Page 5

Chapter Five

Saylor

M y heart hammers, but so does Valor’s. It pounds against my cheek as I sit in his lap. He grabbed the blanket McCabe left and covered me up with it when he realized I was cold. He’s an excellent heater, especially with the blanket to trap it all in.

We’re snuggled together on the cot in the same cell.

I only wish it felt like he was really here with me.

Omen was right when he said Valor would pop back to consciousness and immediately assume the worst. No matter how hard I try to shore him up in the bond, I’m not sure it’s helping.

Being bonded is amazing.

I have no regrets.

The connection is unmatched, but it’s also complicated. It’s not like it comes with an instruction manual, and it’s going to take some time to figure out exactly how to use it.

I’ve always been alone in my own mind, and now I can feel not only Valor but Omen too. It’s a little overwhelming. I do think that will lessen over time, though.

“Christ, little one. I don’t understand how you can stand to be so close to me.” Valor’s huge hand teases down my spine, and he hisses. “I think it’s time we address the scratches on your back and the bruises on your hip.”

Using my knees as leverage, I push up enough to glare at him as my hand migrates to his nipple, giving him a pinch. “Okay, now we’re even.” I pat his pec and lean up to kiss his cheek. “The wall left the scratches, and the bruises are kinda sexy. I’m not upset over a few minor sex-related injuries?—”

“Those aren’t from sex. I was rabid, Saylor. I don’t remember anything about when you first came into the cell.” He sighs, glancing away. “I could have killed you, and I would never have known…”

“You could have, but you didn’t. You didn’t even try.” My fingers land in his facial hair, turning his head until he has no choice but to look at me. “You were rougher that first time after our shower when the fog got both of us, and you fucked me against the glass wall to the cell next door. Please, focus on the bond. I’m not upset. Honestly, you were kinda tame compared to what I expected.”

“You’re sugarcoating it.” Valor’s dark eyes search mine, but it’s the radiating warmth and his scent hitting the bond that tells me he’s examining my emotions.

“I’m not,” I tell him truthfully.

I was more afraid that first day with Vlad and Sergei than I was at any time tonight. Or today . I really have no idea what time it is. I was asleep when McCabe woke me up, so, to my internal clock, it feels like the middle of the night or very early morning.

Omen’s scent hits the bond, and he’s clearly poking around my mind. As much as I wish I could communicate with him in full sentences, it doesn’t work like that. Or if it does, I haven’t figured out how to use the link in that way. I do my best to send him my contentment and to assure him that Valor and I are safe.

When I first felt him, the underlying emotion he sent through the connection was pure relief, but the longer we’re kept in here, the more anxious he grows.

I bet Leo and Shaw are giving him a hard time, wanting to know every single detail of what’s happening, but the bond doesn’t work that way. Mostly, I know Omen is concerned but happy.

Valor, the loveable, stubborn-as-hell alpha, is busy letting the guilt eat him alive. He tucks the blanket around my shoulders once more. It must have fallen down when I sat up on my knees to study his face.

“I trusted you, and I didn’t make the wrong call. Do you always worry so much?” I ask, running my thumbs over the bare skin above where his facial hair ends. “You have nothing to feel guilty about. Furthermore, I have a few important things to tell you…” Bringing my mouth very close to his ear, I go on in barely more than a whisper. Conrad and Valor seem to be friends, but I don’t fully trust anyone in this place. Not outside of my guys. “McCabe, the guard, did get a message out. The security company sent two of the guys from my old team…” It takes a while, but I fill him in on everything that’s happened while he’s been locked in here.

“And Shaw is the alpha you still faintly smell of?”

“Yes.” I nod against his cheek. “I got sick again, and my fever was even worse than last time. I don’t want to hurt you. I wish I would have had the opportunity to tell you about them before we bonded?—”

“No, don’t do that,” he says, palming the back of my head. “I’m sorry I wasn’t there when you needed me.”

“We’re together now, and you’re safe.” I nuzzle my cheek to his. “You and Omen are important to me. They are too. Before the facility, I hadn’t seen them in years, but there was a time when they were the only people I could count on.” I grimace and purposely avoid getting into how hurt I was when they disappeared.

None of that seems to matter anymore.

Not after almost losing Valor.

If it had been one of them in his place, I would have done the same thing and come for them too.

“We’re bonded. Me, you, and Omen are going to get out of here and build a life together.” I pull back just enough that I can study his face as I go on. “I hope we can find a way for all four of you to get along. They got themselves locked up in here because of me…”

I frown at the way his jaw clenches.

I wish I could read his emotions in the bond, but I’m pretty sure he’s blocking me.

It really is unfair that he and Omen have more practice with a bond than I do. Even then, I’ve heard omegas have a harder time than alphas with blocking thoughts and emotions from crossing over. It’s likely because the omega is the conduit to which all the bonds flow through. Well, except Omen, since he’s linked through Valor, but if I bond with other alphas, Valor and Omen should be able to connect to them through me without them needing to bite each other.

