AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Enzo throws his hand, looking as if he’s going to rush me. I quickly jog to the driver’s seat and slide in, closing the door and locking it.
My phone chimes.
Little Shit: You can’t just tell me that shit and leave.
I ignore his text message and put the van in reverse, backing up to turn around, going the way I came because it’s shorter than going through the property.
Enzo chases the van for a couple of feet before giving up. He’ll reach out to Wilder next, which is better. Because I still have no idea what the fuck he’s really thinking and planning. But that’s none of my concern right now. I have one job—help these omegas feel safe and comfortable.
I turn on the music to fill the silence, trying my best to give Kinsey some privacy as she murmurs to the omegas, finally getting one of them to talk to her. She’s from another region completely, brought in from over the border.
I frown, imagining just how fucking awful it must’ve been. Shit like that makes me want to stab fuckers in their balls.
How people can be so callous and disgusting is beyond me. I can’t grasp treating an innocent person that way. My violence and anger only flares toward those deserving. Those who don’t deserve such power.
It only takes twenty minutes or so to get to the fortress, and Jude opens the wrought iron gate for me. I bump his fist as I drive past and head straight toward the back entrance. There are alphas from our pack roaming about, and I don’t want to risk them running into us just yet. They need to be debriefed on how they’re going to handle the situation under our rule.
I spot Aunt Melina at the staff entrance, and I slow the van and park close enough to the door that no one outside will be able to see us. She was supposed to ensure members of our pack were put to work and out of the way. We still don’t know exactly who to trust here, considering this was our father’s place.
“I’ve arranged one of the suites in the royal wing. No one has been there in years. I brought in a couple of cots, because I’m sure these precious babies want to stay together for now.” Aunt Melina softens her voice, referring to the omegas as if they are children despite most of them being adults. But that’s like her. Apparently, I could be forty and still be her sweet baby nephew.
I smile and give her a hug. “I appreciate it, Auntie. I know this whole thing is a huge adjustment for you. I’m sorry we’ve had to involve you, but I need help that my brothers can’t provide.”
“Anything for you, Des. I’m so proud of you. Your mom wouldn’t have this any other way. She’d be so impressed by your empathy and kindness. She used to always say that you were meant to lead and not fall in line like the beta you manifested into. She always saw your potential.” Aunt Melina squeezes my shoulder one more time before going to the back of the van and opening it up, greeting the omegas with a welcoming smile.
“Come on, my dears. Let’s get you out of here and cleaned up. I bet you all are hungry, aren’t you? Let me help you get settled. You can call me Auntie. We don’t do formal titles in my household.” Aunt Melina holds her hand out to a tall, slender redhead wearing just a sheath dress. Dirt covers her calves and feet, and by the way she smells, it’s been a while since she’s bathed. But that’s not uncommon for alphas to do to omegas this time of year. They want the potent scent of their pheromones to get off on. Unlucky me has a strong sense of smell, so I get the brunt of it.
Kinsey steps out after her, wiggling her fingers to encourage the other six to join the redhead outside. They squint in the morning sun, and I’m sure it’s been a while since they’ve gotten some fresh air.
My heart hurts for them. It enrages me that the Smithsons treated them so poorly. They don’t deserve omegas. At least Bobby got what he deserved. Hopefully, the rest of his pack will get what’s coming to them as well.
I push the thought away, focusing on the male omega as he straightens his back. It’s been a while since I’ve been around one, and he’s more closed off and scared than the rest of them.
“Here, take my jacket. You look cold.” I shrug out of my suit jacket and hand it to the bare-chested male, allowing him to cover up the fact that he’s only in a pair of thin boxers.
He whispers his thanks, keeping his gaze trained on the ground. I wish there was some way I could assure all of them that I wasn’t lying about them being safe, but only time can do such a thing along with our actions. But this is a start.
“Come along now, babies.” Aunt Melina pats my shoulder. “I’ll see you inside. Let me get them settled first, and then both of you can join me.”
I nod my head and turn to Kinsey, holding my hand out, silently begging her to take it so I can tug her into my arms.
It’s been such a long fucking night that all I want to do is curl up with her in my bed and watch a movie until we both fall asleep.
I catch the subtle fragrance of Enzo in her hair, and I brush it out of the way to see a bite mark on her. He’s going into rut any day now. He might even do so before she goes into heat just to be ready. If that happens, I’ll be doing a whole lot of shit on my own. The more they knot, the quicker things can happen. Their pheromones and hormones trigger each other. When an omega is absolutely comfortable and ready, her body will do everything else.
“How are you holding up? I feel like I haven’t had a moment to catch my breath. I just want to snuggle with you and help you gather whatever you need for the coming weeks. That’s the only thing we should be doing. Besides each other.” I hum in her ear, sucking on her lobe.
She shivers and groans, tightening her arms around me to bury her face in my chest. “That sounds like heaven. I’m just not sure now is a good time if you know what I mean. When I’m in the moment, I want it so badly it hurts. But the second things cool off...I get nervous. And having my uncle around doesn’t help. Whatever happened with him? If he were dead, you guys would’ve told me immediately.”
I frown, not wanting to get into the details. I know how important this is to her and how something simple could send her spiraling. And if she spirals and tries to go to the omegas, they will react.
“We’ll go over our strategy when we get back home with my brothers. It’s a bit more complicated, but you will be satisfied with the results. He won’t be around to bother us much longer. He used these omegas and betrayed the leader of the Smithson Pack to keep his life a bit longer.” I run my fingers through her hair, playing with the soft strands. I’m not ready to ease away from her. I’m afraid if our eyes meet, I might spill my soul instead of treading carefully.
“He’s the one who told you about the omegas?” Kinsey’s curiosity gets the best of her. She’s in as much disbelief as we were when he told us. I don’t really want to get into the details of Rommel’s threat, because if she knew about the black market happening within the Pack Regimes and not just with some of the corrupt fuckers...what am I even saying? They’re all fucking corrupt. Even so, she might panic. She might question everything. And the last thing I need is for her to have doubt for even a second.
I know she wants to know everything, and I do want to be honest, but there are some things that are just best left unsaid. Things that she shouldn’t have to carry or stress over. She already has enough weight on her shoulders. This is why she has us. We can hold the concrete slabs above her without her knowing, stretching our muscles and living with the burning pain of nearly being crushed as long as she’s safe. And when we’re ready, she can move forward and out of the shadow of the burden so we can drop it behind us and never have to worry about such treacherous, unnerving worries again.
“Yes,” I finally confirm. “He told us about the omegas being trafficked. He was saving his own skin, doing everything he could to keep Wilder from pulling the trigger, which he would’ve otherwise.” I brush my lips to her forehead, doing my best to exude calmness. I’ll always be the scent of tranquility and safety for her. She gets enough wild emotions from my brothers already.
