Track 9 Dangerous

They wanted me to stay out of it, but if someone's been hurting my girl, I'm going to tear them limb from limb.

Of course, Gray says that's not what this is. No violence is planned, but with the energy thrumming off Gage and the barely restrained rage I can feel in Rafe through our bond, I think it's inevitable.

"Remember," the blond alpha warns. "Sorrel can't know we did this."

I frown. "I don't want to lie to her."

He looks at me with his head tilted. "Don't think of it as lying. Think of it as omitting some facts from her. Things that it's better she doesn't know."

I'm not sure I agree with it, and anyway, she's going to find out, eventually. If we aren't up front with her, she'll probably get pissed. Which makes my omega feel all itchy and uncomfortable. I don't want her mad at us, at me. I want her to be thrilled with us.

If she finds out and it makes her upset, she'll understand that we did it for her and forgive us, right? Almost definitely.

And if not, then I can just give her lots of orgasms and cuddles to make up for it. All the orgasms and cuddles.

We all can.

Fuck yeah, I'm so ready for it. For all of us to be together like a real pack.

Because I know that's what we are. What we're supposed to be. Even growly Gage. I know without either of them saying it, that if we bring Sorrel into the pack, Gage is coming too.

Though it seems my sweet little beta doesn't have a clue that Gage is deeply in love with her. Probably has been since they were kids. Sorrel's just that sweet to inspire a love that will wait for her. For years.

I know I'm willing to if I have to, but man, I really hope I don't have to.

I want her now.

Patience is not my strong suit.

But in order for that to happen, we have to tie up loose ends, take care of some of her problems so she feels free enough to come with us. Right now she can't do that with her parent's debt hanging over her.

A thought occurs to me. "What if she actually enjoys owning the restaurant?" I ask, making the three men in the car with me jump.

Rafe slides his gaze in my direction from the seat next to me. "Care to explain where that came from?"

I shift, leaning forward to peer out the front window. We're on the street outside the Stillwell pack house, waiting for the band of merry douches to arrive. I've never been in a real life stake out before, though I have acted through some. There is a disturbing lack of snacks in this real life one.

I'm hungry.

And I miss Sorrel, even though I saw her yesterday.

And we have plans to see her tonight for a casual hang. Which I hope means skimpy little lacy pajamas and lots of cuddling.

"Well, we're here to help her get free of her debt, hoping she'll be more open to moving to Granton, right? But what if she enjoys working up here at the lake? What if she doesn't want to come with us? What if she won't let us take care of her?"

Gage turns to look at me over his shoulder and growls, "She won't want to move to Granton. She hates the city."

Hates the city? But how can that be? No one actually hates the city. Right? How can they? The thrum of life that pulses through the streets, the museums, the plays and concerts, the food! Oh man, the food.

"She obviously hasn't experienced it the right way then," I say, settling back and scooting closer to Rafe, who lifts his arm and drapes it over my shoulder, tugging me into him.

"If you mean with millions of dollars to burn, then you're right," Gage growls again. I swear the man has one tone, and it's growly. Only growly. "But she's not some country bumpkin like you seem to think."

I open my mouth to say that is most definitely not what I think of my sweet beta, but snap it closed when he continues. "She was at university when her parents died. In Granton. She's lived there, and she hated it."

My stomach drops at his pronouncement. If she hated it, there's no chance of getting her to move there. And although Lake Kilrose is beautiful, it's too far away from the city to make sense for us to move there. Gray would either need to commute every day or he'd end up staying in the city five days a week and only seeing us on the weekends.

Which would be a nightmare to be separated from my bonded alpha that much. My omega whimpers at even the idea of it, though thankfully the sound doesn't actually leave my body.

Rafe presses a kiss to my temple as Gray meets my eyes in the rearview mirror. "I know you don't want to hear this, sweetheart, but you're putting the cart before the horse. We don't know…" He glances at Gage and then meets my eyes again. "We don't know that Sorrel will be a good fit."

I don't bother saying she's the perfect fit. She is. I feel it down to my bones. I know what he's saying, even if I disagree with him wholeheartedly. We can't trust Sorrel. I met her less than a week ago and dreaming of what it'll be like to move her into our pack house and having her near me always is jumping the gun.

I tend to do this.

I know I do.

I love love. I love falling in love and the flutter of butterflies when you see the person. I love the zing of energy and the too fast pounding of my heart at the barest touch. I love all of that.

And it always happens to me at the start of a relationship.

