22. An Empty Desk
An Empty Desk
“Hey there, Little Killer.”
He kicks the stand into place and throws a leg over the side of the beast, pulling off his helmet and revealing his golden hair. He stands tall and muscular, every bit of an Alpha that I have ever dreamed of.
I whimper, air lost in my lungs.
He takes my breath away.
“Come,” he commands.
I move towards him, a tingle travelling down my spine. I like it when he tells me what to do, when he shows me how he really is. The darkness under the light shining outside.
With a gloved hand, he pets the seat. “Do you want to come for a ride?” He asks.
Auggie would not like it.
“Yes.”
Wordlessly he stretches out his hand and grasps mine.
He pulls me into his body, his hands caressing my sides, slowly trailing up.
Gloved fingers slide into my hair and pull it aside, exposing my scent gland.
Smoke billows around me, intensifying as he leans in close.
An unsatisfied grumble works its way from his chest, and I know he is distressed at finding me scentless, but he doesn’t mention it.
He places his helmet on my head, securing it into position. His scent fills the space, and it renders me stupid. I lean into him, my purr vibrating through us. My hands grab at him, and I practically rub myself on his leathers.
“I’ll get you your own soon.”
“My own motorbike!” I jump up and down until his arms wrap around me, holding me against him.
That would be amazing! I would look badass on a bike.
He throws back his head and laughs.
“No. Never. The only bike you are allowed on is mine. I will get you your own helmet through. What colour do you want?”
Well, there goes the vision of me with my own bike.
“I like purple.”
His hand wanders over my back, moving in circles, scratching at the base of my neck and sliding dangerously low.
“Lavender?”
“No. More lilac.”
“Done. You can even have glitter.” He tells me, a smile firmly on his face.
I smile back as he plucks me up and settles me on the bike, sliding himself in front. I wrap my arms around his wide torso and hold on with all the strength I have.
“Hold on.” He kicks the stand, and off we go.
I am holding on. What more does he want from me? I scream internally as we pick up speed.
The sound I expected, even inside the padded helmet, it’s loud.
But the vibrations are another thing entirely.
And the speed. The bike moves under me and the air rushes around me.
I plaster myself against his back, my face pressed to the leather.
This close, his heartbeat thumps against my chest, and my own responds, fighting to match its rhythm.
I feel alive.
The world blurs past me, and I don’t register a single thing. All I know is that I would go anywhere and do anything for this Alpha.
Never have I felt such a sense of calm. My mind switches off.
We slow and arrive at an unknown location. The street is the same as any other. Skyscrapers tower around us, shining silver and glass. I have no idea where we are. It looks like the business district, but I haven’t been paying attention, and we could be in another city for all I know.
He doesn’t move a muscle once we get off the bike. With his arms around me, we stare at each other.
“Do you trust me?”
“Yes.” For the second time today, I say yes. I have no reason to. In reality, I don’t know much about this Alpha, but my heart is telling me to trust him, that I’m safe with him and he would do everything in his power to look after me.
He is mine.
He takes my hand in his and walks us up to a building. There’s nothing that makes it stand out in comparison to the others surrounding it, but the air seems thicker, the lights darker. There’s something dangerous here.
He clearly knows his way around. Every person we pass smiles and greets him by name.
Regardless, we head in the opposite direction to everyone around us.
Moving further into the building and down a long, trailing staircase.
The seemingly random doors we move through require an unnecessarily long passcode and a fingerprint, which he supplies.
A little light flashes, and he moves us back, tilting his head up above the door. Slowly it slides open.
We enter, and the darkness we were consumed by is gone.
Lights, noise, and movement surround us.
The space is buzzing with people and energy.
Everyone seems to be rushing, moving around with such purpose that it feels choreographed.
It’s a stark contrast to the rest of the building we moved through.
Where that one felt like it was slowing down for the night, here the day has only just begun.
“This is the Basement.”
He gestures with his free hand around the room.
I have so many questions. Too many. My brain can’t keep up.
I recognise the logo on the walls as his security company. At least I know something.
He pulls me over to a corner. I shuffle closer to his side and breathe in his scent. The room is filled with Alphas and I can smell every single one.
“It’s you!” A voice screams, and a woman jumps up from behind a screen.
She’s beautiful. Strong and tall, willowy. Short brown hair cut straight at her shoulders, giving her a face that could pass for anyone on the street, but she wears bright red lipstick and moves in a way that’s animated and captivating.
I take several steps back and would have continued if it wasn’t for Alpha Cassius’s hand holding me.
She smiles wide, ignorant or in spite of my fear. She spins the monitor around.
It’s me.
On the screen.
Killing an Alpha.
I look hot. Not the time, brain.
“You are my idol,” the Alpha insists.
“Thank—you.”
I think.
Her energy is contagious. The grin she has plastered on her face is genuine. She isn’t afraid of me, nor worried about me. She reminds me of Lila. I bet those two would get along.
