Chapter 24 – D E N V E R
I countlong minutes before Brooklyn stops shaking. I embrace her tightly, knowing that she needs someone to hold her up. She’s in shock, obviously. Hearing Grayson Castle’s voice dragged her to some emotional edge, and she’s in freefall.
The only thing I can do for her now is be steady. Be the support she needs, now that she’s finally let go of her control.
I’ll be the one who takes care of her. Not just now. Forever.
The idea is too appealing. I can’t let myself indulge in it, not when in a few days I’ll have to let her go. I can’t forget—this is just for now.
Finally, Brooklyn’s breath evens out. I loosen my hold, but don’t let go. She’s crying softly now, her head bent like the idea of facing the world is unbearable. Like she’s broken.
“Give me a blanket,” I snap, not specifying who I’m instructing. Camden quickly goes into a tent to get one. Memphis just crosses his arms and glares at me, like the whole thing is my fault.
Like he could make me feel worse than I already do.
I knew as soon as Brooklyn saw the radio that she didn’t want me to use it. Instead of stopping, trying to get an explanation from her, I ignored my instincts and called anyway. I don’t need Memphis to tell me that I’m the reason she’s crying.
The blanket Cam gives me smells like him and Memphis and Brooklyn, but I don’t have it in me to feel jealous right now. I wrap the blanket around Brooklyn’s shoulders. She doesn’t say anything or even acknowledge that I’m here. She won’t look at me.
I can’t stand seeing her like this—weak, helpless, miserable. Even in the worst moments of her heat, she was so strong. This beautiful girl was always fighting to stay alive, to escape us, to get what she wanted.
Now, all her fire is gone. It’s like she’s given up.
My chest feels like it’s cracked into pieces. Whatever it is that has her this upset must be worse than I can even imagine, and I can imagine some pretty fucked up shit.
I glance back at Camden and Memphis, who have identical expressions of anger and frustration. I can hear their silent command.
Fix this.
I was the one who made her cry. I’m the one who has to make it better.
I sink to my knees, pulling her into my lap as I settle into a cross-legged position.
“What’s wrong?” I ask, stroking her dark hair.
Her only answer is a little shake of her head. I hold back my groan of frustration—she needs me to be soft. Understanding.
“I can’t help you if you don’t tell me what’s wrong, princess,” I whisper.
“Doesn’t matter,” she says softly. “You can’t help me anyway.”
My arms automatically tighten around her. “Try me.”
She stiffens under me. Finally, she looks at me. There are tears in her eyes, but they’re set alight by rage. She looks fucking furious with me.
“Stop it,” she hisses. “Stop pretending that you care what happens to me. I know I’m just a job to you. You’re not here to help me. You’re here to get me home and collect your paycheck, and you don’t give a fuck what I want.”
I look at her enraged face, and I’ve never seen anything so beautiful. This strong, resourceful, wild woman somehow thinks that I don’t care about her.
God, she has no idea.
Maybe a few days ago, it was true. When her heat started, I had to be the one to resist and hold strong while Memphis and Camden fell under her spell. Somebody had to be professional, to remember we were on a job. I thought I had the self-control to resist her. But I was dead wrong.
I never stood a fucking chance. The moment I met her, I admired her—her beauty, her fearlessness, her wild nature. The more I learned about her, the harder I fell. I was a goner the minute my knot swelled inside her. I care about Brooklyn, maybe more than I’ve ever cared about a woman before, and I can’t deny it anymore.
Screw discipline and duty. I’m not loyal to Roger Castle anymore—he can jump off a cliff for all I care.
The only thing I care about is the Omega in my arms.
“Fine,” I say through gritted teeth. “If you won’t tell me what’s wrong, then at least tell me this. If I deliver you home, will you be safe there?”
It’s finally out there. The question we’ve been avoiding asking directly. Camden and Memphis didn’t want to push Brooklyn before she was ready, and I…
I wasn’t ready.
Some part of me thought that if I ignored what was happening, the problem might go away. That this could be easy, that I could bring her home and forget about her. One more thing I was wrong about.
Brooklyn bites her lip, and I can practically hear the wheels turning in her head. Deciding how honest to be with us.
“Will you be safe?” I ask again.
She shakes her head.
No.
I look back at the other Alphas. They look just as lost as I feel.
Fuck. What the hell do we do now?