Chapter 31 #2
“Sure is,” Synth said quietly. He’d put on a pair of low-slung pants and changed his contacts out for his glasses.
“What now?” Candy asked.
Bliss sniffed. “I’ll tell you what’s not going to happen.
Jewel is not going to just fuck off and abandon us here with this mess.
” She narrowed her eyes at me. “You better have a plan, babe. It’s great and all that you’re shutting this place down, but that leaves a whole lot of us without a home or a job. ”
“Relax.” I waved a hand in the air. “Did you know I co-own a hotel in New Oxford? You can all come and stay there till you figure out what’s next.”
I glanced over at Jade, who was trying to get my attention. We weren’t quite done here yet; we still had one more thing to take care of. Prince was grafted into our pack like a parasite.
I’d like him excised as soon as possible.
“Synth, can you grab me a couple of calmers?” I asked him. “That was extremely stressful, and my nerves are acting up.”
Synth gave me a funny look but trudged off to the back and came back with a handful of small white tablets.
He couldn’t have put them in a cup or something?
Had he even washed his hands before he brought them out here?
Casey and Jade were sitting on the couch, wrapped in a blanket together.
“Hugo, come here. Pack business,” I told him, tugging him toward our betas. As he took his seat, I pulled out a napkin and placed the pills on top of it.
“What are those?” Jade asked.
“They’re calmers,” I said. “Take one for anxiety. Take four, and you’ll have a nice little nap for a few hours.”
“So, you think we’re stressed?” Jade said.
“I do, but that’s not why I brought them.” I leaned over and took Casey’s hand. “Look, you did amazing today, teddy bear. I am so grateful that you came and helped me have one of the best days of my life, but I know it wasn’t easy for you.”
Jade leaned up to kiss him on the cheek, and he gave us a shy smile. “I mean, parts of it were fun, but yeah. I don’t think I’m built for this sort of thing.”
“Right. But the thing is, we’ve got one more stressful thing to take care of today. Prince is in our pack.”
We could all feel him still. He’d passed out from the blood loss, and we’d tied him to a chair in the corner, but his presence was an unwelcome invasion that made my stomach turn.
“Not for long,” Hugo muttered.
“Obviously. But removing him is likely to be a bit… intense.” I looked at Casey again. “I don’t want you to have to go through that if you don’t have to. So, if you want, you can take these. You’ll have a nice little sleep, and by the time you wake up, Prince will be gone.”
He looked around at all of us. “What about you guys?”
I felt a vicious stab of glee as I thought of it. “Personally, I’m looking forward to being able to feel every second of his… removal. But if Jade and Hugo want, they can do the same as you.”
“Hell, no.” Hugo glared at the corner where Prince was slumped.
Jade chewed on her cheek, then shot me a grin. “I’m with you guys.”
“Wonderful. If you would, then, teddy bear? I’m rather eager to be rid of him.”
Casey picked up four of the pills. He looked around at us all, brow furrowed slightly. “Sorry. I know I’m not tough like you guys.”
The response was immediate, all of us talking at once.
“Not tough? That’s bullshit—”
“Don’t apologise for being—”
“That’s the stupidest thing—”
Casey looked startled as Jade slashed her hand through the air to cut us all off. She touched Casey’s face and turned him, so they were almost nose-to-nose.
“Casey, don’t ever let us hear you say that again. Do you think we need another stabby-happy psycho in this pack? No. We need you just the way you are.”
Casey had shrunk down a bit, but his eyes softened as he gazed at Jade. “Um, okay. Thanks.” He cleared his throat. “I’ll take these, then.”
“They work better if you put them under your tongue,” I told him.
They took a few minutes to kick in, so we all cuddled on the couch while we waited. Eventually, Casey’s eyes drifted closed, and his light breathing confirmed he was asleep.
“Right.” Hugo’s voice was grim as he stood up. He turned to the corner of the room and froze. “He’s gone,” he snarled.
I looked over, and sure enough, there was only a bloodstain on the hardwood where Prince had been.
“How mysterious,” Jade said lightly, her eyes glinting. “Someone must have forgotten to lock his cuffs. He must have escaped.”
Hugo turned on her. “He could be long gone! How will we find him?”
Jade held up her phone. “I’ve got a tracker, if that helps?”
We both stared at her.
She blinked up at us innocently. “What? Don’t you think a hunt sounds like fun?”
A pure thrill of excitement raced down my spine.
“Oh fuck, yes,” Hugo snarled.
“Come on, then,” Jade said, and darted toward the back exit.
“Laurel! Guard Casey with your life!” I called as I raced after her.
?
JEWEL
We honestly didn’t even need the tracker Jade had on her phone. Prince had left a trail of blood that led us through the emergency exit and up a flight of metal stairs.
