3. Loch
The sun was just starting to drop in the sky, bathing everything in a pale pink light, when a sleek black Lincoln Navigator pulled into the drive. Government issue. Had to be. Lochlan Cafferty watched as it came closer, testing its shocks on the cracked earth and impossible-to-avoid potholes.
Loch threw another piece of wood on the growing pile, then buried the blade of his ax into the tree stump, squinting his eyes as if he could make out who might be hiding behind the illegally-tinted glass. He reached behind him, hand on the grip of the .45 stuck in the holster at this back, thumbing the safety off but keeping his finger off the trigger…for now.
The vehicle rolled to a stop, gravel crunching under expensive tires. After a moment, the driver’s side door opened and a man hopped out. He wore an expensive black suit, wing-tip shoes, a snappy red tie, and aviator glasses. Loch’s lip curled in disgust. Definitely government. He was a smidge shorter than the average alpha or beta but too stocky to be an omega. Whoever they were, they had a lot of compact muscle. He carried himself like an alpha.
Loch tightened his hand, sliding the weapon free. He didn’t raise it at the stranger, just kept it by his side, letting them know if they wanted to fuck around, he was prepared to let them find out.
The man striding toward him didn’t even slow at the sight of the weapon, which caused Loch to hesitate. There was brave and then there was stupid. Striding this confidently toward a stranger with a gun was stupid.
But as the man grew closer, Loch realized the other man wasn’t a stranger. He recognized his scent before his appearance, the familiar and strangely comforting aroma of smoke and cherries filling Loch’s nostrils.
He narrowed his gaze. No fucking way. “Binnie?”
That familiar smirk spread across the other alpha’s now clean-shaven face. “Lochlan Cafferty.” He looked him up and down, then laughed. “Well, aren’t you a fucking cliché. Hiding from the world in a lonely cabin in the woods.”
“Said the rich boy,” Loch shot back, giving him the same once-over.
They both stared each other down, unblinking, until Binnie barked out a delighted laugh, then threw his arms around Loch, holding him tight, slapping him on the back a couple of times before parting. “Good to see you, man. You look like hammered shit.”
Binnie had never been one to mince words. He was blunt, assertive, and said exactly what was on his mind without hesitation. It was fucking annoying, but nobody ever wondered where they stood with him.
The corner of Loch’s mouth hitched up. “And you look like your father.”
Binnie grabbed his chest, stumbling backwards dramatically. “Low blow, dickhead.”
But Binnie couldn’t have been further from his namesake in words or deeds. Corbin Raider Sr. was a conservative senator who ran on a platform of hate. He believed in a traditional pack hierarchy and wanted to bring back the old-school pack structure. He wanted omegas to basically be relegated to cooking, cleaning and breeding, nothing more, nothing less.
If Corbin Raider had his way, they’d go back to a time when alphas had to run down their omegas and claim, knot them, and mate them—often unwillingly—publicly.
While Binnie looked like his father, that was where the similarities ended. Binnie might speak his mind, he might get aggressive to protect those he loved, but he couldn’t have been further from his father when it came to political views. Binnie was a secret softie, a gentle soul who had spent his whole life acting tough to appease a father who would never find him worthy. And now…he was following in his footsteps?
“Heard you went and became a…politician,” Loch said, hoping the look on his face conveyed his disgust.
Binnie shook his head. “I’m not a politician. I just work for them. And not my dad’s kind. The good ones.”
Loch gave a humorless laugh. “You know a good politician?”
Binnie hooked a brow upward. “Yeah. The ones who aren’t trying to enslave omegas and declare alpha supremacy.”
Loch shook his head, stomach churning. He couldn’t believe he lived in a time where that was even a possibility. Still, he just sighed. “Low bar.”
He wiped the perspiration from his forehead with the sleeve of his flannel shirt, warm despite the chill in the air. He was out there stockpiling wood before the snowfall set in. Once it did, it would be too late.
He gestured toward the cabin behind him. “Want a beer?”
