Sentinel (The Lost Pack Book 3)

by Claire Cullen

  “Thorny?” Sammy padded up to him, his mouth turned down. “Where’s Daddy?”

  Thorn lifted the cub into his arms. “Daddy had to go on an errand, kiddo. But I’m here.”

  They were still waiting to hear back from Officer Greggs on the outcome of their report. To say the man had been surprised to hear from them was an understatement.

  “Daddy home soon?”

  “I… I hope so.”

  The truth was, Thorn didn’t know the answer to that. Even if the military managed to take custody of Harrison’s pack, there was still the question of just who Daniel was bonded to. If he was Harrison’s omega, he couldn’t be Thorn’s. But if he was Thorn’s… could they get past this? Daniel had lied to him, put his pack in danger, put Sammy in danger, then walked away like none of it mattered. That wasn’t the omega he’d fallen in love with.

  Sammy clung to him with a whimper, burying his face against Thorn’s neck. Thorn shushed him and paced back and forth across the room, the rhythmic movements soothing the cub to sleep. They were staying at the packhouse, since it seemed safer right then, and he needed to know someone could take care of Sammy if there was trouble.

  He heard Brax’s footsteps and settled Sammy down on the bed, going to meet him at the door. He stepped outside and closed it, lowering his voice to a whisper.

  “Any news?”

  “Too soon for that. Kira made dinner. Why don’t you head down and eat? I’ll keep an ear out for Sammy.”

  Thorn wasn’t hungry, but he went down all the same. He didn’t know what was going to happen next. He needed his strength and his wits about him. Which meant keeping as normal a routine as possible. He’d eat, get some sleep, wake up with Sammy the next morning and go about his day. When the news came, he’d decide what to do next. Whether that was fight for Daniel or leave him to his fate.

  Kira handed him a plate and joined him at the counter.

  “The others are in the dining room, if you feel like company.”

  “I don’t feel much like conversation right now,” he said shortly.

  “I understand. You must feel very angry. Betrayed, even.”

  On the one hand, yes, but on the other…

  “It’s like there are two sides to me. One side is furious. I’ve been hoodwinked, I’ve been deceived.”

  “But the other…” Kira prompted quietly.

  “He wouldn’t cross the threshold of my room for weeks. Every time he tried, he’d seize up with fear. Sometimes, when I moved too fast, he’d look at me like he was expecting me to do something terrible…”

  “He was hurt before he came here.”

  “Not just once,” Thorn said, hating how true it was. “Over and over again. The fear was ingrained in him.”

  “And yet, in only a few short weeks, you and he grew close enough to mate.”

  “Maybe Brax was right: it was a Stockholm thing. He gravitated toward me like a moth to a flame because I was kind. He didn’t love me; he was just relieved I wasn’t hurting him.”

  “You see the problem with that argument, of course,” Kira said.

  He lifted his head and frowned at her.

  “His heat. He wouldn’t have gone into heat because you were kind. Heat is kindled by deeper feelings. Passion, lust. A connection. The kind of connection an omega like Daniel would crave deeply.”

  “He didn’t think he deserved it. He thought he was ugly and useless.”

  “And you showed him he wasn’t. Is it any wonder he fell in love?”

  “If he fell in love at all.” Thorn wouldn’t be suckered into believing a fairy tale. “With how many lies he told, how can I know what was true between us? A heat doesn’t always mean deep-seated love. Sometimes, it’s just biology ticking over.”

  “Sometimes,” she agreed quietly.

  “The fact is, he’s someone else’s omega. I don’t have a claim on him, or on Sammy.”

  “You’d let Sammy go back there, knowing how he was when he came here?”

  “No, never,” Thorn vowed. “But that doesn’t mean I can save Daniel.”

  “Oh, Thorn. The question wasn’t ever going to be can you save Daniel. It’s will you, when you get the chance?”

  Thorn just shook his head, returning to his meal. The truth was, he didn’t know.

  It was mid-morning the next day before they heard anything, Thorn pacing anxiously while Brax talked to Officer Greggs.

