Chapter Thirteen
“How nice of you to remember the skill of making a phone call, Kane,” Jagger said as soon as the call connected, his smooth voice undercut by a slight growl of irritation. “The boss said he contacted you and that you were fine. Good to know since you wouldn’t call in.”
To his credit, Roman only looked a little like a kicked puppy where he sat at the foot of the nest. “I was busy. I needed to get Sidian somewhere safe. It was hindbrain stuff.”
Jagger scoffed in response. “Whatever. What the hell went on back there? Ghost told me you chased an omega out in the woods, and you didn’t make it back in time for extraction to pick you up. Is Sidian supposed to be the omega you ran off with? Who even is that?”
“Hi,” Sidian called out from the bathroom doorway, monitoring the tub as it filled up with water and bubbles while also nosing into the conversation that did not involve him. “Nice to meet you. I’m the runaway omega.”
There was a pause before Jagger spoke again. “You’re letting him listen in on the call?”
“He’s my mate.” There was no hesitation in Roman’s voice as he combed a hand through his hair, his expression at peace as he rolled his shoulders. Must be getting sore, or maybe itchy from all the blood. “He’s allowed to listen to whatever he wants.”
Sidian chuckled as he adjusted his own standing position. His entire pussy felt like so much as a touch would bring him to his knees, but the sex had been well worth it. Who even knew sex could feel that good? No wonder other omegas enjoyed their heats.
“Is this the one we were looking for?” Jagger asked, sounding exasperated. “How the fuck is that possible? Even the boss looked. He didn’t find jack shit about that omega.”
Roman’s mouth turned down at the corners. “We’re working on figuring that out. A pack by the name of Kincaid was assaulting him at the breeding center. Any info on them?”
That time, the pause was at least twice as long. “What are you trying to do, Kane?”
“I’m doing what my mate needs me to do,” Roman said. “You know something?”
“Pack Kincaid is one of the nastier packs in the sex trafficking rings. Ouroboros considered Dax Kincaid at one point, I think, but the guy has a short temper and doesn’t play nice with others.
Heard Nightingale talk about him once.” Jagger sighed, though the irritation had not faded from his voice even a little.
Sort of impressive. “Kincaid and his goons are hired muscle for the auctioneers. Not our area. You’d have to ask the Mambas for any factual information about them. ”
Roman winced as he reclined in the nest, the heel of one bare foot thudding against the top of the padded trunk. “What are the chances of wiping out the whole pack? They hurt my omega. I intend to put every single one of them in the ground.”
Jagger huffed, world-weary and exhausted. “I dunno, kid. Last I checked, they’re somewhere out in Jersey. That’s how the Mambas keep a close eye on ‘em. They’re on their turf.”
“Fuck,” Sidian snapped, the back of his head hitting the wall behind him. “That’s one hell of a drive.”
“It’s fine. We can make that. If the Mambas might give us some information…” Roman trailed off, teeth dragging over his bottom lip. “What are the odds of me getting involved with them without there being blowback from the Mambas?”
“It’s possible, I guess,” Jagger said. “I think we were on good terms with them last I checked, but for fuck’s sake, don’t bring up Ghost’s name to save yourself some trouble. What are you gonna do, drive out that way, ask for permission, and then kill these rich assholes?”
Roman pressed his lips together, his nose wrinkling. “I don’t see any reason the plan should be more complex. That gets to the heart of it quickly.”
“All right. Okay.” Jagger fell silent, though Sidian thought he could detect the man’s moodiness through the phone. He might accept this, but he wasn’t happy about it.
He debated speaking for a moment, not sure if that would make the situation better or worse for Roman. But how much worse could it get? “Hey, thanks for taking care of my alpha while I was locked up. You didn’t do too bad of a job getting him in shape.”
“Too bad of a job,” Roman echoed, smacking a hand over his mouth when Jagger made the most disgusted noise on the other side of the line. Offended, it sounded like.
Baiting an alpha into getting annoyed or angry was just like teasing a dog.
“What do you mean I didn’t do too bad of a job?” Jagger demanded, and Sidian cackled as he leaned against the wall. He had to make it a little more fun for himself, right?
Roman rolled his eyes before getting the conversation back on track, and Sidian slunk into the bathroom for a moment to enjoy the steam rolling off the top of the tub.
Looked like it was almost full, and that was good; he was a sweaty, sticky, well-used mess.
And for the first time in the last two years, he didn’t feel disgusted for it.
He felt like he was where he needed to be.
He returned to the bathroom door. “Alpha, the tub’s almost full. Are you coming?”
“The what?” Jagger sounded scandalized, which was rich if he was the big, bad, scary captain of the Vipers. “Right, I’m gonna go before I hear something I don’t wanna hear. Kane, keep me up to date for a change. Don’t fall off the radar again.”
He cut the call before Sidian could think of something else to upset him, which was no fun.
He pouted as Roman sat the phone down and stretched his arms over his head, cracking his back as he rose to his feet.
There was something sexy about how big he was, how graceful, how he’d used every inch of that carved body to fuck Sidian into sweet oblivion. They had to do it again.
“I think you scared him,” Roman said matter-of-factly, and Sidian dissolved into giggles.
He squeaked when Roman pressed him up against the wall to steal a kiss, his lips and tongue warm and wet, and Sidian clawed at his shoulders to get closer to him.
