Chapter 24
Chase
Leaving Flora in the guest room was far more difficult than I anticipated, but she needed space. If I had been through half the crap she had tonight, I would need time to reorient myself.
So, after dropping off the detector and giving her a quick rundown of how to use it, I closed the door behind me and headed to the living room, where Spencer and Bear were talking in hushed voices.
All the while, I ignored my every alpha instinct to run straight back to her room and comfort the distressed omega.
Her scent wasn’t as bright as it had been when we spent the night together; it was slightly charred. Not with terror, but there was the distinct scent of discomfort and underlying anxiety that made me itch to fix whatever was wrong.
“So, we’re in the business of kidnapping now?” I asked as I walked into the room.
“It’s not kidnapping,” Bear insisted defensively. “I had to get her somewhere safe.”
“No, I get that,” I said. “Bringing her here tonight isn’t what I mean by kidnapping. I’m talking about what this one said.” I turned to Spencer and pointed an accusing finger at him.
“I’m keeping her safe,” he grumbled, his expression dark and serious.
“By telling her she can’t leave the apartment?” I asked, my tone pitching up as I crossed my arms over my chest.
“Do you want her to leave the apartment?” Spencer shot back, raising his eyebrows pointedly. He was sitting back on the couch, so damn nonchalant, but I knew him better than that. His jaw had a hard set to it, like it did whenever he was stressed.
“Of course not, but it has to be her decision to stay.” I wanted Flora safe more than anything, but short of chaining her up, there wasn’t much we could do to force the issue. The only thing we could do was gently encourage.
“Why?” Spencer asked casually. “She’s here, and I’m not letting her leave.”
I shot Bear a glance, trying to get a little fucking help, and he did throw a concerned look at our pack mate. He didn’t push it further, though, just shrugging as his stare dropped to the floor.
“What about her classes?” I asked.
“They’re important to her, Spencer. We will need to figure something out,” Bear said firmly.
“She can resume classes once we’ve caught the sick fuck who tried to kidnap her at knifepoint,” Spencer declared, the fury rising in his voice. “What can you tell us about him?”
Bear grimaced “Not much, really. He was smaller than any of us, but that’s not unusual. His face was completely covered by a balaclava and sunglasses. He moved like someone without any training, though. Clumsy.”
“So definitely not a professional,” Spencer pointed out.
Bear shook his head. “No. Everything about him screamed amateur, down to what he chose to cover his face with. It’s almost like… Well, if I had to put money on it, I’d say he’s a student who has developed an obsession and doesn’t know what to do with himself.”
“I know what I’ll fucking do to him,” I said under my breath, the image of Flora at knifepoint burning into my brain. Unfortunately, Bear was the only one who had gotten close to him, so I didn’t have any clue who I was going after—but I was determined nonetheless.
“Get in line,” Spencer growled, malice radiating off him.
“It’s not like he’s a ghost.” I huffed out a breath. “He’s got to have a digital footprint somewhere, and I’m going to find it. I’ll tear apart those cameras and find out where they came from.”
“If you need anything, just let us know,” Bear said, nodding in a silent promise.
He and Spencer tended to leave me to my own devices when it came to technology. I had a habit of getting lost in the process and working for hours on old computers or equipment without even realizing it. The two of them kept me grounded.
Plus, they were especially interested in protecting Flora, so I knew they’d be very involved in her time at the apartment and tracking down the bastard that was following her.
“One of us needs to go back to her place ASAP, check if there are any more cameras,” I said. “She… she asked if there was a camera in her bathroom. God, Flora looked so fragile when she said it. We need to catch this fucker.”
“Fuck,” Bear muttered, blinking slowly as he let out a rough breath. “I'm guessing there wasn’t time to check when you installed the camera.”
“There wasn’t. I took a lot of time removing the first one and replacing it,” Spencer confirmed. “But we need to go back to her place and clean it the best we can. We also need to remove any traces of our cameras.”
He grimaced. The next few days were going to be a fine balancing act. One of us needed to watch Flora. One of us needed to take care of her apartment, and there needed to be someone on Pack Garnett, too.
