16. Chapter Sixteen
Chapter Sixteen
Beckett
“Wait.” I hold up my hands. “Why are you looking for her? Is she in trouble?”
“No, nothing like that,” Dana says. “Her family is looking for her. She's been missing for some time and they're very worried.”
That sounds … I don't know. Something. “And they didn't know she was at CCOE?”
Dana shakes her head. “Her father didn't say anything about the center being a possibility. He only mentioned that she didn't want to go to the Selection and there was an argument, then she disappeared into the night.”
I'd be more skeptical if I hadn't seen for myself other Omegas running off in the night. Some went to be with Alphas their families didn't approve of or packs that they had no business being with. It happens. But for her family to hire an investigator to find her, only for her to be found at the center? That's a stretch. They have to know she's at the center. There's paperwork. Lots and lots of paperwork. I had to list about eight emergency contacts. I mean, after hearing Pierce talk about how corrupt and dangerous the center actually is, I understand why.
Pierce's phone chirps with a text. “The car is out front.”
“I need to freshen up before we go,” Dana says. “I'll only be a minute.”
She rushes off, leaving Pierce and I staring at the table between us. He breaks the awkward silence by sighing heavily and rolling his shoulders.
“What's the matter?” I ask.
He scrubs his jaw and drags his hand down his neck to rub at his chest. “I don't like going into the city. I've been there more in the past few days than I've been in years. There are too many variables. Too many unknowns. And now I have people to keep safe. I just,” he trails off, looking out the window into the trees, “hate it.”
I understand. I didn't grow up in the city. I grew up on the outskirts and I'm more comfortable when the houses are a little farther apart. Unfortunately, it seems like Dana thrives in the city. She has a life and connections. She needs to feed whatever the wharf boys are.
I'm still not sure if I should be worried or jealous about that.
“We won't be there for very long. The center has a large campus, but word travels fast. If she's there, someone will know. I'm sorry that you're going to be uncomfortable.”
He sighs again. “I'll be fine.”
“Okay,” Dana calls, leaning through the doorway. “Ready?”
She put her hair into a low ponytail, and she's wearing a long blazer with the sleeves folded up a few inches above her wrists. She looks like a detective. A sexy detective. I reach up to run my fingers across the mark she put on my neck. I shudder every time I touch it.
She smiles at me and walks over to step behind the chair I'm still sitting in. She puts one hand on my shoulder and uses the other to tilt my head, completely exposing my neck before bending over and covering the mark with her mouth. My eyes roll back and I immediately form an erection that I can't do anything about.
She licks across the mark once more, then kisses my cheek as she straightens. “Better?”
I touch the skin just below the mark. “I'm not sure. Do you know how that makes me feel? What it does to me?”
“Yes,” she says, and walks back to the door. “Come on. It's already dark.”
It won't be too much of a problem for me to bring Dana onto the main campus. She's my Alpha. It's only natural for her to accompany me to tie up loose ends and things; and besides, she's an investigator. She would be given a guest pass and a guide anyway. Pierce, though, may be a problem.
Valla aren't really a regular occurrence in public society in general, and I can't think of a single time one has ever visited CCOE's general campus. If Pierce does business in the admin building, he must use a back entrance because I've never heard stories about a Valla roaming the grounds. Valla aren't known for their ability to make everyone feel safe and cozy. Word would spread like wildfire, and not in a positive way. Valla are dangerous. We've all been told stories of their brutal and sometimes violent tendencies when it comes to claiming Omegas. It's one of those things you think about, but that you don't really want to do.
That's not entirely true. There are Omegas who would leap at the chance to be with a Valla. They crave that level of obsession and possessiveness. I, myself, would shrivel up and die under the thumb of a Valla. Pierce is Dana's Valla. I don't know how that is going to affect me in the long-term, but she has made it clear that I am hers and hers alone. I remember bits of the conversation they had when I was in heat. I'm hers. Not his. I'll just have to remind him that she's also mine. Probably frequently.
I was right. The car pulls into a discreet back entrance and parks in a small lot behind the admin building. The high security fence that surrounds the entirety of the CCOE looks like it cuts right through the building. When we walk inside, the rooms look completely different than the offices I've been in. They even smell different.
“These offices aren't accessible to the public,” Pierce says as if he's reading my mind. “You have to have a code to come through from the public side. These offices are for the people who actually run the center. The boardroom is back here, too.”
“How often are you here?” Dana asks.
“Only when I have to be,” Pierce answers, and leads us through one very generic office and down a short hallway. He puts in a six-digit code into a lock in the center of a wide metal door, and when he opens it for us to pass through, I see the familiar décor of the planning office.
Mr. Cartwright, the Omega who oversees course selection, is the only person behind the divider counter. He blinks rapidly as he watches us file into the room, but doesn't say anything until Pierce comes through.