He was tempted to have Roman fuck him against the wall, rag-doll him when it would be oh-so-easy to pin him in place with those huge hands.
But the tub would flood the room, and that would cause trouble. “Bath time?”
“Bath time,” Roman agreed, though he looked regretful as he took a step back.
It was adorable how petulant he could be, how pouty. He could take what he wanted, and because it was him, Sidian might even give it to him without a fight. But Roman took nothing.
He’d ask, he’d offer, but he’d never take. It wasn’t in his nature. That was reassuring in a way few things were—the knowledge that Sidian had a mate who would always respect his wishes and honor his boundaries because he didn’t know any other way to be. What a fucking alpha.
And he would be a good father. He would be. He just needed to see Amethyst, and it would work out.
For a moment when Roman was inside of him, Sidian thought he knew. Had felt that big hand fan over his stomach and was so certain that it was silent proof that Roman somehow knew. The barely there curve of his stomach was not that noticeable, and Roman would have said something by now, right?
He had to believe that Roman didn’t know for his own sanity. That he wouldn’t let Sidian walk around as if it weren’t true otherwise. No, Roman was a worrier. He’d be trying to shove vitamins down Sidian’s throat, worried about his health and the health of the baby. The health of their son.
Roman’s expression was still pouty as he followed Sidian into the bathroom, which was all brown and green tiles, with a cute little fake plant hanging from a tall window where no one could peek inside.
Steam rolled lazily off of the surface of the water as Roman sank in, getting comfortable before Sidian joined him.
Roman’s broad chest was almost warmer than the water, and Sidian snuggled into him with a shameless purr, letting his omega have full control for once.
This was almost perfect. This was worth all the bullshit he’d gone through just to get Roman back.
“How are you feeling?” Roman carded damp fingers through Sidian’s hair, brushing it back so he could press soft kisses to Sidian’s forehead and cheeks.
And here he thought omegas were supposed to be the affectionate ones. “Good. Fucked out of my mind, but good. Not gonna lie, I didn’t know it was that good.”
“Sex?” Roman made a low, sad noise in his throat, but Sidian leaned up to nip at him to make him stop. “That’s just so fucking sad, Sid. You should know. No one should have hurt you like that. I wish I’d been there.”
Sidian wished Roman had been there, too. “I don’t want to think about that at all right now. You’re here now, and that’s good. I would have… I don’t know what I would have done.”
Lose another pup without you was seconds away from slipping from between his teeth.
“You never have to worry about it.” Roman tightened his grip on Sidian, his hand smoothing over Sidian’s hip as he nuzzled into his hair again. “I’ll be here. I don’t know what we’re going to do after all of this is over, but I’ll be right here while we figure it out.”
Tears stung Sidian’s eyes, but he blinked them back as he cuddled into Roman’s chest, content for the first time in a long time. “Now we get to figure out our little fucked-up future together.”
“I’d like that.” Roman paused as if considering his words. “I don’t know what I’d do if I wasn’t a Viper, but if you’re against it, I can figure out something else, I suppose.”
“You would do that for me?” It was so surprising to just hear him say it.
Roman nodded, pressing another kiss to Sidian’s forehead. He really was so affectionate for an alpha, so unlike the rest of his designation. “I would do anything for you. I understand you don’t believe me yet, though. We’ll get to that understanding together.”
Sidian refused to cry in the middle of such a nice, cozy bath. “I trust you to get me there.”
“Thank you.” Roman drew Sidian’s hand up, pressing soft kisses to his knuckles before giving him a gentle squeeze.
In the back of Sidian’s head, in his hindbrain, he was aware of just how fucked they were.
Roman might have been a trained badass, which Sidian didn’t doubt, but Pack Kincaid would not be easy to kill.
They weren’t pushovers, and as much as Sidian wanted to rip their eyes out of their skulls and dig his knives into their knots and choke them with each other’s entrails for taking Amethyst away from him…
On a very primal level, he was terrified.
Their alpha commands had slipped right into his mind before he could stop them, and he did not want to admit to himself how easy it had been for them to take him apart.
Roman rumbled for him, wrapping Sidian up in his arms, but he didn’t question what had Sidian upset this time.
Sighing, Sidian closed his eyes and just tried to focus on his alpha.
Roman’s rich metallic scent all melting and hot, his comforting touch, his own omega’s purrs harmonizing with Roman’s rumbling—because no matter what, Sidian was happy.
Being with Roman was like having the shredded pieces of his soul stitched back together, Roman’s tenderness and affection filling the cracks until he felt whole again.
That was what an alpha was supposed to be like. Even when it was bad, even when the world was going to crash down on them at any moment, Roman had him. Roman had him.
“Thanks,” he muttered, rubbing his hand over Roman’s chest. “Being in control… That was good for me. Felt good and safe. Like I knew you’d listen the whole time.”
Roman kissed his temple this time. “I liked it. Dunno. Taking orders wasn’t easy when I joined the Vipers, but with you, it feels… Natural. Like it’s just what I’m supposed to do. And you’re sexy when you’re bloody, too.”
Sidian snorted at that, and Roman just chuckled, rubbing a hand up and down Sidian’s back and letting him melt the rest of the way into Roman’s embrace. Whatever came next, no matter how bad it was, at least they had each other. Nothing was going to change that.
Not even the babies. Sidian was sure of that.