At the top, there was another door that led to the roof. Hugo heaved it open, and the cold air that brushed my skin seemed to further ignite the adrenaline that was pumping through my body.
It was raining slightly, enough to erase the traces of Prince we’d been following.
“Where was he planning to go?” Jade asked, amusement lacing her tone. “It’s a dead end up here.”
Hugo shrugged. “I doubt he was thinking straight. Can you feel his fear?”
We all could. It was more panic than fear, a steady, electric pulsing spilling through the bond toward us.
I cupped my hands around my mouth. “We’re coming for you, Princey-poo!”
Jade laughed as my shout sent a fresh wave of panic down the bond. “Let’s split up. The first one to find him is the winner?”
Hugo didn’t even reply; he just took off, heading south.
“Not fair!” I called.
Jade gave me a little salute as she jogged two steps back and then turned and ran west.
Right. Let’s fucking hunt.
I turned east and started making my way through the various pipes, vents, and panels that obscured my view.
With the light rain kissing my skin and all my senses on high alert, I’d never felt more alive.
I didn’t bother trying to stay quiet; I wanted Prince to hear me.
I wanted him to know that death was stalking him.
“Marrcccoooo!” I called out.
“Polooo!” Jade’s reply sounded.
Hugo didn’t respond, but I didn’t mind. I wouldn’t be surprised if he was in a rut right now; his mind was pure animal instinct.
“Come on out, Princey-poo. Didn’t you want to play with us?” I called, checking another corner. I hopped up onto a ladder to check a ledge above me.
Jade’s laughter sounded again.
I found him stuffed between two rusting vents, his breaths coming in panicked wheezes.
The fear he felt when I caught his eye was almost as strong as my glee. He held up his hand in front of him. It sounded—from his laboured, hoarse wheezing—like he was trying to speak.
“Aw. Did someone damage your poor little voice box? What a shame,” I said to him.
His legs scrabbled frantically as he tried to push further back into his hiding spot. He was weak, and though his aura was out, it felt faint. He’d probably used most of it to get this far.
“Found him!” I called, stepping forward and grabbing his shirt. I dragged him out into the open and banged on vents a couple of times so the others could find us.
Prince turned and clutched my arm desperately. His lips were moving, but he still couldn’t speak.
“What’s that, love? Can’t quite hear you.”
He was repeating the same phrase, I thought. Can’t… eee…. can’t … me … Can’t kill me. Ah! That was it.
Ten points to Jewel.
Jade jogged around the corner, her cheeks rosy from the cold and her hair glinting with raindrops. Her tank top was plastered to her chest, and I paused to admire the nipples I could see through the wet material.
“Are you checking me out?” she said, stopping in front of me.
“Always. You do look particularly hot right now, though.”
She bit her lip and gave me a look that made me heat up despite the rain.
“Oh! No, you don’t.” Prince had used Jade’s distraction to try and escape again, but he’d only crawled about two feet. I stepped on his back, and he collapsed to the ground.
Interesting. I’d meant to crush him hard but had ended up putting a wimpy amount of force into it.
I tried to push harder with my boot, but it was as though there was an interruption between my brain and my muscles. I couldn’t do it. Guess that was the dark bond protecting him.
“Ah. I guess someone else will have to do the honours,” I said, removing my foot.
Jade shrugged. “Hugo can have him. I beat him up pretty good earlier.”
Prince whimpered as Hugo rounded the corner. He was definitely in a rut.
The moment he saw Prince, he let out a roar and charged. I yanked Jade two steps back, just in case.
Prince’s eyes widened, his mouth opening in horror, but there was nothing he could do as Hugo reached him.
Every moment of torture this asshole had put me through was worth this moment. This was exactly what he’d promised to do to me, after all.
I was able to feel every single fucking ounce of this asshole’s fear and suffering, knowing I was the one who had caused it.
There was a thrill that interrupted the fear, like a single desperate wail of despair. It was the moment Prince knew that he was dead.
Hugo’s hands closed around his already-damaged throat, crushing it completely. He lifted Prince up into the air. Prince flailed, his eyes bugging and his face changing from white to red to purple.
A final bubble of blood burst onto his mouth before he went still.
The feeling of his bond being ripped from ours forced me to my knees. I knew it was coming, wishing for it, even, but it still fucking hurt.
I bared my teeth in a vicious snarl as I weathered it. With all the things I’d suffered through because of Prince, this was nothing.
Hugo dropped him to the ground, his chest heaving. I wound my arm through his, and Jade stepped to his other side.
I pressed a kiss to his cheek. “Let’s get our Casey-kins and go home.”