"So, you went to the Whitfields." Gray didn't bother to hide his disgust.
"They weren't my first choice," Roman admitted. "But no one else would take the job. Besides, I don't know why I should have to fucking explain myself when you're the ones who stepped right up for the Whitfields' traveling bullshit circus."
All around the room, alphas ducked their heads and toed the ground in shame. Roman understood only too well: no alpha liked being taken in by a beta, especially not ones as worthless as the Whitfields.
"What I don't get," a skeptical voice interjected, "is why they're out for your blood."
The speaker was the bold pup, Ryder. Maybe the uplander pack leader was right. The pup wasn't so dumb after all. He was the only one who'd asked the question that got right to the heart of the matter.
"It's got nothing to do with money," Roman said through gritted teeth. He didn't like talking about his personal business, but he saw no other choice. "It's all about Ed Whitfield's daughter. Turns out, she's an omega. My omega. But Ed wants her back. Ain't that right, you son of a bitch?"
Roman cast a glance at the bar where Ed and Holden Whitfield had been standing just moments before.
But they weren't there.
Roman cursed, already on the move. He'd dropped his guard for one goddamn moment to deal with the crowd of angry alphas—and the cowardly bastards had escaped.
He elbowed his way toward the door, searching the crowd for Phoebe—and not seeing her. Alarm bells drowned out every other sound in his head. He could waste time searching every corner of the room, but his gut already told him she wasn't here. Inhaling deeply, he detected only the faintest trace of her scent lingering in the air.
Shit.
Roman's heart was hammering in his chest by the time he reached the door and yanked it open. No one tried to stop him. The smartest alphas present had surely already reached the same conclusion he had—and the rest would realize it soon enough.
He raced out onto the patio and scanned the parking lot. Just as he'd feared, the Whitfields' truck was gone…and so was Phoebe.
"Let me go!"
Phoebe screamed the demand as loud as she could, but it came out sounding like "Mmtt mrf mo." The harder she fought to free herself from her brother's grip and his hand covering her mouth, the tighter he held her. Holden had six inches and eighty pounds on her—and that was before he'd started lifting weights for two hours every day. Phoebe was no match for him.
"Shhh, quiet, Phoebe," Holden whispered against her ear. "You know these freakin' alphas can hear everything."
Oh, for fuck's sake.
Phoebe made one last attempt, twisting her body as hard as she could in the passenger seat she was sharing against her will, but it was as hopeless as trying to talk sense to her brother. If Holden honestly thought that Roman would be able to catch the sound of his voice but not the distinctive roar and rattle of their old truck's engine, he was even dimmer than she'd thought.
She went limp in his arms, taking a moment to collect herself. She didn't want to do this…but he'd left her no choice. If she didn't do something drastic, things would go from bad to a hell of a lot worse.
Phoebe opened her mouth and bit down as hard as she could, sinking her teeth into the meat of his palm. Holden howled like a dog and yanked his hand back.
"Dammit, Phoebe," he yelped, cradling the injured hand against his chest, "why the hell did you do that?"
Why the hell did he think?
Phoebe didn't have time to explain it to him. "Take me back there!"
Her father took his eyes off the road just long enough to shoot her a disappointed look, but he didn't stop the truck. He didn't even slow down.
"Come on now, Phoebe girl." Ed kept his voice as low as Holden's. "We should have never left you behind in the first place, and I'm sorry about that. But now that you've been returned to us, we won't ever let you out of our sights again."
Returned? Her dad made it sound as though a brace of angels had come down from heaven and handed her over, when the truth was that she'd been kidnapped from a parking lot like a kid on a milk carton.
"Dad, please, listen to me," Phoebe pleaded, even though she felt like screaming. "You must realize that Roman is right behind you. There's no way he'd let anyone take his omega without a fight. And I don't even want to think about what he might do to you when he catches you."
Her father shook his head, his face contorting into a grimace at the word 'omega.'
"Your head ain't right at the moment, Phoebe, and it's that son-of-a-gun's fault. But you don't have to be afraid of that damn alpha anymore. We're coming up on the border quick—we'll be long gone before he can catch up to us."
The thought of leaving the Boundarylands caused a bolt of pain to grip Phoebe, doubling her over. This must be what happened when omegas were separated from their alphas. She wondered if Roman was feeling it too, along with the tide of dread and panic rising in her veins.
"I c-cant—"
She tried to speak, but the pain was too great. She had to explain it to them—she couldn't leave her home. She sure as hell couldn't leave her alpha. Every inch of the road that took her further from Roman increased the ache, the terrible sense of emptiness. God knew she wouldn't be able to endure it for long.
Phoebe felt as though she was being shredded from the inside out, torn into pieces, and scattered into the emptiness that was life without her alpha. From deep within her, the spirit that had carried her through so much—childhood poverty, her mother's death, the demands of running a household, and working—sputtered and almost went out.
No. NO. Phoebe would not let this happen. Would not let anything take her away from her mate.
