CHAPTER THIRTY-SEVEN - BIRDIE #4
I stiffen, and Reeves doesn’t miss the flinch, because a nasty light ignites in his eyes.
“Broken omegas. Angry, messy little things, who can play havoc with a pack’s control.
They go in like a trojan horse and exploit your weaknesses.
” His sneer is in full force as he stares around at the alphas.
“Men like you, who live by their primal urges, are fair game.”
Colt steps forward this time and drives a fist into Reeves’ gut. The doctor almost folds in two, coughing so violently, I’m surprised he doesn’t produce a lung. “How’s that for primal?” Colt asks, stepping back and flipping his knife in the air.
“Back to the end game,” Axel says, his cold mask still in place. “How many omegas? How many packs? And are they all military targets or are there civilian ones as well?”
“They’re whoever my clients have their eye on.” He actually looks proud of that fact. “We could work together, you know. My research will make us millions.”
The sly look in his eye turns my stomach, but Axel just stares at him like he’s a smear on the landscape.
When there’s a faint, buzzing sound, Colt pulls his cell phone back out of his pocket and reads the message.
“Cleo has remoted into the facility. She says she’ll have access to all of this asshole’s files within the hour. ”
Axel nods, and Reeves isn’t the only one gaping at them. “Colt started in military intelligence,” Axel tells him, disdain clear in his eyes. “He’s had a contact standing by to access the lab remotely. And don’t start droning on about firewalls. Shit like this is child’s play to people like him.”
“See?” Colt winks in my direction. “Not just a pretty face.”
I already knew that, but hearing how he can screw Reeves with a few clicks of a keyboard definitely adds an extra layer of sparkle.
“Why us?” Axel finally asks. The air seems to have leaked out of Reeves, and I think we can all tell that he’s reached his limit. “Why did you send Birdie to us?”
“We’re still in the early days of the program,” Reeves says with a weary sigh.
“But it’s clear it works best on packs that are already fragmented.
I studied your scent profile and saw a strong compatibility.
” His gaze drifts to Hog. “With the scent memory trigger I injected into her gland, I assumed your connection would be... cataclysmic.” His gaze softens as it turns my way.
“Of course, I didn’t account for you taking a liking to my little pet.
I’m pleased that someone other than I can see her value, under all the broken edges. ”
Revulsion surges through me, and I feel myself shaking as I step in front of him.
“Since you love bird so much, asshole, have you ever heard of the killdeer?” I don’t wait for him to answer.
“It builds its nest on the bare ground, so it doesn’t have a lot of defenses against predators.
When they approach, the killdeer will fake a broken wing.
It drags itself away, tricking the predator into following it.
With this little ruse, it protects the eggs and then gets to fly safely away. ”
Reeves looks up at me, amused. “And are you the valiant protector in this scenario?”
“No, they are,” I tell him, slowly peeling the thick gauze off my throat. “But while you’re playing games with birds, you really should be keeping an eye out for the bear.”
Reeves’ eyes go wide as they take in my mating bite, but he doesn’t get to look at it for long.
With a growl, Hog picks him up by the scruff of the neck and drags him towards the basement door.
It’s not like we rehearsed this part, but I feel a vicious stab of satisfaction as Hog tosses him down the stairs.
“There are a lot of bodies outside,” Colt says when Reeves’ screams have faded behind the basement door. “I could drop most of them down a ravine, but it might take a few days.” He waggles his brows at me. “Can't promise a hungry bear won't dig them up, either.”
I roll my eyes, but Axel turns and looks slowly around the cabin. It’s even more bare bones than I remember, and there’s almost a note of relief in his voice when he says, “We finish the job they started. Stack them in here and let the fire do the rest.”
I blink, but it makes sense why they’ve moved everything of value out of the cabin. A cleansing fire must have always been an option.
Colt nods, but while he goes off to start lugging bodies, I turn to Axel. He runs a finger over my mating bite, his eyes shadowed. “I’m sorry you ever had to see him again, let alone listen to his bullshit.”
“He’s a creepy asshole, isn’t he?” I try for a smirk, but Axel has always been able to see more than most. I grip his arm and really let him see.
Not just all the broken parts, but also what I need to start putting them back together.
“Take the zip ties off before you bolt the basement door,” I tell him with all the authority I can muster.
“I want him to try to claw his way out while his lungs fill with smoke. And then I want him to realize that no matter how loud he screams, no one is coming to his rescue.”