The trick is finding the people who make that feeling last.

Gray and Rafe make that feeling last.

I still get butterflies when I see them. My heart rate still picks up at every touch. It's a struggle to not rip off their clothes every chance I get.

I need them like I need the air in my lungs and food in my belly. They sustain me. I have the feeling that Sorrel is going to be the same.

Even if no one else believes me.

"What was she studying?" Rafe asks, snuggling me closer, one of his big hands smoothing down my back like he knows what I've been thinking. Maybe he has. I'm not exactly good at keeping my emotions on lockdown.

"Music theory," Gage grunts out.

My ears perk up at that. "Does she play any instruments?" She's been playing coy with us, like she doesn't really play the guitar we found in her living room. Like she doesn't know Rafe and I traveled to Lake Kilrose looking for her.

I take it as a good sign. She's not going to try to use us to launch her music career. I think Gray views it as a sign that she's not entirely truthful, untrustworthy. But maybe Gage will be more willing to explain why she's so resistant.

He grunts something I can't make out, but then a giant truck with six tires as tall as my hip roars down the roads and squeals as it zooms into the driveway we've been watching, barely missing hitting the garage door. The three alphas with me tense, eyes focused on the truck as men pour from inside it. Six of them. All with the size and body weight that tells me they're alphas. Which… Isn't so bad for the men with me, but I'm an omega and I might be a liability if one of them uses an alpha bark on me.

I'm not sure if he can sense what I'm thinking, but Rafe leans over and murmurs in my ear, lacing his voice with his command. " You will not follow any orders given to you by anyone but me, Gray, or Gage. "

In the front passenger seat, I see Gage's head whip toward us, dark eyes wide in surprise.

"Don't abuse the privilege, el cabron ," Rafe says pleasantly enough, but I know a threat when I hear one. Gage must too, because he nods slowly, though the look on his face tells me he doesn't trust this. Trust us.

It's a weird feeling being on the other side of distrust. But I get it. He doesn't know us and we've taken an interest in the girl he loves. If he wasn't wary, I'd be more concerned.

Gage views it as his job to protect Sorrel. To monitor potential threats and to keep her from hurting, the same way it's my alphas' job to do that for me.

I'm so glad she has someone doing it for her, even if she doesn't realize she does.

"Ready?" Gray asks, already popping open his door.

The rest of us do the same, climbing out of the car and crossing the street behind him. Well, I'm behind all of them, but Gray's in the lead.

I watch as two of the alpha's clock our approach. The other four are already halfway to the door, swaying and slurring their words, making it clear they've been drinking to the point of inebriation. They must have been day drinking cause it's only just now five, and it takes a lot for an alpha to get drunk. Like a lot.

Me, on the other hand, I have one glass of champagne at an awards ceremony and I can't see straight.

Omega genes.

The four nearer the house come to a stop, swing around to face us as Gray calls out, "Stephen Stillwell. Could we have a moment of your time?" As polite as can be for someone who is about to get his knuckles bloody.

The big alpha's lip curls when he sees who's approaching him, his muddy brown eyes flicking from Gray to Rafe to me to Gage, where they stop and widen just slightly, a sign of his fear. He should be afraid of all of us, not just the big growly alpha. But at least he has some sense. Especially since Gage is literally cracking his knuckles, twisting his neck and bouncing on his feet before he goes completely preternaturally still.

"Wagner," Stillwell says, completely ignoring Grayson in a way that I know annoys my alpha. I can feel it. "Didn't know you were back in town."

Gage tilts his head in acknowledgment. "Yesterday. Heard you've been fucking with Sorrel."

Stillwell scoffs as his pack moves up behind him. "Hardly. She owes us money. We're just… collecting our dues."

One of the other alphas laughs. "Yeah, she can pay up by coming all over my cock." His pack mates laugh along with him.

"Don't be ridiculous, Kevin. It doesn't matter if she comes. Just that she lets you fuck her like a whore so you can fill her snatch with your cum."

The biggest of the Stillwell pack says this, his belligerent gaze on Gage, like he's daring him to say something, to do something. Apparently, they've weighed the four of us and found us wanting. Being an omega, I'm sure in their eyes I'm not even a smidgeon of a threat, and with me out of the equation, they're sitting pretty with two on one.

I'm happy to let them think that.

It'll just be more of a surprise when I break their noses right along with my alphas.

