Page 9 of Ensnaring Their Rabbit (Heat, Prey, Love #7)

CHAPTER 9

RIVEN

I paced the cell, feeling more like a caged beast than I ever had before, and that was saying something. Twice my claws broke through, which I quickly hid, not wanting that news to come out. It seemed like my wolf was getting stronger than the collar, something that would come in handy as long as no one found out about it. Because I would gut every one of these fuckers with these claws once I got a chance.

Reeve was still passed out on the bottom bunk. If it wasn’t for the steady sound of his heartbeat I’d be panicking by now. Well, panicking more than I already was. I didn’t know what was happening to him, and it scared me.

After Reeve passed out, all hell broke loose. Brynn tried to go to him and Markel hit him in the face with a baton. I was already on the edge of my control and that was the last straw. I broke through the cuffs, despite them being infused with wolfsbane, and knocked out two of the guards before I finally got hit with the tranquilizer. When I woke up, we were back in our cell, and Brynn was nowhere to be found. Since the mate bond hadn’t been fully formed, I couldn’t feel him, and wherever he was, he was too far away for me to scent him. I wasn’t handling it well.

The only thing that kept me from completely lashing out was that they hadn’t separated Reeve and me. I was shocked we weren’t in solitary. Taking out two guards would definitely warrant that. Maybe because Markel went off script with that bullshit we got away with it? Whatever, that was a worry for later. Our cell was locked, and none of the others were, so I didn’t know what was up with that, but it was better than nothing.

I paced the length, back and forth, back and forth, ten steps forward, ten steps back, as I waited for Reeve to wake up. Why was it taking so long? What happened to him? Markel was being an asshole, but he had barely touched him. That wasn’t what made him collapse, so what did?

I had no idea how much time had passed before the painful groan alerted me that Reeve was finally waking up. Thank fuck, I was climbing the walls with worry, frustration and anger.

I bounded to the bed and knelt next to it, trying to stay patient as Reeve slowly opened his eyes and turned his head to me.

“Riv?”

I smiled, relieved he recognized me. Obviously we looked the same, but with the way he collapsed, all kinds of worst case scenarios had been going through my head, and I didn’t know what to expect.

“Yeah, man. It’s me. Are you okay? You scared the fucking crap out of me.”

Moaning, Reeve forced himself up to a sitting position, careful to stay hunched so he didn’t hit his head on the bunk and make shit worse. He flinched, squinting up at the fluorescent lighting in the cell. I frowned. Did he have a headache?

“Water?” he asked, his voice hoarse.

I jumped up and filled the plastic cup from the small sink then brought it back to him. He smiled slightly in thanks before downing the lukewarm water in one gulp. I knelt back down by the bed and waited, concerned.

Finally he seemed with it enough and looked at me. “What happened? Brynn?”

I gritted my teeth, shame filling me. I failed as a fucking alpha. I lost control, and they took Brynn from us. “I don’t know. They tranqed me. When I woke up, we were here and he was gone. Reeve, I can’t sense him at all.”

“Fuck.” He scrubbed his face. “It doesn't mean anything. We didn’t complete the bond. He could be fine.” Could be. But not definitely.

“What do we do? We need to find him.”

Reeve squeezed my shoulder. “I know. We will.”

“How?”

Reeve’s eyes hardened, which was answer enough. He had no fucking clue.

I jumped to my feet, tearing at my hair. This was my fucking fault. I couldn’t handle being on my own. Reeve wouldn’t have lost his shit if it was reversed. He would’ve found a way to keep Brynn with us, or at least found out where he was taking him. Now he might be gone forever, and it would be on my head.

Reeve was up and in my face. I hadn’t realized I had started pacing again until he stopped me, his blunt nails digging into my biceps, his forehead touching mine. “Stay calm, brother. We’ll find him.” Reeve sounded so confident, I almost believed him, but how?

I deflated in his touch. “I shouldn’t have lost it like that, then maybe...”

Reeve squeezed the scruff of my neck in reprimand. “None of that. None of this was your fault. I was the one who passed out.”

I tilted my head. “What happened with that?”

He shrugged, deflating a little. “I don’t fucking know. My wolf…” He trailed off, eyes flashing to the hallway where there were cameras. I could put together the pieces though. His wolf must’ve been getting stronger too.

He huffed a breath. “It doesn’t matter now. I’m feeling better, and let’s be honest, that would’ve likely happened anyway.”

He was probably right, but still. “Then what do we do?”

“Stay rational. Think. Don’t get angry even if Markel tries to fuck with us. He’ll be looking for any excuse to put us in solitary. Don’t give it to him. We’ll never find Brynn if we’re locked up.”

Ugh. Reeve was saying all facts, but it would be hard not to want to rip Markel’s smug little head off his shoulders every time I saw him.

“Fang is right, Howl.” My head snapped to see Reaper standing on the other side of the bars, his usual calm and neutral expression on his face.

No one even knew what Reaper was in for or for how long he was here. But he was already one of the old heads by the time we got locked up, and because of his calm nature and gift at getting any information you could need, he’d become something of a leader here. He was a neutral party, even with all the gangs and different shifter groups, they all respected him and didn’t give him shit. He was also the one who gave us our nicknames. They sort of sucked, but no one fucking complained when Reaper gave you a name. You just accepted it.

