45. Lucy
CHAPTER 45
Lucy
We were doomed from the start.
It was the only thing I could think about as I silently padded through the bathroom into Cas’s room, ignoring just how strong and steady my legs felt compared to the last time I remembered trying to walk.
The moment Liam had asked me to pretend to be his girlfriend, I should have known this would have happened – that it would ruin my life in way I could never have anticipated. They’d always said having an alpha during a heat could change your life, but I hadn’t believed them. How my body felt now told me I’d been wrong.
Again.
I paused on the threshold, eyeing Cas’s room and the bland décor. I’ve never been in here before, but his scent made it feel safe. I ignored that feeling and forced myself to step inside his private space.
Even in here I could smell the mixture of our pheromones and the unique scent it created – like some sort of creamy fruit and vanilla dessert with a spice that made my mouth water. It wasn’t quite clove, but close.
Smelling my own scent in here made it easy to go in his closet like it belonged to me. It should feel wrong, but all I felt was right as I pulled a grey hoodie off the hanger. Yes, I was going to wear this to make sure he was as agreeable as possible even if it was stupid. Alphas loved when an omega they’d fucked wore their clothes – at least, the ones they liked. But I was doing it for me too.
I wanted to be covered in his scent.
Sighing, I adjusted the hoodie after pulling it on, annoyed I liked how soft it was but pleased to see the hem reached my knees. I supposed this would answer one of my questions without having to ask him anything at all. If Cassius liked that I was wearing his hoodie, then I’d know he was actually into me, if not necessarily why.
I would know the moment he saw me whether he truly liked me or not based on his reaction to what I was wearing. Then I could ask him why – why he’d done it when he didn’t really like me.
Was it just because of Liam?
For some reason, that made my chest ache and I rubbed the spot as I went back into the bathroom to brush my teeth. I felt pretty clean otherwise, but my mouth tasted stale and I didn’t want that to distract me from any clues when Cas was so good at hiding what he was thinking and feeling.
Where the fuck was he? Were they normally gone this long, or had something changed? I couldn’t remember thanks to the way time had bled together – turning the whole event into one long moment instead of days and days.
I couldn’t even separate it by using the times I’d fallen asleep to measure the length because I didn’t remember falling asleep very often. I must have if I was still alive and well, but maybe it had only been small spurts.
That would have been really hard for either of them to deal with if they weren’t also in a rut. Liam might be a legacy alpha, but even he needed to sleep when he wasn’t in rut and from the looks of it, he hadn’t slept much at all .
Once my mouth felt clean, I went over to Liam’s bed and was shocked to see he hadn’t moved an inch. He was so aware of every little thing I did that I’d honestly thought he’d wake up by the time I was done.
I stood at the foot of the bed and stared down at him as he slept, not quite sure how to deal with this.
Liam was trusting me with his life right now and so was Cassius. I was in here, alone, while he was so deeply asleep that he had no idea I’d left the bed. That was just as shocking as the fact that I’d managed to wear out a legacy alpha.
Maybe I should get him something to drink and eat so that when he woke up, he’d feel a bit better. Those circles under his eyes were worrying me.
Turning on my heel, I clenched my teeth together, annoyed I cared so much.
Liam had always acted weird around me. I could never tell if he was joking or playing the part of my fake boyfriend. He always made it feel real , and I suspected it wouldn’t be any different now. But Cas? He’d been openly antagonistic.
My feet were silent as I descended the stairs that curved over the main room to give me a good view of most of the ground floor, but Cassius was nowhere to be found.
There was a tray of bite-sized food on the kitchen island and a pitcher of ice water, almost like he’d set it up and then remembered something he had to do before coming to wake us up. I walked past the kitchen and grabbed one of the green grapes, popping it in my mouth as I scanned the main living area.
Maybe Cassius was in the study? My heat cycle may have put my life on pause, but the rest of the world was still moving forward and if Liam couldn’t manage Valor Enterprises as he normally would, then Cassius would have to do it.
Guilt pricked at me, and I chewed on my bottom lip as I peeked into the study. I’d torn it open pretty bad at the beginning of my heat, but the sore was already healed and I didn’t know what to think about that either. Two weeks was long enough, but not if they were constantly reopening the wound, and they had to have been if I could still taste blood on the back of my tongue.
I needed answers so where the fuck was Cassius?
He wasn’t in the study, but his scent was stronger in here. I stepped inside, crossing my arms over my chest as I examined everything. Nothing seemed out of place compared to the last time I’d seen this room and there wasn’t any sign that he’d been using his desk, so why was his scent so strong?
It smelled like he’d just been here.
Following that scent led me to one of the bookcases and I stared at it, wrinkling my nose as I tried to figure out why. The smell of green apples was strong and I leaned forward, wondering what he’d been doing over here for the scent to linger like this.
Then my gaze caught on a metal sculpture that glimmered when the light hit it just right – it was a gorgeous hawk with its wings spread wide and an ornate sword clutched in its talons. The symbol of Valor. I recognized it from the blueprints of their building downtown. This was the key to that secret elevator the Valor pack had used to escape enemies back in the day.