Gage makes a low warning noise, but Gray steps in front of him, hand reaching into the front of his suit jacket. The Stillwell pack tenses, likely thinking he's pulling a gun, but that's not Gray's style. Instead, he pulls out a thick envelope and holds it out to the prime of the pack.

Stephen, the man who hurt Sorrel just yesterday, snorts and shakes his head. "You've got a lot of nerve coming into our town, thinking you can throw your weight around. You fucking can't, pretty boy. Sorrel is ours to do with as we please. We own her."

Gage growls, and I'm right there with him.

Technically, I want to make the same claim. That we own Sorrel, that she's ours, that we can do anything we want to her. The difference is that anything we do to her will be to bring her pleasure, to make her safe, to take care of her. We would never consider treating her the way the Stillwell pack has.

Rafe scoffs. "You can't just own a person, and I think you know that."

"We can and we do."

"No," Gray says firmly. "You do not. If you'll be so kind as to take this from me, you'll see that you no longer have any claim on Sorrel Forbes."

Stephen eyes the envelope and then spits out, "Fuck you!"

That seems to be the magic word because the rest of his pack swarms forward. Two men to each one of my alphas, leaving me just standing there for a moment, before I leap into action, heading for Gray, not that I don't think he can handle two men at once, but out of all of us, he's the least familiar with hand to hand combat.

His gray eyes flash to me for a second, and if he was any other alpha, and I was any other omega, this is the point where he would order me to step away, to stand down, to keep myself safe.

But I'm Liam fucking Cordova and I've been studying different martial arts and street fighting since I was a kid. I can hold my own and fuck anyone who says differently. Gray gives me a small, knowing smile and focuses back on his fight.

I leave Stephen to Gray, prime against prime, and instead go for the second alpha. "Hey," I say as I slap him with an open palm. "Let's even things out a bit, shall we?"

He sneers, lip pulling back in a snarl that reveals his teeth. "You're an omega."

I slap him again. "Doesn't mean I can't kick your fucking ass."

"I'm not fighting an-" A third slap has him cutting off and lunging for me, just like I wanted. I sidestep his lunge, letting him move right past me, separating him from Gray and Stephen. My fist flies before he has a chance to fully catch his feet, punching him in the kidneys twice, hard and fast. He groans and spins to face me. "Gonna rip your head off, omega."

I arch my brows and shrug. "You can certainly try. Don't think you'll succeed, though."

Another snarl, another lunge, another shot to his sensitive internal organs.

"Stop playing with him, mi amor ," Rafe calls, before reminding me. "We have somewhere to be."

Right, Sorrel. We're supposed to pick her up from the restaurant. And I don't want to be late.

Time to get serious.

I twist my head until my neck cracks, rolling out my shoulders, and settling myself for a proper fight… or as much of a fight as this dude who clearly depends on his size as an intimidation factor is going to be. Which, sadly, isn't much.

I'm momentarily distracted from my preparation as Gage laughs, fucking laughs with his head thrown back like he's enjoying this. It's beautiful, his smile, the sound of his laughter in the middle of a fight. I watch entranced as he spits a wad of blood and then hits the guy he was facing off with hard in the temple.

He drops to the ground, unconscious, and Gage spins, still grinning like a loon, looking for another fight.

It's at this point that I realize Sorrel's alpha is unhinged. More than a little.

He just does a superb job hiding it behind a quiet, growly exterior.

Or maybe he's only unhinged when it comes to Sorrel and the people who hurt her. I can't even blame him for that. I feel a little feral about her myself.

Which must be why I laugh too as my fist connects with the guy I'm squaring off with's cheek. It just bubbles up, even as pain radiates up from my knuckles and blood splatters my skin. He blinks at me, confused that an omega can hit him so fucking hard, and I take advantage and hit him again. And again. "Stay the fuck away from my beta," I growl at him with each hit.

He takes a sloppy swing at me, but I dodge it easily, ducking under his arm and driving a fist into his stomach. He doubles over and I meet him with a knee to his already bleeding nose. Down he goes, hitting the ground with a grunt.

I have a half-second to celebrate before pain explodes on the side of my head, making my ears ring. The sound of my alphas roaring just barely filters to me through the throbbing in my head. Oh, they are pissed. Sexy.

I spin and find a bulky alpha sneering at me. I lift my fists, readying to fight, when he barks out, " stop. " My muscles lock up as I blink at him. He smirks. "Good omega. No more fighting. You're going to come with me ."

My foot lifts of its own accord as he jerks his head at me.

This is horrifying, and probably the worst part about being an omega. The inability to fight alpha commands.

