Still, Adam kept his eyes and ears peeled. They had to be careful.
But as they neared it, all he heard from the house was silence.
He tried the door, but it was locked. It didn’t take much effort to force it open, just a heave of his shoulder while Luke looked on. There was no sound from inside when they stepped in and he began to worry that not only was Tobias not there, but neither was anyone else.
“If it’s like where we lived, there’ll be stairs going down,” he said, as much to remind himself as Luke. The rooms on the first floor were mostly empty, giving the impression of a house long abandoned. The stairs up looked rickety, with holes in the floorboards, so Adam bypassed them, looking for a way down.
“Adam?” Luke called from the other room. “I think there’s a door behind here.”
Luke was standing by an empty bookshelf, dragging it away from the wall.
“Let me,” Adam said.
“I’m pregnant, not helpless,” Luke replied.
Between them, they got the shelf away from the wall, revealing the door behind it. There was no handle, just a keyhole.
“Step back,” he told Luke, then kicked the door, twice, three times. The fourth time the wood around the lock splintered. One more kick and Adam was able to pull the door open.
Behind the door were stairs leading down into the dark.
“I think you should stay up here,” he said to Luke.
“I don’t know…”
“If anyone comes, yell, and I’ll come back up.”
“Okay, Adam.”
Alone, he climbed down the stairs, letting his hands trail along the wall looking for a light switch. He didn’t find one until he reached the bottom. Flicking the switch turned weak lights on, illuminating a livable floor in the house. A bathroom, a kitchen, a bedroom. And, at the end of a short corridor, a door bolted shut. It was eerily familiar, all of it. Like the place he’d grown up, only wrong in odd ways; the carpet a different shade, the doors too close together and the toilet and sink had switched places. He knew which way to go though. The only way to go. Down that little corridor to that room. He’d had nightmares about a room just like it. This door wasn’t locked, just bolted with two metal bolts. Listening, he couldn’t hear much. But if no one was there, why bolt the doors?
He heard a sound as he slid the first bolt free. Not the sound of the metal catching on the door but a sound like someone scurrying for cover. He pushed back the second bolt and pulled the door. It opened with a creak and beneath that he heard a shushing sound, an almost inaudible voice.
Light filtered into the room from the open door but also from a single tiny window, high up on the wall opposite the entrance.
Stepping into the room, he saw the small forms huddled together in one corner.
“Shh,” the quiet voice said again. “You gots to be quiet or he’ll be mad.”
Two baleful eyes peered at him from the corner. A boy of around six or seven, Adam guessed. He had his arms around another child, the two cuddled together as if for warmth, like he and Luke had done.
“Noah?” he called, stepping forward.
Two blue eyes looked up before the little Omega struggled out of his protector’s arms. “Dada!”
A surprised Duncan let him go and Noah stumbled forward. Adam was there a second later, swooping Noah into his arms.
“My baby, my baby boy. You’re safe now. I’m here to take you home.”
Noah clung to him, letting out a sound of happiness, upended by a sob.
“That’s it, I’ve got you.”
He knelt with Noah in his arms, looking over at Duncan who was still curled in the corner, watching him with anger and suspicion.
“Hi, it’s Duncan, right?”
The little boy nodded.
“Duncan, my name is Adam. I’m a friend of Casey’s. I’m here to take you to him.”
At first, Duncan didn’t move but then Noah spoke.
“Dada, can we go home to Papa and Xander?”
“Yeah, baby, that’s where we’re going. And Duncan can come too. His brother Casey is with Xander.”
Duncan had uncurled and was sitting in the corner watching them curiously.
Adam stood slowly, lifting Noah, and stepped closer to him. He held out a hand.
“It’s okay, Duncan. You don’t have to be scared. Take my hand and I’ll bring you to Casey.”
Duncan scooted forward and stretched out one small hand towards him. Adam caught it in his, noting how his own hand engulfed the much smaller one. He mentally revised Duncan’s age down. Five. Maybe four.
He was just encouraging Duncan up, the little boy moving to a crouch, when he spoke.
“Tobias.”
“Don’t worry about him. We’ll be long gone before he knows we were here.”
