To Take and Hold(Omegaverse Shifter Romance) (shifter fever Book 2)

by Cashmire Hart

  "You can ask me whatever you wish," he said and discarded the remains of the apple in the bag.

  He took a big breath and slowly let it out, trying to arrange his words carefully. "The two alphas you captured with me. What happened to them?"

  Crixen furrowed his brows. "They're taken care of. You don't have to worry about them."

  "That's not what I meant. They were never cruel to me. Sometimes they tossed me food when Raze wasn't looking. I just... they weren't evil and I... don't know."

  "They stood by and did nothing as that bastard abused you," Crixen growled.

  The rage in his alpha's eyes was both startling and affirming. He nodded, conceding Crixen was probably right. Though, things were never black and white.

  Blowing out a big breath, Crixen ran his hand along his skull. "They're alive and making use of themselves. If they can be socialized and behave, they may find a life waiting for them after their usefulness has expired."

  The fact they were alive and had a shot calmed Reed. He'd been so close to going feral. He could have been them. Perhaps they had spoken once but had forgotten how. They could have had lives before Raze had demolished their pack. What if they'd had family mourning their loss? "Thank you."

  Crixen seemed confused by his words and Reed cuddled up next to him, needing his strength and comfort. His alpha held him close and kissed his lips. "There is something else I have for you."

  A little smile ticked at Reed's lips. "Yeah?"

  "But it requires a little traveling. Are you up for it?"

  "Yes."

  Crixen's idea of a little travel took them to the heart of Chicago and in the parking garage of a building with the most amazing architecture he'd ever seen. He'd wanted to explore the city, but Crixen seemed intent on whatever surprise he had in store.

  As he stepped out of the SUV, Crixen belted his blades to his waist. Reed did the same, liking the way the scabbard felt around his hips. Crixen took his hand, their fingers entwining. He entered a passcode into a box and the door opened for them. Reed gaped at all the polished marble and oil paintings.

  "Are you taking me to a museum?" Reed inquired as he eyed an artistic vase set with fresh roses. It would be the perfect thing to help him catch up with the world, though he couldn't see them getting far carrying weapons. He could imagine all the discoveries and advancements humans had made in the last ten years he'd been off the grid.

  Crixen seemed amused. "This is the Stone building, owned and operated by Braun. He's the newest member of the Ro'an but has been assisting us for years."

  "Oh," Reed muttered. It explained nothing really.

  "We will visit a museum if that is what you want." Crixen led him around the corner to an elevator and hit the lower level button.

  Inhaling deeply, Reed scented lemons and cleaning solution. One thing that hadn't changed was the cheesy jazz music all elevators seemed to play.

  "I'll show you around here one day and introduce you to some friends." Crixen said, his grip tightening.

  The elevator dumped them into a simple underground hall that led to a set of double doors. Crixen entered another passkey and the longest passage Reed had ever seen opened before them. The plain white walls and linoleum floor seemed to go on forever. He looked to Crixen for guidance and the alpha kissed his knuckles in reassurance.

  They walked for a long time, seemingly with no end in sight. Reed wanted to ask where they were going but he trusted his warrior.

  "We should be far enough," Crixen said and stopped.

  "For what?" He looked back from where they'd come, the tunnel stretching into oblivion.

  Crixen traced some sort of symbol on the wall and the plain white paint flickered. It shimmied and warped like a stone thrown into a pond. Glass replaced the walls and ceiling. Reed made a strangled noise as they were suddenly surrounded by water, sure they were about to drown. But when the sea green water didn't come crashing in, he stilled his heart. Water plants grew all over the glass while slugs and crawdads crawled across the surface. Overhead, a fat catfish swam by. It was like an inverse aquarium.

  "Are we... under Lake Michigan?" he rasped, enchanted by the sight.

  "Yes. The Magistrate dug these tunnels long before humans developed the area."

  Reed tapped on the glass where a Crawdad sat. "This is crazy. I have so many questions."

  "The Magistrate is a very mysterious fellow. Even I don't know how he created this. It's almost as if he combined magic and technology. It's quite spectacular."