The flame flared inside her, and she reached out to grab her father's arm, startling him with her strength. She would make him listen. She would make him understand.
"I'm not scared of Roman, Dad. He isn't my captor, at least not anymore. He's my alpha."
"Don't listen to her, Dad," Holden said as if she were a toddler wailing for a cookie. "She doesn't know what she's talking about. She's got that Stockholder Syndrome."
Phoebe whirled on him furiously, knocking him into the passenger window. "It's Stockholm Syndrome," she said. "And I definitely don't have it."
"I'm not so sure, Phoebe girl," her dad said uncertainly. "How would you know if you did? It's not like a brainwashed person knows they're brainwashed."
Phoebe tried not to roll her eyes. She knew her family meant well—and that's what made this so hard: Holden and her dad were only doing what they thought was right.
When they'd left her behind on Roman's land all those weeks ago, she'd been a different person—a naive beta girl with little life experience and nothing but vague dreams to keep her going.
But things had changed since then. She had changed.
She was an omega now, with a mate, a home, a life of her own. And sure, this new life didn't look anything like what she'd once dreamed, but it was so much more fulfilling and beautiful than anything she could have ever imagined.
And it was only just beginning. Deep down, Phoebe was certain that things were only going to continue to get better and better. The connection she shared with Roman would be strengthened. They would be a real family, complete with children and all the joy and love that came with them.
But none of that would happen if she didn't convince her brother and father that they were making a huge mistake right now.
"I'm not some brainwashed hostage," she said more forcefully. "Just like I'm not your little girl anymore, Dad. I know this is hard to accept, but being with Roman is what I want."
"You don't mean that, Phoebe," Holden said stubbornly.
Phoebe shook her head in disbelief. How had she put up with this?
After looking after the men of her family for so long, she was finally ready to do what she wanted, what she knew in her heart was right for her. Not what was expected of her. Not what others wanted her to be.
A
nd by God, they were going to hear her this time.
"Dad, listen to me." Not a plea, but an order. Phoebe put every ounce of power she'd learned from Roman into her voice…and it worked. Her father took his foot off the accelerator and looked at her nervously. "I'm not like you and Holden. I never have been."
"That's true." Her dad nodded a little sadly. "You've always been your mother's child."
Some of the tension drained out of Phoebe's shoulders. She was finally getting through to him…she could feel it.
"And just like her, I know what I want, Dad," she continued. "You know how much Mom's family hated that she chose to marry you."
A roguish smile lifted her dad's lips at the memory. "They never understood what your mom saw in me."
"Exactly," Phoebe said. "And you don't have to understand what I see in Roman. I'm not even asking you to like him—but you do have to accept my choice. I'm a grown woman now, and this is the life I'm choosing to live."
Her father slowly brought his foot down on the brake pedal, and the truck coasted to a stop along the shoulder.
"What the hell are you doing, Dad?" Holden demanded, leaning across Phoebe just as he had when they were kids.
"What I should have done years ago," her father said. "Letting your sister choose her own way."
"And leave her shackled to some brute alpha?" Holden seemed horrified. "I don't think that's a good idea."
"Neither do I, son," Ed said, but he gently cupped Phoebe's cheek with his worn, callused hand. "But your sister does, and since she's always been the only one of us with any brains, I think we should listen to her."
Phoebe closed her eyes and leaned into the warmth of her father's touch. Knowing that she probably wouldn't feel it again for a very long time, she tried to commit every bit of this moment to memory.
"Thank you, Dad," she whispered when he finally cleared his throat and pulled away.
"Of course, Phoebe girl," he said hoarsely. "You have to know that I always just wanted you to be happy. Sometimes I went about it all wrong, but it was still all I ever wanted."
"I know," she said, her eyes welling with tears.
Her father took a deep breath before clearing his throat. "Let her out, son."
Holden huffed for a second before finally complying with their father's orders, but all the fight had drained out of him when he stepped down on to the pavement and offered his hand to help her down.
Before he could climb back inside, Phoebe threw her arms around her brother and hugged him tight. He'd always tried to wriggle out of her embraces in the past, but today he squeezed her back twice as hard.
"What in the world are we going to do without you, sis?" he asked mournfully.
"You'll grow up," she said, smiling through her tears. "You both will."
Chapter Eighteen
For the first time in Roman Fontana's life, he was afraid.
Truly, deeply afraid—the kind of fear he had never known existed. The kind that took over every thought in his head and turned his insides to a roiling sea, his heart a hammering motor.
If this was what betas felt, then he actually felt some sympathy for the bastards.
But no beta had ever faced the situation Roman was in. No beta would ever experience the terror of knowing their omega was in danger and that they might never see her again. No beta ever had to accept the terrible knowledge that without their mate, survival would be impossible.
Roman would never admit it, but he was grateful for the presence of his alpha brother. Gray hadn't hesitated to offer to go after the Whitfields. In fact, there was no shortage of alphas willing to take up the chase—both up- and lowlander alike—but this situation didn't require a posse, only one vehicle fast enough to overtake the Whitfield's old truck.
