Adam replaced the carton on the table and sat back on the bed.
“There’s a toothbrush and toothpaste in that bag if you want. If not, get some sleep. We leave at first light.”
Adam picked up the bag and returned to the bathroom. “Don’t shut the door. Close it over if you need to,” Ben called after him.
Adam did, using the toilet, washing his hands and brushing his teeth. It felt good to be clean for once. When he returned to the room, the main light had been switched off, only a few bedside lamps lighting the room.
“Get some sleep,” the Alpha said again, gesturing to the cot, answering Adam’s unspoken question about whether the Alpha would want him in his bed for the night.
He lay down on the cot, under the thin blanket. How long had it been since he’d slept in a bed?
Sleep didn’t come easily. The sound of the other men moving around the small room kept him awake. After they settled down, he slipped into an uneasy slumber. He woke each time he turned onto a sore spot.
The night passed slowly. In the early hours, he found himself shivering from the cold. Footsteps approached and he cringed, burrowing his head under the blanket as he waited to be dragged from the bed. Instead, the weight of another blanket settled over him. The footsteps retreated and Adam drifted back to sleep, snuggling under the growing warmth.
Chapter Five
Every time the Omega moved he made a soft sound of pain and his heart thumped a little faster. The sound bothered Ben as he tried to sleep. It petered off eventually, but then the Omega began to shiver. It got to him, as much as he tried to ignore it. He found himself climbing out of bed and grabbing the extra blanket that lay folded on the table. He crossed over to the cot. The Omega cringed as he neared, head disappearing beneath the covers. Ben shook out the blanket and laid it over him, watching for a moment before returning to his bed. A few minutes later, he heard the slightest sigh as the Omega’s shivering slowed and he settled in the bed. It didn’t take long for sleep to finally find Ben too.
“Benny, sun’s up.”
Groaning, he turned over, glaring as Sam pulled the curtains back, letting light stream into the room. He took in his surroundings and sat up. They had another long drive ahead of them; the sooner they got on the road, the sooner the two of them would get home. He remembered the Omega as his ears registered the third heartbeat in the room. The Omega was awake, sitting up in the cot, back pressed to the wall. His head was down, eyes hidden from view. Ben didn’t want to have to deal with him this morning. He stood, pulling on his t-shirt and jeans.
“I’ll get us some breakfast. Get him ready to leave.”
He stepped out of the room into the sunlight. It was early still, the day yet to heat up, and a cool breeze played along his skin. It would be a nice drive.
He returned to their room ten minutes later with three pastries and three coffees. Setting them down on the table, he took one of each for himself. Sam was by the door, first aid kit and bag packed and ready to go. There was no sign of the Omega. Sam tipped his head towards the bathroom.
“He’s washing up. I gave him some pain relief, he’s gonna be sore sitting in the car all day.”
Sam’s words sent a pang of guilt through Ben. Why hadn’t he thought to give him some last night? He might have slept easier. He squashed the thought down. They weren’t there to mollycoddle him. First, they had to figure out if the Omega was some sort of accomplice to Harvey and, if he wasn’t, then they had to work out what to do with him. It wouldn’t do to get too caught up in his welfare. If he had aided Harvey in his killings, then the best he could hope for was a snapped neck; the cleanest death any Pack would offer him.
The Omega in question came out of the bathroom, footsteps hesitant.
“Breakfast,” Ben said, indicating the food on the table, then turned away, checking his phone.
“Have you heard from Eric?” he asked Sam, taking a sip of coffee and grimacing at the taste.
“Eric, no. Lew, yes. They’re gone to visit Kyle’s Pack. They want some downtime. We could use some too,” he added in an undertone.
Ben could hardly argue with that. It seemed like they’d gone from case to case, rogue to rogue, for the past four months. Finally, their schedule was clear. Once they dealt with their problem. Speaking of which, the Omega was eating, and taking small sips of coffee, making a face each time he did. Rolling his eyes, Ben searched his pockets, pulling out some sachets of sugar he’d stuffed in there. He tossed them over, letting them land on the cot next to the Omega. He jumped in response, spilling coffee on his hand.
