Chapter 16
CHAPTER
SIXTEEN
ABEL
As we pull in, we see the industrial-sized garage door that would normally accept shipments or outgoing packages is open. Instead, there are battered omegas being carried out one by one, and I pull into the closest parking spot.
August is out of the car before I even have the thing in park, and Kev is right on his tail.
I take a deep breath before opening the car door to follow them.
We don’t even make it through the huge door before we’re all choking on the omega scents.
Kev wraps his arm around August’s shoulder, wondering how he’s going to react to the scents.
He takes a deep breath, trying to clear his head, but instead rushes out, “Let’s see where they need us.”
I wasn’t prepared for the immediate revulsion the other omegas’ scents would bring me once I bonded to August. Packs with two omegas have to be fighting for their lives… I couldn’t imagine.
Kev seems to be holding his breath as much as I am, but responds to August, “This way, I see Ryan back there.” His eyes point toward the back of the warehouse, and we start toward them.
As we make it back to Ryan, he motions for us to follow him into a huge room that looks like it may have been used for sleeping. There are couches all over the place, mattresses all over the floor, and the stench in here is something I never want to smell again.
Ryan introduces us to the two guys who seem to be guarding one of the omegas.
“This is Rex and Maverick, the ones that busted this whole ring up.” These two big dudes must be the mercenaries August told Ryan to call in.
They seem on edge the more I’m looking at them, but it could just be the nature of their jobs.
“Ryker?” I hear August whisper. “Ryker?!” He squeals louder, before he’s moving toward the battered omega on the couch in the corner.
The omega, who I’m assuming is Ryker, looks up at August with tears already lining his eyes. But the two beefhead mercenary Alphas growl, and the darker-haired one Alpha barks, “Stop!”
August stops in his tracks, turning around toward us and cowering away. My jaw clenches tight, but I keep my cool. “Apologize to my omega, now.”
“August?” Ryker speaks from the couch, and August whips around.
On a sob, August hits his knees in front of Ryker. “It’s you… Fuck, I’m so sorry this has happened to you.”
They sob while hugging one another and Kev leans into me, whispering, “This is his omega friend from high school that was snatched.” Kev waves his hands around the whole building, and all of it starts to click in place.
Fuck.
This poor omega has been in this situation, or a similar one, for at least seven years. My heart cracks wide open for him and every other omega that has been put through this. Not that I didn’t see August’s vision for Heat Wave before, but now it’s clear as day.
Omegas are grossly taken advantage of. They should be treated like gold, but more often than not, they aren’t.
I overhear the dark-haired Alpha talking to the other one. “Ryker’s ours, but I don’t want to scare him off.” My brows pinch at what he’s saying, and he adds, “Sorry about earlier and using my Alpha bark on your omega…”
“Apologize to August, but I’m sure he’ll understand.” I don’t want to be a total dick, so I add, “They were high school friends, and I’m sure it didn’t cross his mind to be careful in his approach to Ryker.”
Kev finally speaks after taking in what we’re dealing with here. “Were the guys running this place still here when your team infiltrated?”
“My guys are questioning the three of them as we speak.” They must be in the room right beside us because right on cue, we hear a man yell, and then another scream. My brows raise in question.
The other Alpha shrugs. “They’re getting the answers we need. We’re not leaving our omega.”
Dark-haired Alpha—I really need to figure out who is who—warns, “He’s not ours yet, Maverick.”
I’ve never seen a grown man pout, but that’s exactly what he’s doing at Rex’s words.
At least we know Ryker is going to be taken care of no matter what. August comes back to us. “Can we take him back to Heat Wave and get him settled into one of the finished suites?”
Rex and Maverick look at one another and shrug, but I know they will be at his side or at least at his door, protecting it. “That’s your building, my little omega, you do as you please.” I give August a wink, earning me a peck on the lips and a grin from him.
Rex cuts in, “Sorry about using my Alpha bark on you…”
“I deserved that one, I was way too excited to see him, and he’s in no state for that kind of energy.”