“Adam?”
He jumped and turned at Luke’s shaky voice, letting go of Duncan’s hand.
Luke stood just inside the doorway, bleeding from a cut on his head. And standing with a knife pressed to Luke’s throat was the man he’d long feared to see.
“Tobias.”
“Hello, Adam. My sons have returned.”
He stepped back, pushing Duncan behind him with one hand as Tobias shoved Luke further into the room.
“Have you forgotten your lessons, Adam? Put that child down. And get on your knees.”
Adam didn’t move at first, but Tobias tightened his grip on Luke and his brother had one hand protectively around his stomach. Adam detached from Noah and set him on the floor, ignoring his son’s cry of fear as his little hands clung to him. Then he dropped to his knees next to him, not taking his eyes from Tobias.
“Good, I see you haven’t forgotten all your lessons.”
Tobias shoved Luke forward. “Get over there next to him.”
Out of the corner of his eyes, Adam could see Duncan kneeling too. Noah was still on his feet, crying and clinging to Adam, pressing his face into Adam’s clothes, convinced that his father would protect him. But could Adam protect him from Tobias? He’d never been able to protect Luke, not really. And no matter how far away he’d gotten, Tobias had still got his hands on Noah.
“Get on your knees, Noah. Like I taught you.”
Noah continued to cry and whimper.
“Your knees,” Tobias shouted, his hand slapping against the wall. The sound made all of them jump. Adam forced his mind to search for a solution. Help was hours behind them, too late to be of any use. It was up to him.
Tobias stalked across the room, bearing down on them, Noah in his sights. Adam forced Noah behind him, seeing Luke shielding Duncan out of the corner of his eye as he drew on his wolf. A flash of adrenaline eclipsed the pain as the change took hold, faster than it ever had. He launched himself at Tobias, seeing the look of surprise on the man’s face for a moment before he was on him.
But Tobias was stronger than he expected and, with a grunt, he threw Adam off him and Adam skidded across the floor. Tobias stalked after him, his face a mask of fury.
“You’ll pay for that. And so will your son.”
With a bravery Adam didn’t know he possessed, he growled at Tobias, baring his teeth. The threat was clear. Touch my son and suffer the consequences.
“You’re no match for me, Adam. I know you, remember? I raised you. You wouldn’t dare stand up to an Alpha. Every instinct in your body is telling you to obey me. And you will.”
Adam felt a flash of fear. Was he right? About what Adam was, what Adam could do? But from the other side of the room he could hear Noah’s cries, and the sound gave him a sense of clarity he’d never felt in Tobias’ presence before. He growled again, low in his throat, and saw the moment Tobias realized his mistake, his miscalculation. The man’s eyes widened and Adam went for him, jaws snapping at his throat.
Tobias tried to force Adam off him again, but only succeeded in loosening his grip. There was a flash of metal. The knife. Tobias pressed it against Adam’s neck even as Adam’s jaws closed around
his.
A shout carried across the room. It was a voice he’d know anywhere. Ben.
There were suddenly lots of people in the room, lots of voices, cries from Luke and Noah. Adam didn’t let go of Tobias, not until human hands had taken the knife and Ben’s voice urged him away. Then he went straight to Noah, who wrapped his little arms around Adam’s neck and sobbed into his fur.
Then Ben was there, and Noah threw himself into his Papa’s arms. Adam changed back, struggling to catch his breath, and Ben reached for him, pulling him into their embrace, Noah held safely between them.
“How are you here?” he asked between sobs. “You were hours behind us.”
“We got on the road the second we realized where you’d gone. We were never far behind you.”
“But you’re supposed to be taking back Gray Valley.”
“All I care about is you, Adam. And Noah and Xander. Without you, there’s nothing. It wasn’t my Pack I lost as a kid. It was my family. Winning back Gray Valley was never going to fix that.”
As they held each other, Adam looked around the room. Tobias was gone, but he could hear him yelling in the distance. James cradled Luke in his arms as he checked the wound on his head. And Seb crouched in front of Duncan, talking to him softly. He saw the moment the Alpha got through to him when Duncan took his hand and let Seb pick him up.