I wrenched out of my brother’s hold and stalked to the bars. “Do you know something?” I snapped.

Reaper just raised an eyebrow, letting me know I was stepping out of line, but it was hard to reign it in if he knew where they were keeping Brynn.

Reeve squeezed the back of my neck again, this time a lot harder. “Easy, Riv. Reaper’s not the enemy.”

I huffed a breath through my nose. I was having a hard time remembering that. “Sorry,” I mumbled, sounding like a fucking child.

Reaper dipped his head in acknowledgement. “So the rumors are true then?”

Reeve’s eyes narrowed. “What rumors?”

Reaper just shrugged and rested his thumbs in the waistband of his prison issue scrub pants. “Just that you two took extreme interest in the plaything for this hunt. That was odd enough since y’all barely participate. But then Smiley said he saw you take down Claw, and I heard the guards whisper that a wolf gutted Erikson.”

I was ready to choke this fucker, leader or not. But Reeve held me back. “What happens during the hunt stays in the hunt, you know that Reaper.”

“Agreed. Trust me, no one is crying over the loss. But it did get me curious. You know how I got cleaning duty up on the Warden’s floor?” We always asked why he didn’t get a cushier job like the library–he had enough pull to make it happen–but this was why. You didn’t get nearly as much information stuck in the library. “Well I heard Markel bitchin’ at him. Apparently he wanted y’all punished, but the warden saw the tapes and was pissed he clobbered the omega. In the fuckin’ face too. So Warden refused. He also wouldn’t let Markel see the omega. Claimed he was under his protection until they found a buyer.”

My mind reeled trying to figure out what to do with that information. The warden was a decent dude. He could be a hard ass, but he wasn’t cruel like some of the guards. I didn’t trust him, but there was some relief that he seemed to have Brynn. Except…

“Buyer for what?” Reeve asked, his voice tight.

Reaper raised an eyebrow, unimpressed. “For that pretty little omega y’all seem so fond of.”

I was glad there were bars between us otherwise I probably wouldn’t be able to control what I did to Reaper. But he was only confirming what we already feared.

“But they don’t have a buyer yet?” I didn’t know how Reeve could sound so under control, even if I knew he was unraveling on the inside.

Reaper lifted on shoulder. “Don’t seem like it. My best guess, they’re waiting to see if a pup took before finding someone. Free pup or two and a proven breedable omega? Gotta imagine that raises the price.” We didn’t always get all the news from the outside world, but enough gossip entered these walls for us to understand how big a deal that was. Birth rates were down across the world and more and more omegas were struggling with fertility. It wasn’t enough to just be an omega for these fuckers anymore. They had to prove you could carry children. I wanted to vomit.

There was a lot going on, so it took me an embarrassingly long time to piece all the information together. They thought Brynn could be pregnant. With our pups.

“You think the omega’s pregnant?” Reeve echoed my thoughts.

Which…what the fuck? Pregnant? Did it really happen that quickly?

“I think the warden thinks it’s possible, which is why they didn’t dump the boy already. This place reeked of omega heat for days, and y’all were locked in that rut room with that little omega. I’m going to go out on a limb and figure you didn’t wrap your knot up, and it’s doubtful that skinny little thing could afford birth control…”

He trailed off, looking up at the fluorescent lights. I managed not to bark at him to finish his thoughts, but it was hard thing. But I knew Reaper well enough by now to know he was weighing whether he should tell us the next thing or not. Finally he met Reeve’s eyes, “I also know there’s been rumors goin’ around, that I’d be really fucking careful about.”

“What rumors?”

“Well, this ain’t the first omega we got in heat, but it’s the first you killed for. It’s the first you claimed. We might be the dregs of society, but I don’t think the Goddess discriminates like that. It would be one hell of a coincidence for y’all to find your fated mate in a place like this, wouldn’t it?”

I growled, reaching for him through the bars. Reaper didn’t even flinch. Not that I could get my hand around his throat like I wanted, because Reeve threw me back. I turned on him, but his eyes flashed, and I stopped in my tracks. He wasn’t acting as my twin now but as my alpha. My jaw ached from clenching it, but I tilted my head in submission.

“Stay over there and keep your shit together.” His expression reminded me that we didn’t need to make an enemy of Reaper. I glared at the ground but didn’t move from where Reeve put me. He turned back to Reaper.

“Even if that was true, what does that have to do with the warden and whatever plans they got?”

“That, I don’t know. But somethin’ is going on here. It’s fishy and I don’t like it. But I do like the two of you. I don’t want you to get caught in the middle of it.”

“We appreciate the warning, Reaper. Thanks.”

“Welcome. I know where to come if I ever need a favor.”

He started to turn around but Reeve stopped him. “Wait, Reap, one more thing?”

The older panther shifter turned to us, eyebrow raised. “Yeah?”

“You know where they’re keeping the omega?”

“I don’t. But the warden’s floor did smell extra sweet when I was up there. Like an omega who just ended his heat.”

Reaper turned and walked down the hall, leaving me fucking spiraling.

I didn’t know what to make of that information, but one thing was clear, our omega was still alive and probably still in this building. We just had to find him. Then somehow find a way to get him out safely. Fuck.