Track 27 Running Up That Hill （A Deal with God）

Hearing from Swift that Sylvie and Sadie had also been taken did very little to soothe me. Especially when it became clear they were vulnerable, on the road from Lake Kilrose to Granton, because they were with Sorrel, helping her mend her broken heart… the heart we shattered so fucking carelessly.

But then, the two omegas are their own type of danger, as we're just now learning.

We're at the Falcone penthouse, with the Falcone and Werth packs, and they're sharing some new information about their omegas.

Stuff that Sorrel never told us. Things we probably should have known to be able to better protect her. Information I hope she would have shared once we were officially with her once we'd made the announcement of our intentions to court Sorrel. But we never got the chance.

A month ago, Sylvie's crazy doctor kidnapped her and forced her into a heat because they wanted her slick and hormones, trying to create a serum that can make omegas.

Sadie, it seems, lived her life as a beta, because her crazy doctor, that she'd been going to since she was eight, suppressed her omega for years. He'd used her blood and hormones to turn another beta, Claudia Poole, into an omega.

I didn't even know that was possible. It shouldn't be. The thought of it makes me feel sick. But I believe both these packs as they relay the information. What reason would they have to lie?

Even if I really don't want to. Especially when they tell us who is behind the tests.

Apex Pharmaceuticals.

One of the biggest drug companies in the world has our girls. Is running tests and who knows what else on them.

I'm not a naturally aggressive person. In general, I'm easygoing. But the thought of anyone running tests on Sorrel makes me feel damn near feral. The same way I did when Patrick had her pinned to the wall and when we confronted the Stillwell pack. Violence thrums through my veins, and I need to hurt someone. Someone who hurt my girl.

But I can already tell that's not going to happen. Not if the way Gray keeps glancing at me as they formulate a plan is any indication. And sure enough, when it comes time to assign roles, he strikes.

"I want you to stay here," Grayson tells me, one of his hands on my shoulder, messaging gently.

"Ha, funny. No way in hell I'm staying here while all of you go on a rescue mission for our beta."

Gray's hand slides up to the nape of my neck, collaring me. "Sweetheart, I need you to stay where it's safe. You can't put yourself in danger."

Normally, his hand on my throat would be enough to make me calm down and capitulate. It would be enough to make me give him whatever he wants, but not this time. Not when Sorrel is in trouble, not when we abandoned her. She would never have been taken if she was with us. If she was still nestled up in our house on the lake with its high-tech security and guards, or at our penthouse.

But we left her, believed the worst about her, and walked away. Leaving her alone in her tiny, poorly protected house, with flimsy locks and too many easily broken windows. We left her alone. It's our fault she's in this mess.

I slap his hand away and snarl. "Don't do that." Gray's brows arch, but I don't let it dissuade me. "You don't get to use your alpha wiles on me and make me calm, make me give in to you. I need to be there for Sorrel. I need to know she's okay."

He sighs. "Liam, sweetheart, we can call you as soon as-"

"No!" I legit stomp my foot, hands fisted at my sides. "No. She's my fucking beta. My pack. My mate . I'm not leaving her there-"

"No one is leaving her," he tries to break in, but I'm in a full omega strop at the moment. My heart is beating too fast. My scent is all over the place and I want to hit someone badly.

"I told you what we heard wasn't the complete story. I told you she wasn't like Kimber or Janice or Patrick. I told you she's ours. You didn't listen. You made me cut her out. You made me hurt her. I will not let you keep me from her again, Gray. I have to be there. I have to let her know that she's mine. I don't want her to go one second longer doubting it."

"Let him come," Gage says from behind me. Gray's eyes narrow into slits and I can feel the denial on his tongue. The rage pouring off him. I'd always thought finding pack members was supposed to be easy. Like it felt when I met Gray and Rafe… Sorrel, too. But Gage isn't easy. I'm not sure either alpha is willing to give in to the other. But I need them too. I need both of them in the pack, Gray because he's without a doubt my alpha, and Gage because I'm pretty sure I can't have Sorrel if he isn't game to at least try to make this work.

