16. Ollie
“Okay, let’s get started,” Ollie said, needing the others to focus on him and not each other.
The theater room was as large and pretentious as the rest of the house with black walls, top-of-the-line surround sound, and a floor-to-ceiling screen. The plush seats were set up stadium-style on three tiered risers with the floor-level seating swapped out for two loveseats, one on either side of the aisle. Behind each of those sofas were two rows of four overstuffed leather recliners.
Either side of the theater could have accommodated the whole group, yet both factions chose to sit apart. Team alpha sat on the left, Loch, Saint, and Binnie all in a row. While team omega plus San sat to the right, mirroring the others’ positions with Seth squeezed between Fen and Loch.
The only outlier was Deke. He’d chosen to sit on the small loveseat closest to Ollie. This morning, he’d thought Deke was only tired, but now, worry knotted in his stomach. He was pale beneath his golden tan, his skin shiny with sweat, eyes glassy. He had a blanket wrapped around him—Ollie’s blanket, pilfered from his bed—and his sock-clad feet tucked beneath him. He’d also stolen Ollie’s shirt like he wanted Ollie all around him.
Ollie hated how much the thought tugged at something deep in his core. He tried to push the feelings aside like he had every day since the two met, but it grew more difficult with each passing moment. Ollie had to get out of there. Every day he delayed leaving, the less he wanted to go. And he had to go. He couldn’t get dragged back into Cerberus’s orbit. He wasn’t sure he’d survive.
He’d told himself building up this wall would protect himself from getting attached, but he was fighting the urge to go check on the younger boy, to drag him back to their room and take care of him. It wasn’t normal. Ollie didn’t get attached to people, not romantically. Sex was fun, a good stress-reliever, but there had never been feelings attached for Ollie. He had assumed he wasn’t capable. But when he looked at Deke, he felt…something. He didn’t know how much was proximity based and how much was real.
Ollie brought Deke the remainder of his bottled water. “You okay?”
“I’m fine. I think I’m coming down with something,” Deke mumbled.
“You don’t have to stay for the meeting,” Loch said. “We can fill you in later.” He looked to Seth and San, then back to Deke. “None of you are obligated to help with this. I know Fen won’t sit on the sidelines but your staying with us isn’t predicated on you helping with this. You”re still part of the…group.”
Loch wanted so badly to say “pack” and they all knew it. He wasn’t exactly stealthy in his quiet mission to make them all see his vision. Even Ollie. He’d brought it up again only a few minutes ago, asking Ollie to reconsider leaving. Maybe Loch was right about the others, but not Ollie. He didn’t fit in. He was the outlier. The only beta. Well, there was a slight possibility Deke would present as a beta but Ollie still had his money firmly on team alpha.
When Ollie had brought up Deke’s illness, Loch had suggested Deke might be presenting, but they’d quickly dismissed it. Pre-heat or pre-rut could start anywhere from two to five days before the actual heat or rut, but there was always some kind of warning beforehand.
Fevers, headaches, and sore muscles were common with both secondary genders. Omegas experienced emotional outbursts and increased senses. Alphas exhibited more aggression, increased appetite, insomnia, restlessness. Ollie slept with Deke wrapped around him every night. He would have seen any warning signs. He’d been fine until this morning. But there was no denying something wasn’t right. Maybe he was getting a virus. Alphas rarely got sick, though.
But they didn’t know for sure Deke would even be an alpha.
Ollie preferred illness to Saint’s suggestion. He was sure Deke was just sad Ollie was leaving him. But Ollie had told Deke right to his face he was leaving, and he hadn’t gotten distressed over it. He’d seemed content with Ollie’s pinky-promise that he would never ignore Deke’s calls as long as there were no non-emergency calls during work hours.
Saint was surprised at Ollie’s compromise. Ollie was surprised, too. But Deke had a way of getting what he wanted from Ollie with little to no effort. The boy had inserted himself into Ollie’s bed and his life like he was always meant to be there and Ollie wasn’t sure what to do. He had never been comfortable with other people in his space. But Deke didn’t feel like just another person to him.
Deke drained the bottle and wordlessly handed it back to Ollie, wiggling until he reclined with his head on the arm of the sofa, clutching the blanket tighter still, a small shiver running through him.