Binnie shifted from one foot to the other, his distress turning that usually pleasantly smoky smell acrid, burning Loch’s nose.
“Yeah, in a minute.” He cleared his throat. “I came to tell you something.”
Loch straightened, muscles tightening. Whatever Binnie was about to say, it was bad. Loch could see it in his stance and smell it on his skin. He tried to steel himself, muttering, “That’s ominous.”
Binnie took a deep breath and let it out. “Fuck, man. I don’t know how to say this any other way.” His voice was thick as he said, “Josh is dead.”
Loch froze, an icy shockwave rocketing through him. “What?” It sounded like the word was punched from his chest. “No fucking way. How? Last I heard, he was going to leave Cerberus and move in with his kid brother, take a year off. Was there some kind of accident? Was he sick?”
Dead? He was barely thirty. And an alpha. Alphas healed faster than most. He couldn’t have gotten sick, could he? They were exposed to a lot overseas; maybe a side effect of the exposure could have gotten him sick?
Loch shook his head, trying to wrap his mind around how Josh could make it out of Cerberus only for something mundane to take him down. Life was so fucked up.
Binnie looked away, blinking back tears, then cleared his throat, giving his head a little shake. “He had a ‘training accident,’” he air-quoted.
“A training accident? What does that even mean? He left Cerberus. He said he was leaving as soon as his contract was up. He was right behind us. The last of our team to get out.”
“He never made it out,” Binnie said.
Loch’s chest grew tight. He dropped to a squat, running his hands over his face. Josh was dead. Dead. That couldn’t be right. It couldn’t be. He’d just spoken to him…when? His heart clenched as he realized that it had been almost two years since he’d last had contact with Josh. Loch had been holed up there, wallowing in his own guilt. “Shit. Shit. When?”
“Over a year ago now.”
Loch shot to his feet, poking a finger into Binnie’s chest. “And you’re just telling me now?” he snapped.
“I just found out myself,” Binnie shot back, shoving a crumpled piece of paper into his hands.
Loch frowned, smoothing the worn paper, noticing how the ink had dulled in some places, probably from being handled often. He forced himself to concentrate on the typed words. It was a letter to Josh’s little brother. Fenton. Fen.
Fenny.
That was what Josh had always called him. Fenny. Loch’s skin grew hotter. How many times had Loch stared at the picture of the little omega, the one Josh kept taped to the wall of his bunk, right next to the picture of their mother.
If Loch closed his eyes, he could easily picture those blond curls, big blue eyes, and the thousands of freckles dusting over the younger boy’s nose and cheeks. Josh and Fen had looked nothing alike. Josh had chalked it up to their different secondary genders. Josh favored their alpha father while Fenny favored their omega mother. Loch had never seen Josh’s father, but Fen was just as pretty as their mother.
When he finished reading the letter, he carefully folded it up, handing it back to Binnie. “What files was he talking about? Did Fenny crack the encryption?”
“Fenny?” Binnie questioned, quirking a brow at him with that infuriating smirk, the one that always made him feel like he could read his mind.
He rolled his eyes. “Fen. Fenton. Josh’s brother,” Loch said, exasperated. “Did he?”
Binnie nodded. “I can show you what he found. It’s pretty damning. Josh has proof that Dresden was into some very shady, very dangerous shit.”
Loch shook his head. It was no secret to anyone that Dresden and Cerberus were as dirty as they came. “This isn’t new information. Cerberus wasn’t exactly known for its ethics when we joined. We all just tricked ourselves into believing we could work for them and keep our hands clean.”
Binnie frowned at him. “Is that why you’re hiding out here in the woods like some gun-toting hermit? Guilt?” Binnie asked.
“Don’t act like what we did didn’t fuck you up, too. You just hide your guilt behind your vices.”
Binnie gave him a hard stare, like he was daring him to bring up said vices. But Loch wouldn’t. He had no room to judge anyone. If Binnie needed to attend swinger parties in the seedier parts of the D.C. underbelly and bend over for other alphas to feel something, that was none of Loch’s concern. They all coped in their own ways.
