Chapter 13
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
STONE
The closer I get to the house, the more anxious I become. Not because I don’t want a pack, but because I wasn’t expecting to find one. Not to mention I feel like an ancient dinosaur compared to them.
There was a small shred of reason in the back of my mind that knew Brenda was dead. Statistics are pretty accurate and the first seventy-two hours after someone goes missing are the most critical. For every minute after that, the likelihood of finding them alive lessens. It’s been two years, five more years and the courts would’ve declared her legally dead. I kept hope alive by praying to any and every deity that I’d find her and she would beat the odds.
I follow the directions the GPS is telling me and I’m shocked to see where the firecracker lives. Levi instructed me to pass the large house and follow the winding road back to the cottage at the back. It’s such a cute, sweet-looking home; a contrast to the ball of energy and sass that Sasha embodies.
I pull behind the Harley and Mustang that sit in the drive and shift the car into park before turning off the engine, savoring a few moments to really take in the house. It reminds me of the one in an old story my mother used to read to me and Brenda about a precocious blonde-haired girl and three bears with human qualities. The exterior is gray with blue shutters, the windows have iron bars with vines weaving through them. Flowers surround the perimeter of the house and on the porch is a wooden swing. It’s a perfect home to have a family in. I can already see my omega lounging in the swing with a book in his hand.
I tap my fingers on the steering wheel to the tune of the song that was playing on the radio.
“Get it together, Stone. Time to get in there and get to know your packmate and his bonded beta.” I can’t deny that I have an attraction to her as well. I might have only met her briefly, but that’s all it took for me to see her kindness, her unfiltered love, her loyalty and protectiveness of her friends, her thrill of the kill. I saw the gleam in her eyes as I watched her torture the fucking bastard. It’s the same one I’ve had in mine since my sister went missing and I found out about the corruption in the Omega Foundation.
Getting out of my car, I head up the sidewalk, the stones crunching underneath the weight of my boots. I kick my feet against the bottom step, knocking off the dirt before stepping onto the porch. The desire to keep from tracking it inside the house hits me hard. Almost as if this was my home as well.
But I know it’s not. It’s hers, maybe even Levi’s.
I take a deep breath and then press the doorbell, laughing at how my hand is trembling. I can’t remember the last time I was this nervous about something. I rock back and forth on my heels as I wait for someone to answer. The seconds tick by with no response. I’m about to knock again when the door opens. Sasha stands before me, looking even more gorgeous than the last time I saw her. Instead of looking like a warrior, her hair is up in a messy bun and she’s wearing a form-fitting crop top with a pair of workout shorts. Her face is bare of any make-up, but she doesn’t need it; she has a natural beauty and glow to her.
“Hello, Sasha.” My voice cracks like a teenager going through puberty.
“Stone. ” She pauses, her eyes dipping down my body, lingering a second too long before flicking back up to meet mine. I’d be lying if I said it doesn’t massage my alpha pride and make me want to puff out my chest. I clear my throat, pulling her from the haze she’s in, and she steps back, allowing me space to enter. “Come in. Levi’s in the kitchen. He just brought the steaks in from the grill.”
“Sounds delicious.” I step past her, my arm casually grazing across her breast. She shudders, moaning softly. My eyes dart back to her, unsure if I actually heard it or if my ears were playing tricks on me. But the sweetness of coconut in the air makes me believe I was right. My eyes drop to her chest where it’s very evident to me now that she’s not wearing a bra, as I take in her pert breasts and pebbled nipples.
“Umm, the kitchen’s this way,” she stammers as she closes the door, then moves across the room. I fall in step behind her, taking the opportunity to salivate over her ass. I should hate myself. This is my pack mate’s bonded. Not mine. I shouldn’t be looking at her like this. I inhale deeply. A mixture of coconut and lime fills the air with a lighter undertone of leather and bourbon. The blend of their scents is pleasant to my nose, like a decadent cocktail in a dive bar.
“Look who’s here!” Sasha sing-songs as we step into the kitchen. Levi turns to face us, and Sasha moves right into his embrace, his arms wrapping instinctively around her as she rests her head on his chest. As I watch this intimate moment between them, jealousy boils within me. I want this. My arms should be around my beta. The level of familiarity and love oozing off them is heartwarming, but my instincts demand that I be a part of it too. Me and my omega Flynn, both of them wrapped up between Levi and I.
“Food’s done. Let’s take a seat, eat, and get to know each other.” Levi kisses Sasha on the top of her head, rubbing her back gently before tilting his head down and whispering something in her ear for only them to know.
She pushes away from him, then steps to the side, picks up a bowl, and places it on the table.
“Please take a seat, Stone.” She gestures toward the chair at the head of the table, a place setting already at it.
“Is there something I can do to help?” I’ve always hated being invited to people’s homes to eat and not knowing what to do. It always made me feel like a freeloader and less of an alpha, as archaic as that may sound. It hit me the worst when people were bringing food to me after Brenda disappeared. I didn’t want it, yet I felt ungrateful if I didn’t eat and wash the dishes to give back to them.
“Nah, it’s all done, Stone. Do ya want a beer?”
“Sure, whatever you got, Levi.” My eyes dart over to Sasha. I need to tell him what I’ve found out about our omega, but do I want to do it in front of her? I know how upset she was when she found out Levi has a Kismet bond.
Levi opens the refrigerator, pulling out two beers in brown bottles and a can of soda. He sets one down in front of me and hands the soda to Sasha, who’s setting the platters with the steaks and baked potatoes on the small, round dining room table.