  "It's wondrous," Reed whispered as a Sturgeon swam by. Looking to his alpha with wide eyes, he asked "Is this the Magistrate's Keep?"

  "Just the passage to it." Crixen took his hand and urged him to follow.

  Finally, after what seemed like a half hour of walking, they came to another set of double doors and a keypad. Crixen sent a text to someone and entered his code into the console. The moment they passed the double doors, Reed found the air thick and oppressive. It stole his breath momentarily.

  "It's the magic," Crixen explained. "It will pass. You just get used to it. It's sort of like an alarm system."

  Swallowing hard at all the plain white walls and linoleum, he fully expected something to jump out at him. He'd never seen such technology, or magic before and wondered what he'd see if the walls became glass here too. More water likely.

  "Come," Crixen urged.

  Reed stuck close to his alpha, the unfamiliar setting making him nervous. He hated not knowing what to expect. More often than not, uncertainty bred problems. But that was before. He was a part of the world again and had Crixen to guide him. They passed through long halls, endless white passages that made him feel like he were in a labyrinth. Sometimes they passed doors, but other than that the place was one big tangle.

  As they rounded a corner, an alpha with long white hair stood by a door. The soft angles of his face jumped out at Reed. If it weren't for the nice clothes and stark hair, Reed might think Crixen was standing in front of a mirror.

  "Reed, this is my brother, Vandal," Crixen said.

  Looking between them, the resemblance was obvious. But where Crixen's expression was normally set in harsh lines, Vandal exuded a gentle air. Ying and Yang, he thought. He recalled the story Crixen had told him about the night they'd lost their parents. He swallowed a lump and managed a weak, "Hello."

  The alpha's attention dropped down to their linked hands before returning to Crixen. "Everything is ready. We do have one spectator, however."

  "I didn't think he'd miss this," Crixen said with an air of amusement before looking to Reed. He turned to him and took him by the shoulders. "Do you trust me?"

  Reed nodded, not even having to think about that one.

  "Remember that Band-aid I talked about? I think this might be it. Know that you are safe, no matter what. You're safe. Do you believe me?" Crixen said, his tone serious.

  "Yes," Reed croaked, confused.

  Crixen squeezed his shoulders then turned and nodded to his brother. Vandal opened the door and Crixen led him in. The white walls and plain linoleum disappeared, leaving rough gray rock and cold, hard cement under his feet. The lights overhead were overly bright and as Vandal closed the door behind them, illumination caught a sweaty body, wrapped in chains.

  As Raze's beady eyes connected with Reed, he snapped back behind Crixen, all that fear returning.

  "It's okay!" Crixen said, stilling him. "He can't hurt you. Nothing can break those chains."

  Reed heard him, but all he could do was stare at the alpha that had brought him so much misery. He was bruised and dirty and had lost weight. He yanked on the chains to no avail and growled.

  "Band-aid," Crixen murmured and reached into the scabbard belted to Reed's hips. He withdrew the dirk and offered it to him. "He's going to die, so why not by your hands? It's what you need, what you've wanted all this time. Put him to rest so you can put that part of you to rest."

  Swallowing a dry lump, he took the dirk, the blade heavier
than he remembered. The sound of a bag crumpling drew his attention to a tall figure in the corner, his red and black mohawk of braids standing out. He stuffed a handful of kettle corn into his mouth. Reed found it hard to look at him, as if his eyes would burn out of their sockets if he did.

  "Don't worry about me. I'm just here for the show." The shifter's expression read all dark amusement.

  "Reed," Crixen said, gaining his attention. "Whatever you want to do. You want to kill him out right? Slide this blade between his ribs. You want to draw it out? You can do that to. Whatever you want."

  His heart banged around in his chest as he slid his attention to Raze. Crixen was right. This was what he'd wanted for the longest time. It was why he had survived ten years in captivity by a cruel alpha that wanted him only for physical pleasure, who had shared him with the pack to keep order. Worst of all, Raze had taken him from his family. He tightened his grip around the dirk and took a step forward.

  "He can't get loose," Crixen said again. "He's yours."