“Can we go home now?” Noah asked plaintively.
“Yes,” Ben said, “we’re all going home.”
Chapter Twenty-Five
Getting everyone out and up to the cars took less time than Ben had anticipated. Sebastian merely carried a silent Duncan from the room, talking to him all the while. Luke got to his feet with James supporting him. The Alpha was saying something to him about the fine line between bravery and stupidity to which Luke responded with a simple, “Adam’s my brother.”
“Come on, let’s get out of here,” he said, but Adam stayed kneeling as he stood, Noah in his arms.
“Adam, are you hurt? Do you think you can stand?”
But Adam seemed welded to the floor, his head down. “I shouldn’t have left without you. If you hadn’t been here…”
“But I was. I was here. I’ll always be here. And next time you need me I’ll listen and be by your side instead of chasing after you. Come on.”
At his insistence, Adam clambered to his feet. He wavered and Ben caught hold of him. “I’ve got you.”
“I’ve got you, too,” Noah chimed on, reaching a hand to pat Adam’s shoulder. That seemed to do the trick, breaking him out of the nightmare he’d been trapped in. Adam opened his arms and Ben handed Noah over, then pulled off his jacket and wrapped it around Adam’s shoulders.
Ro was waiting for them by the cars with some of Fenrir’s Warriors, his arms folded.
“Is everyone okay?” he asked.
“Noah’s okay. Luke took a blow to the head. Adam’s shook up, but he’s alright.”
“And who’s this little one?” Ro had caught sight of Duncan, cradled in Seb’s arms.
“This is Casey’s brother, Duncan,” Seb replied.
“Hi there, Duncan. I’m Ro and I’m an Omega, too,” Ro said softly, and the boy peeked his head up.
“Let’s get the hell out of here,” James said. “I want to get Luke checked over as soon as possible.”
“I’m okay,” Luke argued.
Ben, Adam, and Noah got in the backseat of their car, James driving and Luke in the passenger seat. Seb and Ro got into the second car with Duncan who was watching the goings-on with wide eyes.
As they drove, they gave Noah some water and crackers while Ben called Sam to let him know what had happened.
“Where is Tobias?” Adam asked.
James’ reply was terse. “The Warriors are taking him to a safe house. We’ll hold him until we see what the Pack Council want to do.”
“What do you think they’ll do?”
“They’re limited. He’s guilty of trafficking offenses but there aren’t Pack Laws governing mistreatment of children or Omegas.”
“So, they might let him go?”
“No,” Ben said, feeling the anger thrumming through his veins. “He’s not walking away from this. If they won’t deal with him, I will.”
“We will,” James said and Ben saw Luke shiver at his tone.
They drove towards Glenoak but stopped in the late evening at an old FW safe house.
“We’ll all need sleep and we’ll need to check the kids over, get them fed, and let them bed down for the night,” James insisted. Adam would rather have gone straight home to Glenoak but there was no denying the exhaustion that dogged them all.
He carried Noah into the house and upstairs to the bigger bathroom. Ro followed with Duncan. Neither of them were looking forward to another round of wrestling with a frightened, traumatized Omega.
“It might be easier with Noah here,” Ro said. Adam thought he had a point. Noah eagerly stripped off the clothes Tobias had dressed him in, with Adam’s help, and let Adam lift him into the bath. Ben stood in the doorway, watching. Adam knew what he was looking for, the same thing his eyes searched for too. But other than a few scattered bruises, Noah was unmarked.
Duncan was standing next to the bath, holding onto the rim with one hand and watching Noah. Noah chattered to him.
“That’s my Papa and my Dada and at home is Xan, my brother. And we play with Chloe but sometimes I like to color instead. You can color with me if you like.”
Duncan tried to shush Noah, watching the three adults with wide eyes, Ben especially. “Noah, we have to be quiet.”
Ben stepped forward and crouched, drawing Duncan’s attention.
“You don’t need to be quiet, Duncan. Not here. Why don’t you get into the bath with Noah and get clean?”
Duncan’s lower lip trembled, and he sniffed as a single tear slid down his cheek. Ben reached forward slowly, his large hand engulfing the Omega’s cheek and wiped the tear away with his thumb.
