Page 89 of Storm

I turn my head to look at him, surprised by his perspective. "You really think that? Even after everything that happened?" The fathers, the rebellion I accidentally evoked.

He meets my gaze steadily. "I think that sometimes the wrong choices take us to the right places." A small smile curves his lips. "Or the right people."

Chapter25

Reed

The kitchen feels too small, too confining. I pace across the hardwood floors, the tension in my body making every muscle taut. Alexander and Fox had taken Storm and Frankie out into the woods, and the thought of the beta's hands on her makes something dark and primal rear up inside me.

I shouldn't care. I shouldn't give a damn who she touches or who touches her. Storm isn't mine—she's not even really part of our pack, not by choice anyway. She’s a complication, a problem to be solved, not someone I should be thinking about constantly.

But I do. I think about her all the time.

The scent-marking this morning was a mistake. I shouldn't have done it. It was impulsive and possessive and exactly the kind of behavior I pride myself on controlling. Yet when I saw her with the beta, saw their easy intimacy, something in me snapped.

The worst part is that she smelled right with my scent on her. Like the salty ocean meeting dark chocolate, creating something both volatile and perfect. The memory of her soft skin, the way her pulse jumped when I traced her throat, the small sound she made.

I cut the thought off abruptly, forcing myself to focus. Rook is still in the house. He's upstairs, and Storm will be back soon. And there are things that need to be said.

I head upstairs, taking the steps two at a time. The guest room door is slightly ajar, and I can hear movement inside. I push it open without knocking.

Rook stands by the window. He's looking out at the forest, probably searching for Storm, and the thought makes something ugly twist in my gut.

"We need to talk," I say, my voice gruffer than intended.

He turns slowly, unsurprised by my presence. His dark eyes assess me calmly, measuring the threat. He doesn't look intimidated, which irritates me further. He should be. I'm an elite alpha, after all. But then, Rook Holloway isn't exactly known for backing down from a fight.

"About what?" he asks, crossing his arms over his chest.

"About Storm," I reply, stepping further into the room. "About what happens next."

A flash of something crosses his face. "What about her?"

I clench my jaw, fighting the growl that threatens to escape. "She's part of our pack now, whether she likes it or not." The words come out harsher than I intend. "Legally, officially, she belongs to Pack Kingsley."

Rook's expression darkens. "Storm doesn't belong to anyone."

"Wrong answer." I move closer. "She pulled our name at the Choosing Day ceremony. Under law, that makes her our omega. Makes her part of our pack."

"She pulled your name as a distraction," Rook counters, not backing down an inch. "She was trying to escape."

"Doesn't matter why she did it. What matters is that she did." I pace away from him, too agitated to stand still. "The entire city saw it happen. It's done."

Rook watches me silently for a moment, his expression unreadable. "You want me to leave her," he says finally. It's not a question.

The suggestion makes my alpha instincts roar with approval, but I tamp them down. "I want to know what your intentions are," I say instead. "What you plan to do next."

"My intentions?" His laugh is short, bitter. "I've had the same intention for four years. To find Storm and get her out of that hell they put her in. To help her escape a system that treats omegas like property." His eyes narrow. "A system you're part of."

The accusation stings more than it should. "I didn't make the system," I growl.

"No, but you profit from it. All you elites do." There's no mistaking the contempt in his voice. "Must be nice, having the world handed to you because you were born with the right bloodline."

I bark out a harsh laugh. "You think my life is easy because I'm an elite? You don't know a damn thing about me, Holloway."

"I know enough." His eyes are hard, challenging. "I know you're part of the system that took Storm away from me. The system that locked her in that Omega House for four years. Then raffled her off like she was a prize."

My patience snaps. I move forward, invading his space, letting my scent fill the air between us, a warning. "You want to talk about systems? Fine. Let's talk about how that same system would have given me the right to kill you this morning."