  As Reed approached, Raze growled at him, his attention bouncing between the dirk and Reed. The alpha jerked and pulled against the chains, startling Reed. He looked back to Crixen who nodded in reassurance. Carefully, he closed the distance between them until they were within an arm's length of each other.

  Reed sneered. "You stink."

  Raze simply gnashed his fangs.

  "You don't even know what I'm saying, do you? Asshole," he spat. When the chains refused to give, his confidence solidified. He pressed the pointy end of the dirk against Raze's pec, drawing a bead of blood. The alpha seemed not to notice and snarled.

  All Reed could see was the shit Raze had done to him. He pressed the blade point into his biceps. When he didn't get a response, he dragged the dirk across Raze's skin, opening a fresh wound. This time the bastard grimaced. His heart pounded as he set little wounds into the alpha's body. He could see the benefit of drawing this out and torturing him. As he pressed the point into Raze's cheek, something inside him shifted. He hated the alpha, but he also pitied him. This shifter who could not speak, who had lived like a beast for Goddess knew how long, who did not know what it was like to love and laugh.

  He wanted to drive his blade into Raze's heart slowly and watched the shock cross his face. He really did. But Raze had taken enough from him already. He wasn't going to let the asshole take his humanity, either. I'm not a monster.

  "I'm going to leave and never think of you again," he said, knowing Raze couldn't understand him.

  He retreated and returned to Crixen's side, his face calm and serene.

  "Are you sure?" Crixen inquired.

  "I don't want that kind of Band-aid," he said.

  The shifter with the mohawk balled up his bag and tossed it to the floor. "Well, that was a disappointment. You can't find any good entertainment these days."

  Crixen pulled Reed into a hug and kissed his forehead. He turned to Vandal. "Brother, can you take Reed back to Sanctuary?"

  "No problem," he said, offering Reed a pleasant smile.

  "I'll join you there shortly, I promise." Crixen said.

  Reed stole one last look at Raze, feeling nothing but pity toward him before following Crixen's brother out of the room. As the door closed behind them, it was like the exclamation to that part of his life. He was determined to look forward now.

  Chapter 20

  The door to the dungeon closed and Crixen wanted to follow his omega home. Reed must be emotionally distraught despite seeming unaffected, but he needed to take care of something.

  Turning his attention to Raze, he blinked at the alpha blankly. The few wounds Reed had left on his body had stopped bleeding. As Reed had laid the blade on him, Crixen had experienced satisfaction at his omega taking revenge. Now, he felt only pride. That didn't mean the wildblood would be spared his due, however.

  Crixen stalked over to the chained alpha and withdrew a scimitar. He drove the blade into Raze's stomach, sharp side up and dragged it upward. As the edge cut through the bastard's sternum, he couldn't even scream. He gargled and wheezed, blood filling his throat. Crixen let the bastard see his rage. It would be the last thing he'd ever see. He withdrew the scimitar and spun, using his momentum to decapitate the wildblood.

  As his head rolled on the cold concrete floor, Crixen hoped Raze had realized Reed had found happiness with him before he'd died.

  "I didn't see that coming," Mags said, looking totally enthralled.

  Crixen wiped his bloodied blade across Raze's torso. It was a motion of disrespect. "As promised, his life has been ended this day."

  Mags scratched his chin. "Now, that was a climax worthy of an Oscar."

  "I'm putting in my resignation," Crixen said as he ripped his shirt off his body and cleaned the remainder of the blood.

  "Is this a serious, serious kind of thing?"

  "Yes," he confirmed and came to stand in front of the Magistrate. He saluted him in respect. "I thank you with all that I am. You gave me everything--"

  "Request denied," Mags said.

  Unsure if their dear leader was being serious or not, Crixen frowned. "I love Reed. I plan to bond with him. Once that happens, I'll be emotionally compromised. Should the day comes when I need to make a difficult decision, I will always choose him. I am unfit for duty as High Guard."

  "I disagree," Mags said and leaned against the stone, looking way too cool. "But you have served me well. I will take into consideration your request."

  Figuring that was as good as he was going to get right now, Crixen took his leave.

