Page 14

Chapter Fourteen

Omen

T here’s no way to be sure how many hours pass after they lock us down, but it’s long enough to be annoying.

If I had to bet, I’d take the one that says we’re locked in for the night.

At least we’re all together, even if the room is claustrophobic with five of us trapped in one tiny space.

If nothing else, if we can survive in less than 200 square feet, it proves we can make it once we get out of here.

Only, Saylor is feverish again and miserable. She’s in the might vomit, not interested in getting railed seven ways to Sunday phase of coming off the suppressants.

Leo and Shaw play cards at the table, while Valor swaps between pacing and sitting with a pensive look on his face. He’s doing his best to block any spillover in the bond, but I know from last time, that won’t actually help Saylor relax.

She’s a nosy little thing.

Then again, so am I, meaning calling her out would make me a bloody hypocrite.

I eventually talk her into settling into Valor’s loft with me. They haven’t served the evening meal, but I doubt she’d be interested in it even if they had. She’s missed out on a fair amount of sleep, so stockpiling rest while she can is the next best option to a nutritional meal.

The little omega gets the side closest to the open wall of the loft in case she needs to make a quick escape to the toilet, but I wrap my arm around her lower back to keep her from rolling out.

Her fingers tease over my chest, and she snuggles closer. “I can’t wait to feel better. And to be out of this place. I don’t know how you two handled it for so long.”

“It was quite boring before your arrival,” I assure her, kissing her forehead. “But we’ll be free of the facility soon. Don’t stress. Get some rest. I’ll watch over you.”

She nods. “I know you will.”

Good Lord.

There goes my heart, beating out of control. Her sincerity kills me, but in the best way. I’ve never been this fond of another human being. Well, outside of Valor, and I’ve always understood that he can take care of himself.

Saylor is like a beacon of goodness, and I know from experience, the evil of the world will prey on that innocence if it’s allowed. That means all four of us are going to have to be hypervigilant for whatever comes next. Only, I can’t allow my anxiety and stress to spill through the connection.

Taking in a deep breath of Saylor’s cherry-limeade scent, I focus on staying in the moment.

Whatever will come, will come.

There’s not a goddamn thing I can do to change it.

* * *

The buzzing that comes when the door is about to unlock wakes me out of a dead sleep. They must be delivering the evening meal. It’s the only thing my sleep-addled mind can come up with.

Scratching fills the air as Leo’s and Shaw’s chairs are shoved back. Saylor lies at my side, but her head rests on my chest as she sleeps. Moving will disturb her, but I plant a hand on her back and lean up just a little to make sure the meal exchange goes smoothly.

Valor growls.

Yelling fills the air.

My heart races as the door slams open, only to be filled with guns aiming in every direction.

This is not a normal dinner delivery. Pulling my arm from under Saylor’s head, I roll over her, hit the edge of the loft, and drop down, landing in a crouch.

“Hands in the fucking air,” one of the men growls, advancing into the cell.

Valor freezes, then slowly pulls his hands up. “It’s me you’re after.”

“It’s not,” another guard snaps. “Where is the omega? We need to check her for bites.”

Raising my palms, I stand to my full height and toss a thumb behind me in the direction of the loft. “Sleeping. She’s ill—still suffering the effects of being taken off her suppressants.”

“What do you mean, check her for bites?” Shaw asks, eyeing the guard like he might try his luck.

It’s a confined space, and those aren’t tranq guns. I’m sure he can tell as easily as I can. He really needs to chill the fuck out before this turns into a bloodbath.

“Who did she bond?” a third guard asks from the doorway.

My gaze swivels to Valor.

He gives a nod. “That would be me.”

Using his gun, the guard in front gestures between me and Valor. “The two of you, hands against the top of the bed frame and keep them where I can see them.”

Valor moves slowly until his hands hit the bottom of his loft, and I follow suit.

“What’s happening?” Saylor asks, leaning over the edge of the loft.

