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CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR

CAMDEN

I f I spend another moment in this damn house, I’m going to go crazy.

Normally, I don’t mind hanging out at home while the guys work, but their father has them doing a lot the past few days and the guys don’t like me hanging out at their place of business without one of them with me.

Everyone in that place knows better than to try and mess with me, but my pack is as jealous as they come.

I can’t complain, I love it.

Still. Times like this, I wish I had something to do.

I’m supposed to be studying, but every time I open the textbook, I find myself wondering what the guys are doing, when they’re going to be home.

I’m needy, okay? I miss them, even if they crawl into the same bed as me every night.

Grabbing my phone, I send a quick text to Jamie to see what he’s up to. As I wait for a reply, I toss my phone on the couch and go to grab something to drink.

A ding from my phone has me rushing over to check it. It’s a message from Jamie saying he’s free and asking me what’s up.

I send another text asking if he wants to meet at the library to study. Maybe if I have someone to distract me from being distracted, I’ll be able to actually get some work done.

Smiling when he replies back that he can, I quickly pack up my things and shove them into my backpack.

Slinging it over my shoulder, I send a text to the pack group chat letting them know where I’m going and who I’m going to meet.

I’m not expecting an answer back right away, but when Lee sends a message telling me to be a good boy, I can’t help but grin.

Me:

I’m always a good boy. “Wink face”

Lee:

You keep telling yourself that, Baby Boy. When we get home, let’s see how good of a boy you can be.

My stomach flutters and my cock twitches. Biting my lip as I hold back a grin, I text him back.

Me:

I’ll get on my knees and be the best boy ever.

Lee:

Fuck me, Little Omega. Now I’m hard as a rock in a meeting with 20 killers.

I snort out a laugh.

Me:

Show me.

Lee:

Don’t tempt me, baby.

Grinning, I shake my head and leave the house, locking up behind me. It’s a nice day today, so I decided not to take the car and walk to the library. It’s maybe a half hour, and with some music it will go by fast.

I’m not expecting another reply from Lee, so when I open the chat and see his dick staring back at me, my eyes widen and my cock stiffens against my jeans.

Me:

Thanks, now I have to walk with a boner.

Lee:

You're welcome. “Wink face.” Now, go study and learn shit.

Me:

Go listen and kill people.

I meant it as a joke, but I’m not surprised by his response.

Lee:

Like I need any of these asshats' help in that department. I’m a pro, baby.

Me:

Of course. How could I ever forget. “Eye roll”

Lee:

Brat.

Me:

But I’m your brat.

Lee:

Damn right you are. Love you xox.

Me:

Love you too xox.

Smiling, I slip my earbuds in and find a song I want to listen to before slipping my phone into my back pocket.

As I walk towards campus, I have this pep in my step, slowly singing along to the music.

Life is good. That's something I didn’t expect myself to say.

It’s been one hell of a year. I came to Crown Well with one goal in mind. Get an education so I could have the qualifications to be able to have a stable life. A life away from my father and all of his toxic bullshit.

I knew it wasn’t going to be easy, and the guys proved that. But everything happens for a reason right?

Despite all the pain I’ve been through to get to this point, I wouldn’t change it. It led me to my pack, the loves of my life.

Now, I’m not too sure what I want to do with my life. I want to finish school, of course, and still get a degree, but I don’t plan on taking off as far away as I can get anymore.

I can’t even be away from my pack for a day, there’s no way I’m leaving this place. Their lives are here, now so is mine. Maybe I can open up my own shop. I know the guys would support me in whatever I wanted to do.

For now, I love my life the way it is. Waking up and going to sleep with my pack, going to school and learning things I enjoy. Hanging out with friends I’ve made along the way and working a job I really like.

But that’s just it. All of that sounds too good to be true, doesn’t it? Because it is. And I should have known it was. But silly me thought the universe would give me a break for once.

Nope. Not me.

Because one moment I’m thinking about how amazing my life is, the next there’s a fucking bag tossed over my head and I’m being snatched off the side of the road and thrown into a vehicle.

It happens so fast and I’m taken off guard. It takes me a few moments to react and then I’m screaming for help, my arms kicking out in all directions as terror fills me.

“Shut the fuck up!” someone screams and pain radiates through my skull.

I cry out in pain, my hands coming up to cover my head as I whimper.

Someone grabs my arms, forcing them away from me as I try to curl up in a ball. They wrap something around my wrists and ankles, practically hog tying me.