My stoic alpha grunts, pulling me closer.

I sigh and try one more time to settle his nerves. “I’m with you and Omen, no matter what. Whatever comes next, we’re bonded for life. I just think it’ll be best if the four of you sit down and discuss things once we make it back?—”

The exterior door to the room the cells are housed in slams open.

“Ya know, I didn’t think you could stoop any lower,” Conrad calls out. “Congratulations on proving me wrong. You win the award for being the most shite human being I’ve ever come across.”

My face heats as I remember he’s been over there the entire time. He might not be able to see everything, but he had a front-row view to hear my bonding with Valor.

The alpha in question growls low, and I twist to look over my shoulder.

“I long ago stopped concerning myself with the opinions of others—especially known criminals.” McCabe comes closer with a phone in his hand. “Are you bonded? I need a picture of the claiming bite as proof.”

I’m still naked, but the blanket covers the important parts. Pulling my arm free of the fabric, I extend my wrist.

Valor fights with the blanket, holding it in place. “We need fresh clothes.”

McCabe snaps a picture of my bondmark, but he ignores Valor, bringing the phone to his ear. “It should come through at any moment.” There’s a pause, and he chuckles an eerie sound. “Yes, sir. I told you I would handle it. Let Amato know his second-in-command should be good to go in five to seven days.”

“You son of a bitch.” Valor goes stiff under me while Conrad spits his own slew of curses at McCabe.

The guard doesn’t seem bothered in the least. “I’ll be returning them to the block with the beta, but from experience, we know it takes a minimum of five days for the bond to begin reversing the decay. Pushing for his release any sooner is not recommended; remind him he placed his asset here because we’re the best.”

A shiver runs down my spine.

Why does it feel like we just got played?

* * *

McCabe throws several sets of clothing and one of the facility masks through the cell bars.

My head tilts as he leaves a pair of open handcuffs hanging on the bars.

“Have them locked behind your back before I return,” the guard growls, looking directly at Valor. “Get her to help you with them. If you try anything, she’s the one who will pay the price.”

Valor gives a clipped nod, but all I can focus on is how much I’d love to kick that guy in the balls. At first, I thought he wasn’t so bad, but everyone here has an agenda.

McCabe’s words remind me of the warning Omen gave about how Amato would try to use me in the same way. He told me their boss would leverage my safety to keep Omen and Valor in line.

My bonded alpha works his hand up and down my spine over the blanket. His electric scent is everywhere, but even that can’t soothe my frazzled system.

McCabe goes over and takes Conrad from his cell. They argue and bitch at one another, but Conrad doesn’t fight as McCabe leads him out the door.

Once they’re gone, Valor holds up the blanket while I get dressed. He’s much less concerned with his own nudity being on display. I finish getting myself into the outfit that reminds me a little too much of what they put me in on my first day here, while Valor jumps into the terrible orange pants and moves to lace himself back into his boots.

I frown.

I’m pretty sure he had those on when I came into the cell, but I have no idea when he removed them. Although, it’s kind of humorous to imagine him stomping around the cell in only his socks and boots.

His emotions are a wreck in the bond, and I want to help him feel better; I just don’t know how.

I hope that making a game plan with Omen, Leo, and Shaw will help him relax.

There’s also some delusional hope that he’ll see how convenient it is to have two capable, military-trained guys to back him and Omen up.

I can still remember how little he liked me being covered in an unfamiliar alpha’s scent, but at least now he understands that they’re allies. Although, alphas are notoriously bad at sharing with anyone they don’t view as pack.

Dammit.

Now I’ve made myself anxious.

* * *

McCabe guides us up the stairs and hopefully back toward the other guys. He keeps a firm grip on Valor’s shoulder and another on his cuffs. Seeing the guard jerk him around makes me ache to punch him in the throat.

We’re barely halfway down one of the hallways, that seems vaguely familiar from our walk downstairs, when McCabe uses his key card to open a door and shoves Valor inside.

I follow because what else am I going to do?

We end up in a small maintenance closet, and I close the door behind me.

“Chill the fuck out,” the guard growls, shoving Valor against the wall.

“Wait until I get my hands on you without the cuffs,” Valor snarls back. “I will snap your fucking neck.”

“It’s almost like you’re too stubborn to recognize an ally. Shut up and listen, for once. I have information to pass on, and we won’t get another chance to speak privately.” McCabe sighs, shaking his head at Valor before turning to me. “The two of you were a test case. The organization I work for doesn’t give a good goddamn that facilities like this exist. They operate all over the planet, and as long as they’re not mass kidnapping omegas, no government is going to waste resources to put assets in place to stop them.”

“What do you mean, we were a test case?” Valor asks, nodding for me.

