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Tiredness caught up with me as the warm water beckoned me to relax, easing the soreness in my muscles. Tension bled out of my shoulders and limbs.
My head lulled against the tub, and before I knew it, I drifted off. At some point, someone lifted me from the tub, dried me with a fluffy towel, and settled me in bed. I barely opened my eyes, snuggling into the soft blankets with the scents of my mates surrounding me. For the first time in weeks, I slept soundly.
nine
KNOX
I couldn’t stop lookingat her. She was here. She was really fucking here.
“You okay, over there?” Eli asked softly, keeping his tone to a low tenor so as not to wake our sweet mate.
“Yeah.” My voice was rough, gritty, and raw, baring just how shaken I’d been these last two weeks. “It’s hard to believe she’s fucking real.”
Eli nodded, his gaze dropping to Demi. She looked so damn peaceful, an angel here on earth. Her rosy lips were slightly parted as she breathed, her hair spread out around her like a halo. The desire to kiss each of the freckles dusting her nose rode me, but I didn’t dare wake her. My baby had been so exhausted, she’d passed out during her bath. I’d scooped her up, uncaring of the water that’d soaked my shirt. With the guys’ help, we’d gotten her dried off and tucked into bed. She’d been so tired she hardly roused, settling right back into a deep sleep the second her head hit the pillow.
We’d barely left the room since, only slipping out for essentials, like food or bathroom breaks, and always in shifts. None of us could stand the idea of leaving her alone. It would be a long time until we gave her space to so much as change without company.
Waking up after the accident and finding her missing had been the worst moment of my entire life. The agony and sheer panic still echoed in my chest. It’d follow me forever like a ghost with a vendetta.
I’d been in love with her before she’d been taken, but it was only after she was gone that I realized she wasn’t just the woman I loved—she was my whole fucking heart. I couldn’t breathe without her. Didn’t want to live in a world where she wasn’t with me and my pack. Not knowing where she was, if she was safe, or what those assholes might put her through had nearly killed me. I’d barely slept or eaten, spending every spare second putting all the resources at my fingertips to work, trying to find her.
It had taken us three days to figure out Anton brought her back to Silver City. Though we’d all suspected he’d return to his turf like the little bitch he was, we hadn’t had concrete proof until we got our hands on his personal flight manifest and the security footage from the private airstrip. And yet, despite our best efforts, we were unable to track down where he’d hidden her.
I shoved a hand through my hair, tugging at the longer strands, enjoying the small bite of pain. I deserved so much more of it, because—fuck—I still didn’t know where he’d kept her, and itkilledme. She had been held captive, waiting for me to come to the rescue, and I hadn’t been able to locate her.
Fourteen days we’d been apart, and I had no clue what those assholes had done to her—what kind of abuse she’d suffered at their hands. She’d told us they hadn’t raped her—thank the gods—but abuse came in many forms. All kinds of terrifying ideas played through my mind. I couldn’t fucking stomach it.
Ultimately, I’d failed her, and that was something I’d always have to live with.
It wasn’t until Jamison got wind of a black market Omega auction that we started putting the pieces together. There were rumors that Anton was the host of the events—and like dogs chasing a bone, we hunted for any additional information.
After sleepless nights and consuming too many energy drinks, we finally found a pack who had been invited, yet held zero loyalty to Pack Silver. Anton was a slimy bastard who had burned some bridges in his rise to power. Not everyone kissed his ass the way he thought they did, and that’d worked to our advantage.
Armed with fresh intel, we connected Demi’s father to the auctions, and the specifics of his arrangement with Anton surfaced. It felt like a bomb had dropped on us when we realized they’d been working together for the past year.
Held quarterly and never hosted at the same venue twice, the last three auctions had taken place at a property either owned or represented by Roger Fenway. It became clear that Pack Silver had struck a deal with the businessman, and in return, they paved the way for his revitalization of the waterfront, an endeavor that made millions of dollars.
They all deserved to rot in prison for the rest of their days for what they’d done.
“You should get something to eat,” Eli sighed, attention scrutinizing me in that ‘doctor’s way’ of his. He could just look at a person and know what they needed. “Don’t think I haven’t noticed you’ve been sustaining yourself on Red Bull and the occasional sandwich, which you only ate when it was shoved under your nose. She’s home and she’s safe. I’ll keep an eye on her while you’re gone.”
My stomach chose that moment to growl, but I still didn’t move.
“You’re no good to her stressed out, hangry, and tired,” he reminded me.
I blew out a breath and accented. Because,dammit, he was right.
Hades and Leo were sleeping on either side of Demi, finally able to rest now that she was safe. They lay just behind Eli and me, who’d been the lucky bastards that’d claimed the spots directly next to her. Knowing there were three of my packmates with her in case she needed us was the only reason I forced myself out of bed. I stood at the end, staring at Demi’s small form. My heart squeezed.
Godsdamn, when did I become this Alpha?My whole world was wrapped up in that one sweet, sexy, sleeping little Omega. It was shocking how much life had changed since she walked into it. It was scary as fuck having my heart live outside of my body—proven by what we’d recently been through—but I wouldn’t go back. I’d been living my life on empty without even realizing it, and now that I had Demi, I hadeverything.
There weren’t any other words to describe how I felt.
I was so completely gone for my ray of sunshine.
Before her, my world had been cloaked in darkness, and now—now I couldsee.
I forwent grabbing a shirt as I left the room and padded down the stairs, hungry and ready to eat. The sooner I grabbed food, the sooner I could get back. Didn’t matter if Demi slept the day away. I’d happily watch over her while she dreamed.