  “Well?” he asked when Brax ended the call.

  “They raided the pack at dawn. Took the whole lot of them into custody. Eight alphas, seventeen betas, five omegas, and six kids.”

  “Daniel?”

  “They picked him up with the rest, they think. They’ve got them all at the Samson Military base. They’re being screened as we speak.”

  Thorn sat down heavily, looking around at the others.

  “They’re going to hold onto them?”

  “Apparently, everyone except the omegas and the kids are ex-military. There’s no question that they fall under military jurisdiction. Officer Greggs was very thankful for our information.”

  “I’ll just bet he was,” Thorn said bitterly. “But at least they’re no longer a threat to us. Was Sammy mentioned at all?”

  “Not by me. But I’m betting Harrison will start to raise hell about him once reality sinks its claws in.”

  “Do we have any argument for keeping him?”

  “We have our initial assessment when he came here, but no way to prove his condition back then was down to Harrison,” Oliver said. “Especially since he was in Daniel’s care before he got to us.”

  “And then there’s Daniel,” Brax added. “Have you decided what you want to do yet?”

  “Is there a decision to be made? He’s with his pack, and they’re now under military control.”

  “He was picked up with Harrison’s pack, yes,” Oliver said. “But just because he was there when they raided them, doesn’t mean they get to keep him. Not if we can prove he belongs elsewhere.”

  “But does he?” Thorn asked.

  “I know you’re angry,” Oliver said softly. “But don’t let that anger blind you. I’m not saying you have to welcome him back with open arms, but don’t you want to know the truth? Don’t you want to hear it from him?”

  “How? It’s not like we can rock up to a military base and ask for a visit.”

  “Why not?” Brax said. “Greggs owes us. If not for us, he wouldn’t have the pack he’s been itching to get his hands on. The only reason we were able to give that to him was because of Daniel. Surely that gives us some sway?”

  “It can’t hurt to ask,” Oliver added.

  Thorn could see everyone else thought it was the next logical step. And a part of him was still screaming about finding his mate and getting him to safety. Seeing Daniel one last time would prove things one way or another. Or silence that voice forever.

  Chapter Twenty-Seven

  They’d given Daniel a pair of gray scrubs to wear and told him to wait. Not that there was much else he could do. A doctor had already seen him. The exam hadn’t been too invasive, but he had confirmed Daniel’s pregnancy with a blood test and an ultrasound.

  Daniel had been offered water but no food, and escorted to a room with a chair where he’d sat and answered questions for what felt like hours. He’d tried to tell them that he wasn’t part of the pack but, of course, with Harrison claiming to be his alpha, they pretty much ignored him.

  Now he sat alone in a small cell, a bench on either wall, waiting for whatever came next. His only consolation was that the rest of the pack were being held in similar conditions. He tried to imagine Jaxon in gray scrubs, and the image brought a ghost of a smile to his face.

  After what felt like a long time, a tray was pushed through the slot at the bottom of the door. The food was basic but edible. There were pills on the tray too, but those he ignored. They were probably the prenatal vitamins the doctor had mentioned, but he couldn’t be sure of that.

&n
bsp; The lights turned off abruptly, leaving him in darkness. It was the only sign he had that night had arrived. He curled up on his side on the bench, feeling every inch of the chill that permeated the room but too scared to shift. They didn’t seem like they’d take kindly to that, and he didn’t want to suffer another shot from one of those stun guns that all the soldiers carried. Once had been enough. He wouldn’t risk the baby just to be warm.

  The lights came on again, signaling morning. He’d barely slept, but there’d be no getting back to sleep with those bright fluorescent lights assaulting him. There was another tray of food, accompanied by curt instructions to take his vitamins or he’d be forced to take them. Grimacing, he swallowed them down with a mouthful of water before he ate his sorry excuse for a breakfast. If that was supposed to be oatmeal, then someone needed to have a serious word with the chef.

