Page 13 of Claiming the Pack’s Omega (Riverwell Omegaverse #2)

Theo whirls around. It looks like he’s been pacing a hole in the carpet in front of the bed. I’ve spent a decent amount of time with him over the past few weeks and not once has he seemed angry.

He’s pissed right now. So angry it has me taking a step back, a wave of unease rolling through me.

“What’s—what’s going on?” I say, my back hitting the door behind me.

Theo whirls around, his gaze frantic. “Thank fucking god you’re here.” He steps forward and grips my shoulders, his gaze darting back and forth between my eyes. “Where were you?”

“Hey, what’s going on? Is everything alright?”

His jaw tenses and he struggles to take a deep breath before he leans forward. He rests his forehead against the door above me, effectively pinning me against the door.

“Answer the question,” he whispers, his voice low. “Please.”

“I—I can’t tell you that.” I rest my hand against his chest. I don’t know whether it’s so I can try pushing him away or to try and comfort him.

“Where is Obsidian?”

My blood turns to ice. For the second time today, I feel a sinking feeling of betrayal.

This seriously cannot be happening.

“What did you just say?” I croak out.

“You heard me,” he says, pulling back. I see the pain in his expression, the worry, bordering on terror.

I shove at his chest, needing space. Needing air that doesn’t smell like smoked cardamom and safety. Because he isn’t safe. Not him. Not Obsidian. Why the hell did I think I was safe with these two? They’re alphas and all alphas have their own agendas they’ll do anything to fulfill.

Theo’s big body doesn’t move a single inch.

My pulse starts to race. This is the first time that I’ve truly felt like I was in the presence of an alpha while being alone in this room with him.

He’s been so kind, so considerate, so careful with the way he’s touched me, it was easy to forget the strength that hid behind his too-expensive fancy suits.

“How do you know Obsidian? How—how do you know what’s happening with him right now?” I stutter.

His expression softens. “Shhh, you don’t have to be afraid.”

“Shut the hell up!” I hiss, narrowing my eyes at him. “Tell. Me.”

“You’re not stupid, Reyna, I think you know.”

My chin drops down to my chest at the sound of my real name. Of course. Obsidian isn’t working alone. He’s connected to Northsiders, after all. And Theo is a Northsider.

“You—you lied to me too?” My voice breaks. I can’t handle this. Why in the world does this betrayal hurt so fucking badly right now?

“I’m sorry, spitfire, but it was necessary,” Theo says softly, his chest vibrating with a purr, like he’s trying to soothe me.

“You can shove your apologies and nicknames up your fucking ass,” I growl. “Of course you two were too good to be true.”

Theo’s gaze sharpens and for the first time, I see the side of him his opponents in the courtroom must see. The change is chilling.

“I need to know where Obsidian is. I assume we don’t have much time.”

I shake my head. “What makes you think I’ll tell you? Just ‘cause you’ve been throwing cash at me and pretending to be nice to me for the past few weeks?”

“It wasn’t pretending,” he murmurs.

“That doesn’t fucking matter. If I tell you what I know, I’m sticking my neck out and risking my life and the life of my family. Best case scenario, if I’m a traitor, my brains get splattered on the carpet here. Worst case? God, I don’t even wanna think about it.”

I shove at him again. I need space. My chest heaves as I struggle to find my footing in this crazy fucking situation.

“Let me go!”

“I can’t,” Theo sighs. “You’re the only lead for where they’re keeping Obsidian. He’s a dead man walking?—”

“You don’t think I know that!” I hiss. “I’m the one from this world. I’m the one who knows what happens to people here. But you’re still asking me to literally throw myself to the wolves for you! When you lied to me! You tricked me into—into thinking there were actually good alphas out there!”

Theo brushes some of my hair away from my face in a tender gesture that makes me want to vomit. Why is he still acting nice? To try and get me to die for him?

“It doesn’t have to be like that,” he says softly. “You don’t have to throw yourself to the wolves. We can protect you.”

Obsidian’s last words to me echo in my head.

I—I can help you. We can help you. Just—just trust us.