“Damn it,” Ben cursed, fishing out a napkin as he strode over, holding it out. The younger wolf tensed at his approach. “Here, wipe it off. Did it burn?”
The Omega set down his cup and took the proffered tissue, hands trembling as he cleaned up the spill. After a moment, he shook his head, answering Ben’s question. Ben picked up the sugar packets and held them out.
“The sugar might mask the taste a little.”
“So would brandy,” Sam joked from behind him, and Ben was glad for the break in tension.
“I’m all out of hard liquor. He’ll have to make do with sugar.”
The Omega’s hand brushed his as he took the sugar. The touch sent a spark up Ben’s arm, a hot sensation. He stepped back quickly and crossed to the other side of the room. What the hell?
Sam was watching him, eyes curious. They needed to talk, work out what to do with the mute Omega. But now wasn’t the time. They needed to get on the road.
“Alright. Let’s load up the car and get going.”
Chapter Six
They spent most of the day on the road, stopping twice for food and bathroom breaks. It was late evening when they finally pulled off the road and set off down a bumpy track lined by trees. Curled up in the backseat, Adam leaned his head against the window, watching as a house came into view. It was bigger than the cabin, two stories high. They pulled up in front, Sam jumping out as soon as they’d stopped, stretching his body.
“Finally. Seriously thought we’d never get here.”
Adam shifted back into the center of his seat. Peeking his head up, his eyes met the Alpha’s, watching him through the rear-view mirror.
“House rules,gaze drop.
“You don’t leave the house without one of us with you. Don’t think you’ll escape if you run, there’s nothing but trees for miles around and we will chase you down and you won’t like the consequences when we catch you. You don’t set fires. Your hand touches a weapon, you lose that hand. Understand?”
Adam nodded slowly.
“Not good enough. If you have a tongue in that head I want words. Do you understand the rules?”
Adam could feel the shifter’s heavy stare on his down-turned head. Still, it took a few moments for him to gather the courage to get the words out.
“Yes, Alpha.”
He winced at the sound and feel of his own voice, his throat still raw and unused to forming words.
“Quite the chatterbox, aren’t you?” the Alpha commented. “Alright. Out. Stretch your legs while you have the chance.”
Opening the car door, Adam stepped out onto unsteady feet. His body was stiff and sore from sitting. Sam had already retrieved the bags from the trunk and gone into the house, leaving the door open.
“Come on, inside.” Ben gestured for Adam to precede him into the house. Adam dreaded what he would find inside. Was there another basement waiting for him?
Sam met them in the hallway. “Bathroom’s upstairs and to the left.”
“Come down to the kitchen when you’re done,” Ben called after him as he mounted the stairs.
This bathroom was a lot nicer than the motel’s, Adam thought, as he washed his hands and face, wincing when his fingers contacted a bruise. He dawdled longer than he should have, hearing heavy footsteps on the stairs.
“Did you fall in?” Ben’s voice, sounding less than pleased.
Adam opened the door a
nd waited for the correction.
“Well, don’t just stand there, go on downstairs. Kitchen’s down the end of the hall.”
Adam slipped past the Alpha, hearing him enter and shut the bathroom door behind him.
He made his way down the stairs and along the hallway.
“In here,” Sam called.
Adam took a few steps into the room and paused, unsure what he should do next.
“Ben says you do have a tongue and you can talk but you sound like a ventriloquist’s dummy with laryngitis. Would tea or lozenges help?”
Adam couldn’t hide the look of bewilderment that crossed his face.
“We need to ask you some questions. About Harvey and the humans he killed. So you’re going to have to talk. I’m about to check the laptop and hard drives we took from his cabin.”
Sure enough, Adam could see an array of familiar equipment of Harvey’s on the table. Harvey had warned him never to touch it.