“Being a bottom isn’t a vice. It’s a preference, one I wouldn’t have to hide if my father would just hurry up and die already,” Binnie said, again like a mind reader.
“Sorry,” Loch said begrudgingly, returning his weapon to its holster. “I’m just…I just can’t believe he never made it out. I can’t believe we didn’t know. How could we not know?”
Binnie shook his head. “We just…lost track of each other. It happens.”
Loch hadn’t thought it would happen to them. Their bond had literally been forged in blood. They’d vowed a million times to ride out their contracts and then get the fuck out before they became the men they hated. They’d even talked of going into business together, using their intelligence training to start their own security firm, one with ethics.
But that just…never happened. It was like, once they were back in the civilian world, the gravity of what they’d done had truly settled over them. And seeing each other only reminded them of who they were in that place. They had all joined at different times, and their contracts ended at different times. Each time one left, the others swore they’d contact them when they got out. Not a single one of them kept their promise.
Until now.
“Look, I know you think the things we did were the worst of it, but what we found proves it doesn’t even come close. This goes beyond the usual strong arm tactics and sticking our noses in other people’s wars. If you agree to help, I can show you.” Binnie gave him an imploring look. “Please, let me show you?”
“Help what, exactly?” Loch asked. “If what you say is true, it sounds like you have enough evidence to take them down all on your own. You must have connections in Washington who can help. What do you need me for?”
“That’s just it. You know Cerberus has their own Washington connections, ones far more powerful than mine. Dresden lines pockets on both sides of the aisle. He also hides behind a brick wall of international law by operating overseas. He exists in a gray area and he uses that to his advantage.”
Loch frowned, shaking his head. “So, what are you suggesting?”
“That we go after everyone. Dresden and the government officials who are hiding his dirty little secrets. If we want to dismantle Cerberus, we’re going to have to cut off not just Dresden’s head but those of the politicians and lawyers he hides behind.”
“And then what?” Loch asked. “What’s the end game? How many people have tried and failed to take Cerberus down? They’re making too many people rich. It will never work.”
“Don’t we owe it to Josh to try?” Binnie asked.
Loch looked at him like he was crazy. “It’s a suicide mission and you know it. The first whisper that we’re looking into Cerberus and we’re dead. Besides, how do you suppose the two of us go about taking on a paramilitary installation and the U.S. government alone?”
“We’re not alone,” Binnie said, looking back at the SUV.
Before Loch could ask what Binnie was looking at, the passenger door opened and someone else stepped free, closing the door behind them. Loch’s gaze trailed over the newcomer. He recognized the small blond even from a distance. He wore jeans and a faded t-shirt despite the chill in the air.
“Fenny,” Loch said as soon as he was close enough to hear him.
Fen’s head shot up at the nickname, eyes widening as they locked gazes. “Do…Do we know each other?” he asked softly, looking Loch up and down like he was trying to place him.
Loch’s nostrils flared at the smell of cedar and juniper, something sharp and spicy. Alpha. Was Fen spoken for? Loch scanned the spot where his neck met his shoulder. He had no mating mark. But he was young. Not all omegas wanted to be permanently marked at that age. Or any age, he supposed.
Still, whoever this alpha was, they definitely spent a lot of time together, enough for Fen to be coated in his scent and for that scent to mask Fen’s.
Loch clenched his jaw, his agitation growing the closer the omega came. Loch didn’t realize he was reaching for Fen until his fingers clenched the front of his cotton t-shirt, dragging him closer. The tiny omega squeaked as Loch buried his nose right over his scent gland, nuzzling deep to try to get past the other alpha’s scent.
Loch closed his eyes. Fen smelled like wildflowers, like the honeysuckle that used to grow on the side of Loch’s house growing up. He literally smelled like home.
“Uh…” Fen trailed off. “Hi?” he said, breathless.