“I—I have a family, I’m not going to just leave them. They need me, I can’t?—”

“We can take care of them, too,” Theo says, interrupting me. “Your parents and your three siblings right? We can take care of all of them. As long as you help us.”

I let out a bitter laugh. As long as I help them. As long as I give them something they need. Giving them Obsidian’s location is only the first thing they’ll ask of me. What’ll it be next?

I bite my lip, shaking my head. Why the fuck is this happening to me? Why is Theo offering me and my family a golden ticket out of this shit hole at the expense of pissing off some really powerful people?

A hopeless sort of despair twists inside my chest. I feel stuck. Frozen. But at the same time, I want nothing more than to pull my hair out and scream into the night.

People say better the devil you know than the devil you don’t, but is that really the case?

Dom has always been predictable. It’s a big reason why I’ve been able to put up with him for years. He’s wholly and completely motivated by doing the kind of stuff that will line his pockets.

But now, he’s gone and done something I never could’ve predicted by involving the Sorel family.

So is the devil I know really better?

“My family gets housing on the Northside. Guaranteed. House bought in my parents’ name. They can’t be kicked out.”

“Done,” Theo nods.

I blink at him in shock, but I catch myself. This seriously is a golden ticket.

“I want my siblings to go to Northside schools. And I want my family to be protected. You can’t just have me betray these big players in the Southside and expect them to not retaliate.”

“Of course. We’ll arrange something similar to witness protection or something. They’ll have the best home security system that exists and we’ll make sure they have people watching over them.”

My hands clench into fists at my sides.

Theo’s brows draw down, like he can tell I need more convincing.

“What’s bothering you, spitfire? If you need something, just ask.”

“What’s the catch,” I grit out. “The real answer. What else are you going to ask me to do for you after I help you find Obsidian? You can’t expect me to believe you’re going to buy my family a house and give them protection for free just for that information.

Obsidian can’t be that important to you. ”

“Obsidian is my packmate. Yes, he’s that important to me,” Theo sighs.

“And you’re right. There’re things after tonight that my pack and I are going to ask of you.

We think you could be a star witness in a case we’re building up against the various families and players in charge of omega trafficking here in the Southside. ”

I swallow hard. “So you want me to testify in court? That’s it?”

Theo glances to the side, the tips of his ears turning red.

“You’re hiding something from me,” I hiss. “Tell me what it is.”

“This is a horrible time to bring this up,” he mutters under his breath.

“What? Tell me. You can’t just say something like that and not fucking explain it to me.”

“I like you. Sto—Obsidian likes you. These past few weeks—you’ve been enchanting to be around. We want a chance to, you know, see where things go between us?”

I shove at his chest again and this time he finally moves and gives me space. “So this is it? You’re blackmailing me into becoming your little pack whore?”

“What? No! No, not at all, that’s?—”

“That’s what it fucking sounds like to me.

You’re telling me you’ll take care of my family, whisk me away from here, as long as I ‘see where things go between us’?

I don’t know how you’re looking at it, but from my perspective, that definitely sounds like I won’t have a choice in how far things go. ”

“Reyna, that’s?—”

“ Don’t. Don’t call me that,” I shake my head.

I press my palm over my mouth and turn my head. I wish I had more fucking time to think about this. Theo is offering me what’s effectively the lottery ticket of my dreams. This would change the lives of everyone in my family for the better.

I’d just have to effectively sell myself. Sell my mind, sell the reputation I’ve built up here, sell my heart.

But I’ve been selling myself for years now. And for a lot less than a house on the Northside and security for the rest of my family.

“Everyone I betray will want me dead,” I say, swallowing hard. “I’m sure you and your pack will have a vested interest in keeping me alive, but I want your guarantee that I’ll be safe.”

“Of course,” Theo nods. “That goes without saying.”

“Well, I need it said,” I snap, crossing my arms over my chest, goosebumps rising along my arms at the realization of what I’m doing. I’m used to the skimpy outfits and lingerie I wear here, but I’ve never felt more exposed in them than right now.

“You’ll be safe. We’ll do everything in our power to make sure of that.”

I give him a jerky nod. “Fine, then. I’ll give you the address.”