44. You Can’t Always Get What You Want
Chapter forty-four
You Can’t Always Get What You Want
Boone’s eyes lower to my neck.
Around me, there’s only silence.
“Rosie. Oh my god.” Katie’s hand shakes as she lifts it, pulling back at my flinch. “We’ve got you. Fuck. We need help over here! Medics!”
Others are turning around. So many faces, all of them pointing at me. But I’m watching the alpha in front of me as his face crumples, his hand hitting the glass again.
I read his lips.
I’m coming.
A keen ripples from my throat.
“It’s going to be okay.” Lauren is trying to press the scarf against my neck, but I push her away as Boone pushes off the glass and disappears.
There is too much noise. Too many faces. I stagger to my feet, shaking my head. “I need—”
I don’t know. I don’t know.
I need to not be here.
I look out over the rink, but it’s empty, and my stomach clenches.
He’s coming.
Bursting into movement, I shove past Lauren. She grabs for my arm, missing it as I pull away and dart along the seats, weaving unsteadily as more hands reach for me.
I fall down the steps, stumbling and swinging against the handrail, slamming into the wall.
Boone is coming.
Carter is coming.
And Liam. Liam is coming, too.
I choke on my own sobs as I race for the stairs. People stare at me, shouts echoing behind.
I have to get away. Somewhere quiet. Quiet, and dark, and safe.
Before he finds me.
My feet pound against the concrete as I take off down the opposite hall to the Titans’ space. I don’t know this area. It smells like fresh paint, the photos along the wall unfamiliar.
But the layout is the same.
My breath rasps as I stagger toward the very end, my hand reaching for a door that opens under my touch as my head spins and nausea churns my stomach.
My eyes skate over the shadows thrown by the light behind me before I pull the door closed, encasing myself in the darkness.
The air smells like cleaning fluid. Like my own skin, and another, quieter whimper loosens. My foot trips over a solid mass, my palms painfully breaking my fall.
Crawling as far as I can get, I curl myself up and wait.
The thunder of thousands moving in unison rolls across the floor above me as the arena empties out. I tear the scarf away, throwing it with a hand that shakes so badly my whole body trembles.
Shouts sound above the noise from upstairs as the Furnace slowly turns silent.
A beam flashes across my face as the door opens, and a tongue clicks. “Well, now. You must be Rosie.”
I vaguely make out a figure I don’t recognize.
When I flinch back, he slowly lowers himself, angling so I can see his face in the faint light.
Dark, bushy eyebrows swallow a pair of green eyes below a shock of grey hair.
“Name’s Reid Masterson. Lot of people lookin’ for you, Rosie.
Few of my players are a little worried.”
He keeps his eyes on my face. “You’re bleeding pretty badly. Mind if I go and get someone to help you? Boone?”
Slowly, I nod.
“That’s real good. Nice and slow, alright?” He straightens, groaning as his knees crack. “I’ll go and find him. He’s pretty desperate to see you.”
I nod again. I don’t think I’m capable of much else, but I manage a whisper. “Carter.”
“Reynolds?” A third nod. “Well, alright then. I’ll see what I can do.”
There’s a slow, lilting cadence to his voice that’s strangely reassuring.
“I don’t want to go with him,” I blurt as he turns to leave.
Reid Masterson pauses. “Would that be Reynolds?”
“Liam,” I choke out.
He gives me a long, assessing look. “I got two granddaughters. I’ll tell you what I tell them. You don’t have to do a single damn thing you don’t want to do. You hear me?”
I brace my hand over my mouth to cover my sob.
“Think there’s a lot of people here who’d make sure of that for you.” The Aces coach steps out, leaving the door ajar to let the light inside.
My head begins to pound. After a few minutes, I creep after him to look outside, pressing my face to the gap.
“Rosie!”
No.
Footsteps—so many footsteps—sound in the distance. I slam my hands over my mouth and back up as Liam appears in the doorway, shoving it open. His chest heaves as he pins his eyes on me, a deep crease in his forehead. “Fuck, baby, we’ve been looking everywhere.”
He holds out his hand to me. “I know you’re scared. Take my hand.”
I shake my head. Slowly at first, and then faster, the movements close to violent as I scramble back, out of his reach.
When Jonas appears next to him, a whimper sounds in my throat as I look between them.
Where are they?
A hand curls over Liam’s shoulder.
“Here,” Lauren says softly. “I might be able to help.”
More faces appear behind them, and my legs start shaking again as she slips between them. Liam moves aside to let her pass, his expression unreadable. Lauren approaches me slowly, her hands out.
And then she turns.
Liam blinks as she keeps her hands up. “What’s going on?”
“You stay the hell away from her.” Lauren doesn’t move. She plants her feet against the ground, squaring off as I stare at her back. “You hear me?”
Jonas looks over his shoulder uneasily. “We need to get Rosie somewhere quiet. Give us some space, will you?”
“No.” Lauren’s voice rises as well. “Nobody moves. Where’s Carter?”
Jonas and Liam exchange glances, and my gut clenches.
Liam tries to step inside, and Lauren snarls. “Don’t come any closer.”
“You’re being ridiculous.” Liam’s voice tightens, looking between her face and mine. “Rosie’s our omega, Lauren. Get out of the way.”
“And I’m your scent match,” she says grimly. Murmurs ripple through the crowd watching. I see Katie’s pale face. Ethan. Ryker, and Benji. “And she was leaving you tonight. So you tell me why there’s a mating bite in her neck, when I know it’s the last thing she wanted.”
“Kessler?” Benji steps forward. His eyes sweep over me, and then to Liam. “Want to tell us what the hell’s going on here?”
“She wanted to get away,” Lauren says loudly. “And you tried to stop her. That’s assault.”
“Rosie.” Benji says my name, and I blink away tears. “Do you want them in here?”
Slowly, I shake my head.
Benji turns, planting himself next to Lauren. “You heard what she said. You’re not coming any closer.”
“Fuck off, Laine. This isn’t any of your business. She didn’t say anything.” Liam steps forward, but a hand yanks him back.
“I heard it pretty clearly.” Mackenzie steps through. His eyes sweep over me, his jaw tightening. Dimitri Yukov ducks his head to get inside the room, following as they shift to stand beside Benji.
Katie darts in front of Liam with a hissed curse.
Ethan. Ryker. Noah. Gabe. Even Ness, her scarlet lipstick faded as she shoulders past a silent Jonas and shoves him into the wall.
They form a line between my pack and me. Lauren steps back, and Mason strides past Jonas to take her spot with a stone-faced expression.
“Carter is coming,” Lauren whispers. My legs crumple. “Boone is finding him. He’s coming.”