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I glance back and see Valley. She has a concerned look on her face, brows furrowed and a frown pinching her lips. Dark circles surround her bright green eyes, dulled by her worry for her daughter. I purse my lips and shake my head, turning back to the door with a sigh.
“Can I try?” she asks.
I grunt and move back to give her space. She pats my arm as she passes and knocks on the door.
“River?” she calls out to him. “It’s Mama Valley. Will you let me in, please?”
I watch the door with her, waiting with bated breath to see what he’ll do. It’s silent for several beats, and then the telltale sound of movement on the other side makes its way to me. I sigh in relief, the tension draining out of my body as the doorknob rattles as River unlocks the door. He cracks the door open slightly and peers out.
“Oh, sweety,” Valleys sighs, pushing her way in and wrapping him in her arms.
She rubs his back soothingly, and River tightens his hold on her. Valley is much shorter than him, her head just barely reaching his chest, so he has to kind of hunch over to keep her in his hold. He sniffles, lips trembling, eyes glossing over with unshed tears.
“It’s okay, sweet boy. Our Ripley is going to be just fine. I know it. Whoever has her is in for a rude awakening. My girl is stronger than they’re giving her credit for,” Valley coos as she pulls back and clasps River’s cheeks in her hands, looking deep into his glimmering eyes.
“I just feel like I failed her,” River whimpers. “We thought it was safe and let our guard down. Now she’s in this person’s clutches, and we don’t even know who it is.”
The floorboards creak behind me and I look back as Syn walks up, a grim look on her face. Her features are tight, which sets my hackles rising. I don’t like that look.
“Actually, I think we do know who has her,” Syn says softly, an edge to her tone.
River and Valley gasp, both looking at Syn with unbridled hope that this is it. Based on Syn’s face, however, I don’t feel so confident. And I’m worried. My shoulders tense as I wait for the inevitable bad news that’s about to pass through Syn’s lips.
“Who?” River asks, scrambling over to his alpha and clutching her shoulders in his grip.
Syn’s lips thin and River finally notices how tense she is, releasing her and stepping away. His arms fall to his side limply and he gives her a dull look.
“Who has my omega, Syn?” He asks tightly, his throat bobbing as he tries to swallow.
She rubs her forehead, a low, frustrated growl pushing free from her throat.
“Victor. Victor Travis has her,” she says finally, causing River to stumble back.
Everything inside of me locks up. Ice shoots through my veins as dread consumes me. If she’s right, then we should be much more afraid for Ripley than we already were. Victor Travis is a monster, and every omega that encounters him is doomed. How he’s still around, how he keeps getting away with what he’s done, baffles me. We only know about two omegas, but my money is on him having hurt and killed way more than that.
Not him. Anyone but him.
“You’re sure?” River asks.
Syn nods, a rage glittering in those gray eyes of hers. “Almost positive. I just don’t know why.”
Valley has watched and listened this whole time, but I can tell she’s confused. As much as I’d rather not tell her what kind of man has her daughter, this isn’t something we can keep from her. She deserves to know who has Ripley, and how fucking scared we all are for her.
“Who is Victor Travis?” she asks, wringing her hands together.
We all look at her, various stages of anger and grief on our faces. Valley tenses, green eyes flitting between each of us. The longer we take to answer her, the more distressed her lavender scent becomes, anxiety pouring off of her.
“Someone answer me! Who is Victor Travis?” she asks again, voice coming out strangled.
I go to open my mouth to respond, but Damien coming up the stairs interrupts me. He stops at the doorway to the nest, peering in. Even with everything happening now, he knows not to step foot inside of here, in River and Ripley’s space. He wears a dark look as he looks at his omega, lips thin and pressed together. His ebony hair is in disarray, dark circles that match the rest of ours ring his dark eyes.
“A very bad alpha, Angel,” he tells her grimly.
“What do you mean?” There’s a hitch in her breath and her hand comes up to cup her throat as she looks at her mate with fear coursing through her.
Damien sighs tiredly and holds a hand out for her. Valley goes straight to him, letting him wrap her in his arms for comfort.
“Come on, we should go find Shep and Aeon. I’ll tell you guys all about him.”