“Do you think it's worth asking for help from a friend? There are only three of us, after all,” I asked, leaning against the doorframe.
“Who are you thinking of?” Spencer asked.
“Henrik? I think he and his pack are in the country.”
Bear nodded. “Actually, they aren’t a bad choice. Maybe it’s worth sending him a message,” he said, turning to Spencer. “If anything, it’s an extra set of eyes we trust.”
Our pack leader paused, clearly mulling the idea over. Spencer had always been the heavy thinker—the planner and the organizer of our pack. I got the distinct impression he was thinking things through even more thoroughly now our little omega was involved.
“I’ll do it,” he said.
We were quiet for a moment, all of us looking at each other, each too chicken shit to say what we were feeling.
Flora was… well, she was something. The pull to her was unlike anything I had ever experienced before, and I knew my pack mates felt the same. In a matter of weeks, our entire lives had changed to no longer revolve around work, but one tiny omega who loved learning and was lethal with a taser.
“Is she okay?” Bear asked eventually. His elbows rested on his knees, and he lightly scratched at the stubble he had growing in. “Will the nesting supplies from Mable be okay for tonight?”
“I think so.” I sighed, sitting on one of the armchairs. “She found a few items she liked. It’s nowhere near enough, but it’s better than nothing. It was a smart idea to call Mable.” I directed the last part at Spencer, who agreed.
“I wanted to go to that twenty-four-hour store. Only, it’s a long drive, and I wouldn’t be able to watch over her during that time. I considered taking her with me, just so I could ensure she was safe, but that felt…”
“Mean?” Bear chuckled.
Spencer jerked his head on agreement, swallowing before speaking again.
“Not that I don’t trust you guys, you know I do.
It’s just… the idea of being away from her felt so fucking wrong, I can’t explain it.
I’m not being the most rational, but we are all in agreement—we will protect her, no matter what. ”
“As far as I’m concerned, I’m hers,” Bear replied simply, a level of confidence in his voice that knocked me back. “If she doesn’t want me, I’ll spend my time protecting her and making her as happy as I can.”
His words were painfully honest. The guy had always worried about being desired.
It didn’t matter what Spencer or I said about it, either.
He was already sure he’d be alone forever.
To see something he wanted so badly now…
we needed to figure this out because I had a feeling losing Flora to circumstance would kill him.
Hell, it would kill all of us.
Snorting lightly, I shook my head. “Dude, we’ve seen the way she looks at you. You’re clearly her favorite.”
Bear did his best to keep his expression blank, but the tips of his ears turned slightly pink. Sharing a glance with Spencer, I was pleased to find the barest hint of a smile lifting his cheek.
Alphas were usually possessive and a little competitive. We would undoubtedly be the same when it came to Flora, but for the moment, we were relieved she’d gravitated toward Bear first, and that was saying something.
When it came to combat and tactical thinking, Bear was a seasoned pro—handling his work with a professional ease I had found myself slightly jealous of once or twice. When it came to women, though, he had been treated… differently, ever since his accident.
Personally, the thought that Flora picked him first and liked him the best? Well, I fucking loved that. She was an omega who cared deeply, and that was exactly what Bear needed.
Fuck, it was what we all needed.
“Ugh, I need to reset. I’m going to mess around with that laptop in my room. Shout if you need me.”
I spun on my heel, heading straight to my room because my brain was just too busy. I needed to silence it with some inane computer remodeling. When I got inside, I flicked on the light, wasting no time sitting at my desk and going through the checklist of what still needed to be done on the laptop.
It was near completion, and I didn’t know what to do with it. Bear and Spencer each had one I’d refurbished, and I had two already, not counting the tower PC.
Flora needs a computer.
If it would help her study, then I wanted to do it. Sure, the laptop I had been working on was top-of-the-line and probably a bit fancier than a student needed… but Flora deserved the best.
Knowing I was working on this for her made my fingers work quicker, and my mind fully settled. I liked the idea of giving her something, of doing this one thing that only I could do. It was my thing, and including Flora in some way felt… really damn nice.