Sam pulled out a chair. “Take a seat.”
Adam sat, hands clinging to the edges of the hard seat. Ben returned, pulling another chair around so he sat face to face with Adam.
Sam took a seat at the table, pulling Harvey’s laptop closer.
“Bastard didn’t even password it. This’ll be a piece of cake.”
“Anything you want to tell us before we see for ourselves?” the Alpha asked him, nodding his head towards where Sam was working.
Adam shook his head. What did he know?
“Got anything?” Ben asked, folding his arms as he kept his eyes on Adam. Adam looked up at the Alpha, then let his eyes fall again.
“Give me a minute,” Sam said, “it’s not magic. Wait-” He worked quickly, fingers fast across the keyboard.
“Sick bastard took pictures. Lots of them. And kept what looks like transcripts of the online conversations he had with his victims.”
“Still so sure you want to keep silent?” the Alpha asked Adam again.
He didn’t understand. What did they want him to say?
“Shit. Ben, you need to see these…”
“See what?”
“Photos.”
“I don’t want to see any more photos of mutilated humans, thanks very much.”
“Ben, they’re not humans. They’re him.” Sam was nodding towards Adam.
Chapter Seven
Photos of the Omega?
“I’m pretty sure I don’t want to see their honeymoon photos. Or their amateur porn,” Ben snapped.
“Ben.” There was something in Sam’s tone that had him crossing to the table. “Just look.”
He looked, scrolling through picture after picture. Every so often he’d glance at the Omega, sitting still as a statue in the center of the room.
“He used him to… to practice what he’d do to the humans. See, the Omega’s photos are all dated days or weeks before the human kills,” Sam explained.
“He was his mate,” Ben tried to argue, knowing he didn’t believe what he was suggesting. “Maybe he consented and they planned it together?”
“Here, this one’s a video.”
It was a short clip, twenty seconds. A voice screamed no, over and over. Sam stopped it after ten, shoved back his chair and stumbled from the room. Ben closed down the laptop screen and forced himself to take deep breaths. The Omega had sunk down into his chair, shaking hands covering his ears.
Ben returned to his seat opposite him, wiping a hand across his mouth. When he spoke, his voice was steady.
“I need you to answer yes or no to these questions. Do you understand?”
The silence dragged on before the Omega lowered his hands and two quiet words broke the stillness.
“Yes, Alpha.”
The Omega’s heart was beating fast beneath his skin and Ben focused his hearing on it.
“Was Harvey Gilson your Alpha mate?”
“Yes, Alpha.” The Omega’s voice was hard to listen to, it grated on Ben’s ears.
“Did he kill humans?”
That seemed to give the Omega pause.
“Did he kill humans?” Ben asked again. “Yes or no?” The Omega became agitated, squirming in his seat.
“He… he talked about it, Alpha. But I never saw it.” Ben guessed the Omega’s discomfort wasn’t the nature of the question but his inability to give the yes or no answer Ben demanded.
“Did you ever help him with the humans he killed, in any way?” Wide eyes looked up at him, the Omega shaking his head.
“No, Alpha.”
Ben listened closely to his heart rate, but it didn’t change, giving no indication the Omega was lying.
“Did you have any contact with the humans he killed?”
The Omega stared at a spot on the table.
“Yes, Alpha. One.”
“Tell me about that.”
“The… the man was unconscious. Harvey brought him down into the basement. He woke up. He was scared and asked lots of questions. Harvey was furious when he came down. Told me he’d rip my tongue out if he found I’d spoken to him. But I hadn’t,” the Omega said, shaking his head.
“And then what happened?”
“Harvey took him upstairs. Then they left and Harvey came back later, alone, and angry.” There was a haunted look on the Omega’s face, one that Ben was beginning to understand given the photos and videos on Harvey’s hard drive.
“And you were in the basement?”
“Yes, Alpha.”
