Chapter 2
Chapter
Two
HUX
Milo’s hand felt good in mine.
Right.
He led me back the way we’d come; him running and me chasing. I hoped that wasn’t a sign of how our relationship would be.
It’d hurt to wake up and find him gone. The only thought in my head was to find him.
I hadn’t even stopped to consider why he’d been running.
It hadn’t occurred to me until I reached him, bent over and panting and shaking his head.
The thought had struck like lightning—splitting open my chest. He’s afraid of me.
I’m too hideous for a gorgeous creature like him.
But then he’d taken my face in his hands. Touch warm and sure over my scars. There was no lie in his eyes when he’d answered my questions. Something else had spooked him.
I kept my grip firm as we walked back into the house. All the other Omegas were there, rushing toward us as soon as they saw him.
He raised his hand and gave them a placating gesture before searching out Rylan and imitating writing in the air.
Rylan nodded and turned, disappearing toward the kitchen. All the while, Milo never dropped my hand.
We followed. In the kitchen, Milo pulled out one of the table chairs and plopped into it. Since he still hadn’t released me, I took a seat beside him.
Shep and Rylan walked in from the hall that led to his bedroom, their bedroom now.
“You okay?” Shep asked me.
“I think so. Milo’s going to tell us what’s going on.”
Shep nodded and watched Rylan slide an open notebook and a pen across the table to Milo.
The rest of the Omegas had followed us in as well. They took seats around the table and watched Milo patiently. I wondered how often they’d done just this. Accustomed to Milo needing to write out his communication with them.
Thorn stepped in from the back door and leaned against the wall.
He shot me a nod, which I returned. That morning when we’d discovered Milo missing, he’d headed into the woods with me, both of us trying to pick up Milo’s scent trail.
I’d known I’d be the one to find him as attuned to his scent as I already was, but I appreciated Thorn’s support.
Milo gave my hand a squeeze and pulled it over until it rested on his leg. He let go and reached for the notebook and pen.
As Milo started to write, I glanced around the room. Before my gaze had made a full lap, Milo touched my hand still resting on his thigh. I looked back at him immediately to find his gorgeous eyes focused on me and the notebook turned in my direction.
I’m sorry I worried you this morning. I didn’t run because of you. At least not in the way you think. I’m not afraid of you, and I think you’re beautiful.
Emotion welled up faster than I could stifle it. My face went hot as my eyes started to burn. I had to swallow before I could whisper, “Thank you.” I squeezed his thigh, warm and solid beneath my fingers, and let out a shaky breath.
Milo gave me a gentle smile and turned back to the notebook. The scratch of his pen was the only sound in the room for several minutes, but I never took my gaze off him.
When he finished, he pushed the notebook to Rylan and sat back in his chair, one hand coming to rest on top of mine. He gave my fingers a squeeze as Rylan started to read.
“A few days ago, Trent told me he sold me to Baron Dormaunt. That he’d already paid for me, and I better enjoy my last couple pain-free days.”
At the name Dormaunt, Rylan looked up, face stricken before he kept reading.
“I ran this morning because I know he’ll come after me. You know how he is. Once he considers someone his, there’s no getting away. I didn’t want to lead him to all of you.”
“Oh, Milo.” Rylan got up from his seat and came around the table to wrap Milo in a hug. Looking around at the others, I found the other Omegas at the table had gone pale. Two of them were holding on to each other. Shep and Thorn looked as confused and angry as I was.
“Who is this Dormaunt guy?” Shep asked before I could.
Rylan stood up, keeping a hand on Milo’s shoulder, and looked at his mate.
“He’s the worst kind of Alpha. He’s a sadist and believes the Omegas he buys are his possessions to do with what he wants.
He’s got some crazy old-world code. Thinks his family’s ancestry still applies.
It’s why he uses the title Baron. That’s what he would have been a few hundred years ago, apparently. ”
“Trent and his guys used to joke about him constantly,” Sebastian said quietly. “But they’d never dare taunt him to his face. They know how ruthless he is, but Trent said Dormaunt is always willing to pay top dollar for stock he likes.”
And he liked Milo.
A low growl built in my chest. Milo squeezed my hand again, but I couldn’t stop it. A sadistic Alpha was out there tormenting Omegas, and he believed Milo was his.
I looked up, meeting Shep’s gaze. The same hardened determination I was feeling stared back at me. No way in hell was that bastard getting his hands on Milo. Or any other Omega. Dormaunt didn’t know it yet, but his death warrant had already been signed.