“Wait,” he stutters. “I don't think – ”
“It's fine,” Pierce says firmly. “Everything is fine. We just need a pass. She,” he motions toward Dana, “is an investigator, and my Alpha. She is here on business, and Beckett happens to be her Omega.”
Mr. Cartwright's jaw drops. “But you're a … you can't be …”
“Wilder things have happened, sir, surely,” Pierce graces him with a toothy smile. “And what kind of Valla would I be if I allowed my Alpha and her Omega to walk into potential danger without me there to protect them?”
Mr. Cartwright goes from shock to offense. “There is nothing dangerous about the CCOE, sir. We pride ourselves on our ability to keep our residents safe.”
“Then explain why my Omega came to me covered in bruises left on him from Alphas associated with your heat service program. Tell me why the authorities had to come on campus, into the private dorms, to force those Alphas to leave my Omega's room. I'll wait.” Dana tilts her head expectantly, staring at the paling Omega behind the desk, daring him to deny it or provide any explanation.
His mouth opens and closes twice before he answers. “I don't have an answer for that, Alpha. Our security really is top notch. It's supposed to be, anyway. If your Omega was harmed in any way, I'm sure our staff is working hard to ensure that nothing like that will happen again.”
Dana's brow arches. “I'm sure.”
“Give us the required passes,” Pierce says. “Beckett will serve as our escort. We won't be here long.”
The intensity of the gawking as we walk through the outdoor commons keeps my head on a swivel. It probably isn't the most professional or Alpha-like thing, but Dana is allowing me to lead her along the paths and around the clusters of people. She squeezes my hand occasionally, reminding me of her presence when the anxiety of being stared at starts making me feel off balance. I'm not normally a nervous person. I never have been. But I've never been one to enjoy quite this much undivided attention.
I've only stopped to talk with one group of people. Theo, Jake, Abbi, and Shae all arrived at the center the same week I did. Theo is older than the rest of us, and Abbi is the baby of the group, but we've maintained a friendship throughout our entire stay here. Now, I'm standing here being put on trial for keeping them in the dark about my Dana and abandoning them.
“All I'm saying is that you could have at least sent a text to the chat,” Jake says, glancing behind me at Pierce for the fiftieth time.
“When?” I counter, beginning to become irritated. “When I was in heat? Come on, Jake.”
“He's just jealous,” Shae says, rolling her eyes. “It is a little shocking to see you walking around with an Alpha and a Valla, though.”
“And a claiming mark. Let me see it,” Abbi says, leaning forward.
“Stop it,” I tell her, but I turn my head to the side just enough to display Dana's bite. “Look, I'm not here to face a tribunal. I need to find someone.”
Both Dana and Pierce have remained quiet and still throughout this entire conversation. If they're nervous about the attention we're getting, they're not showing it. The only reaction either of them have had is when my friends stalked toward us when we walked into the lounge of what used to be my building. Dana pulled me abruptly behind her and Pierce put himself in front of both of us. It only took a second or two for them to realize what was happening, but to see their protective instincts kick in like that was surreal.
“Oh yeah?” Abbi asks. “Who are you looking for?”
“A couple weeks ago, I had to let go of a mentorship with a girl. She met me down here and her friend was with her. I'm looking for the friend.”
“What's her name?”
“Celia Westover,” Dana supplies, pulling out her phone to show the picture.
My friends all shake their heads or shrug. I didn't expect them to know anything more about her than I did, but it doesn't hurt to ask. “I'm going to message the girl I was supposed to mentor. Maybe she knows where to find Celia.”
“Let us know if there's anything we can do to help,” Theo offers. “We can canvas.”
“Thanks. I'll check in later.”
I claim one of the couches in the back corner of the room for the three of us to wait for my return text from Tara Greene. I was hoping putting us out of the direct line of sight would diminish some of the gawking, but it hasn't. Now people are making excuses to walk near this area so they can get a peek at Pierce. I get it. I do. When else are they going to see a Valla in person without becoming the subject of his attention? It's just feeling a little too intrusive and way too rude.
Dana is trying to hide her discomfort, but I can feel it. She doesn't like all these Omegas staring at her Valla, but she's trapped in a situation where she can't really do much about it. She can't really tell an entire crowd of Omegas to fuck off without some kind of consequences; which means I'm stuck in a situation where I don't know what to do to make my Alpha feel more comfortable. Her frustration and discomfort is mine to share until I can find a way to dissolve it.
I sit under the weight of the situation for a few minutes before I know what to do. She might not like the other Omegas watching her Valla, but I am immune to that. I am able to give him as much attention as we're all comfortable with, and nobody here but us knows that he isn't mine, as well.
“I'm going to do something,” I say, squeezing her hand. “I don't like how you're feeling right now, and I can only imagine how Pierce feels.”
“What are you going to do?” she asks.
“Just go with it.” I glance at Pierce. “Okay?”
He nods, and I stand up and put myself on the couch between them. It has been made clear that our general rule is going to be that Dana stays in the middle. Of the bed. Around the table. And on this couch. But I've had enough and we can all put up with a temporary shuffle.
