Chapter 9 West
nine
West
It’s been two days since Jo was taken to the Cathedral, and I’m getting really worried about Hayden. Obviously, I’m worried about Jo too, but our omega has a kind of ruthlessness to her that makes me think she’s better prepared for this than our pyro friend is.
We know Brooks wants to find out who she bonded to. He told us as much at the staff meeting this morning, saying she has a bite mark, and to keep an eye out for any alphas we think could be sporting a matching one. Obviously Jo isn’t giving Hayden up.
That’s my girl.
My girl.
Fuck, I miss her.
Only two weeks in her presence and she’s already ingrained herself into my very being, as if she’s always been there. The way her nose wrinkles when someone says something stupid, or how she’d raise her eyebrow at me when I’d say something especially “shrink-y”.
How she started calling me “Doctor” that last night, and not in the same way she’d say “Doc”.
We got somewhere we’d never gone before.
And that kiss? Just that single kiss is enough to keep me going.
To keep in mind the plan that Declan laid out for us two days ago, and not fuck anything up in the meantime.
Meeting Jo has turned me into a different man. When we walked in on Jo and an unconscious Banesworth on Saturday night, I knew things would never be the same. And thank fuck.
Hearing what he had planned on doing to her?
Before, the thought of watching her torture Banesworth would have had my stomach twisting, as much as I hated the bastard.
But trying to turn my omega into nothing but a sex object, plus the realization of just how many women he’d victimized the last eight years?
Irredeemable. Thirty-two. Twenty of those being women possibly under my care, and I hadn’t realized.
I was happy to hold him down for her.
I don’t know what I plan on doing after we’re done here, but I think a career change is in order.
Regardless, with the way that Brooks showed up to the staff meeting this morning, half out of his mind and a little loopy looking, has me thinking he’s after more with Jo than just finding out who bonded her.
“I have something for you, Hayden.” My voice breaks the silence in the room, and the alpha looks up at me, dark circles under his eyes. The man is not doing well without Jo, and while my present might be ill advised, it’s also exactly what he needs.
He scowls at me. “Unless it’s Jo, happy and healthy, I’m not interested.”
“One more day, Hayden. That’s how much longer we have to wait.” My words do little to comfort him, and he scoffs.
“Yeah, and what will be left of her then?” He stands abruptly, his seat crashing down behind him.
He runs his hands through his hair—something he’s been doing frequently the last few days and it’s left him with a serious case of bedhead.
“She does her best to block me out, but she’s in pain.
This could end if we tell them it’s me! The bond sickness will go away!
But she’s protecting me. You’re all protecting me.
I’m not some fragile…thing! Tell them it’s me! Maybe they’ll let up on her!”
Jo isn’t giving him up for a reason, and I’ll be damned if he lets her efforts be in vain because he wants to play hero.
“Jo’s tough.” The words burn as they come out, because even I know that she’s not invincible. But we have a plan, and stressing out isn’t going to help anyone. I have to keep a level head. As a beta, and a psychologist, it’s the strength I bring to this pack. “Here.”
I reach into my desk, ignoring Hayden’s growl at my words. When I slide the metal lighter across the top, he stills.
“How did you…?” He picks up the lighter, and when he flicks it open, some of the tension leaves his body.
It’s an exact replica of the one his dad sent him, complete with engraving.
He freezes. “You…you left in the flint wheel.” He stares at it, his thumb hovering over the mechanism. “Did…did you mean to do that?”
“As your doctor…” I blow out a breath, looking at the way his eyes are focused on the wheel.
“I shouldn’t have left it in. But as your packmate and friend, who’s worried about you being found out by Brooks…
” Sighing, I run a hand over my hair. “You need an outlet for this anxious alpha energy, Hayden. I think, if you stick to only using it in my office and in your room, and if you…” I pinch the bridge of my nose and close my eyes, not quite able to believe what I’m about to say, “promise to not actually light anything on fire…I think we can last the next two days without anyone being the wiser.”
Turnip peeks her head out of Hayden’s pocket, making me jump a little.
When Jo said something about a rat coming to her through the air vents while we were…
“taking care” of Banesworth’s body, I had thought…
well, I’m not quite sure what I had thought.
