and down my arms. The silky bubbles smell like rich lavender.
My gaze moves around the edges of the tub. “I see you managed to buy all my favorite bath products.”
He smirks. “I didn’t personally grab them. But I knew what to tell my assistant Leta to pick up.”
“Thank you, Thatcher. You are working your way back into my heart.”
“Being an asshole to you was a dick move. Now all I want to do is spoil you and make sure you understand I’ll kill anyone to protect you.”
He kisses my nose. “I have to help Archer view camera footage from the night Dustin and Sawyer disappeared.”
“Okay,” I say. The unease is eating me from the inside out.
Thatcher closes the door behind him.
Gnawing on my lower lip, I sink lower into the bubbles.
I just got my alphas back. They have to return to me.
***
Curled up in my nest, I attempt to lose myself in one of the books Dustin downloaded to the new Kindle he bought me.
But it’s impossible to focus on thrilling romantic suspense when two of your fated mates are nowhere to be found.
With a frustrated sigh, I let the Kindle slip from my hands and burrow deeper into my soft, fluffy blankets.
“Yeah, well your father fucking shot me,” a furious voice bellows from downstairs.
I leap out of bed and rush down the stairs.
Thatcher slumps in a chair, elbows resting on his knees, fingers tangled tightly in his hair.
Sawyer and Dustin pace the living room, their eyes locked on Archer with their backs turned toward me.
Sawyer runs his fingers through his tangled brown hair. “He tried to kill us. He’s a fucking dead man.”
You guys are back?” I whisper, stunned.
Dustin and Sawyer spin around to meet my gaze.
My hands shoot to my mouth as tears spill freely down my cheeks.
Blood seeps slowly through the makeshift bandage wrapped around Dustin’s arm.
I step forward, taking in their state—their clothes damp, rumpled, and worn, like they’d been lost for a week, not just two days.
Gently, I lift my hands to caress their cheeks, and they purr softly beneath my touch.
“I understand you guys have a lot to talk about, but I need to treat Dustin’s arm.”
When I was fifteen my dad and I were out having lunch. He got a call that his brother had been shot during a hunting accident. There was no time to drop me off at home. He drove to Atlanta. I helped Dad sew up Uncle Joes thigh after he removed the buck shots.
“I need to get back out there and finish this once and for all,” Dustin says.
“After I patch you up,” I tell him.
All right, fine.”
I glance at Sawyer. “Any injuries?”
No, I’m fine.”
I inch up on my tippy toes and kiss his lips. “I’m so happy you guys are back. Sawyer, rest before you go back out there.”
He nods and runs upstairs.
“While I patch you up tell me what happened.”
“Harper, its Wolves business,” Dustin says.
I glance at Archer. “If we are a pack you can’t keep me in the dark.”
Silence.
“I don’t have to know everything. But give me something.”
“Dustin, bring Harper up to speed,” Archer says.
“Come on, little Omega, I’ll give you a crash course in the Wolves secret society.” His hand swats my ass on the way up the steps.
“Ouch.” I rub my stinging ass cheek.
“This isn’t the first time I’ve been shot. Last time I took a bullet in my right arm,” he tells me as he grabs a bottle of whiskey off the dresser.
He sits on the toilet seat in his bathroom and uncaps the liquor. He takes two long swigs before sitting the bottle on the counter.
My brows raise. “You say it like its not a big thing.”
He opens the lower cabinet. I remove the first aid kit from under the sink. “What happened, Dustin?”
I help him peel off the grimy shirt. He winces when I pull his arm through his short sleeve.
“Sawyer and I were following the guy we found in the tunnel. Long story short we followed him to Doug Barclay’s yacht.”
My mouth drops open as he tells me what happened.
“Fuck,” he grunts as I clean the wound with alcohol.
“As Sawyer and I ran down the dock Doug fucking shot me. And I returned fire.”
Mid stitch, I stop and gasp. “Is he dead?”
“I don’t know. I pulled Sawyer into the water with me. We had to lay low. I’m happy the Thorne pack found us and not Doug’s men.”
“How did they find you guys?” I ask.
“We were hiding on someone’s yacht at the other end of the marina. They noticed drops of blood leading from the edge of the dock to the yacht.”
Once he’s bandaged up, he brushes his teeth.
“I need to get you into the shower, then to bed,” I tell him.
“Sure thing, Dr. Montclair,” he murmurs, pressing a kiss to my cheek.
“It’s Dr. Harper,” I joke.
I undress him gently, then shed my own clothes before guiding him into the shower.
Turning on the piping hot water, I soak a washcloth, add shower gel, and begin scrubbing the grime from his skin. His hand slides over my hip, lingering on my ass. “I thought Sawyer and I were going to freeze to death those first few hours.”
“I’ll check on Sawyer next,” I promise.
His fingers brush my cheek tenderly. “I want you in my life forever, Harper. I want you to have my babies.”
“Dustin, I want that too. After we graduate from college.”
He grins against my lips. “I can wait.”
Once Dustin is tucked into bed, I make my way down the hall to Sawyer’s room. “How are you feeling?”
His eyes snap open. “I’m fine.”
I sit on the side of the bed and remove an arm from his blanket. “You’re freezing.”
I run down the hall to my nest, grab a few blankets, and dart back into Sawyer’s room.
“I’ll get you warmed up.” I pile the blankets over his body.
I climb under the blankets and run my arms up and down his skin. “Get some rest, Sawyer.”
His eyelids lower and he falls into a deep slumber.
I spend most of the night moving back and forth between Dustin’s and Sawyer’s bedrooms, tending to their needs.
I’m en route to Dustin’s room when Archer steps out of his bedroom half asleep. “Harper, go to bed,” he orders.
“You need to rest. “I’ll check on the guys.”
I smile as I fall against his chest. “Thank you.”