  He half-expected to feel the effects of whatever was in the pills, but the morning wore on and, other than a lingering ache in his thigh, there was no evidence he’d been drugged. He wondered how long he’d be kept like this. Could they leave him here indefinitely? It was peaceful, he’d say that for it. Infinitely preferable to being reunited with Harrison. The alpha would not be in a forgiving mood, not now.

  A soldier came to take his tray away later that day, giving a satisfied nod when he saw the empty pill container.

  “Are the others here?” Daniel asked him. He’d heard shouts and calls the previous night, and a few that morning, but none for hours.

  “They’ve been moved to another compound. It’s regulation not to keep packs separated for long.”

  “What about me?”

  Maybe they’d believed him yesterday. Maybe they thought he wasn’t one of them.

  “Doc wants to keep you under observation for a while longer, given your condition. Don’t worry, you’ll be back with your pack soon enough.”

  He turned and left.

  “But they’re not my pack,” Daniel called after him.

  If the soldier heard, he ignored him. Of course he did. The military needed the pack’s cooperation. Which meant they needed Harrison’s cooperation. They’d give him anything he wanted that might secure that. And, of course, he’d want Daniel. To punish and torment for his betrayal. He’d probably find some way to blame their captivity on him too, though Harrison had spoken often enough about the government’s wish to erase and control packs. He’d feel vindicated in his paranoia now.

  Daniel lay down on the bench and dozed, shivering now and then from the cold. Would it be too much to ask for a blanket? Or the heat to be turned up?

  The door opened, and he sat up, expecting another visit from the doctor. Instead, the soldier from before stuck his head in and looked around the cell.

  “You’ve got a visitor. Sit up on that bench, keep your hands by your sides. Don’t get up, don’t change form.”

  He watched Daniel expectantly until he did as he was told, sitting on the side of the bench and grabbing hold of the edge with his hands. For good measure, he lowered his gaze submissively and hunched in on himself. There was only one person he could imagine they’d let visit him. Harrison would be out for blood, and he doubted they’d stop him if he decided to take his pound of flesh then and there.

  The soldier stepped back outside, the door slamming shut. Daniel held his position, not daring to so much as glance up as he heard footsteps approach. The door swung open again, and those heavy footsteps came inside, the door closing behind them. They moved across the room, coming closer, and then he heard a creak as his visitor sat down on the bench across from him.

  “Hello, Daniel.”

  He jumped at the familiar voice, forgetting himself enough to raise his head and gaze in shock at the alpha sitting across from him. It was Thorn.

  They stared at one another in silence. Daniel wasn’t sure why Thorn was there or what the alpha was going to do. He had to be just as furious as Harrison, if not more so.

  The alpha’s face was unreadable, a blank mask that was almost scarier than anger. At least with anger, he knew what he was getting. This… nothingness could mean a lot of things, all of them very bad.

  “Are you okay?” Thorn asked tonelessly.

  Daniel ducked his head again, struggling to control his breathing. His heart hammered away in his chest; each beat felt bruising.

  “I— I’m sorry,” he told him. “I’m so sorry.”

  He started to sob when he heard Thorn get up and move closer. He was afraid to look up and see what was in the alpha’s eyes. He deserved this, he did. All the lies he’d told, the truth that he’d hidden, all the hurt he’d caused. He deserved this.

  “Danny? Danny, look at me.”

  He shook his head, refusing the gentle request. Harrison would be gentle too, when he was at his cruelest, so Daniel wouldn’t see it coming.

  He flinched at the touch of a hand to his knee.

  “Easy, Danny. I’m not going to hurt you.”

  That was a lie, it had to be.

  “I deserve it,” he forced out, gripping the edge of the bench until his knuckles turned white. He wished Harrison would just get it over with—

  “No, you don’t,” Thorn said firmly, jolting Daniel back to the present. “I’m not him, remember? I’ll never be him.”

  Gentle hands encircled him in a hug, the hold tentative, before Thorn pulled back.

  A hand under his chin coaxed his gaze up, his eyes blurring with tears as he met Thorn’s gaze.