Was that a chill?
Ollie wanted to cancel the meeting and drag Deke back upstairs to their room so he could assess him. So he could scent him. He wanted to leave with Deke smelling only of him. It was a strange instinct. Betas liked scenting, found comfort in it, but there wasn’t a compulsion to it. It was one of many things that made them outliers. But right now, secondary gender didn’t matter. Deke was sad. Ollie was the cause. Knowing he hurt Deke made it feel like someone had tried to carve his heart from his chest with a rusty spoon.
Ollie refused to acknowledge the part of himself that would miss waking up to Deke tucked up against him, breath puffing against his scent gland. At night, Ollie would fall asleep on his back, one hand beneath his head, Deke on his own side of the bed. But sometime in the night, Deke would migrate until he was curved around Ollie, face buried in his neck like he had a claim.
“You good?” Loch asked, dragging Ollie from his thoughts. “You smell weird.”
Fucking alpha senses. “We’re about to talk about the man who killed my best friend. How am I supposed to feel?” Ollie snapped, hoping Josh would forgive the lie.
Well, it wasn’t a total lie. He’d rather be anywhere else than in that room talking about the man who murdered Josh.
Loch shrugged. “I thought maybe it had something to do with?—”
Deke’s head snapped around, his nostrils flaring as he narrowed his eyes at Loch. “Leave him alone.”
Loch arched a brow at Ollie, his look screaming I told you so.
“Relax, kid. Nobody is trying to upset your man,” Saint said, ruffling the boy’s hair, laughing when Deke snatched himself away, this time lying fully on the small sofa.
That wasn’t good.
Given the current situation, Ollie decided to make a minor detour before ripping open the barely healed wound of Josh’s death. He took a deep breath and let it out, shoulders stiff. “Um, before we get to why we’re here, let’s get the awkward stuff out of the way first.”
“Awkward stuff?” Binnie asked, sitting straighter.
“Mm,” Ollie confirmed. “I’ve finished my one-on-one talks with all the household members so I will no longer be invading your privacy?—”
“I doubt that,” Saint muttered.
“I’m happy to report that there’s no need to have any awkward talks about who has agreed to sleep with whom as everyone has agreed to help out everyone else in some capacity should the need arise.”
Bodies shifted in chairs as they all began to look at one another. Ollie gave them a minute to ponder all the various troubles seven adults could get into during a hormone driven frenzy…then threw a little fuel on the fire.
“The only caveat is Seth. His doctor still won’t allow him back on his suppressants, so he is benched for the next seven days until his new birth control kicks in.” Ollie’s gaze flicked to Saint, a smile playing at his lips as the alpha immediately sought out the omega in question, breathing a little heavier. “So, if you have your heart set on our adorable little apple-scented omega helping you in your hour—or week—of need, you shouldn’t try to do anything that might trigger a breakthrough rut.”
Saint let out something that sounded like a growl.
Binnie gave the other alpha a sympathetic pat. “Down boy. You haven’t had a rut in five years. I think you’re safe.”
Saint stared longingly at the little omega before giving a forlorn whine like Wolf did whenever Saint denied him a second helping of dinner. The omega stole a peek over his shoulder, blushing when their eyes met, then buried himself deeper into his giant hoodie and turned away.
Saint tried to stand, but Binnie and Loch threw an arm across the alpha, earning another angry snarl. What was he gonna do? Mount him there in the aisle? Honestly, it wouldn’t surprise Ollie. Since they’d all been under one roof, every day played out like that scene from Mean Girls where all the kids turned into animals at the mall. Everyone was horny, sad, or angry all the time. Sometimes, at the same time.
Saint was the worst of them. He was desperate to mark his territory. He would bite and claim Seth right there in front of all of them without a moment’s hesitation. The only thing keeping him in check was the secret fear Seth found him lacking. Something had happened between the two, though. Something that had made Seth vacillate between staring at Saint with stars in his eyes and blushing while making himself small.
Seth had candidly explained his limits to Ollie when it came to how far he’d go to help out the others should they need it. He’d told Ollie he was a virgin and he intended to stay that way unless the person in rut was Saint. He would be happy to help take the edge off for whoever else needed it, but until he was mated, no penetration.