Gage continues before Gray can tear into him. "I'm not saying bring him into the raid. Hell, I'd prefer it if you sat out-"

"Same," Rafe chimes in, making my alpha's scowl deepen.

"But he can wait with the cars. He can be there when we get her out. She'll want to see him, need his comfort."

"What if we had a different job for you?" Maddox Falcone asks, folding his giant arms over his chest.

I frown. "What kind of job?"

The giant shrugs. "You're America's sweetheart. You can take everything we've accumulated on Apex and their shady dealings to the media. Do an interview, put them on blast. They'll be struggling to handle the fallout from that when we strike."

My brows jump. "It'll split their attention."

Gray nods. "That's a good idea. But I'm not sending him alone." Topher of the Werth pack steps forward, along with Asher.

"We can go with him," Topher offers.

"Actually," Luca says, running his fingers over his lips. "It might be a good idea for all of you to go to the media. The entire Cordova pack united against Apex. It'll make more of an impact."

My heart clenches. "But then Sorrel will have no one there for her when you get her out."

"We'll be there for her," Swift says at the same time that Gage growls. "I'll be fucking there for her."

Maddox shakes his head. "Are you sure she even wants to see any of you? Maybe she would prefer to not face the assholes that tossed her aside like trash right after coming out of a traumatic situation."

Logan nods. "I agree. It might be better to see her after things have calmed down a bit."

Everything tells me this is wrong. My omega is shouting at me that I need to get to Sorrel, need to bite her and claim her and make sure my alphas do the same so that I can be sure she's never lost to us again.

But Gray and Rafe and even Gage are all considering the Falcone pack's words, letting them sink in. Believing them.

Rafe pins Gage with a look. "You should come with us, too."

Gray claps the soldier on his shoulder. "It'll be your first introduction as a member of the Cordova pack."

The way my prime says the words is like it's a done deal, like it's decided that Gage is going to be a pack member. I'd be lying if I said I didn't feel a little thrill at the idea of it. But I suspect it has more to do with Gray understanding that in order for Sorrel to be a pack member, Gage will need to be as well.

She won't come to us without him.

The growly man shakes his head. "No fucking way. I'm literally trained in hostage extraction. It's what I did for the country. There is no one better equipped to get our girl out than me."

My heart warms at him, calling Sorrel our girl. Maybe it won't be so hard to get him to join us. Maybe he's realized that the way to have her is to have all of us, too. I won't even push for him to be physical with me. I respect his boundaries. But he will need to have Gray bite him so he can be a full member of the pack.

"We'll get her out," Davis Werth says. "We happen to be pretty good at this shit, too."

I look at him and can't help but be skeptical. Everyone knows the Werth pack is a bunch of pretty boy billionaires. But then I guess I'm one to talk. But I know I've trained in fighting, specifically hand to hand combat. And I'm a crack shot. I do most of my own stunts in my movies. I know I can do this.

I'm not sure that they can.

"Look, I don't want to be a dick," Jackson says as a sure precursor to something dickish. "But all of you fucked over Sorrel. Even you, Gage. All of you hurt her. I know you regret that now, but we have to think about what's best for her. Not for you."

"What's best for her is for me to be on the team that saves her," Gage grits out through his teeth.

"Is it?" Swift asks, casually flipping a knife in the air. "Here's the thing, you didn't see her, our little lavender. You didn't see her pain, the aftermath of what you assholes did. We saw, and we took note."

"We will not let you hurt her like that again," Luca says, meeting his brother's eyes. "Take the information, release it to the media. Split Apex's attention. That's what you can do to help. When we find her, we'll let you know. If she wants to see you-"

"You'll let us know," Gray says, sounding defeated.

I shake my head, ready to deny the request, sure that my pack will fight more. Sorrel needs us. But even Gage looks defeated.

I'm outnumbered.

My girl is currently experiencing a trauma, on the heels of not just one heartbreak but two, and none of us are going to be there.

I just hope she can forgive us for this, along with everything else.