Would they really use the same thing in multiple buildings?
If I was right…
Pulling on it didn’t do anything, but twisting it unlocked something with a small click and the entire bookcase swung outward, revealing a narrow staircase leading down.
Okay…that was definitely not normal, right? Why would they have a secret escape route in the city? This wasn’t on pack land, and despite the corporate espionage and backstabbing, packs didn’t commit the same kind of violence against each other like they used to. But what else could it be?
And why would Cassius have gone down those stairs? Was his head finally clear enough to realize what he’d said and done during my heat? Had he decided to make a run for it just so he could avoid me? It would be the smart thing to do, but knowing that didn’t make it hurt any less.
I ignored my pounding heart as I stared into that dark abyss, trying to remind myself Cas wouldn’t leave Liam. He’d stay even if he didn’t want to just to make sure his legacy alpha was safe.
Breathing deeply, I filtered through the information my nose was giving me. Cas’s scent was even stronger now, which made me think he hadn’t left, but was lingering somewhere at the bottom of those stairs.
What was he doing down there?
Curiosity burned like a sickness through my mind and body.
I went down one step, and then another. If there was a light switch I couldn’t see one, but even if there was, I wouldn’t have used it. Whatever was down there…I didn’t want anyone to know I was coming.
How else was I going to get the truth?
Ever since I’d met them, Cassius and Liam had made my head spin. I couldn’t ignore how I was drawn to them anymore, but they also scared the shit out of me because I could feel just how different they were – how much they pretended to be what they thought the world wanted to see.
Just like me.
If they were pretending…what was it they didn’t want anyone to know?
My stomach roiled when it occurred to me that this moment felt familiar. I tried to shove those thoughts and memories down, but it was almost impossible. Not that it mattered. I needed to know what they were doing with a secret staircase behind a secret door.
I’d never been able to resist my burning curiosity and today was no different. It didn’t matter how much I’d regret knowing the answer later. I had to see what was down there.
Tugging on the hoodie until it hit my knees didn’t make me feel any less exposed. I should have put on pants and maybe shoes, but I hadn’t anticipated anything like this.
Maybe I should have.
When I got to the bottom, I held my breath and listened for any sign Cassius was down here and what he might be doing. It was quiet other than the hum of electricity and machinery, but the smell of Cas’s green apples and cedar was getting stronger. He had to be down here, which meant I needed to be careful.
Should I go back up and get my gun?
I gritted my teeth and pressed my back to the wall. There was no way I could do that and find out what Cassius was hiding. Liam could wake up at any moment, and I’d never know what they were hiding if I left now.
They were too smart and Cas’s hoodie could only cover so much of my scent. They’d know I’d been down here.
Peering around the corner, I saw nothing but a large room that was set up like a techie wet dream. The desk was built into the walls and it ran the whole length of the room with multiple computers and servers set up.
It was freezing down here and considering all the machinery running it made sense, but it was what I saw on the monitors that made my blood run cold.
Stepping into the room before checking all my blind spots was the stupidest thing I’ve ever done, but I was too shocked to think straight.
The entire wall had monitors mounted on it and every single one of them had a view of some small part of my life – my apartment and every room we had, including the entire apartment building. It was all under surveillance. Not just that, but Valor Enterprises along with other buildings I didn’t recognize.
I watched as the cameras flicked through a million angles and images until I was sure everything from my apartment to my goddamn gym was under surveillance.
What the fuck was this?
My heart felt like it was going to explode with how hard it was pounding and I felt a trickle of fear, but it was nothing when compared to the burning curiosity that flooded my veins. That sickness was a thousand times worse than fear and I took one step toward the wall of monitors, and then another, trying to understand what I was looking at.
I wasn’t stupid enough to wonder what they were doing, but I just didn’t get why they were doing it.
How long had they had this shit up? Was it there before we’d even gotten the job? Had they actually killed Gideon to get closer to me or Frankie?
Well…
That would only make sense if they knew Frankie was from a legacy pack, and I didn’t see a single camera on the Lopez pack buildings.
More images flickered and then I saw the outside of her father’s house, but nothing else. The timing was so perfect I almost wondered if this was some kind of setup to show me just how many times I could be wrong in such a short period of time.
Other squares flipped through their cameras and my eyes flicked over as many as I could to see it wasn’t just Lopez or Valor buildings but anything related to one of the four legacy packs in the city were under surveillance as well, including Bite.
What the fuck were they doing down here?
The softest sound reached me then and my hand froze. Damn it, I’d been reaching for the mouse, ready to dig through his shit without once considering what else might be down here.
My heart was in my throat now, but I couldn’t help feeling a little thrill as I wondered what else I might find. Maybe I’d finally understand why .
Fuck , what was wrong with me? Why did I have to be like this?
Even as I asked myself that, I moved toward the sound I’d heard, feet silent on the cold tile. Goosebumps rose on my skin thanks to just how fucking frigid it was down here – cold enough to make all scents other than metal and Cassius impossible to detect.
I scanned the room, but just like the first time, it was empty. There was no giant alpha hiding in the corner waiting for me to notice him, but there was a strange mark on the floor near one of the metal shelves that was interesting.