Saint would have killed to have that inside information, but it wasn’t Ollie’s place to tell him that. They were all already far too open with each other as far as Ollie was concerned. He’d never imagined he’d know this much about his friends’ sex lives, but he also couldn’t stop himself from observing them all carefully.
They were all in various stages of denial, but Ollie could see they were fated. Part of him wished he could stay and watch it all play out...but he couldn”t. He had a life, a boss, and plants to water.
Ollie had procrastinated long enough. He took a deep breath and hit the button on the remote in his hand. Fen sucked in a breath when Peter Dresden’s smug face appeared on the screen. It was reflexive more than anything, like his body rejected the sight no matter how many times he saw it. And he had seen it a lot. Fenny was the one who gathered all the information Ollie was utilizing for this…presentation? Plan? Operation? Huddle?
The others’ reactions varied. Binnie’s lip curled, Loch’s color faded, Saint looked away. Ollie made an effort not to look either. He saw Dresden’s face enough in his nightmares. So many people had suffered because of him. So many people in this room had suffered because of him.
Seth, San, and Deke weren’t unaffected either. Deke swallowed, shivering under his blanket. San and Seth pressed in on Fen like they could shield him from his pain.
“I’m sure you’re all familiar with this bag of shit. For the past decade, the U.S. government has indicted Dresden on numerous charges, everything from mail fraud to war crimes, and yet, no matter how damning the evidence, he always slips free.”
Fen’s jaw clenched, tears springing to his eyes. He rubbed at them, sniffling once before squaring his shoulders, his face expressionless.
“Fenny has narrowed down ten names that appear in these investigations again and again. Powerful people at the top of their fields who mysteriously seem to drop the ball every time Dresden’s charges come across their desk. I’ve worked this plan from every angle, and to get Dresden, we need to clear the chessboard.”
“What does that mean?” Deke asked.
Ollie clicked the remote, revealing a flow chart with ten names. “These are Dresden’s white knights.”
“Who are they?” Seth asked softly, squinting at the screen.
Before Ollie could respond, Binnie spoke up. “Well, the man at the top there—the one who looks like a melted candle—that’s Senator Marcus Eldridge, senior representative for the great state of Mississippi. Known for his shitty traditionalist views and his shady backroom deals.”
“Do you know him?” San asked, tone sharp.
Binnie nodded, grimacing. “The man’s been playing golf with my father since the dawn of time. He’s mean as a snake and has absolutely zero sense of shame. He met his current wife when he was her youth pastor and she was fifteen. He was pushing forty. He’s a walking garbage heap, but he’s still going to be a bitch to take down. He’s a fucking senator. People have been trying and failing to boot him out of office for years. He might be harder to unseat than my father.”
Ollie nodded. “And that’s why we’re going about this strategically. Don’t think of them as people, think of them as chess pieces, all protecting Dresden. We need to burn them, turn them, and force them to play for our side. But we have to do it in order. Eldridge will be the hardest, so he goes last.”
Seth ran his top teeth over his bottom lip, shifting uncomfortably. “So, Eldridge is the final boss we have to beat before we face off against Dresden?”
Ollie nodded. It was a better analogy than any Ollie had come up with.
“If he’s the last, who’s the first?” Saint asked.
Ollie hit the button again, revealing a much larger picture of an attractive middle-aged black man in a police officer’s full dress uniform. “Josiah Stirling, Police Commissioner. He’s a real big deal. He’s known for his pristine record, but he’s turned a blind eye to Dresden’s dealings here for years, calling in favor after favor, forcing officers to close investigations.”
“A police commissioner is the bottom of the food chain?” San asked, voice strained. “Like the man with a gun and a badge who oversees all the other men with guns and badges? That police commissioner?”
“Technically, a police commissioner is a civilian,” Binnie noted absently.
San leveled a glare at him. “Does that make the bullets in his gun any less lethal?”
Binnie stifled a smile. “I suppose not.”
San crossed his legs, expression smug. “That’s what I thought.”
“But they aren’t issued a firearm, either, so…” Binnie said, smirking when San’s face fell.
