Chapter 32
The bond was empty except for me.
Again, I remained, needing to be an anchor for them. Needing to feel her in this bond somewhere.
First Shatter had been taken from us, now Ransom was out cold on the couch, and before he’d vanished in the bond, I’d felt the feral sickness taking hold. But now Umbra had vanished, too?
“What’s he thinking?” I asked Decebal.
I knew the answer, though. It was something I’d been frightened of since I’d found Umbra waiting in Shatter’s nest, ready to fight me for pack lead.
“She’s still in the bond.” Decebal was working hard to keep us calm, though it wasn’t working. “That means they haven’t bitten her?—”
“It doesn’t mean they haven’t opened the safe. It could mean she’s the one holding out on the princess bond,” I spat. My blood chilled at the thought. “Would we know?” I asked. “If they offer her that bond—will we feel the offer, even if she hasn’t accepted it yet?”
“I…” Decebal frowned. “I’m not sure.”
I clenched my jaw, shoving away what that might mean for Shatter right now.
I needed to think.
I’d been halfway through an argument with Decebal in the parking lot when I’d felt her fear. An argument over what he’d brought for me. “I need it. Now,” I growled, continuing that argument where we’d left it off. “I’m out of time.”
“Dusk—” Decebal’s voice was a warning, jaw clenched.
“You know what he did for me,” I hissed. “You know I need this on the table.”
“It’s not a good idea.”
“It’s the only idea.”
“I’ll give it to you on one condition—” He cut off as I stood and grabbed him by the shirt.
“Don’t play with me, Decebal. She’s gone. Umbra’s gone. Ransom’s?—”
“And then what? You’ll be next?” Decebal demanded. “I’m not spending this many years of my life watching you drag this pack from the fucking edge, so you can throw it all away in a day?—”
“They took her!”
“And if this kills you—what then? Ransom is unstable, Umbra needs?—”
“Her. I’m not stupid. I’ve been watching. This pack has everything it needs without me.”
At last.
Saying those words was like the final weight lifted from my chest.
It was, I realised, the truth.
And that was, for the first time, a good thing.
There was a long silence between us. I’d never seen Decebal like this before. “There is no pack without you, Dusk. I don’t know if you noticed, but you’re out of alphas, and if you kill Flynn?—”
“They can start a new pack with her in the centre.”
Three alphas were required to form an alpha-centric pack, but if they bit in with the omega in the middle, that was different. The rules changed. Ransom and Umbra would stabilise.
“Give it to me!”
Decebal said nothing, pale jaw ticking.
“I paid you for this,” I hissed.
His lips drew in a snarl. He hated when I brought money into this.
“She’s gone, and I can’t protect her, not without them. And if I can’t protect her, what’s the point?” There was a long silence. “I won’t use it unless I have to. But don’t take away my shot at fixing all of this.”
Finally, he released a breath. Then he dug in his pocket and shoved a small black box against my chest. I let go of him, taking a step back as I took it, relief searing my veins right as Decebal’s phone blew up.
He glanced down, scanning the screen. “Kai’s got something.”
“A location?”
“Near enough. Narrowed it down to a block?—”
“A block?” I asked. That was too fucking broad. I tugged my phone from my pocket as I heard it buzz. I froze as I saw a text from Roxy.
Roxy: I think I fucked up.
“What?” Decebal asked, clearly catching my expression, but I was already tapping on her number.
“What happened?” I asked.
“He said he was going to save her…” Roxy’s voice was choked through the phone.
“Umbra.” I knew already.
“I got him to take me to Eric. I thought he had told you where we were going, but he didn’t. He’s going to get hurt. I don’t know if he’s in his right mind—he seemed really off.”
“Where are you?”
“There’s this massive old building, a facility, somewhere near…” She trailed off.
“I have it,” Decebal said almost instantly. “Abandoned alpha penitentiary. Trust Sato—likes his old buildings, dramatic prick.”
“I’m on the way,” I said to Roxy. “Are you inside?”
“No. In the car. He went in and told me to stay away. I’m sorry, Dusk. I was so worried about her I didn’t think?—”
“I’m on my way. They’re going to be fine, alright?” That had to be true. “Just don’t go in.”
The last thing we needed was another omega in the mix. Decebal stepped after me as I made for the door, but I turned to him. “You have to stay with him.” I glanced at Ransom.
“You aren’t going by yourself?—”
“They don’t know I’m coming.” I’d have the advantage. “But if he wakes—” I jabbed a finger at Ransom. “—You have to keep him here, and you’re going to fucking lie to him. Tell him she’s safe.”
If Ransom got near this, slipped any further into that void, we’d lose him…
“Fuck, Dusk, this is?—”
“Once backup’s here, then come—but I’m not losing him.”
If something went wrong… I didn’t want to think about it, but if we lost Shatter from this bond, Ransom could be on the brink of becoming feral again.