Loch’s arms locked around him, and he burrowed closer into his neck, liking the way he fit perfectly in his arms. Like he belonged there. If Loch tuned out everything else, he could hear Fen’s heartbeat rabbiting in his chest, could smell the blood just beneath his skin.
Small hands gripped his biceps, blunt nails digging deep as the omega came up on tiptoe to press his nose against Loch’s neck as well. Loch rumbled low in his chest, rubbing his cheek against Fen’s scent gland, trying to replace the other alpha’s scent with his own.
“Uh…guys?” Binnie said carefully. “Should I leave the two of you alone?”
Loch only tightened his hold on Fen, already half-hard just from the way the boy was chuffing against his skin, soft lips accidentally brushing the tender spot.
When he dragged him against him, Fen whined high in his throat, tilting his head in submission.
“Hey?” Binnie said again, placing a hand on Loch’s arm. “Enough.”
Loch lifted his head, eyes flashing with anger, snapping at Binnie. Binnie snapped back, pushing into Loch’s space. Fen made another high-pitched sound, this one out of fear.
That snapped Loch from his stupor, reality crashing down on his head. What the fuck was he doing? He’d just grabbed and scented a stranger. An omega. Without their permission. One who already smelled of another alpha. He had practically forced him to submit against his will. That was assault. Fuck. He gently pushed Fen from him.
“Forgive my barbarian friend, he’s spent a little too long alone in the wilderness,” Binnie said, clearly trying to lighten the mood.
Loch shook his head, giving Fen an apologetic look. “I-I’m so sorry. I don’t…I don’t know what…that was.”
Fen stood there, slow-blinking at him. He didn’t seem upset, just confused and maybe a little disappointed it was over? Or maybe that was just Loch’s wishful thinking.
Binnie cleared his throat again. “When was the last time you left this mountain, Loch? ‘Cause it seems you’ve gone a bit…primitive.”
“It’s not that…” Loch started, then trailed off.
What was he going to say? This stranger is mine? He’d sound like a lunatic if he said that, even if it was the truth. He’d never admit it out loud, but he’d had an unhealthy fascination almost since the moment he’d first seen his photo. The minute he’d finally smelled him, the real him, his alpha brain had taken over, the words mate and mine echoing in his head.
“I’m sorry. It’s been—I’ve been up here a long time and you smelled…familiar,” Loch said carefully.
A slow flush crept from Fen’s neck to the tips of his ears. “It’s okay. I-I didn’t mind. You smell, um, familiar to me, too.”
Binnie snorted. “Great, now that we’ve said our hellos in the most prehistoric of ways, maybe we can go inside and talk? It’s cold outside and Fenny forgot his jacket.”
Loch’s gaze fell to Fen’s bare arms before he yanked off his flannel and wrapped it around Fen’s shoulders, shooting a glare at Binnie when he snickered at him.
“Yeah, let’s go inside,” Loch said, gesturing for Fen to go first.
Just as he was about to follow, Binnie caught his gaze, that signature smirk spreading across his face before he mouthed loser at him.
Loch gave him the finger then turned to follow Fen into the cabin, assuming Binnie would follow but not caring if he did.
Once inside, Fen slipped his shoes off at the door, then looked expectantly at Loch. He pointed to the well-worn sofa in front of the fireplace with an uncomfortable smile.
Loch’s gaze followed Fen as he settled into the corner of the couch, tucking his feet beneath him like he belonged there.
Christ, he was pretty.
Loch tore his gaze away and walked into the small kitchen, yanking the fridge door open with a little too much force, earning another infuriating laugh from his friend. Loch grabbed two beers, handing one to Binnie before looking to Fen. “Do you want a beer? Or water? Or…” He looked into his empty fridge. “Water?”
Fen looked over, then gave him a smile. “No, thank you.”
Loch nodded, then closed the refrigerator door, leaning against it, closing his eyes and counting to ten.
“You good, bro?” Binnie murmured, voice dripping with amusement. “What the hell was that?”