Taking a step closer, I eyed the scuff mark that was so faint I might just be imagining it. The only reason I could see it at all was because the lights from the monitors made the slight divot cast a shadow unlike the rest of the floor.
Grabbing the bar of the shelf, I pulled, following the scuff mark and the whole thing moved .
Fuck me, another door?
I nervously licked my lips and pulled on the shelf again – very, very careful not to make any noise. I opened it just enough for me to see what was on the other side. I didn’t want the light from the monitors to let anyone know I was down here if I could help it.
But what I saw…I couldn’t get my brain to comprehend what my eyes were telling it.
Cassius stood on the other side of that door in a room so bright it reminded me of the hospital. He was eyeing something sharp and metallic in his hand and when he shifted his weight, I could see there was another person in there with him.
Someone who was strapped to a chair.
Behind that chair were more people…
Then the unmistakable tang of blood hit my noise and I was pretty fucking positive my heart was pounding against my chest hard enough to break bone so it could escape – running away before that monster could catch us.
No matter how terrifying it was to see all that blood and gore, I couldn’t move, stuck between flight and freeze as I tried to understand . Seeing this didn’t really answer any of my questions. It only gave me more. None of this told me why and I was too fucking stuck on that to have any sense of self-preservation.
Standing here like this was only going to get me caught. I should haul ass out of here and put as much distance between them and me as possible. It would be easy enough to get the police to arrest both of them if I accused them of being accomplices to Gideon’s murder, which would give me the time I needed to investigate whatever was down here.
I could find my answers without interruption and they’d never suspect me, probably assuming I’d run away because I was scared of getting attached. Which I was, but right now, I was even more afraid that I would never learn why they were acting like they actually cared about me, fucking me through my heat for thirteen days while all this was down here.
“How long do you think before it takes effect?” Cas mused, eyeing the metal thing in his hand. I recognized it since it was identical to the one upstairs.
A syringe.
Shit . I needed to get out of here, but I couldn’t move .
“I never got a chance to use this drug on Liam, but the doc said it wouldn’t take more than thirty seconds. I wonder if your legacy genes are as good as his.”
Wait a minute— what?
I tried to get a better look at who was in the chair, but the damn shelf was in the way and I couldn’t see anything.
“This might even kill you.” Cassius reached out, moving so fucking fast I flinched when he grabbed the man’s face and tilted it up.
That was when I saw it – the hole where an eye should be.
Holy fucking shit. That was Arturo, wasn’t it? What the fuck was he doing here?
This was bad. So very, very bad.
I took a step back but Cas’s hoodie caught something on one of the shelves and dragged it back with me, making a dozen keyboards clatter to the floor .
Cassius whipped his head around, those luminescent blue eyes finding me instantly. His nostrils flared as if he were trying to scent me, but I was wearing his clothes – covered in his scent.
We stared at each other for a split second that felt more like an eternity and I felt my panic war with my curiosity. It was incredibly tempting to go in there and demand he tell me what was going on, but my instincts were screaming at me to run .
For once, I did the smart thing and turned on my heel, sprinting for the stairs.
The sound of that metal shelf and everything on it crashing to the floor made me want to vomit or laugh, I couldn’t figure out which, but it was the sound of his deep growl that had me pushing myself past my fastest speed and then some.
“ Lucy!”
If I thought I was in trouble before…
I took the stairs two at a time, using the railing to yank myself up even faster. The second I hit the carpet in the study, I shoved the door aside and ran . All I had to do was get to the exit. Then I could get the fuck out of here and send the police…
Or someone.
I had a few favors I could call in…
Cas was way too fucking fast for his size. I barely made it to the double doors across the study before he hit the top of the stairs. I could barely hear him, which was fucking terrifying, but I could smell just how angry he was.
I glanced back, desperate to put more distance between us and slammed into something hard and familiar.
The scent of sweet oranges warned me I’d really fucked up now.
I looked up and froze when I saw those dangerous garnet eyes glimmering down at me with the kind of rage that made Cas’s look tame in comparison.
Liam gave me a feral grin and I trembled – caught between two alphas I really, really shouldn’t have fucked with no matter how desperate I was .
“You’ve done it now,” Liam warned, his grin so wide I tried to get free as panic took over, but his grip was vicious and bruising. Then suddenly it was gone. “Try to run from us, little omega. I dare you.”
This was a trap. I didn’t know how, but there was no way they’d let me go after what I’d seen. There was a chance though—a chance I could make it to the street before they caught me.
If I did that, would I ever find out what the fuck they were doing down in that basement? Or why they seemed so keen on keeping me here?
Liam’s red eyes practically glowed and his bare chest tempted me to make him sweat in one way or another. I was terrified, but despite how fucked up it was, I was also having the time of my life. How far could I get before they caught me?
Fuck me and my stupid curiosity.
The red eyes of the most dangerous predator on the planet promised me there was no way I was going to make it out of here alive, but I wasn’t going to make it easy for them either.
I would make them earn the blood they would spill.
Don’t miss the conclusion of Lucy’s story!
Curvy Nerdy Omega
The Curvy Duet Part 2