  "Hey, who is going to clean up this mess?" Mags complained.

  "Snap your fingers. That usually does the trick."

  "Good idea."

  The moment he was out of the room, he pushed thoughts of Raze from his mind. The asshole was dead, a fact that would help Reed feel safer. As he made his way toward his quarters, Vandal came down the hall, wispy tendrils of hair flying around his face.

  "It's taken care of then," Vandal said as he looked Crixen up and down. "You need a shower."

  "I need more than that. I need something nice to wear," he said, glancing at his black jeans and combat boots. "Brother... I..."

  "No need to explain. I get it, believe me," Vandal said and stepped closer. "Just because you protected me and shielded me from the worst of it, doesn't mean I got out unscarred. We just deal with it in different ways."

  As their gazes met, something connected. This was his blooded brother, one of the few shifters he loved. He just wished he was better at dealing with feelings and emotions.

  Vandal smiled slantedly. "Come on, let's get you cleaned up and back to Reed. Go take your shower and I'll find you something decent to wear."

  As his brother moved briskly down the hall, Crixen stepped into his quarters. He set his scabbard on a hanger and stripped, leaving his gory clothes on the floor.

  He stepped into the shower and washed the blood from his body. He watched as the pink water circled the drain. He hadn't even thought twice about making Raze suffer. He could have shown mercy as Reed had, but that rage had reared its ugly head. He let the spray cover him until the water ran clear. He quickly soaped his body, wanting to smell good for Reed.

  He finished in the shower and dried himself. As he ran a comb through his hair, he heard Vandal come in.

  "I have the perfect thing for you!" Vandal shouted from the other room.

  He returned to his quarters and ran his eyes over the outfit his brother had chosen. The dress shirt was pure black silk, but what made it special was the flip cuffs and inner collar. Blues and grays clashed in a paisley pattern. He came to touch the garment, the fabric of the highest quality. He leaned in, scenting alpha male.

  "You got this from Braun," Crixen deduced.

  "Of course. That clothes whore is the man to go to if you want to dress to impress," Vandal said, looking pleased. He glanced at Crixen's naked form. "You do have underwear, right?"

  Crixen simply rolled his eyes
and slipped into the best pair of boxer briefs he had. It wasn't like he planned on staying dressed very long, he thought with excitement. But he wanted to be an alpha Reed could be proud of.

  His brother handed him a pair of black slacks. The label was Burberry and though they appeared utterly plain business attire, the money was in the fabric and fine stitching. He was careful as he pushed his legs into the pants, not wanting to destroy them. He slipped into the shirt next and Vandal adjusted the collar and cuffs for him.

  "How's it fit?" Vandal inquired.

  "Not bad. A little tight in the shoulders, but it will have to do."

  Vandal outfitted him with a snazzy leather belt, gold cuff links and to round it all off, a pair of shiny black loafers with gold scrollwork.

  "Goddess," Crixen gaped. "I feel like I just fell into a vault of money."

  Vandal was clearly amused. "Yeah, Braun is good for that. And he just whipped this up in a jiffy. Come see how you look."

  Coming to stand in front of a mirror, Crixen rose his brows at his reflection. He turned side to side, surprised by how good he looked in the expensive clothing.

  "Yep. Reed is going to lose his marbles, "Vandal said, looking proud. The colors in the collar and cuffs bring out your eyes and the gold adds a bit of flair."

  Cocking a brow at his brother, he teased, "And Braun is the clothes whore?"

  "What can I say? I enjoy the finer things in life." Vandal punched him in the shoulder. "Oh, almost forgot."

  Vandal retrieved what looked like a crystal bottle and tabbed some liquid on his fingertips. He dabbed Crixen's neck and wrists gently. Sniffing, he scented wood and spice. It was more artificial than not, but not overly cloying.

  "The trick is to hint," Vandal said and took one last look at him. "Alright my brother. Go get him."

  He pulled Vandal into a brace. "Thank you."

  "Your welcome. Come on, I'll port you. But don't expect any more chauffeuring for a few days. I'm exhausted. Summoning portals is hard work and three in one day is my limit."