Loch’s free hand flailed. “Fuck if I know. I just…spaced out.” Loch glanced over to where Fen sat on the couch, a stab of desire going straight to his dick as he watched the omega put his flannel right up against his nose and inhale deeply.
“I want to ruin him,” he whispered.
“Holy shit, man. Get it together. What is wrong with you?”
Loch glowered at Binnie. “I can’t wait ‘til this happens to you.”
Binnie snorted. “It will never happen to me. I don’t even like omegas.”
Loch shook his head, pointing at him with his beer. “You’re not obligated to mate with an omega.”
Binnie just hummed, noncommittal. They both looked over at Fen once more. The boy still had his nose buried in Loch’s collar. He shook his head. “You two weirdos deserve each other.”
With that, he walked to one of the two chairs on either side of the fireplace, smiling benignly at Fen when he yanked the fabric back into place, looking startled.
“So, are you going to help me?” Fen asked as soon as Loch sat in the chair opposite Binnie.
“Help you what, exactly?” Loch asked gently.
Fen picked at the thread on Loch’s shirt. The button was missing. “My brother wanted me to take down Cerberus…with your help. Will you?”
“Do you know how likely we are to succeed at this? The odds aren’t good. Cerberus has survived dozens of investigations from organizations like the UN, Interpol, and even the international crime court. Do you really think the three of us can take them down? Josh thought a lot of you and your hacking skills. He bragged about you constantly. But I just don’t know how we could pull this off.”
Tears filled Fen’s eyes and he pulled Loch’s shirt tighter around his shoulders. “Josh thought we could. He thought you could. That you would be able to put together a team to get to Dresden.”
Loch handed him a box of tissues from the table beside him. “Do you know anything about Dresden? Who he is? Where he comes from? What he’s capable of? If you did, you’d know why this is impossible.”
Fen’s gaze went from pleading to stony, then he closed his eyes. “Peter Dresden. Age: fifty-two. Born and raised in Charleston, South Carolina. Secondary gender: alpha. Bachelor’s degree in poli sci from the Citadel, masters in International Relations and Affairs from Georgetown. Served in the United States Marine Corps for twenty years, where his alpha status contributed to his natural command presence and assertiveness. Achieved the rank of Lieutenant Colonel. Specialized in intelligence and special operations. Served multiple tours in Afghanistan and Iraq, receiving commendations for his decisive leadership and bravery.”
Loch’s eyes went wide. “Wow?—”
Fen clearly wasn’t finished. “Once he left the military, he leveraged his alpha status to found Dresden Security Solutions in 2006. DSS, under Dresden’s alpha dominance, quickly rose to prominence, offering services in security consulting, armed personnel, and tactical training. Known for implementing a strict hierarchy within DSS, reflecting his belief in the natural order of alpha/beta/omega dynamics.”
“Did you memorize his whole bio?” Loch asked.
Fen’s lids flickered back open, and he gave Loch a flat stare. “As an alpha, Dresden exudes a charismatic, commanding presence, making him a persuasive speaker and a formidable figure in the security sector. He regularly appears in the media, advocating for the strategic use of PMCs in global conflict resolution, often emphasizing the role of alphas in leadership positions. He’s been involved in numerous controversies.
“Dresden’s alpha status has been a point of contention, with critics accusing him of using his secondary gender to justify aggressive business practices and unethical operations. Allegations of DSS engaging in forceful dominance tactics, especially in conflict zones, have been a recurrent issue, though no conclusive evidence has surfaced. Despite this, the company has rebranded several times, the latest iteration being Cerberus.”
Loch’s lips twitched in an aborted smile. “You’ve made your?—”
Fen cut him off once more, blue eyes determined. “Dresden maintains a private personal life, but his alpha status is known to influence his social and political connections. He enjoys hobbies that reflect his alpha persona, such as sailing and collecting military memorabilia, often from eras where alpha figures were historical leaders.