“You can keep your bonded alpha and his beta. These two are being brought to another cell block.” The man in the doorway holds out a hand, pointing at Leo and Shaw.

Fucking Christ.

They really should have bitten her when they had the chance.

“What?” Saylor gasps. “No! You can’t take them. They’re my alphas!” She moves to scramble toward the stairs, and I intercept her as she spins around. My arm wraps around her middle, and I pluck her off the stairs as she fights. “Omen! Stop. They need to bite me.”

“Keep her contained,” one of the guards says. “You won’t like the consequences if you don’t.”

“You two, hands together and behind you,” another voice echoes around the cell. “Slowly back toward the door. No sudden movements.”

It’s impossible to tell who is who with the full helmets and tactical gear, but none of the voices sound like McCabe.

“Don’t worry, princess. We’ll see you again soon,” Shaw says.

I can’t see specifics, but the shadows reflecting in the glass lead me to believe he follows their instructions.

“Take care of her,” Leo adds.

“Stop!” the little omega wails.

Her heartache rips through the bond, making my chest tight. It’s so shocking that it sends a tremble through my entire body, echoing in my knees.

“I can’t,” I whisper, locking my arms around her even more firmly.

“If you don’t…” she sobs. “I’ll never forgive you! I’m serious, Omen.”

“At least you’ll be alive to hate me,” I say, hugging her even as she struggles. “We’ll figure this out. We just have to be smart about it.”

“Why are you doing this?” Saylor asks, desperation lining her tone. She twists in my hold, looking around me and at the guards. “I have money. I’ll pay whatever you want. Just don’t punish them—” I finally manage to slap a hand over her mouth, getting there a little too late to stop her from rambling out all our secrets. They obviously know we’re responsible for the Russians, but they don’t need to know anything about Saylor’s financial situation.

“Facility policy recently changed to state one omega for one benefactor ,” a male voice says. “You never should have been allowed back on A block. You’ll be kept locked down until we can release you to your alpha’s benefactor.” There’s some struggling, and I tilt my head to see Shaw being shoved toward the door. “Believe it or not, we’re doing you a kindness. You haven’t seen the carnage that happens when rival benefactors realize their assets now share an omega. If we let them bite you, you’d be in agony within days as the two groups did their best to kill the other. We’ve seen it before. Twice in the last six months alone. Think about it. These guys are American. Your alpha lives in London. How would you choose who to follow?”

Little do they know it wouldn’t be a problem, since Leo and Shaw are here solely to recover Saylor. But it’s not like we can tell them that.

Saylor’s mind races, the chaos spilling into the bond. She goes limp in my hold as her misery floods the connection. She follows a similar thought process to mine, and her regret over not pushing harder for Leo and Shaw to claim her when they had the chance comes next.

“We’ll see you again soon, princess. Don’t worry.” Shaw clears his throat. “Keep her safe.”

“You have my word,” Valor says, keeping his hands on the edge of the loft.

Saylor’s ragged cries fill the air, echoing around the room and proving her turmoil. She doesn’t fight me as I spin her in my hold, pulling her face to my chest.

I was asleep five minutes ago.

This is fucking insanity.

Now we have to find a way to deal with Amato—on our own with no backup. Then get in contact with Leo and Shaw’s boss to let him know what happened. Oh, and get Saylor back to the US without any resources.

Jesus Christ.

Tonight went to shit so fucking fast.

* * *

As soon as the door closes, Saylor pries out of my hold and runs to the wall next to my bed. She’s not blocking anything in the bond, and it’s clear she’s praying Leo and Shaw will be deposited where they started.

It doesn’t happen, and she collapses against the glass, shaking her head and sliding down until she’s sitting.

Valor and I take turns attempting to soothe her, but she’s so despondent that nothing seems to get through the sheen of her heartbreak.

The only thing I can process from the bond is misery, and it’s so heavy that I find it difficult to breathe.

I can’t stand much more of this, when watching her cry rips at a part of myself that I didn’t know even existed anymore.

