Chapter 1
one
Jo
Declan’s arms wrap me in a death grip of an embrace.
Seriously, I’m pretty sure I was gentler on the alphas I was trying to murder.
“Gray hairs, Jo!” Declan growls, his chest rumbling against me. I don’t think I expected him to be this awake and worked up at two in the morning. Then again, my big brother has always been just a tad overprotective.
Now, though, he’ll be the cause of my death if he doesn’t let me get some air into my lungs. “Dec…need…air…can’t…breathe—”
Dec loosens his hold, and now that I can breathe properly, his honey and tobacco scent fills me with a sense of nostalgia. He pulls back to look me over, bracing his hands on my upper arms.
I’m not sure how much he can see since the only light is coming from his front porch and the glow of the moon, but he doesn’t seem to care.
“You’ve given me at least twenty fucking gray hairs in the last month!
” he grumbles, spinning me around so he can check me for more injuries.
“I’m only thirty-two, Jo! I should not be going gray. ”
I’m still a bit battered from our time with Hayden’s daddy, but it’s nothing serious. Well, not as serious as it could have been.
Certainly not as serious as Dick Pierce’s injuries, considering he’s dead.
Nope, I’d say compared to the sperm donor of my pyro alpha, I’m fit as a fiddle.
I make eye contact with my guys, who are all leaning against our SUV. We arrived at the compound all of two minutes ago, and I had barely made it out of the car before Declan was storming down the steps of his porch and smothering me.
Grinning, I roll my eyes at my brother’s mother-henning.
Hayden stifles a laugh, his hazel eyes shining with mirth, while Kole smirks, pushing his black hair back as he arches a brow at me. Sam and West are talking in hushed tones to each other, but both of them glance at me every few seconds, like they’re afraid to let me out of their sight.
“I fail to see how your old age is my fault.” I turn in his hold and cross my arms, looking up at him. Gray hairs? Not a single one that I can see. “And, where the fuck is Turnip?” I expected her to be with Dec when we got here. I need to see with my own two eyes that she’s okay.
Nolan’s voice speaks up from the porch of their house.
“She’s sleeping in her enclosure. Poor thing had a rough day.
She’s okay, though, I promise.” I give him a grateful nod, and smile at the rest of my brothers' packmates, who have all become like my adopted big brothers, in a way. Nolan looks just as awake as Declan, despite the fact he’s clearly in his pajamas.
His golden hair, which is shaved on the sides and back, is braided in those Viking braids he loves so much.
Next to him, Rory’s dark eyes glint with pride, and I have no doubt that Declan’s already filled them all in on our recent activities. He’s always been a bit unhinged, but his particular brand of crazy comes from needing to make sure the ones he cares about know how to defend themselves.
Aidan’s gaze roams over all of us assessingly.
Anyone who doesn’t know him might think he’s cold or unfeeling.
Calculating. Between the Celtic knot covering the front of his throat and his icy stare, at first glance he seems intimidating.
But he’s not, not really. Analytical? Yes.
Prefers the company of computers to people?
Probably. Once past his defenses, though, his loyalty is unmatched.
My eyes dart back to my brother, and it seems that he now knows I’m not gonna drop dead any second, and steps back, crossing his own arms in a stance that mirrors mine.
Between our matching green eyes, red hair, and freckles, there’s no doubt we’re related. In fact, if he wasn’t a full foot taller than me, twice as wide…and nine years older, we could be twins.
Which is kind of ironic, considering Mabel.
“Old age?” he barks a laugh. “I’m a year younger than your alpha and beta over there.” He lifts his chin towards Sam and West.
“You’re my brother, they’re not. Therefore, you’re the one that’s old, not them.”
He shakes his head, rolling his eyes. “When will I learn that you’ll Jo-logic your way out of anything?”
“Jo-logic?” Hayden approaches from behind me. “That’s my favorite kind of logic.”
“And my least favorite.” Declan huffs, but he fails to fully suppress his grin. “Anyway. We should all get together and go over your game plan for Sam Senior.”
Glancing over my shoulder, I see Sam nod, his jaw tight. I really want to see Mabel, but given the time, she’s probably sleeping. It’ll be better if I wait until the morning.
We follow Pack Gallagher into their home, ready to lay out a plan to save Sam’s daddy.
At seven-thirty sharp the next morning, we’re just about done loading up the surveillance van.
Hayden has a bag full of snacks, Kole is admiring the knives I packed, and Sam is making sure we have enough firepower while Aidan walks West through how to use the surveillance equipment in the van.
