Chapter 39
CHAPTER THIRTY-NINE
STONE
After our conversation with Flynn, he goes to bed. He needs time to think, and we give him that space. Even after he leaves, his blood orange scent lingers, growing stronger with every passing second, as if he’s still here.
Sasha, Levi, and I track his retreating figure with our eyes until he disappears from sight. No one speaks. We don’t need to. The weight of our unspoken thoughts presses down on us—Flynn’s safety, his upcoming heat, and everything that comes with it.
Thirty long minutes pass, filled with nothing but stillness. No coughs, no throat clearing, no rustling of clothes. Just heavy, suffocating silence. “So, we help him through his heat,” Levi says at last.
“We help,” Sasha agrees, her voice low but firm. “We’re there for him. But none of us mark him.” Her growl is sharp, almost unnatural, coming from a beta. Sometimes, I swear the fates gave her the wrong designation—her heart beats with the same fierce protectiveness as any alpha. She scans between us, daring us to challenge her. “Do you understand?”
“Brat—”
“No.” Her glare cuts through Levi’s protest. “No pet names. I mean it, Levi. You too, Stone. If I even suspect that one of you is going into a rut and attempting to mark him, I’ll cut your dick off. Knot and all.”
With that, she stands, knocking Levi’s hand away when he reaches for her, and storms out. I don’t need to ask where she’s going—I already know. Straight to Flynn. And I hate that I can’t go as easily, that he wouldn’t let me.
“Fuck!” Levi growls, falling back against the couch, his hand raking through his hair. “I hate this shit. Meeting our omega should’ve been the best thing to happen to us. Not… this. Not worrying about his safety. Not having him afraid of us—afraid of his own heat. I wish I could kill those assholes all over again.”
What can I say? I feel the same damn way.
“We just need to keep doing what we’re doing,” I say finally. “Show Flynn he means everything to us. That we aren’t the Carlisle Pack. We’ll teach him what it really means to be an omega. What it’s like to have a pack that loves him, sees him as a person—not just a designation.”
Levi nods, though his eyes stay locked on the empty space where Sasha has disappeared. We sit there, lost in our own thoughts, until I finally push myself to my feet. “I’m going to bed.”
The hallway is dimly lit, and as I pass Flynn’s room, a soft glow seeps from beneath his door. I can hear hushed voices—Sasha’s and his. My fingers twitch at my sides, itching to knock, to see them. But I don’t. I have to be patient. This has to be on Flynn’s terms. I can’t afford to screw this up.
With a sigh, I force myself to keep walking. My bedroom feels empty when I step inside. I sink onto the edge of the bed, glancing at my phone. A single missed message notification stares back at me.
Rourke: I need to talk to you. I have some information. Meet me tomorrow.
I hesitate, my gut twisting. Should I message him back? What if it’s urgent? What if he has something that could help us—help Flynn? What if it’s about Tom?
The war waging inside me is enough to make my stomach churn. Finally, I give in, opening the message and typing out a reply.
Me: I can meet you now.
The response is immediate, dots dancing on the screen before his message comes through.
Rourke: No. Tomorrow.
Rourke: I’m still gathering information. I want to give you everything at once.
Rourke: I’m taking a stance on this. Choosing my side. And when shit hits the fan, I’m taking all these motherfuckers down with me.
My pulse quickens. This is it. The break we need.
But there’s still one more person I need to hear from. One more piece of the puzzle is missing.
My fingers hover over another message thread, hesitating before finally typing out the question that’s been clawing at me.
Me: Is there anything else I need to know?
I wait. And wait. But nothing. My unknown informant hasn’t even read the message.
With each second that passes, frustration and helplessness twist inside me. I need to know everything. I need to be ready. To protect my omega. To protect my pack.
The scent of blood orange still clings to me as I pace my room, my mind a whirlwind of thoughts I can’t control. Sleep is a lost cause. Too much has happened, too much is still happening.
With a growl, I toss my phone onto the nightstand. I need to do something—anything—to burn off this energy before it consumes me.
Stripping off my shirt, I head for the shower.
Tomorrow can’t come fast enough.
* * *
Two times in one week was not how often I wanted to be walking into the station. Being here now feels wrong. This place, this part of me, being a cop, is from another life. One where I wore goggles, blocking my vision to the reality of the world. The evil that lurks within it, weaving its way into your life.
“Stone, man, what are you doing here?” A deep masculine voice rings in my ear. I turn in the direction of the sound to see a face that looks familiar, yet his name is just out of reach.
“Just visiting Rourke.” It’s not something I can hide, so there’s no point in lying. But fuck if I can’t remember who he is. He’s not a cop, it’s evident by the broom in his hand and the bucket of water sitting not far from behind him. He’s a beta, his amber smell giving him away.
A grin crosses his face. “You don’t remember, do you?”
I think before answering. I could play it off, pretend that I do. But I won’t. “I’m sorry, I don’t.”
“Samuel. You helped my numbskull nephew out of some trouble. You gave him a firm kick in his ass. I want to thank you for that. He cleaned his act up and now he has a pack and they’re expecting their first baby.”
Unfortunately, I’m still clueless, but I pretend that I’m not. “I’m happy to hear that. Sometimes a good scare is all that it takes. I need to go, but tell your nephew congratulations from me.”
“I will,” he says, just before I turn and head toward Rourke’s desk.
Officers I’ve worked with nod as I pass, with some even trying to engage in a conversation, but I hold up a hand, and rush past them. I’m here for one reason only, and that's to get the information that Rourke has. We need to get Allegra set up in a safehouse before Flynn’s heat hits. Once that happens, none of us will be in our right minds.