I got very good at shutting off my own emotions when my mother abandoned me with my father. Her last words to me were, You’re his problem now. Don’t contact me again.

Knowing my own mother never wanted anything to do with me was an excellent wake-up call to what the world is truly like. Even way back then, I simply cut off all those feelings and buried them deep.

Needless to say, I’m excellent at compartmentalizing.

Being overrun by Saylor’s heartbreak is intense, and I can only imagine how heavily Valor is getting hit with her thoughts and feelings, since their connection is probably stronger than ours.

V watches with a helpless look on his face, and it’s clear it’s up to me to get us through this.

“Pick her up. She’s going to make herself sick,” I tell him, striding over and grabbing the blanket from earlier that’s still thrown over the back of the couch.

The pillows and blankets Leo and Shaw used last night are piled up in my loft. Tossing the blanket in, I use the ladder to get myself up onto the mattress. It doesn’t take long to sniff-test which items smell strongly of the two alphas.

By the time I get everything arranged and turn to the room, Valor cradles Saylor in his arms as she shakes. Her face is buried in his chest, and the sounds prove she’s still sobbing.

Knee-walking to the edge, I stretch out my arms, and Valor hands her over, even as she tries to turn back into his grasp.

It doesn’t feel great.

But I also know she doesn’t mean it.

It’s easier for her to be angry with me than it is for her to process the truth. They were going to take Leo and Shaw no matter what, and they certainly wouldn’t have let either of them close enough to bite her.

“I’m coming up,” he says, frowning. “Just let Omen help you get settled.”

Saylor whimpers, burying her face in my shoulder. “I’m still really mad at you.”

“I know.” I nod against the side of her head and turn us toward the inside of the loft. “Luckily, I can take it.”

It requires a little effort to get her in the middle while I lie closest to the wall, but she doesn’t turn away from me.

Fat tears leak from her eyes as her chest rattles with each exhale. “I understand you were trying to keep all of us safe. I’m just…” Her words trail off as I scoot my front flat against hers. “I’m sorry.”

“No need to apologize,” I murmur, kissing her forehead. “I get it.”

The mattress bounces with Valor’s weight as he climbs into the loft, settling behind the inconsolable omega.

“It’s all right. Everything will work out in the end.” He pulls up the blankets, covering the three of us before stretching an arm around her. His hand comes to rest on my back as his eyes meet mine.

He looks as terrified as I feel, but I’m unsure how much of that is spillover from Saylor’s emotions.

Being distracted is a luxury we can’t afford—but I’m struggling. We’ve never had anything this important to protect. Everything seems daunting with Saylor in the mix. Not to mention the havoc her misery is wreaking in the bond.

I do my best to offer her comfort, but I know we have to make a plan and follow those steps without letting emotions come into play.

“Shh,” I murmur. “Everything is going to be fine. You know the number to reach Leo and Shaw’s boss?”

Saylor nods, sniffling. “I know the kidnapping number. It’s monitored all the time for ransom demands.”

“Perfect,” I say, brushing my lips over her temple. She’s still hotter than normal. We’ll have to monitor that, but for now, the goal is to calm her down emotionally. “As soon as we handle Amato, you can make the call. They’ll help us coordinate getting Leo and Shaw out of here.”

“We’re not going to forget about them,” Valor says, and his chest rattles with his purr.

There aren’t many times in life that I’ve wished to be an alpha. Truthfully, it seems like a right pain in the arse. Between needing to bond an omega or risk going feral to having to worry about being lost to the fog any time a compatible omega gets too close… I’m content with my designation.

The one small regret is not being able to soothe Saylor with either my pheromones or by purring.

Bringing my hand to her cheek, I slide my fingers into her hair and tenderly massage her scalp. “Just try to get some rest. You’re still dealing with the effects of the suppressants and a pretty high fever.”

Valor’s eyes meet mine, and I give him a tight smile. Things do look bleak, but I’m not one to give up—not without a fight—and he isn’t either.

We’ll figure this out one step of the plan at a time.