“Binnie’s right. Police commissioners are civilians,” Ollie said, earning a glower from San until he clarified, “But, in this case, San is also correct. While Stirling wasn’t issued a firearm, he does have a concealed carry permit and is a known gun enthusiast, so we need to assume he’s armed at all times.”
“I’m assuming we have a dossier on this guy?” Loch asked.
Fen spoke up. “Partial. Some recon will have to be done in person. I can tell you that he’s forty-five years old, an alpha, married to a stay-at-home omega. Two children. Grew up in D.C. Father was a decorated detective known for being as by the book as they come. Stirling excelled academically and athletically, earning a full ride to Howard where he—ironically enough—achieved a master’s degree in law enforcement ethics.”
“Wow,” Seth muttered.
“Mm,” Fen agreed. “He started as a patrol officer but rose through the ranks freakishly fast due to his ‘superior leadership and decision making skills.’ But also because he’s a traditionalist alpha and we know how that club likes to see their own succeed. But he does have a reputation for being innovative and inclusive,” Fen conceded begrudgingly.
Binnie nodded. “I’ve worked with the guy. I wouldn’t have pegged him as someone who would work with a piece of shit like Dresden.” When they all turned to look at him, he shrugged. “What? I didn’t say we were besties. We run in the same circles. He does a lot of work bridging the gap between the police force and the community. There’s a lot of discord with law enforcement these days. He’s also been working on modernizing the department, implementing new technologies, focusing on officer education. He even works with younger alphas, teaching them how to use their instincts constructively.” Binnie shook his head. “I can’t believe he’s dirty.”
“Sounds like you’re in love with the guy,” San said, tone prissy.
“Jealous?” Binnie shot back.
San scoffed. “You wish.”
“I do…” Binnie agreed, sighing dreamily.
San turned red to the tips of his elven-shaped ears and went back to staring at the screen, but not before muttering, “Jackass,” under his breath.
“You were saying,” Ollie said loudly and slowly, drawing everyone’s attention back to the task at hand.
Fen cleared his throat. “His bank statements were clear. No large transactions. We know his employment history is spotless. He doesn’t cheat on his spouse, no history of violent behavior. The only mark on his perfect record isn’t really a mark at all. He sees a therapist twice a week.”
“Twice a week?” Seth said. “Damn, that’s intense.”
Fen nodded. “I hacked his records. According to the therapist’s notes, the man is stressed. His medical records indicate he has high blood pressure and coronary artery disease. The therapist thinks it’s related to his ‘work-life balance.’ His wife’s always pissed at him because he works constantly while she’s at home raising two kids alone, one of whom has cystic fibrosis.”
“Are we sure this guy’s dirty?” Loch asked, shaking his head like it didn’t track.
“No,” Ollie said. Fen’s head snapped around, a look of betrayal on his face. Ollie held up a hand. “But his name appears too many times to be a coincidence. We’re still looking for the connection.”
“Blackmail, maybe?” San asked. “Maybe Dresden has something on him and is forcing him to help him.”
Saint shook his head. “If this guy is the choirboy everyone says he is, what leverage would Dresden have over him?”
“Maybe he’s bribing him?” Fen asked.
“You said there were no large sums of money in his account,” Ollie reminded.
“People hide money all the time,” Fen said.
“But isn’t bribery as unlikely as blackmail?” Saint said. “This isn’t the kind of guy who would compromise his morals for money.”
“Sure he would,” Seth countered. “If the stakes were high enough.”
Saint frowned. “Like?”
Seth held up his cell phone. “Like a thirteen-year-old kid who had a double lung transplant.”
San frowned, squinting at Seth’s phone screen. “You think he’s taking Dresden’s money to pay for his kid’s sickness?”
Seth shrugged. “According to this article in the Post, Stirling’s son had a double lung transplant at four-years-old, but the transplant didn’t take. The lungs wouldn’t…perfuse, whatever that means. They had approximately forty-eight hours to find replacement lungs or the boy would’ve most likely died. Less than eight percent of most cystic fibrosis patients manage to live long enough to get a double lung transplant, but this kid got two in a two-day span? The article calls it miraculous. I call it suspicious.”
“You think Dresden…what? Bought the kid’s lungs on the black market?” Ollie asked.