“And now,” I murmur, and lace my fingers through each of their hands, resting them on the tops of my thighs for all to see. “There. Everyone can stop staring now, because nobody wants to deal with a jealous, territorial Omega or the resulting, what did you call it? Incident from a Valla defending his Omega's right to be jealous and territorial.”
Pierce snorts a laugh, gaining a different type of stare from the people within ear shot, and Dana leans into my body. This feels alright. A little awkward because Pierce isn't mine, but not bad. And people are definitely averting their eyes now.
My phone dings and I let go of Pierce's hand to dig it out of my pocket. “She's on her way down.”
Two minutes later, Tara comes smiling toward us. “Hey!” she calls. “Look at you!”
I return her smile and wait until she's closer to say anything.
She sits down in the chair across from us and looks from me to Dana then Pierce. “Good for you. What's up?”
“Thanks,” I laugh. “Your friend, the one who came with you to meet with me?”
“Yeah? What about her?”
“Do you know where she is?” I ask. “We need to talk to her.”
“Oh! Well, that might be a little difficult. She's not here anymore.”
Dana leans forward. “Do you know where she is?”
Tara nods. “The mayor's car picked her up. That's where she should be.”
“The mayor?” Pierce repeats.
Tara blushes and nods again. “A few guys helped her move her stuff out and she left in his car.”
“Okay. Thanks, Tara. Are you alright? Is there anything I can do to support you?” I ask, my mentor script taking over.
She smiles at me. “Just keep living the dream.”
The walk back to the admin building is less of a stroll and more of a march. I'm still leading the way, but I kept Dana's and Pierce's hands in mine. I can feel Dana's mind running hard and I don't want unnecessary attention to interrupt her process. Pierce has remained silent, as well. We're moving quickly through the grounds, and everything is going smoothly until I catch a whiff of charred cherries that brings me to an abrupt halt. I can't take another step. I can barely breathe. All I can do is dart my eyes around the area as cold sweat creeps down my back.
“What's wrong?” Dana asks, rushing to put herself right in front of me. “What is it?”
I can't answer.
It's embarrassing.
It wasn't even that bad.
I invited them. I asked them to come.
“He's fawning,” Pierce growls, scanning the building, the windows, every tree and blade of grass around us.
“What happened?” Dana insists. She steps into me and pulls my head down to rest on her shoulder.
I press my nose into her skin, dragging in her scent in deep breaths to cancel out the scent of the Alphas from the heat service.
The door at the front of the admin building bangs open and I watch as both of them waltz out with wide grins that grow wider once they make eye contact with me.
I start to shake.
It wasn't even that bad.
I called them.
“Did they do it?” Dana asks, voice quiet and hard.
“Yes,” I manage to whisper.
It wasn't that bad.
I gave them my address.
I wanted them.
Dana's warmth and scent is suddenly gone, causing my throat to close. Then a gunshot rings. Then another. And then there's vicious growling.
I blink rapidly, trying to pull air into my lungs. More doors are thrown open. People scream. But it's all hushed underneath the roaring current of my rushing blood.
“We're with the service,” one of the Alphas screams. “He asked us to help with a spike.”
I recognize the voice. I know who it is. Kyle.
“You left bruises all over his body.” Dana's tone is still quiet. Smooth. Deadly.
“He wanted us,” Kyle yells, but cuts off in a whine.
Pierce calls my name. “Beckett. I need you to turn around. You need to see this. It will help. I can't help you move, but if you turn around you will see why. You will know why you have to see it.”
I try. I do. But there's something stopping me, some disconnect between my mind and my body.
“Turn now, Beckett,” Dana commands. “Look.”
And just like that, I can move. I can breathe.
Slowly, I turn. Dana is kneeling over Kyle's bleeding body, holding his arm at an unnatural angle. A quick glance to the side reveals Josh's motionless form and Pierce standing calmly over it. His sharp eyes never leave Dana.
“Who signed off on your registration with the heat service?” Dana asks. “Who is your contact?”
“There is no contact,” Kyle answers, grimacing. “It's a phone service.”
Dana jerks his arm and he screams.
“Who signed of on your registration paperwork? Give me a name.”
“They signed us up,” Kyle grunts. “We didn't do the paperwork. They did it for us. When we get the text, we go to the address.”
Dana slides her grip down his arm until she gets to his wrist and hand. “Who,” pop , “is,” pop ,” they?” pop .
Nausea threatens the contents of my stomach. I'm not violent. I don't like gore. Watching Dana snap his fingers like twigs from his probably broken arm constitutes both violence and gore.
But she did it for me.
Because they hurt me.
I am safe.
I can breathe.
“The pharmacy!” Kyle screams. “They can tell you.”
“Okay,” Dana says sweetly. “Look away, Beckett.”
I don't need the order this time. I turn all the way around and face the building again. I barely even jump when the gun goes off.