“It’s okay. I know it’s scary but we’ll take good care of you. First, you’re going to wash up, then have something to eat, then you’re going to sleep in a nice, warm bed.”
Duncan nodded at Ben’s words and began to tug his shirt over his head.
“Can we eat pie?” Noah asked as Duncan undressed.
“When we get home, I’ll bake you an apple pie, just like I promised,” Adam offered, using a wash cloth to clean Noah’s feet. He giggled, a sound that drew tears of relief to Adam’s eyes. A few hours ago, he wasn’t sure he’d ever hear that sound again. “It tickles!”
Duncan was a bundle of fear as Ben sat him into the bath beside Noah.
“Do you like pie?” Noah asked him. “It’s yummy.”
“What’s pie?” Duncan asked his eyes darting around as soon as the words left his mouth, as if waiting to be told off.
“You eat it and it’s crispy outside and gooey inside.”
“Only when you don’t bake it properly,” Adam mumbled under his breath watching Ben try to hide a smile behind his hand.
Between the three of them, they got the boys clean and dried. Adam didn’t want to dress them back in Tobias’ clothes so Ben went in search of something else, coming back with two t-shirts.
Noah pranced around in his. “It’s like a cape. I can be a superhero!”
“You can be anything you want, Noah. You too, Duncan.”
Duncan gave him the tiniest of smiles and let Ben carry him down to the kitchen. James had gone out in search of food and came back with bags of take out.
“You’ll have to watch him,” he said to Ben in an undertone, indicting Duncan. “Not too much, not too rich. I got some chicken broth and some plain bread rolls. And some bagels for the morning.”
In the end, they gave Noah and Duncan the exact same food. Noah tucked into his with enthusiasm, with help from Adam, while Duncan, ever cautious, watched to see what would happen. When everyone else was eating their meals, he reached for his plate and the bread tha
t Ben had broken into pieces to make it easy for him to eat.
He chewed on one piece before reaching for a second.
“How about some of this nice broth?” Ben asked as Noah eagerly slurped another spoonful of his. Adam was feeding it to Noah for simplicities sake, so Ben mirrored him, holding out a spoonful to Duncan. The Omega balked at first, his lips tightly sealed but when Noah eagerly took another spoonful, he took his, swallowing it. Adam watched his face, noting how his eyes lit up when the taste hit his palate. He took the second spoonful without prompting then Ben showed him how to dip the bread in. Noah liked that idea too and soon had broth dribbling all down his chin and coating his fingers. Adam wiped it away with a damp cloth. He handed the cloth to Ben and Duncan let him clean his hands too. Progress, of a sort.
Even though Noah was at least a few years younger, Adam thought treating them the same was a good place to start from. It was a way to show Duncan care and kindness with a ready-made, ‘here’s one we made earlier’ example. Noah played his part spectacularly, reveling in all the attention and acting just that bit younger. Not surprising considering the trauma he’d been through and the separation.
Adam was under no illusion that he was as unscathed as he looked. It would come out in time, of that he had no doubt. There’s be clinginess, nightmares, tantrums, bed-wetting. But all that would pass and Noah would learn to feel secure again. And Duncan… Duncan would learn to be loved. By the time he came of age, his life with Tobias would be a distant memory.
They settled Noah and Duncan into the same bed, hoping Duncan would sleep better with company. Adam lay down on one side, Ben on the other but they didn’t sleep, not at first. Instead, they watched as the children drifted off before finally succumbing to sleep themselves.
Noah woke crying in the early hours, waking Duncan in the process.
“Hey, there. It’s okay, we’re here, you’re safe.”
Adam lifted Noah to lie against him and rocked him slowly. “Shh, you’re safe. Everything’s okay.”
He could see Duncan out of the corner of his eye, awake but lying still and trying hard not to be noticed. Ben spoke, his soft voice carrying across the room.
“It’s alright, Duncan. Noah just had a nightmare. You’re both safe. You can go back to sleep.”
The Alpha's Kiss: Lost Omegas Book Six: A M/M Shifter Romance Page 13
