“Even if today didn’t go exactly as planned,” Carnell sneers, “the sniper still did his job. The blight on my son’s pack is dead. Now, I can bring the rest of them to heel.”
The words strike like a physical blow. Nix can’t breathe—wants to scream at the callous tone reveling in his pain.
Luca’s loud gasp pierces Nix’s grief, and he cannot meet his eyes because he knows it’s true. His bond to Jamie was gone and had been since that moment in the truck.
“No,” Luca moans, pressing his bond bite and then at his chest. “I can still feel him…right?”
“Luc—”
“You lied to me? Jay is g–gone, and you didn’t say anything? Oh god, oh god,” Luca cries and turns to run, only to crash into Carnell’s arms.
Nix had lost track of them under the onslaught of Luca’s horrified betrayal.
“Well, well, well. Seems we are just in time,” Carnell grins. “Today is going down as one of my favorite days. Hello, little omega and…Luca.”
Luca is keening loudly now, and his claws are out. He catches Carnell in the face, and their father-in-law is so involved in gloating that he nearly loses an eye.
Nix takes up an attack stance, just waiting for an opening or for Carnell to retaliate. His wolf has had enough of people beating on his mate today, but Luca is swinging madly with his arms and legs, thrashing wildly in Carnell’s hold.
He’s afraid any attack he makes will get his mate caught in the crossfire.
“I hate you! I’m going to kill you! You fucking bastard! I hate you!” Luca sobs, managing another swipe at Carnell’s face before he goes limp.
“You couldn’t have done that sooner?” Carnell sighs.
Withers says nothing, but the smile on his face is sly. “See? Scrappy, but not vicious.” He’d been attempting to prove his point.
Carnell’s head snaps up, and he lets Luca fall to the driveway in an unconscious heap before Nix can grab him. He laughs and points at Nix.
“That’s the omega, you ridiculous idiot.”
Withers’s eyes go wide as his gaze snaps to Nix, and then they narrow with menace. “That’s not very nice, little Novice. You lied to me, and here I thought we could be friends.”
His lips move in what Nix assumes is going to be a magical retaliation, and Nix feels the residual magic in their soul ebb and flow. As it had in the apartment, whatever he’s whispering rubs Nix’s wolf the wrong way.
In a second, Nix has Withers’s throat in his hand, his thumb pressing in. He enjoys the way the magic user’s eyes bug out, even if the scent of fear is putrid with decay.
“Ah-ah-ah.” Carnell’s oily, patronizing tone distracts him. He’s holding the now-awake Luca up by the hair. “I have claws, too. And unlike you, I don’t care what happens to Aleksander.”
His threat belies his words, and Nix will give it thought later about why.
Luca’s eyes are flat, tears running down his cheeks. It’s heartbreaking to see all his sass melted away under his grief.
Nix shoves Withers to the ground and watches him land on his ass. The indignant squeal is petty, but satisfying.
If the hatred on his face were enough to kill him, Nix would be dead already.
Withers gets to his feet, slow and shaky. He leans in, breath sour.
“I have a long memory, omega.”
“We’re done here. Get in the car.”
Carnell gives Luca a hard push, enough to make him stumble into Nix. But the beta straightens quickly, wrapping his arms around himself and avoiding Nix’s attempts to catch his eye.
Withers opens the back door, and Carnell bundles them inside. Neither Withers nor Carnell wastes time checking on their henchman, so the driver just does a mundane three-point turn before pulling out into a busy street.
There are two bench back seats, one facing the other. Nix pulls Luca to him on the rear-facing one so they can cuddle together. He’s so grateful when Luca finally comes to him, even though his burnt coffee scent makes Nix’s nose burn.