“Locked in the cage?” A nod this time before the Omega remembered himself. “Yes, Alpha.”
Ben hunched over in his chair, letting his head fall into his hands. He was used to dealing with messy situations, but this, this was something much worse.
“What’s your name?” he asked the Omega.
The younger wolf didn’t answer.
“Do you have a name?” he nudged, voice soft.
“Harvey called me Omega,” was all he would say.
Sam returned. “Well?”
“Says he didn’t have anything to do with what Harvey did to those humans.”
“Do you believe him?”
The Omega was watching them with fearful eyes.
“He’s telling the truth. There’s no evidence he was an accomplice, everything we’ve seen and heard suggests he was another victim.”
The Omega frowned at Ben’s words as if he didn’t quite understand what they were saying.
“It’s getting late. Let’s have some food and get some sleep,” Sam suggested.
The next hour dragged on. Sam got the Omega something to eat, his manner gentler than Ben’s had been but it didn’t do much to ease the skittishness of the younger man. Finally, Sam plied him with more pain meds, took him upstairs, and settled him in the guest room.
Afterward, he returned downstairs and they sat in the kitchen, cups of coffee in their hands while they talked.
“What are we supposed to do with him? Give him to one of the Packs?” Ben wondered.
“Do we need to? Couldn’t he stay here?”
“He’s an Omega. With his mate dead, he’ll go into heat and need to bond.”
“Well, you’re an Alpha,” Sam said pointedly.
Ben shot him a look. “What, exactly, would I do with an Omega?”
“You could start your own Pack.”
Ben let his coffee cup slip from his grip and hit the table with a clunk.
“What?”
“Your grandfather’s lands are rightfully yours. They were your families before the Porter’s amalgamated the Packs and cheated you of your inheritance. If you were bonded to an Omega, you’d be able to stake your claim. Others would back you. Gray Valley would be yours.”
“You’re assuming I want my own Pack?”
“I know you don’t want to be an Enforcer forever. I know you don’t want to be an outsider forever.”
Sam was right. Ben had been ousted from his Pack when he came of age because the Porters didn’t want the Alpha grandson of the previous leader han
ging around and generally making trouble.
“And I could be your second.” There was a wistful air to Sam’s voice. He, more than any of the Enforcers, missed belonging to a Pack.
A cry roused Ben from sleep. He sprang from his bed and out into the corridor, alert and ready to fight off whatever danger lay ahead of him. The cry came again and he realized it was coming from the guest room where the Omega slept.
Sam appeared beside him in the landing.
“Go back to bed. I’ll handle it,” Ben assured him.
“Are you sure? You’re not the most comforting presence in the middle of the night.”
“I think I can manage,” he replied, rolling his eyes.
“Well, if you need me, yell.”
Snorting, Ben pushed the door to the guest room open. The bed was empty. Where was the Omega? A second later he spotted him, curled up against the wall opposite the door, partially obscured by the bed. He was taking large, gulping breaths between sobs. Ben crossed the room towards him and the Omega cringed backward, pressing himself against the wall.
“Hey, it’s fine, you were just dreaming.” His words had no effect.
“Stop that,” he tried, putting as much authority as he could into his voice.
It had the opposite effect than he’d intended, the Omega cramming closer to the wall, shoving his hands against his mouth to try to muffle the sobs that only seemed to get louder.
Ben slowed to a stop two feet from him, then very deliberately took a step backward, then another, before sinking down to sit cross-legged on the floor.
“I’m just going to sit here until you’re feeling a bit calmer,” he said.
A minute passed, and the Omega’s sobs slowed and his breathing eased. His heart still thumped painfully in his chest, the sound bothering Ben more than it should have.
It almost startled him when the Omega finally moved, crawling towards him on hand and knees.
“Wait, what are you…”
The Omega’s head was down, the top of his hair the only part visible.
The Alpha's Choice: Lost Omegas Book Two: A M/M Shifter Romance Page 3