My skin itches with the urge to let the men handle the rest of the packing so I can go say goodbye to Mabel.
Or is it considered hello, since I haven’t seen her yet?
Shaking my head, I hike the bag on my shoulder further up. My brain is not awake enough for questions like that yet.
Running on four hours of sleep isn’t exactly ideal, but we need to get to Sam’s daddy as soon as possible, and the drive to Vermont will take most of the day. Sam promised to take turns driving so he can catch up on sleep too.
I’m also hoping that when we get back, we can discuss…other sleeping arrangements for the guys and me. It was nice being back in my own bed, but trying to catch some shut-eye piled up with my pack and the knowledge that my big brother was in the next room? That was not comfortable.
Turnip had no such qualms about our sleeping arrangements, all snuggled up on top of my head.
Maybe we can use a room in the guest house with Mabel. Though, the other omegas probably won’t appreciate my pack’s presence after what they’ve been through. Maybe the guard house…or we could move into employee housing.
I’ll have to talk to Declan.
Sam meets me halfway between the house and the van, taking the bag off my shoulder. He cups my chin, leaning down to place a light kiss on my lips. “We can handle the rest, Trouble. Why don’t you go say bye to Mabel before we leave?”
Smiling at my alpha, I nod, but before I can answer, I hear a voice calling out my name.
“Jo! Jo, wait!”
I whip my head around, my eyes growing wide when I see Mabel racing for me from a house further down the small road of the compound—the guest house.
She looks…better. Way, way better.
Like, weirdly better.
Despite her sky-blue eyes still being haunted, they’re brighter, and her face has filled in considerably. She’s wearing a long-sleeved hoodie and sweatpants, and running barefoot towards me. Shiny, pale blond strands fly behind her as she hurries forward.
“Mabel!” I scold, running to meet her. “I was just about to come see you! Where are your shoes?”
“You were about to leave!” she cries, damn near knocking the wind out of me as she wraps her arms around my neck.
My brow furrows at the barest whiff of a scent clinging to her…
or rather the sweatshirt she’s wearing. Before I can place it though, she sighs in my ear.
“Why do you gotta leave so soon? You just got here, Jojo.”
Tears sting my eyes as I hold her close to me. “I was gonna come say bye,” I mutter. “I wouldn’ta left without sayin’ bye. We…we gotta go save Sammy-boy’s daddy.”
She sniffs once. “Sammy-boy?”
“His legal name is Samuel, but everybody else calls him Sam.” I pull back and loop my arm through hers, turning us to face my guys waiting by the van.
“That’s him,” I point to Sam, who tilts his chin with a small smile, “Hayden,” my pyro bounces on the balls of his feet, giving a big wave and a big grin, “Kole,” the Russian giant gives a curt nod, “and West is in the van with—”
“West? The one with the silly tattoo idea?” She chuckles, elbowing me. Mabel had all but shut me down when I relayed to her what West had told me about omegas tattooing over old bond marks.
At that moment, West steps out of the van, closely followed by Aidan.
Mabel stiffens, her eyes locking on the platinum-haired alpha.
Only vaguely aware of the possible connection between Mabel and my brother’s pack, West smiles at me.
“Alright, now that that’s out of the way—” He cuts off when Aidan, who had been staring at the screen of his laptop balanced on his forearm, bumps into him from behind.
“Woah, you good?” West steps to the side after stumbling forward a little.
Blinking, Aidan looks up. Like a damn homing beacon, his eyes find Mabel, and he freezes.
Time stops for a moment.
Nobody moves, except for Hayden, who is giving me a what the fuck look. I shrug, my eyes darting between the two of them.
Then, like nothing strange happened at all, Aidan shakes his head, falling out of his trance.
He closes his laptop and tucks it under his arm before turning his attention to West. “Call me if you need help with anything.” When West nods, his expression just as dumbstruck as mine probably is, Aidan tilts his head toward me in acknowledgement. “Jo.”
He turns to leave.
With no acknowledgement towards my sister.
Maybe…was I wrong about the true scent match thing?
But then Mabel finds her voice. “Wait!”
Aidan freezes, then turns slowly, his shoulders visibly tense. He gives her an apprehensive look, and his voice is strained. “Yes?”
“I do apologize if this is rude, but…” she looks down, her cheeks flushing slightly, before she lifts her chin and points to her neck, “did…did that hurt?”
