Chapter 36
SOREN
“You know we have a washer and dryer in our units, right?” I groan as I throw the truck into park at the WPC Laundromat.
“But I can get mine done so much faster here,” Esper says as she whips open the door and slides out of the truck. Sunshine is on full blast as the door opens, the tint no longer shielding me from being blinded.
The white brick building and the black benches outside of it remind me of when my little stalker waited me out, day after day.
How I wasted so much damn time by avoiding her.
I’ll spend the rest of our lives making it up to her.
She, not once, cared I was a beta. Not one single time. I had nothing to be scared about with the little five-four omega. I chuckle a bit as my thoughts run. She looks back at me with a furrowed brow, but I just shrug.
I haul one of her baskets, this one filled with darks and her cute black lacy panties.
“Soren!” she yells at the door and I step in front of her and open it, holding the basket on my hip.
“Sorry, m’lady.”
“Oh hush,” she says storming past.
“You know, you technically have access to four washers and dryers at the Plaza. We each have one we’d be more than happy to let you use.”
“And have to run from apartment to apartment to do my laundry? No, thank you.” She slings one of her baskets on the tables that accompany each washer and each dryer. “Go get my other baskets please?”
“Well, what do I get in return, Trouble?”
“I’ll brainstorm until you get back, but I have some notions.” She plants her hands on my shoulders and kisses my cheek.
“I think we can do better than that, no?” I mutter and yank her close to me. Her cranberry scent wafts under my nose and, fuck, I could take her right here, right now in the empty laundromat. I guess it being the middle of the damn day has some benefits.
“Soren, baskets,” she mumbles, her lips inching closer and closer to me.
I capture her lips, so soft, warm. A damn puzzle piece slotting into place.
She shoves my chest, a smile on her face. I let the shove push me a few steps back and I smile. I turn on my heel and swing the laundromat door open. The crisp air calms my skin as I jog back to the car.
After helping Esper load four washers with her clothes—two for darks, one for lights, and the last for her towels—we sit on the black plastic chairs toward the front of the building.
She’s got her laptop propped on her lap, typing away for an assignment and I have my phone out.
Scrolling the shops Neven sent over last night.
We all agreed to step up our game. We may be scent matches, but Esper deserved to be properly courted. And it was also the perfect excuse to spoil our omega.
As much as she watches ASMR, I wondered if she’d like one of those slime things they always cover in wax to crack herself. The site has so many to choose from I get a bit lost, adding about six of them to the cart before I realize what I'm doing.
Hours pass, and we hardly move. Sitting contently next to each other.
I’ve shopped at about three different stores, not even watching the amounts from each.
From slimes to headphones, a flower delivery, and a bunch of stationery stuff I found saved on a note tab in her phone that she needed for her internship on Monday.
My little troublemaker is gonna have more than what she needs.
I never knew shopping could be so fun.
Esper popped out an ear bud, looking toward the nearly empty parking lot behind us. “Soren, do you hear that?”
Too late—I see what she hears. Two bikes, bikes I know well, with two riders I'd rather kill than ever see again.
“Outlaws,” I mutter. My eyes scan through the window and through the building, mind moving quickly. “Get your laundry, Trouble, we’re—”
My words drop off as I watch Esper grab her laundry bags, two on each arm and my heart plummets a bit.
We shouldn’t be running.
Not from these lowlifes.
But the idea of her anywhere near them, in danger in any capacity, rips through my chest and it’s hard to breathe.
“Back door,” I mumble, grabbing a bag from her and leading her. I quietly open the heavy black door, hoping it doesn't shut too loudly and let my brothers know we're back here.
I just need to get her to the car. Once she's buckled in, in the driver's seat, in case anything happens, she’ll be safe and I can handle whatever it is that they want today.
We’re able to get to the truck before they notice. Rocker and Lightning head inside the laundromat as we come up the side of the building.
“What are you doing?”
“Get in the driver's seat,” I say, leaving out the just in case I get my ass handed to me and I need you to drive away part.
“I don’t need to. Soren, get in the car.” She tries to scoot over the arm rest to the passenger seat, but I shake my head and grab her, setting her firmly in the driver's seat.
“You remember the way back to the plaza?”
“I don’t need to—”
“Do you?” I cut her off. I hear the bell above the door of the laundromat ring, and I know they are coming this way. “Esper.”
Her eyes are wide, fear clouding in them. I swear to fucking god I’ll fix this. I can’t stand this look in her eyes. This has gone on way too fucking far and we need to wrap this up.