  “Sammy?” he asked.

  “Sammy’s fine. He’s safe. But you and I… we need to talk.”

  Daniel managed a solemn nod at that. He was past saving, he knew that. But maybe there was a chance for Sammy, and for the babies he carried.

  Chapter Twenty-Eight

  Thorn was relieved to see Daniel looked unhurt. But as the minutes passed, he started to wonder if he just wasn’t seeing the injuries. Why else would the omega be so terrified that he wouldn’t look at him?

  It took some gentle coaxing to get Daniel talking and making eye contact, but there was something so defeated in the omega’s demeanor.

  “So I’m guessing they told you what happened?”

  Daniel nodded woodenly. “The military has taken custody of the pack. We’re under their jurisdiction now.”

  “That’s right. And that’s not likely to change anytime soon. But it won’t make as much of a difference as you might think. While the pack doesn’t get to choose where it lives, pack life for most of them will go on much as it always has, just with oversight by the military. They won’t interfere with the day-to-day stuff.”

  He saw Daniel flinch at that.

  “I’m sorry it has to be this way,” he continued. “But the risk of Harrison coming after our pack for retribution was too high. This seemed the cleanest way to keep everyone safe.”

  Daniel lifted his head, staring at him in shock. “You did this?”

  “Harrison knew about our pack. He’d contacted Brax months ago. He must have suspected our involvement in your disappearance as soon as he heard where the moped had been found. If not, he’d have worked it out soon enough.”

  Daniel nodded at that. “He’d already figured it out. When… when the soldiers came, he was getting ready to go and confront you and take Sammy back.”

  “We think we may be able to prevent Sammy’s return. Especially now that we have the argument that it’s not good to raise a child in a military environment when another, safer situation is available. Sammy shouldn’t have to come here.”

  Daniel let his eyes close, a few tears escaping. “Thank you.”

  “I—we—didn’t do it for you. Sammy deserves better.”

  The omega nodded, and Thorn felt instantly guilty for his words, for letting his anger get the better of him. It wasn’t true. Daniel had worked so hard to keep Sammy safe. There was a good reason for that.

  “And… and the babies,” Daniel stuttered out. “Can you take them too, once they’re born?”

 
; “What?” Thorn asked, sitting forward with a frown.

  “The… the babies. Your babies. Will you take them as well? As soon as they’re born? Harrison knows they’re not his. I’m not sure what he’ll do, but if they were with you, at least I’d know they were safe.”

  Thorn covered his mouth with his hand and took a few deep breaths. This was not what he’d expected.

  “You’re pregnant?”

  Daniel avoided his gaze. “Harrison could tell from my scent when I surren— when I came back to him.”

  Thorn didn’t miss what Daniel had almost said. When he’d surrendered himself.

  “Is Harrison your alpha?” he asked quietly.

  “Yes.” There was the slightest hesitation in Daniel’s reply.

  “How long have you been together?”

  “Three and a half years.”

  “How did you meet?”

  Daniel lifted his head and stared at the wall behind Thorn’s head, his face blank. “His pack was on a hunt.”

  That didn’t make much sense to Thorn so he probed a little deeper.

  “Oh? What were they hunting? Deer?”

  There was a minute change in Daniel’s expression, just the hint of a frown.

  “Not that kind of hunt. The other kind.”

  “What other kind?”

  Daniel’s gaze flicked to him and away again, as if uncertain why Thorn was asking so many questions.

  “They were looking for omegas. Bed warmers, mostly. I was… I was doing night classes, walking home late. I was only a few blocks from home when they grabbed me. Threw me on the back of one of their motorcycles and drove off.”

  Thorn gave up all pretense of casual questioning. “They abducted you?”

  “They claimed me, for their pack. Me and two others that night. They brought us back to their packhouse, stripped us, and made us stand in the middle of the room while they chose. Harrison got first choice, as alpha leader. He chose me as his mate. He said that I was special, too good to be passed around like the others. Those he gave to his men. The ones with the highest standing got them first, the others took turns.”