“Like waking up without a kidney in your bathtub black market? Isn’t that an urban legend?” San asked.
“It happens,” Loch said. “The organ black market is thriving. It’s possible Dresden saw an opportunity and took it. If anyone had the connections, it would be him. But he would have had to pay off a lot of people to look the other way if those organs were obtained illegally.”
Fen turned to look at Loch. “Dresden has the power.”
“But why would Dresden go through all that trouble to gain access to a police commissioner?” Saint asked. “The average lung transplant is about half a million dollars, a double lung transplant more so. Add to that needing a second set of lungs from the black market? You’re talking two million dollars for the surgery alone. I can see Dresden paying that for a senator but a police commissioner?”
“Insurance covers up to eighty percent,” Seth said. “I imagine police commissioners have good insurance. So, that would leave him needing only four hundred thousand. Which would be a lot for a cop but not so much for a billionaire.”
“It says here that lung transplants are only good for five years,” San noted. “Does that mean this poor kid has had more than one? God. I’d probably let Dresden off the hook, too.”
Fen glared at San. “Dresden killed my brother.”
San’s face went soft, his hand curling around Fen’s thigh. “I know, baby, but you have to admit if it was your kid who was sick, you’d do anything to keep them alive.”
“We don’t even know that’s the reason he’s helping Dresden,” Fen snapped.
Binnie leaned forward, planting his elbows on his knees. “We don’t even know for sure he is helping Dresden.”
“He is. I know he is,” Fen swore, his agitation permeating the small room.
Loch was on his feet in an instant, making his way to Fen and kneeling in front of him, holding both his hands. “And you’re going to do what you do best and find out exactly why he’s in Dresden’s pocket. When we know the whole story, we’ll reassess. We’ll do whatever you think is right. Okay?”
“I’m not being unreasonable,” Fen said, chin wobbling. “If Stirling is keeping Dresden out of jail, he’s as responsible for every death Dresden’s caused, including Josh. He needs to pay.” Tears spilled down Fen’s cheeks. “I’m not being unreasonable,” he said again, like he was trying to convince himself.
Loch wiped his tears. “Let’s get a clear picture first. This is all speculation.” He looked at Ollie. “I think we can end it here until we know the whole story, no?”
Ollie nodded. He wasn’t sure how to feel about this development. If Stirling was protecting his child, Ollie sympathized, but Fen was right. It didn’t make him any less culpable. Or did it? Fuck. Was it wrong of Ollie to hope Stirling was secretly a selfish piece of shit so they could punish him without guilt?
“Okay…class dismissed, I guess,” Ollie said.
Everyone stood—everyone except Deke, who was…asleep? His eyes were closed, face damp with sweat. He was panting like he was overheated.
Ollie rushed to Deke, dropping beside him to shake him awake. He needed to see him awake. He peeled the blanket off him, noting his clothing was soaked. When he cupped his face, he hissed. “He’s burning up.”
The others rushed over as Ollie gently slapped Deke’s cheek. “Hey. Wake up.”
Relief washed through Ollie as Deke’s eyes popped open. But it was short-lived. The boy’s eyes were bloodshot, he looked a little disoriented, and his chest still rose and fell rapidly.
“What?” he asked dully when he saw they all stared down at him.
“You fell asleep. Are you okay?” Fen asked.
Deke sat up, looking down at himself in confusion before looking at Fen. “I’m fine. Just…just tired.”
Ollie shook his head. “I think we should take you to the doctor. Just to be safe. You’re boiling u?—”
“I said I’m fine!” he shouted, jerking to his feet, shoving past the others as they held their ground, like they were too shocked to move. “Just mind your own business.”
Deke only made it about three steps before he collapsed.
“Oh, my God,” Seth cried.
Loch and Saint dropped down beside him. Ollie pulled one of Deke’s lids up. His pupils were blown wide as he panted like a dog in summer.
Loch leaned down, pressing in close. “He has a scent.” He looked at Ollie. “He’s presenting.”
“No way. He was fine this morning,” San said.
“Maybe it’s because he’s presenting so late?” Fen suggested.
“I don’t think the reason is important. It appears we have a new baby alpha on our hands,” Ollie said.
“How do you know he’s an alpha?” Seth asked.