As I get closer, I see him, deep in conversation with someone on the phone. By the scowl on his face, I know whatever’s being discussed isn’t good. Or not going Rourke’s way. I stop, not wanting to intrude on the conversation, giving him privacy if needed. It doesn’t last long as he waves me over when he looks up and locks eyes with me.
I take a seat in the chair beside his desk, leaning forward, resting my arms on my legs. My knee bounces nervously, ready to get the hell up out of this place. How I worked here as long as I did kills me. How could I have been so blind to the deceit happening right under my nose?
Rourke finishes his conversation, then reaches in his desk drawer, pulling out a pack of cigarettes.
“Let’s go outside. I’m dying to smoke.” I raise my eyebrow at him, but stand and fall in step behind him.
Once we’re outside and some distance away from the front door, I need to know why he lied about needing a cigarette..
“You gave up smoking five years ago,” I state bluntly.
“I know, just needed a reason to come outside. What I need to tell you, I don’t want anyone to overhear.” His clover and pine scent grows stronger.
“Spill it.” My alpha bark takes over, needing the information that could protect my omega.
“It’s that fucking snake, Tom. His betrayal is deeper than we knew.”
My hands ball up so tightly at my sides, my nails cut into my palms, no doubt leaving perfectly shaped half moon crescent indentations.
“What’s he up to?”
“He’s selling omegas,” he says coldly.
“We knew that. It’s the proof we don’t have,” I remind him.
“I’ve found the proof. He thought he hid the trail, but it seems Joey Ritz had a plan in place in case something happened to him.” He takes a cigarette out of the pack, and lights, but doesn’t inhale.
“Isn’t he dead?” I know he is. But I can’t let on I know any details.
“Missing, but yeah. Seems he kept a record of all his and Tom’s dealings. It appears they have an underground omega trafficking ring. All the omegas with no families, or of little to no wealth, have been sold through it. Apparently, the ones not being sold here are being shipped off to an undisclosed location for an auction.”
With each word that Rourke says, the fire in me grows hotter. Omegas are to be cherished and yet here these fuckers are using them for monetary profit. I begin to pace in front of him, trying to hold myself together.
“How do you know all of this?” I’m already making a mental note to have my anonymous informant check on this as well.
“Let’s just say I’ve got ears all over this precinct. Supporters who just haven’t come out yet for fear of what will happen to their families. But that’s not the worst of it. Before he was sold to the Carlisles, your omega was his personal toy. He’s not going to let him go. He wants him back, by any means possible.”
“That’s not fucking happening,” I growl loudly, my alpha coming out in full force.
“Make sure it doesn’t. I’ll keep my ears open, but when the fight goes down, I’ve got your back.”
“Thank you.” I turn and head straight for my truck. I need to tell my pack. I need to see my omega. To make sure he’s safe.
* * *
When I walk into the house, my face is tight, void of emotion, and my body radiates tension. Sasha immediately sits up on the couch, causing Flynn to shift with her.
“What did you find out?” she asks, her voice steady.
I exhale sharply, running a hand through my hair before dropping onto the chair across from them. “Where’s Levi? He needs to hear this, too.”
“I’m right here.” He steps into the living room, two bottles of water in hand that he gives to Sasha and Flynn before sitting down beside them.
“I spoke with Rourke today. His news isn’t good. Tom’s been moving pieces behind the scenes. He’s not just after revenge. He wants Flynn.”
“What do you mean?” Flynn questions, his voice shaking as he leans into Sasha.
My jaw clenches. “He wants you, Flynn. Not just to hurt you. He wants to own you. He sees you as a toy that he wants back and he’ll do anything it takes to make it happen.”
My stomach lurches, nausea rolling through me in waves as I think of his hands on my omega.
“No. No, that’s—” Flynn shakes his head violently. “He—he can’t?—”
“We won’t let him.” Sasha’s sharp voice cuts through the room, stopping Flynn’s panic. Her eyes burn with determination. Levi nods in agreement as his fists clench. “But we have to move. Now.”
“There’s more. He’s using the Foundation for something bigger. He’s been trafficking omegas who come to them for help, selling them on the black market. We can’t wait any longer. We need to end this, but first, we need to get your sister to the safe house. And then get you somewhere safe for your heat, in case it takes longer to handle Tom.”
Flynn jumps up from the couch and rushes into the kitchen. When he returns, his fingers are shaking as he quickly taps at the screen. He hits the speakerphone and we listen in. It rings. And rings. And rings.
“She’s not answering,” he whispers. “I just feel like something’s wrong. Don’t ask me how, I just can’t shake it. I’m worried about her.”
My throat tightens. Immediately fearing the worst. Flynn tries again. Nothing.
Levi curses under his breath. “I’m going to her. Now,” he growls.
I nod, swallowing hard. “I’m coming too.”
Sasha’s gaze locks onto mine, dark and unreadable. “I’m coming too.”
“We’re all going. This is the plan. To use Allegra against Flynn. He thinks we’ll leave him here alone, unguarded. The fucker is wrong.”
Before we even move, I pull up my message thread, my fingers hovering over the screen. My unknown contact—the one who has never let me down before. I don’t know who they are, but right now, I need them more than ever.
Me: I need your help. I need some info. We think our omega’s sister has been taken by Tom. Do you know anything?
I don’t wait for a reply. We all head to the door.
Sasha places a firm hand on Flynn’s shoulder. “We’ll get her, Flynn. We won’t let Tom win.”
I nod in agreement, gripping my phone tightly. Tomorrow isn’t an option anymore. We’re out of time.