“Dresden embodies the more intimidating aspects of an alpha—highly intelligent, strategically minded, and assertive to the point of ruthlessness. Known for a demanding and often uncompromising leadership style, he commands deep loyalty, respect, and fear from those around him.”
“I guess you do know who we’re up against,” Loch said, amused at Fen’s feistiness.
“My brother died for what’s in these files. Dresden isn’t just illegally trading arms, there are rumors swirling all over the dark net that he has access to tech that can control some kind of new bioweapon. He claims it can target a single person in a sea of thousands.”
“That’s not possible,” Loch said, gaze jerking to Binnie for confirmation.
Binnie sighed, taking a swig of his beer. “It’s Dresden. You know he thinks he’s untouchable. Even if it’s not true, he will somehow come out on top. He always does. He sits there in his D.C. castle, believing he’s untouchable, while he remotely commits atrocities thousands of miles away.”
“He is untouchable,” Loch said, wishing it wasn’t true.
“He was,” Fen said. “We have plenty of proof that he’s as dirty as they come, but history has proven that doesn’t matter.”
“Why not just release all this evidence to the press? Or social media? Let him be tried in the court of public opinion? Maybe with enough pressure from voters, the officials protecting him will cave.”
“The political climate right now is too volatile. People aren’t going to care about crimes overseas when people like my father are trying to send us back to the stone age right here in the U.S. We need to figure out who’s protecting him and then force them to turn on him,” Binnie said.
“How do you propose we do that?”
“Blackmail,” Fen said.
“You’re talking about blackmailing government officials?” Loch asked.
Fen nodded. “Yeah.”
Loch gave Fen a look. “What if they’re clean?”
“Then I’ll frame them,” Fen said, voice cold.
It wasn’t a terrible plan.
“You think you can do that?” Loch asked. “You think you can frame an innocent person just to get vengeance for your brother?”
“Nobody innocent would protect a man like Dresden. And yeah, I’ll do whatever it takes to make him pay.”
“I believe you, little deer,” Loch teased.
Fen blushed.
“We can’t do this with just the three of us,” Loch said.
Binnie shook his head. “Of course not. We need a team.”
Loch rubbed his eyes, then looked to the other alpha. “Who do you trust enough to help us carry out a mission like this?”
“You know who,” Binnie said.
Loch did. He knew exactly who Binnie meant and they were terrible choices. “They’ll never agree to it. Cerberus already fucked them up once. Saint is living in a trailer in the desert like some conspiracy theorist nut job, and Ollie spends his days doing charity work to atone for his sins.”
Binnie shrugged. “Saint will be fine. We might have to sober him up first but he’ll rally. And Ollie can be persuaded. He was closer with Josh than any of us. If anyone can convince him to help, it’s Fen.” Binnie gave Loch a knowing look, voice amused as he said, “Hell, look at how quickly you folded with a single sniff.”
Fuck you.
“You realize how dangerous this is, right?” Loch asked Fen.
Fen shrugged. “I don’t care. It’s what Josh wanted.”
Loch tilted his head, giving Fen a soft look. “I’m pretty sure Josh would prefer you alive.”
“Josh would also prefer I don’t go looking to avenge his death,” Fen said. “But Josh is dead, and I’m still here. And if you wont help me, I have friends who will, Mr. Cafferty.”
“Fen…” Loch started.
“No. Don’t do that.”
Loch frowned. “Do what?”
“Don’t look at me like I’m some overly emotional dumb little omega just because you saw me tear up. I will make Dresden pay for what he did to Josh. I won’t stop until the man is disgraced, discredited…and deceased.”
Loch flinched at the venom in Fen’s words. “Dead? There’s no way you’ll get close enough to kill Dresden on your own.”
A smug look spread across his face. “Then I guess you’ll just have to help me, right…alpha?”
The beer in Loch’s hand started to slip from his fingers, forcing him to flounder until he secured it once more. Alpha? Alpha? That manipulative little…
Binnie cackled, then said to Fen, “I think that’s a yes.”
Asshole.