Today.
“Yes,” her voice wobbles and I have to ignore it as I lay the keys in her lap, kiss the back of her hand, and shut the door.
“Well, if it isn’t Prince Charming.”
“Back for round two?” I ask as I turn. The bruising has started to heal from our Bar fight about two weeks ago.
They still look like shit otherwise. Rocker somehow has more tattoos, now decorating his face alongside a cut on his eyebrow and a yellow bruise on his cheek.
His dark hair is even thinning now at the top and instead of, I don't know, taking care of it so it doesn’t look so damn greasy, or hell putting a hat on, he lets the few strands he has look shiny and nastier than ever.
Lightning got the long end of the stick, his hair fuller and falling to the base of his neck.
Though that nice shiner I gave him is having a hell of a time healing.
Probably all the damn drugs, booze, and poor diet they partake in.
Not that I'm much better, but I at least throw a veggie in my diet every so often.
I need to make sure Esper does too.
“Not this time, little brother.” The nickname gives me chills. The little always had to be tacked on, or beta. As if that made me less than. My gaze flickers to Esper. Both her hands are around her neck as worry takes over her features.
“Right, this needs to end.”
“Come with us, and bring your omega,” Lightning says. “It’ll be like how it was when we were kids.”
Do they actually think there’s any universe where I agree to this?
“No.”
“Little bro, come on, you can’t take care of her on your own and we can help. We can be the Pack we were always meant to be.”
“No. Even if I didn't have my real Pack members, I would still never join your ratty ass Pack.”
“Ain’t nothing real about those pussies, Fox,” Rocker spits. Once upon a time I hated the name, what it represented and why I got it.
I stare at their harsh eyes. Same as mine, except I don’t have the tint of evil in mine. I know I don't.
Lightning takes a step forward, his patience probably running thin.
I scoff and step forward too, needing to put as much distance between them and the truck as possible. “More real than the two of you, more genuine, more fucking perfect for my omega.”
“I hate that it has to come to this,” Lightning says and he swings.
I dodge his hit, as I have done for the last twenty-six years.
Swinging one of my own. Bringing every single insult, beatdown, and nasty fucking stereotype they’ve ever thrown at me into the swing.
My fist connects with Lightning’s cheek, the force making him stumble off to the side.
I swing on my heel, finding Rocker stalking toward the truck door, and something unfurls in my chest. Pure adrenaline has me catching him by the back of his shirt and slamming him to the ground.
“Don’t you touch my fucking omega,” I spit, kicking the shit out of his side. Lightning is on my ass, his arm banding around my neck and hauling me back in a chokehold as Rocker gets up.
“Since when do betas have a damn say, Fox? Since when do you run the damn show?” Rocker lands a blow to my stomach with each sentence, My body is on fire from the lack of oxygen and the hits. I stumble back. Fuck. I need to catch my footing, but holy fuck.
“Maybe listen to your alphas next time, dimwit,” Lightning mutters in my ear. His nasty breath hits the side of my cheek, but his words hit something in my chest.
“Fuck you.”
They double their efforts. Rocker’s swings hit like a lead ball over and over, and my throat is so closed up I start to lose focus.
My gaze finds the truck, hoping my eyes will tell Esper to drive away, get to our Pack.
But she’s not fucking there.
The driver’s seat of the truck is empty.
No.
My eyes are wild as I try to search for her over Rocker in my fucking view. His blows and my lack of air fall to the wayside of my mind.
My omega is gone.
Where the hell did she go? Was there someone else? Who the fuck?
I swing my leg back, kicking Lightning’s shin. Instead of trying to pry his arm off me, I’m swinging like a mad man at Rocker, but I’m too late.
I’m too fucking late. My hits do nothing. My brain is a haze. Dammit!
“Run,” I rasp, hoping like hell Esper, somewhere, hears me.
But she doesn't. No one does.
“Say hello to Mommy and Daddy, little shit,” Lightning says and pulls just that much tighter on my throat.
But an electric buzz fills my ears seconds before faint electricity sizzles up my back. Lightning jolts and goes down, bringing me with him.
“Fuckers,” my angel whispers and she’s fast, stepping over and going for Rocker next. His shocked face isn’t one I'll ever forget.
I roll off Lightning, twitching from the high fucking voltage, and I shake my damn head, trying to ignore the remnants of the charge and get my ass up.