Gray's truck more than fit the bill, a big vintage Dodge with a completely rebuilt engine, suspension lift, and huge tires. The alpha seemed completely comfortable behind the wheel, expertly navigating the road that twisted through the hilly, forested terrain. Which was a good thing, because Roman's hands were shaking too hard to be steady on a steering wheel.
Never before had he had something to lose, someone who meant more to him than any piece of property or acre of land ever could. He'd give up everything—his belongings, land, the fortune in the bank—just to hold Phoebe in his arms again.
"It's all right, brother," Gray said without taking his eyes off the road, his voice calm and in charge. "She's all right."
Roman nodded, but it wasn't until his next breath brought Phoebe's scent—close enough now for him to detect the steady, calm beat of her heart, the surprising peacefulness in her scent—that he actually believed it.
Phoebe was all right—and what's more, she was just beyond the next curve in the road. Roman could sense her presence, every part of her, and his heart rose up in his throat as he was bombarded with too many emotions to name.
Gray took this final turn at an almost reasonable speed and pulled over to the shoulder. But Roman had already spotted his omega standing by the side of the road. He didn't wait for the truck to come to a stop, throwing open the door and leaping down to the pavement.
Gray shouted something, but Roman ignored him as his boots skidded on loose gravel. He managed to regain his footing and rushed to Phoebe, swooping her up in his arms.
He was rewarded with a peal of laughter that was like angel song in his ears. Phoebe put her arms around his neck and held him tightly.
"Are you hurt?" Roman demanded as he put her gently down and examined her for injuries. There were none, not so much as a scratch.
"Of course not," Phoebe said. "Holden and Dad would never hurt me."
Roman's relief quickly turned to rage at their mention. "Where are they?"
He sniffed the air, trying to pick up any trace of them in the wind, but they were long gone. Over the border, no doubt, and back in the safety of the beta world…where they would stay, if they knew what was good for them.
Phoebe tugged on his arm, demanding his attention. "They went home, Roman. They didn't mean any harm."
"The hell they didn't." Roman knew he needed to control his temper, but in this moment, with so much adrenaline surging through his veins and a red cloud of rage obscuring his vision, it was nearly impossible.
Phoebe, however, was having none of it. She put her fists on her hips, more serious than he'd ever seen her.
"Listen to me," she said, staring him right in the eye. "They thought they were doing what was best for me. They were only trying to protect me—just like you are doing now. And now they know better. I explained everything, and I asked them to let me go, and they did."
"And I'm supposed to be grateful?" Roman scoffed. "They kidnapped you."
"So did you," she shot back. She wasn't angry—but her scent might as well have been laced with iron, as determined and stubborn as it revealed her to be. "But no one is ever going to take me away from the people I love ever again."
"'People?'" Roman echoed.
"Yes, 'people,'" she said. "Love isn't a limited commodity, Roman. I can love you and them both at the same time. You can both love me. No one has to pick a side. In fact, I'm declaring this feud between you and my family over."
Roman grumbled deep in his chest. He didn't know about that…peace was a hell of a lot to ask after what the Whitfields had put him through.
But as long as he had Phoebe back, and she could swear that her family wasn't ever going to pull any shit like that again, he would believe her.
Not them…only her.
"As long as you don't expect me to love them," he snarled.
Phoebe laughed, the world's most beautiful smile spreading across her face. "I'll settle for you not murdering each other. Promise me that."
Roman frowned. If that was what Phoebe really wanted, he was willing to give it to her—as if he would ever deny her anything.
"I promise," he said, trying to ignore the bitterness the words left in his mouth.
He wouldn't have t
hought it possible, but his omega's smile grew even more lovely, lighting up her eyes with a preview of the reward that awaited him back home in his bed. The bitter taste of the past evaporated as Roman pulled Phoebe up into his arms to kiss her long and hard and deep.
A cough broke the stillness, and Roman regretfully lowered Phoebe down to the ground. He turned to see Gray leaning against the door of his truck with his arms folded and a look of amused disgust on his face.
"Please don't tell me this is what being claimed and mated does to you," he growled. "Makes you damn soft, if you ask me."
"You jealous, brother?" Roman asked, grinning as he put a proprietary arm around his omega.
"You kidding me?" Gray dipped his head in a show of respect to Phoebe but directed his comments to Roman. "I've been in the Boundarylands twenty years now. I live my life just the way I like it. The last thing I need is a damn omega to ruin it."
Phoebe caught Roman's eye and laughed.
"Famous last words," she said with a wink.
Welcome to The Boundarylands Omegaverse!
Thank you for reading ROMAN, Book 9 in the series. There are so many more hot alphas from the Boundarylands waiting to meet you.
Gray’s story is coming soon and is available for preorder here: GRAY (The Boundarylands Omegaverse)
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Olivia’s superiors said they were sending her to the Boundarylands on a mission of discovery, but what they really wanted her for was bait.
Roman: The Boundarylands Omegaverse: M/F Alpha Omega Romance Page 14