Alpha Cassius nudges me. “This is Harry.”
She scoffs, glaring at my mate.
“It’s Alpha Harriet. Don’t think I won’t stab you because you’re my best friend.”
Oh yeah. Lila would love her.
“She hasn’t stopped watching that video. I’m not going to lie, it’s making me a little jealous,” His lips press against the shell of my ear, the words whispered with warm breath.
Fuck.
I whimper.
I like that. I like that a lot.
He lifts my chin, locking his eyes with mine and placating me with a soft smile, showing off the tips of his canines. I don’t dare look away.
“This is my company. The building,”—he tilts his head upwards—“upstairs, that’s for everyone else.
This is what we really do. We hunt and dispose of feral Alphas, like the one you killed.
Some have been working on taking down what is left of the scent harvesting operation.
Others focus on Omega trafficking. But overall, our aim is to make society safer. We have a more hands on approach.”
I know I’m staring. But I can’t believe it. My Alpha. My mate. My scent match. He’s perfect in every way. I don’t know how I doubted it. I could see the darkness inside him. It called to my own. But here it is, out in the open, and he’s sharing it with me.
His eyes seem brighter here, lighting up as he talks about the work he does. His mask is slipping, and I see him. The true him.
“We do what we can. Some Alphas can be saved. We get them out and get them help, but most are incurable. When they get to the point where we find them, they ruin the lives of everyone around them. They are violent and unstable. When they have already hurt people, when they reject society and go against their instincts, taking their anger out on Omegas rather than protecting them, there’s nothing we can do for them but to take them out.
The Alpha you killed. He was part of an operation we took out a year ago.
We lost him for a while. Maybe if we hadn’t, he would have been one of the lucky ones to be saved, but he ran away.
By the time we found him again, he was too far gone.
He was hurting his kid. You did a good thing killing him.
If you hadn’t, I would have. Society is a better place without him in it. ”
I can tell he means it. But I don’t need the reassurance. I don’t need the evidence. He was a bad Alpha. I could tell because I could tell.
He grabs my hand, pulling me around the room.
“What are they working on?” I ask.
He follows my gaze, landing on a group of overexcited Alphas gathered around a large board. Photos of children and adults cover it, strings connecting them.
“They’re working on reuniting the victims of an Omega trafficking organisation.
The children on the board are adults now, but their parents have been looking for them their whole lives.
They’re bringing them back together. They got lucky today.
Reunited three families, it’s not every day that they get such good news. ”
Beautiful. Tears spring to my eyes, but I shoo them away and focus on another group.
“And them?” I point to the corner.
“They keep an eye on the criminals we work with. We’re happy to provide them with security, do some of their dirty work. But they all know the score. They step out of line, and we’ll know. We are always watching.”
I can’t help the shudder that slips through my spine. The power in this room is immeasurable.
“This is my desk.”
It’s large and similar to the one he has at home. Glass, formidable. Little knick-knacks adorn it. A picture frame of him and his brothers, a painting clearly made by a baby, I’m presuming his nephews. A mug with Apollo’s face on it.
He has the desk tucked out of the way, close to Alpha Harriet, but it stands on its own, with only one other desk in sight. He gestures to it.
Empty, plain, unassuming and backed into the corner.
“This is yours. If you want it.”
I stare.
The wood is dark, vintage, and carved with little flowers. The back is tall enough that if I were to sit, I would not be able to see over it.
“Mine? For what?”
His warm hands rest on my shoulders, and he guides me into the large, soft, cushioned chair.
“To take down Alphas. You don’t need the Council any more. We can do everything they do, but better.” He leans in close, so close his smoky scent pulls into my lungs.
“And we won’t judge you for it.”
He smirks, the psychotic one, and I replicate it.
“You would let me kill Alphas?”
“If they deserve it.”
I launch myself at him. Wrapping my arms and legs around his muscular body and press my lips to his.
Lightning shoots down my spine.
He takes me. His hands twisting in my hair, moving along my back and holding my neck, keeping me in place. Lips, tongue and teeth. They wrestle each other. Groans, whimpers, and growls surround me. All I feel is him.
He sucks in my lip, biting it until it bleeds.
“Fuck.” He groans.
Licking up the trail.
He dives back in, swallowing the noises I make.
He battles me for dominance, and I fold, his chest rattling with a demanding purr.
My scent gland tingles, fighting to be noticed. Without a word, he pulls away, peppering kisses, bites, and sucking the skin of my neck until he reaches it. My scent perfumes around us. Spice mixing with smoke.
I quiver. My limbs become liquid under his touch.
My lips are bruised, swollen and sore. I hope it lasts. I want to remember this for days.
I fight for breath. My lungs screaming that I need nothing but him to sustain my life.
Hoots and cheers sound around us, and I tune them out.
I don’t care that everyone is watching.
My mate is kissing me.