“Okay, dig in.” Sasha claps her hands, gaining our attention as if her loud, bossy voice wouldn’t.
“Guess my girl is giving us an order. I was wondering how long you were with the force, Stone. Are you still with them?” He sits at the table, and Sasha sits down next to him. She picks up the tongs, placing some salad and a potato on her plate before doing the same for Levi.
“I was on the force for twelve years, graduated from the academy on my twenty-first birthday. When my sister disappeared and I began to truly see how corrupt the force was, I took a leave of absence to find her myself. I never returned.” I clear my throat as I begin filling my plate with food.
“Do you plan to go back, now that you know what happened to her?” Sasha asks meekly.
“No. I can’t. Not after learning all I have and knowing that higher-ups in the Foundation are subjecting omegas to such horrible things. That they allowed a killer to hold such a high position and overlooked his actions makes me sick. If not for their illegal activities, my sister would still be alive and with a pack by now. Instead, I’ll be holding a funeral for her, and won’t even have a body to lie to rest. At least when she was missing, I had a little hope she was alive and happy somewhere.”
“We’ll make them all pay. Me, you, and Sasha. Every evil being will be brought to their knees as we rain justice down on them.” Levi slams his fist down on the table, causing the plates to jump. I barely catch my beer in time before it nearly falls over and spills. A wave of dominance rolls off of him.
“So this MC of yours, is that based here?” I question. My home is here. If his isn’t, then what does that mean for us?
“No, we’re in Hopewell, about seventy miles away.”
“Okay. What does that mean long term? Not only for our new development, but for your beta? You’re bonded now and her roots seem to be here.” I can see Sasha’s eyes go wide as she lowers her head, picking at the food on her plate with her fork. It’s subtle, but the line in her scent sharpens clearly, betraying her fear.
“Haven’t really thought that much ahead. Sasha and I’ve done a good job at seeing each other and spending time together as our relationship grew. It’s only about an hour away. Now that we’re bonded and our omega is out there, we’ll have to sit down and talk about the future.” He reaches out, taking Sasha’s free hand in his, squeezing it. “Together as a unit, we’ll determine what’s best for all our futures.”
I nod in agreement, impressed with his answer.
“Did you have any other family besides your sister?” Sasha looks over at me, still holding Levi’s hand.
“No, just Brenda.”
“We’ll help with the arrangements and be there with you. We’re a pack now. Even though we didn’t know her, she’s family.” I can’t help but smile at Sasha’s sweet words. Just when I think I can push what I’m feeling for her to the side, she says something like this.
“There’s something I need to tell you, it’s about…” My eyes shift to Sasha. I hate to bring this up in front of her, but it’s about our omega. I need to tell Levi. He deserves to know the information I’ve been able to dig up.
“Spit it out.” Levi laughs.
“I got some information on our omega.”
I’ve not even finished before Levi’s body goes rigid as his eyes shoot to me and his hand breaks free of Sasha’s. I notice how she recoils at his sudden movement, turning in on herself, almost as if she’s feeling rejected. The change in her scent becoming even more prominent. But just as quickly as the shock hits Levi, he recovers, taking her hand back in his, showing how much she means to him.
“The person who gave me a tip about Jimmy and the omega that Tom was holding captive gave me his name. Once I had that, I was able to find out more information.”
Levi’s shoulders relax, the tension he had now lessened. His face softens as he speaks, his voice light with relief. “We know his name?”
“It’s Flynn. Flynn Ryan, and he’s twenty-four.”
“Do we know anything else?”
“Yes, he's an orphan. His only living relative is a sister. I tried reaching out to her through the DNA site, but the number on file didn’t work. No way to confirm if she ever saw the message.”
“Well we’ll keep checking to see if she ever responds. But won’t get our hopes up,” Levi replies.
I wish I had a real answer—for you, for Levi.” I admit, frustrated.
“So the burning question is how he ended up with Tom. Then, if we find out the cousin had something to do with it, I have a fiery beta who’ll make her pay.” Sasha beams with pride at Levi’s praise.
“If I were a betting man, I’d say he was brought to the Foundation by someone, or he went to them for help. Once there, he ended up the same as the rest of the omegas who passed through the doors and caught either Tom’s or another one of the crooked employees' eyes. What we need to find out is where the Carlisle Pack is holding up so we can do some reconnaissance and find out what we’re going up against. We don’t want to go in there with no plan and end up getting hurt or risk the life of our omega.”
“And then what? We just rescue the omega and bring him back here and share him?” Levi asks. “I don’t mean to sound crass. You seem like a chill dude, but we don't know you. I’m not letting you keep my omega, and we still haven’t determined how we want to proceed.”
“You don't really have a choice, biker boy,” I snap. “What’s with the three sixty here? I thought this meal was a means for us to get to know each other and move forward as a pack, since Flynn is both our omega. Was this some type of ruse to get me to renounce my bond with him? If so, you have another thing coming. He’s my omega just as much as he is yours.”
“How do I even know I can trust you? You’re a cop. You’ve all but stated you knew there was corruption in the Foundation and you couldn’t even keep your sister safe. You expect me to trust you with my omega? He’s coming with me and Sasha.” Levi stands, his chair flying back as he does.
Not one to back down—and no way in hell he’s keeping my omega from me—I stand, my hand sliding the plate off the table, sending it shattering to the floor and the food flying everywhere. “We’ll see about that. Maybe the omega won’t want to be mated or bonded to someone like?—”
I don't get to finish my sentence because a knife is pressed against my throat.