“I’ve suspected it since he got beat up. Nobody else noticed how quickly he healed?” Ollie asked.
Loch frowned. “Why didn’t you say anything?”
Ollie shrugged. “I didn’t want to get his hopes up. Why do you think I was so desperate to get the contingency plan done before I left? It was only a matter of time.”
“Uh, did Deke say how he wanted to, uh, handle his presentation?” Saint asked. “Like officially?”
Ollie flushed, continuing to pet over Deke’s sweaty cheek. Deke had been pretty explicit in his wishes. He’d wanted Ollie—something he’d tried to write off as a crush. Ollie had reminded Deke he likely wouldn’t be there and had tried to ignore the look of devastation he’d received. “Uh, yes. He requested Loch, Saint, or Binnie.”
Seth and Fen exchanged glances. “Even if he presented as an alpha?”
“Especially if he presented as an alpha,” Ollie said. “He knows first ruts are dangerous. New alphas have zero control over themselves or their instincts. He was worried.”
“Why didn’t he want me?” San asked, hurt creeping into his tone.
Ollie flicked his gaze upwards, catching San’s eye. “He said it would be less embarrassing to suck in bed with a stranger.”
San snorted, narrowing his eyes. “Wait, you weren’t Deke’s first choice?”
Ollie clenched and unclenched his jaw. “I didn’t say they were his first choice. I said they were who he chose.”
San’s mouth formed a flat line. “That’s not an answer.”
“I wasn’t supposed to be here when he presented,” Ollie snapped, then forced himself to relax.
“Yet, here you are,” Seth pointed out.
Ollie’s chest tightened. “I have a plane to catch in three hours.”
“You know he wants you,” San said. “Just you. If you don’t want to do it, fine, but if your only excuse is you have a plane reservation then move it. Your life won’t burn down if you delay going home by another five days. Will it?”
Ollie’s heart twisted, his hand sliding to cup Deke’s cheek, his thumb rubbing against the blistering hot skin there.
It wasn’t that Ollie didn’t want to help Deke. He did. He’d jerked off to the idea more times than he’d ever admit to anyone. But then what? Let Deke knot him for the next three days then get on a plane and never look back? Somehow, that seemed worse than leaving him to the alphas of the house.
“Are you truly going to leave him?” Loch asked. “ Don’t think with your head, just your heart. Hell, your gut, even.”
“No, better yet. Think with your dick,” Saint challenged. “Do you really want Deke mounting one of us when it could be you?”
Ollie hadn’t allowed himself much time to consider who would be with Deke if not him. Sure, on a purely intellectual level, he understood one of them would be in his place, but he’d never wanted to imagine it.
Nobody knew Deke like Ollie, not even his friends. At night, Deke would tell him his deepest, darkest secrets. How he wanted to be an actor but thought, maybe, he was meant to do something more meaningful. How he wanted to hate his family but, really, it made him sad how much they hated him. How he hoped he’d present as an alpha. How he was terrified he might not present at all.
“Let’s get him to his room,” Ollie mumbled, gathering Deke into his arms and standing, stomach clenching as he buried his face in Ollie’s scent gland and whimpered.
Fuck.
Ollie didn’t realize he hadn’t taken Deke to his room until he set him on the bed. The others crowded the doorway, watching as Ollie stripped the boy down to his underwear. Once more, he cupped his cheek, dick twitching when Deke nestled into the touch.
“You guys need to get out of here” Ollie said finally. “His presentation could easily trigger all of you.”
“But not you,” San said. “He can’t trigger a beta.”
Like Ollie didn’t know that. “Just go gather up everything we’ll need if we”re stuck here for the next three to five days. Water. Energy bars.” Ollie grimaced. “Lube. A lot of lube.”
“So, you’re staying?” San asked.
Ollie rolled his eyes. “Obviously. I can’t have him setting off the entire house. It would be an orgy by sundown and someone would inevitably end up pregnant.”
Once the others were gone, Ollie went into the ensuite and wet a cloth with cold water, trying to bring down Deke’s temperature so he could rest comfortably. When that was finished, Ollie stripped down to his underwear as well, crawling into bed. With the others handling the preparations, Ollie needed to get some sleep.
He had a feeling he would need it.