“Help!” I scream again, voice cracking as tears start to spill from my eyes. “Someone, help me!”

The bag is ripped off my head and something is shoved into my mouth, gagging me and keeping me from calling out again.

When I see who it is, my eyes widen in fear. My worst nightmare is coming true. My father has come for me.

This man works for my dad. I can’t remember his name, but I’ve seen him around the compound before.

He grabs my hair roughly, making me cry out in pain against the gag. “No one’s going to help you,” he sneers down at me. “It’s about time you come home and pay for your sins. You’ve been a naughty boy, Camden. Your pops isn’t too happy about that.”

This can’t be happening. I can’t go back there. If I do, he’ll never let me leave alive.

Squeezing my eyes shut, my body shakes as I cry. I can’t fight them, there’s no point. They’re bigger than me, have guns, and kill for a living.

So does my pack.

My pack. Fuck! They’re going to lose their minds when they can’t find me.

Here I am, my life at risk and all I can think about is the worry and pain it’s going to cause them.

The sad part is, I’m used to the abuse from my father. Even when he had no idea about who I am and the kind of gender I prefer to love, he still used me as his punching bag.

I lied to him to get out from under his thumb and now it’s coming to bite me in the ass.

“Always been a pussy ass little bitch,” the guy snorts. “Not sure how none of us didn’t see past the bullshit. You're an omega alright. Fucking pathetic.”

He continues to throw slurs my way, but his voice becomes a background nose to my sobs, my breathing so erratic, that it causes me to pass out.

* * *

“Wake the fuck up!” A hand slaps me hard across the face.

My eyes snap open and I take in a gasping breath. Eyes wild, I look around, dazed for a moment.

And then his face comes into view. My father. The man I fear the most in the world.

My heart pounds against my ribs as fear races through my body.

“You fucking stink,” he spits, his nose wrinkling. “I can smell the fear coming off you in waves.”

I say nothing, my body shaking. I try to move, but I can’t. Looking down, I see I’m strapped to a chair. Fuck. I couldn’t defend myself even if I wanted to.

“Nothing to say, boy?” he asks, getting in my face. “Come on, speak.” He barks.

My body stiffens and I let out a whimper. An alpha bark. His alpha bark. One he’s used on me one too many times. He thought I obeyed him out of fear, but really it’s because he didn’t give me a choice. He just didn’t know it at the time.

“What do you want?” I ask, voice hoarse from crying.

“What do I want?” he laughs. “Well, I want a lot of fucking things. How about my son to not be a fucking queer.” He growls. “And a fucking omega.” He shakes his head. “How?!” He roars. “How is my only son, my only fucking child, the biggest disgrace to ever walk this earth? Two of the worst things a man can be, and you're both,” he shakes his head in disappointment.

“I can’t change what I am,” I answer. “And I don’t want to.”

“So you wanna like dick?” he asks. “You wanna take it up the ass like a little bitch?”

Looking away, I don’t answer.

“Look at me while I’m talking to you, boy!” he yells, grabbing my face roughly, forcing me to look into his soulless eyes. “You think I’m stupid? Did you not think I wasn’t going to check up on you eventually? Well I did,” he pushes my face back roughly. “And what did I find? Not only is my son an omega, but he’s fucking the enemy.” He glares at me. “I thought you’d smarten up, realize my men were responsible for trashing your room, but instead of coming home, you ran straight toward that faggot pack! “What the hell is wrong with you?”

“Nothing!” I argue back. “There’s nothing wrong with me. But you’ve made me feel like there was from the moment I could understand the world around me. You're a monster. This whole place is fucked up. I had to lie, I had to get away. From this, from you. I never wanted to take over for this club. I’d rather see it burn. People like you don’t deserve to fucking breathe the same air as people like me.”

My chest heaves as the words spill out of me. I couldn’t stop them, I have no idea where they came from.

And my father doesn’t like them. He lets out an alpha roar and this time he punches me in the face. Over and over the blows make my head spin as he screams profanities at me.

It doesn’t take long for me to dissociate like I used to. I’d always think of something that made me happy and focus on that as I drown out the world around me.

The happy place I choose this time is my pack.

River, Brooks, and Lee. My dark knights, my fallen angels.

They won’t let me go without a fight. I guess the real question is, will I be able to hold out until they find me, or will my father end me for good tonight.