13. Cayenne
Chapter 13
Cayenne
Waking up thoroughly debauched in an omega’s nest should feel like victory. The sheets still carry traces of last night’s pleasure, twisted evidence of how thoroughly Theo took me apart and put me back together. My body aches in all the best ways, marked and claimed and... alone.
The nest holds impressions but no warmth. He’s been gone a while then, probably stress-baking downstairs because apparently mind-blowing sex works up an appetite. The thought brings a smile I’ll later want to scrub off my face with steel wool.
I stretch, cataloging new bruises like digital timestamps of passion. Each one a reminder of how perfectly I fell for the distraction. A+, would definitely get played again.
God, I really am my own worst hack.
The need for caffeine drives me out of the nest, wearing one of Theo’s shirts because apparently, I’m still committed to this morning-after fantasy. The kitchen feels wrong immediately—that particular emptiness of a space recently abandoned. No baking omega, no prowling alphas, not even Finn with his morning crossword and perfectly pressed slacks.
I go through the motions of making coffee anyway, muscle memory taking over while my brain catalogs the wrongness. The quiet holds weight, like the moment before a system crashes. Like the silence before an attack.
I’m reaching for a mug when I notice it. Or rather, notice what isn’t there.
The magnetic clip that held my drive—the one thing standing between Sterling Labs and more dead betas—is gone.
Ice floods my veins as I search the kitchen, though some part of me already knew. Knew the moment I woke up alone, knew when Theo kissed me last night with such artful desperation. Such carefully choreographed passion.
I’ve been running penetration tests since I was fifteen, but this is the first time I’ve been the one getting penetrated.
Metaphorically and literally.
The front door opens just as the rage starts to build, heavy footsteps carrying exhaustion and secrets. I pour my coffee with hands steady enough to defuse a bomb, surprising myself with how calm I feel. It’s the kind of calm that comes before everything burns, before systems crash and empires fall.
Time to see just how well my pack of liars can explain themselves.
“Morning.” Ryker’s voice carries an edge I’ve never heard before. When I turn, the sight nearly makes me drop my mug. They look like they’ve been through digital warfare made flesh—clothes disheveled, smelling of gunpowder and something metallic that makes my stomach clench.
“Coffee?” I offer with sugary sweetness. “You all look like you could use some. Must have been quite a night.”
Finn’s eyes narrow behind his glasses, catching the danger in my tone. His usually pristine shirt is torn at the collar, spotted with what’s definitely blood.
“Cayenne—” Theo starts, but I cut him off with a smile that feels like broken glass.
“Was I good practice?” The words come out razor-sharp. “A nice warm-up before the real action?”
Jinx makes a sound caught between a laugh and a growl. His knuckles are split, fresh bruises coloring his hands. “You don’t understand?—”
“Oh, I understand perfectly.” The mug shatters in my grip, sending ceramic shards and coffee across the floor. “I understand you stole my drive. I understand you tried to hack it without me. And I understand last night was just a convenient distraction.”
“It wasn’t like that.” Theo steps forward, reaching for me. I step back, letting my heel crunch on ceramic.
“No? Then explain it to me. Explain how the pack decided to handle their little beta problem. Did you draw straws to see who’d get to keep me busy?”
“We were trying to protect you,” Ryker growls, alpha power bleeding into his tone.
“Protect me?” I laugh, and it sounds like breaking code. “The way you protected your hostage?”
They all freeze. Jinx’s eyes go dark with violence.
“How did you?—”
“You smell like blood and fear,” I cut him off. “And there’s zip tie marks on your wrists, Finn. Didn’t have time to clean up properly after your interrogation?”
“That’s different,” Ryker starts.
“How? You’ll torture someone for information but won’t trust me with my own code?”
“The facility was compromised,” Finn says quietly. “We couldn’t get through the encryption, and then?—”
“Of course you couldn’t! It’s quantum-resistant with adaptive algorithms. You need specialized hardware just to—” I break off as horror dawns. “The secure location. You took it to Quinn’s setup, didn’t you? And now it’s burned.”
Their silence downloads all the confirmation I need.
“Do you have any idea what you’ve done?” My voice drops to a whisper. “That facility was our only chance at processing the data safely. Now it’s gone, and people are still dying, and I’ve been playing house with a pack that thinks I’m too weak to handle my own fight.”
“We can fix this,” Ryker reaches for me again. This time I let him catch my arm, feel the tremor in his usually steady hands.
“Can you? Can you fix the fact that every moment of connection, every touch, every kiss was just strategy?” My voice breaks as I look at Theo. “Was any of it real? Or was I just the mission?”
“All of it was real.” Theo’s voice carries that omega resonance that usually makes me melt. “The pack bonds, the connection?—”
“The pack bonds feel pretty hollow from where I’m standing.” I pull away from Ryker’s grip. “You know what the worst part is? I would have helped you. If you’d just asked, just trusted me...”
Something shifts in Ryker’s expression. “We can still work together on this. As a pack.”
I let my shoulders slump, let them see vulnerability creep into my posture. “I need time. To think.”
“Of course.” Finn steps forward, ever the mediator. “Whatever you need.”
I nod, letting tears gather in my eyes. “I just... I need to process this.”
They relax slightly, probably relieved I’m not screaming or throwing things anymore. Poor, emotional little beta, just needs some time to accept their protection.