I skirt around McCabe, come to a stop at Valor’s side, and wrap my arm around his lower back as I lean against his chest.

“I believe I was just getting to that,” McCabe says drolly. “Agency assets picked up chatter a little over six months ago of a doctor out of Poland?—”

I gasp as my mind instantly goes to Elyse. The woman who came in the same day I did mentioned her sister is sick. She said she only came into the facility to afford an experimental treatment with a doctor in Poland.

McCabe’s eyebrows rise, but he doesn’t acknowledge my outburst. “We heard multiple reports that she identified a pheromone-based test that could identify scent matches with close to ninety percent accuracy.”

“Don’t they already have those?” I ask.

“Blood tests? Yes, but they’re also highly inaccurate—something like sixty-five percent. Barely better than flipping a coin when it truly comes down to it—because while it can indicate compatibility, we also have a little something called free will. Scent cards are slightly more reliable at predicting matches, but those require both parties to be present to smell the pheromone cards, then verbally relay that it’s a match. Swabs that only need to be grazed over the skin of both individuals?” McCabe laughs mirthlessly. “There’s nothing like it in existence. Not until now. Did you even realize they swabbed you during your trip through the Christmas market?”

My stomach drops as my head shakes.

No, I had no idea.

The only time I even sensed something was off was when I spotted the men standing around, but they weren’t looking at me.

“Exactly,” he says. “It’s non-invasive. The facility has been paying out contracts to bring in willing omegas under the hope they’ll produce a match when in a confined space. Now that they know the doctor’s test is accurate…”

Valor curses under his breath. “They’ll be able to better guarantee results to the benefactors. Well, as long as they can find some poor omega who produces a response on the stick.”

“It’s similar to a strip you dip in urine to check for drugs or into a pool to see the level of chlorine.” McCabe swipes a hand over his face. “It even shows different levels of how strong the compatibility is likely to be. I didn’t see it, but your test strip turned bright purple. The darkest they had seen prior to that was blue.” He pauses and focuses on me. “Remember the room I pulled you out of when you first arrived?”

“The one where I was handcuffed to the desk?” I ask. “The one with the guy with the scar?”

“Yes,” McCabe says. “That’s not a normal part of the intake process. Not for the omegas. That room is normally used to impart the rules to incoming alpha inmates. They brought you in because they wanted you to sniff through the pheromone cards. All the samples they offered were considered a high enough percentage to be a scent match, but they wanted to see what would happen if you were presented with options and if you would gravitate toward Valor. It was nothing more than a setup. They were always going to put you in A block to see if the two of you found your way together.”

“God,” I whisper, tightening my hand on Valor’s lower back to keep myself upright. My massive alpha bends, nuzzling his temple to the top of my head, but he pulls back when the mask catches in my hair.

“It gets a hell of a lot darker than accurately predicting matches,” McCabe says, his tone lined in disgust.

“Of course, it does.” Valor grunts. “How about you tell us what you’re going to do to help us get out of here?”

“I don’t owe you anything.” McCabe scoffs. “I have my own bloody directives, and none of them revolve around the lot of you. Not in the least.”

“But you helped me,” I say, tilting my head. “And I appreciate it more than I can explain.”

“You remind me of…” The guard takes a step back, shaking his head. “Someone I owed a favor to. She’s dead, but helping you is what she would have wanted. That favor has since been repaid.” He pulls a hand up to rub his temple. “Hell, maybe I’m getting soft in my old age. I’m good at my job. I know better than to engage.”

“But you still did.” My chest gets tight from studying the pain written all over his face. “She must have been important to you.”

He nods. “The others I’d dealt with up until you were here of their own volition. They may have needed the money, but they signed willingly. My time here is coming to an end.” His gaze moves to Valor. “You can’t keep counting on me to dig you out of the trenches.”

“By the sounds of it,” Valor growls, taking a step forward, “you haven’t done a goddamn thing that wasn’t to your immediate benefit. You might have called Saylor’s family, but I’m sure you got a nice commission off the guys now locked up in here.” My hand tightens on his hip in an attempt to hold him back from getting any closer to McCabe. He’s handcuffed and masked, meaning he’s at a huge disadvantage. “You made sure we overheard that conversation with your boss. What kind of bonus did you get from Amato? You know what he’ll do to Saylor if he gets his hands on her!”

His terror floods the bond. As much as I hate feeling his fear, it helps me better understand where his outward anger is coming from. He’s deathly afraid of what happens if I come face-to-face with his boss.

“I’ve done my part.” McCabe rolls his shoulders back. “You’re aware your benefactor will be coming to collect you. I even pushed to have you held for the standard five to seven days after bonding. You weren’t put to sleep like a rabid dog. I guess expecting a thank you was too much. Come along. It’s time you return to your cell on the floor.”

God.

He really is a confusing man.

I’m right back to wanting to punch him in the throat all over again.