14. Raphael
Raphael
I pace the lobby, overwhelmed with anxiety. Beside me, Leo leans against the wall, arms crossed and tension radiating from his frame.
Al’s call was maddeningly vague—“Get to the Haven now, emergency”—before hanging up. My mind spins with dark possibilities.
Tires screech outside, and our heads snap toward the door. Al bursts in with Lily tucked against him, his bourbon scent thick with protective fury. My heart stops at their faces. Al is grim, a muscle ticking in his jaw. Lily is pale, her eyes are puffy and red.
But underneath the distress… My nostrils flare. Sex. They both smell of it.
For a split second, irrational hurt stings. They fucked without me? A heads up would’ve been nice. I could’ve joined in.
I shake off the childish resentment as quickly as it appears. Al is my brother after all, my pack. We share everything. If they found comfort in each other, good. They deserve it. I’ll just make sure I’m included next time.
Then Lily stumbles, her knees buckling.
My thoughts snap into focus.
Something is very, very wrong.
“What happened?” I demand, closing the distance.
Al’s arm tightens around Lily. “There was an attack. At my place. Someone tried to take her.”
Fire burns in my veins as Leo pushes off the wall, his scent sharpening with rage.
“What do you mean, take her?” My voice comes out rough. “Lily, are you okay?”
“I’m fine,” she whispers, but her scent betrays her terror. “Just shaken.” Her whole body trembles, and she wraps her arms around herself. “I just… I need some water or something.”
I notice Savannah hovering anxiously at her desk. “Savannah, would you mind…?”
She’s already moving forward. “Of course. Come on, Lily.”
As they step away, my attention snaps back to Al. “What the fuck happened exactly?”
The story spills out, each word making my blood run hotter.
“She’s in shock,” Al continues. “She kept saying it’s all useless… that she’ll never escape him.” He pauses, swallowing hard. “She was sobbing in my arms the entire way back,” he chokes out, his voice raw with emotion.
Red tinges my vision at his words, a helpless fury clawing up my throat.
How dare that bastard terrorize our Omega.
“We’re going to stop him,” I snarl, fighting to leash my rage. “He won’t get away with this.”
“My investigator found irregularities in the McKoy Trust finances,” I press on. “Offshore accounts, shell companies. With the right evidence, we could put Damian away for life.”
Leo’s eyes sharpen. “You think that’s enough?”
“He’s close, but there’s evidence he can’t access. I say we get it ourselves.”
Al’s jaw clenches. “We need to be smart about this. One wrong move and we lose our shot—maybe end up in cells ourselves. We can’t protect Lily from prison.”
“So we just sit here planning while he terrorizes her?” Frustration bleeds into my voice.
“All I’m saying is, if we’re going to handle this ourselves, the plan has to be airtight. We don’t want to end up in jail.”
I snap. “This isn’t about Lily at all, is it? You’re just looking out for yourself. Well, I’m not going to sit back while Lily suffers because you’re too much of a coward to take a risk.”
We growl at each other, voices rising, until—
“Stop!” Lily cries, her distressed scent cutting through our anger as she returns with Savannah. “Please, I can’t… I can’t take more fighting.”
Shame floods me. Here we are arguing while Lily falls apart.
“Shit, Lily, I’m sorry,” I reach for her, but she’s already fleeing upstairs on unsteady legs.
I slump back against the wall, dragging my hands through my hair. “Goddammit.”
“We need to get on the same page,” Al says grimly. “Lily needs us united right now, not fighting like pups.”
“You’re right.” I exhale heavily. “I just… I hate seeing her like this.”
“We all do,” Leo says, his voice steady. “Which is why we need to work together and figure out our next move. So we can end this bastard’s games once and for all.”
Al nods, resolve hardening his features. “Raph, find out exactly what your investigator needs. I’m guessing it’s a clear money trail linking Damian to the Trust irregularities. Then we plan how to get those documents.”
My Alpha instincts burn to act now, to hunt down anyone who’d hurt our Omega. But Al’s right. We need precision, not just rage.
“In the meantime,” he continues, “we close ranks around Lily. She doesn’t leave the Haven alone until this ends.”
That, at least, we all agree on.