If they knew me at all, they’d recognize this calm for what it is—the silence before a system burns.
I make it to the bathroom before my hands start shaking. Not from grief—though there’s plenty of that burning through my chest—but from rage. The kind of cold fury that makes you think clearly, lets you see the code behind everyone’s actions.
The water runs hot enough to steam the mirror as I slide down against the door. Let them think I’m crying, processing, having a proper beta breakdown. They expect it, after all. Poor little hacker, in over her head.
Idiots.
A knock at the door. Gentle. Calculated. Finn, then.
“Cayenne.” So much understanding in those three syllables. “Let me explain.”
“What’s to explain?” My voice catches just right—not too broken, not too bitter. “You did what you thought was right. Protected the weak little beta who can’t handle herself.”
“That’s not?—”
“Did he even hesitate?” The question slips out before I can stop it, too raw to be part of the act. “When you planned it, did Theo even pause before agreeing to seduce me?”
Silence stretches like corrupted code.
“I thought so.” I press my palms against cool tile, grounding myself. “You know what the real joke is? I actually believed it. Believed him. Believed all of you.”
“The pack bonds are real.” His voice carries that beta steadiness, the kind that usually calms storms. “The connection?—”
“The connection is exactly what you needed it to be.” I let my head fall back against the door. “A perfect way to keep me compliant while you handled the real work.”
More silence. Even Finn, with all his diplomatic skills, can’t spin this one.
“I’ll be out soon,” I offer, layering vulnerability into my tone. “I just need... time.”
“Take all you need.” His footsteps retreat, measured and precise.
I wait until they fade completely before letting the mask slip. Time. Such a funny concept. They think I need it to accept their protection, to understand their reasons.
What I need it for is planning.
They want to play protector? Fine. I’ll let them. I’ll be exactly what they expect—grateful, understanding, properly chastised. I’ll let them think their plan worked perfectly.
Right up until I burn it all down.
A soft thud against the door tells me someone’s slid down to sit on the other side. The scent of night-blooming jasmine seeps under the crack—Theo, coming to work his omega magic.
“I know you’re hurting.” His voice carries all that artistic grace, the same tone he used last night when he was taking me apart. “But we were trying to protect you.”
I bite back a laugh. They really are committed to this protection narrative. Like I’m some damsel who needs saving rather than the person who discovered the fucking conspiracy in the first place.
“You have an interesting way of showing it.” I keep my voice carefully neutral. Not too angry, not too broken. “Tell me something—was seducing me your idea, or did they have to convince you?”
“It wasn’t seduction.” The hurt in his voice sounds almost real. “What we shared?—”
“Was a perfectly executed distraction.” I cut him off before he can spin more pretty lies. “I have to admire the technique, really. The timing, the passion, the way you made me feel special. You’re quite the performer.”
A low growl from further down the hall—Jinx, probably. Good. Let them all hear this.
“Come out,” Theo pleads. “Let us explain properly. About the facility, about the hostage?—”
“We’re past explanations. You made your priorities clear when you chose violence over trust.” I stand, checking my reflection. Eyes red but clear. Perfect. “No thanks. I think I understand perfectly.”
“You came to me,” Theo’s voice drops low, intimate. “Last night, holding the hat Jinx made you, needing connection. That was real. Your need was real.”
The reminder hits like a sucker punch. Because he’s right—I did go to him, vulnerable and seeking comfort. And he used it. Used me.
“That’s what makes it worse.” My voice cracks, genuinely this time. “I handed you the perfect opportunity, didn’t I? Poor little beta, so desperate for pack bonds she’ll walk right into the trap.”
“It wasn’t?—”
“A trap?” I yank the door open, letting them all see exactly what their protection has wrought. “Then what would you call it? Because from where I’m standing, you took my moment of weakness and turned it into a tactical advantage.”
The hit lands—I see it in their faces. Even Jinx looks away, his hands working at his hoodie collar.
“Give me the drive.” My voice steadies, turns reasonable. “Let me do what needs to be done.”
They exchange looks—guilty, uncertain. Breaking. I watch them silently communicate, cataloging tells I’ve learned over weeks of observation. The way Finn adjusts his glasses when he’s about to compromise. How Jinx’s fingers twitch toward his hoodie when he’s conflicted. The slight softening around Ryker’s eyes that means he’s about to give in.
“Please.” I layer just enough desperation into my tone. Let them see their beta learning her lesson about running headlong into danger. “I’ll work with you. All of you. We’ll do it together, as a pack. Just... trust me.”
The moment stretches like a tripwire, waiting to snap.
“We need time to think about it,” Ryker finally says, ever the cautious alpha. “This isn’t just about the drive anymore. There are... complications.”
Like the hostage they’re probably keeping somewhere. Like the burned facility. Like all the bodies they’re leaving in their wake while claiming to protect me.
“Of course.” I nod, the perfect picture of understanding. “I just... I need you to know I get it now. Why you did it. Even if it hurts.”
Theo makes a soft sound, reaching for me. This time I let him pull me close, breathe in his sweet omega scent. Let them all see what they expect—their beta, properly chastised and ready to fall in line.
This is the moment before everything ignites into flames, because they don’t know me. Not really. They never bothered to look past what they wanted to see.
That’s going to cost them everything.