My brother’s packmate’s eyes never leave Mabel as he almost absentmindedly lifts his hand to his own throat, his fingers lightly running over the four-pointed Celtic knot tattooed there.
He looks pensive for a moment, like he isn’t quite sure what to make of her.
Or like she’s a code he can’t crack. “...Yes.”
Mabel looks mighty embarrassed as she bites her lip.
“Sorry for pryin’. I just…I’m thinkin’ about gettin’ some…
” She runs her hands down the sleeves of her sweater, where her pieces-of-shit-ex-pack forced their marks onto her.
“I’m a little nervous about the idea though, I’ve never had a high tolerance for pain… ”
For the first time since stepping out of the van, Aidan’s face flashes with emotion.
Empathy.
“Yes, getting the tattoo hurt.” His voice is still stiff, even if his shoulders have relaxed slightly. “But…not as much as the injury that caused the scars it covers.”
Mabel’s mouth opens slightly in shock. “Would you…” She shakes her head. “Nevermind. Thank you kindly for answerin’ my invasive question, Mr. Aidan.”
He nods once before turning back to the house and walking as quickly as he can, like he might be powerless to stop himself from answering her questions if she decides she has more.
“If I may, Sestryonka?” Kole steps forward, hands raised placatingly. “Would I be able to look at your scars? I am rather handy with a tattoo gun.”
My brows shoot up to my hairline. “You are?”
Kole smirks at me. “I have done all of my tattoos myself, lyubov' moya.” He tilts his head in thought, then amends, “Well, besides the ones on my back. My brothers helped me with those.”
“Do you really trust him, Jo?” Mabel asks, her voice shaky as she looks between Kole and me.
“With your life,” I answer without hesitation.
“What about yours?”
“Well, duh, Mabel-cakes.”
Kole’s brows furrow. “You do not need to show me if you do not wish to. I merely thought—”
“It’s alright,” Mabel gives a pained smile, “I’m gonna have to get used to bein’ around men again at some point, and I can’t think of a better place to start.”
She hurriedly rolls up her sleeves, exposing her arms. Five ugly, jagged bite-shaped scars stare back at us. I already saw them when we were escaping Thornfield, but I didn’t get a good look on account of the whole running for our lives thing.
Now though, I get a full, unfiltered view of the sheer brutality of them. A growl rumbles in my chest. “I swear to fuck, Mabel, those bastards are lucky you already killed ‘em—”
“Hush, Jojo,” Mabel scolds, holding her arms up for Kole. “Here.”
Kole steps forward, keeping a respectful distance while still being able to examine them. “I believe there will not be a problem with healing if you were to tattoo over them, but I would get a second opinion from a medical professional.”
Mabel hurriedly pulls her sleeves back down, giving Kole an appreciative nod. “Thank you.”
The front door to the Gallagher house opens, and Declan walks down the steps of the porch. He looks up from his phone, and his feet skid to a stop.
Again, Mabel’s own gaze is stuck on a member of Pack Gallagher, but while her stare at Aidan was more awestruck, the look she gives Declan is nothing short of disdainful.
“Fireball, does your sister have some kind of alpha-freezing power we should know about?” Hayden quips, looking between the two of them with an amused expression.
His words have Declan shaking his head as he falls out of his stupor. “Sorry, um…Mabel.” He runs a hand through his hair, looking as nervous as I’ve ever seen him. “I haven’t seen you out of the guest house yet.”
I turn to Mabel, frowning. She seems so much healthier since I found her a little over a week ago, but maybe she isn’t feeling as well as she seems? “Is this your first time outta the guest house? It isn’t good to stay cooped up so long, Mabel-cakes.”
Mabel’s cheeks flush with embarrassment, and based on the way her face screws up—anger. Something that catches me completely off guard considering I don’t think I’ve ever seen Mabel angry.
“I leave the guest house plenty,” she snaps, turning away from Declan. “Just not around you.”
Without another glance at my brother, she quickly wraps her arms around me, whispering, “Be safe, Jojo,” in my ear, and stalks back to the guest house, her head held high.
It’s not until the door slams shut behind her that I turn to Declan, my hands on my hips. “What the fuck did you do, Declan James Gallagher?”
Declan turns his crestfallen expression to the now-closed door of the guest house. “I don’t fucking know!”
“Look, as intriguing as all this is, can we hit the road?” Sam asks, sounding tired. “We’ve got a long drive to Vermont ahead.”
“Yeah,” I give Dec the stink eye before I turn back to Sam. “Let’s go, Sammy-boy. Time to save your daddy.”