Stress-induced hallucinations were high on the list of possibilities, but not for one second did I think there was an actual rat named Turnip that Jo kept as some sort of secret pet.
It does come in handy though, having her around to sniff out bugs before I have these meetings with Hayden.
“Can I use it during our plan?” he asks suddenly, looking up at me with eyes full of hope.
For the first time in three days, I see a glimpse of the old Hayden. The loveable pyro who made my days a little brighter. “...Yeah. Maybe. I’ll talk to Sam.”
A huge smile lights up his face and he does a little fist pump. “Fuck yeah! That’s what I’m talkin’ about! Fuckers won’t know what hit them!”
Okay, maybe giving him the lighter wasn’t such a good idea.
But…he’s so happy now.
Suddenly there’s a knock on the door, and I quickly motion for Hayden to put the lighter away.
“Come in,” I call, my shoulders relaxing when Sam sneaks in.
Then, he opens his mouth. “We have a fucking problem.”
Hayden groans, gripping his hair again. “Can you stop fucking saying that?”
I find myself rising from the chair. “What happened?”
Sam paces the room. “Kole just got doped up and dragged away by Tate and Keaton.”
“Well, they do run some fucked up experiments on him regularly…” Hayden frowns, looking up at Sam. “How do we know it’s not that?”
“He walks himself to those, nobody has ever had to take him.” My brows furrow as I mull it over. “It’s the reason why we all have to look the other way with him. He doesn’t give the doctors trouble, and they let him do whatever he wants.”
A timid knock on the door has Sam frowning, and he goes to answer it. “Adela?” he asks, his tone turning concerned. “What’s wrong?”
“I think…” the small voice comes from just outside the door, “I think I’ve made a terrible mistake.”
Hayden sits next to Adela on the couch, a comforting hand on her shoulder as the beta rubs her heavily pregnant belly.
“Tell me what happened, Adela,” I say as calmly as possible.
“Doctor Brooks came to me,” she hiccups, her face red and blotchy, “he said that Jo was in a bad way. That she was really sick, and that she needed the scents of her true scent match bond to get better—” she hiccups again, and Hayden stiffens next to her, his eyes going dark.
“Adela…” Sam says carefully, “What did you tell him?”
Her teary eyes are bloodshot behind her glasses. “That I didn’t know anything about a bond, but that I overheard Kole tell her during movie night…something about knowing she was his but being unable to scent her.”
Fuck.
Fuck, fuck, fuck.
“Why…” I clear my throat. “Why do you think that was a mistake, Adela?”
“Because…” she chokes, covering her mouth. “They just barged into the middle of Circle Time and dragged him out less than ten minutes later saying that he lied to Brooks! They stuck him in the neck…I’m so sorry! I thought I was helping! I just wanted to keep Jo safe!”
Hayden exhales through his nose, before closing his eyes. Dammit. We had just gotten him in a good place. “You didn’t know.” His voice is strangled, and the teenage beta only sobs harder. “It’s okay,” he gathers her in his arms in a brotherly hug, “it’ll be okay.”
There’s murder in his eyes though, and I know it’s not directed at the poor, misguided girl sobbing into his shoulder.
“When’s your birthday, Addie?” Hayden asks gently, pushing her back by the shoulders.
“Tomorrow,” she hiccups. “Vander is supposed to come get me, but how can I leave without knowing about Jo—”
“You will leave with him tomorrow,” I jump in, giving her a stern look. She can’t be here when Declan’s plan goes into effect. It won’t be safe for her or the baby. “Make sure…make sure he comes early. Okay? I’ll find a way for Jo to get in contact with you when she gets out.”
Adela’s lip wobbles, and she nods shakily. I call Leslie in to escort her back to her room, and once she’s gone, we all sit, wondering what the fuck we’re going to do next.
“Kole was a huge part of that plan.” Sam’s voice is heavy with burden. “I don’t know how we’re going to pull it off with him off the map.”
Hayden looks up suddenly, a maniacal glint in his eye. “Thanks to our good doctor here, I think I can help with that.”