Rafe uses his alpha bark on me, usually to keep me safe, to command me to stay away from a fight or, like he did earlier, to protect me from other alpha commands. Gray almost never does. But it never gets any easier feeling the slither of someone else's will slip over your body, hold you immobile.

Being bonded, though, helps. The command Rafe gave me in the car helps. So I grit my teeth and force my foot back to the ground, my fists back up, ready to fight. "Fuck you," I snarl.

He only has about three seconds to be surprised that I resisted him before he's on the ground, curled on his side to protect his internal organs as Gage kicks him repeatedly. "Motherfucker! How dare you use your bark on an omega!" He's practically roaring now, loud in the ensuing silence. I glance around and find the only people standing are my pack and Gage. The Stillwell pack is all splayed on the ground, bleeding and groaning, or too fucking still.

Fuck. Did we kill some of them? That guy definitely looks dead. No, wait, his chest is moving. Thank god.

"Gage," I say hesitantly. He doesn't hear me, just pulls back his boot to kick him again. "Growly bear," I say with more force. That get his attention. I don't know if it's from the nickname or the tone of voice, but his dark blue eyes meet mine and a jolt hits me like an electrical current.

"I'm okay," I say softly. "I'm okay and he's… not ."

Gage looks down and then back at me. His jaw ticks before he gives a grudging nod, but still places the sole of his boot on the alpha's head. Like he's considering stomping on him. For me.

Well, not only for me, but for me and Sorrel.

It's really freaking sexy.

Swoon.

I shove the thought away as the dude groans and shifts like he's going to get up, shake Gage off somehow.

"Stay down," Gage snarls, boot pressing harder into the guy's head. I think he's just barely keeping himself from stomping, so I move a little closer to him, letting my soothing omega pheromones out as much as I can while nursing a throbbing headache and split knuckles.

Gage's dark eyes find me, and I watch as his fists uncurl and his shoulders relax. He gives me a nod of acknowledgment. I give him a cheeky grin. "Sorrel would never forgive us if you went to jail for murder."

He grunts and then turns his attention to where Gray is standing over Stephen Stillwell. The other alpha is bloody, lip split and swollen, a goose egg on his forehead, broken nose, red dripping onto the pavement soaking into the knees of his jeans where he kneels.

Gray bends and picks up the envelope from where Stephen smacked it, brushes off some dirt and debris and then offers it to the prime of the other pack. "This is a contract between your pack and the Cordova pack. It states that the debt incurred by Vivian and Paul Forbes has been paid in full by us, and we are now the holders of the loan. As such, your pack will have no further involvement with Sorrel Forbes. Any attempts to speak with her will result in legal action and your arrest."

Stillwell snarls, his lip pulling back. "This is because of that little beta bitch? She's ours . It's only a matter of time before she caves." Next to me, Gage shifts his foot off the alpha on the ground, inching toward the man who just will not stop fucking talking. "She'll be our good little whore, spread her legs and let us breed her. She'll be begging for it." He grins up at Gray with blood smearing his teeth. "We won't bond her, though. If you want her when we're done, after we've used her all up, you can take her off our hands… for a price."

Gray keeps his expression neutral, though I can feel his rage simmering in our bond. Rafe's too, from where he's got his two meaty hands clamped on the other two conscious members of their pack. It's taking everything my alphas have to not tear these fuckers apart.

"We're paying that price now," Gray says, voice not giving away how very close he is to snapping. "By giving you the amount owed on the loan taken out by Mr. and Mrs. Forbes. Any attempts to collect the debt from Sorrel Forbes will be seen as harassment and assault."

"You want her for yourself, huh?" Stephen says with a chuckle, unaware of the predator stalking toward him. "Not a problem. Why don't we just share her, hmm?"

The guy at my feet opens his mouth to call out a warning, but a swift kick with my steel-toed boot to his temple has him going unconscious, just as Gage slips up behind Stephen and wraps his arm around his neck in a position I recognize as the prelude to snapping a neck.

I think the growly alpha might actually kill him.

"You're going to want to stop talking about her like she's a fuck toy you can just pass around, Stillwell," he murmurs with chilling intensity against the other alpha's head. "I've killed men for less. And I will happily snap your neck right here right now, if it means that Sorrel will never have to look at you again."

"Fuck off, Wagner. You wouldn't fucking dare."

"Oh, but I would. For her I'd do fucking anything ."

Another low chuckle out of the idiot. "You always were pussy whipped."

"Happily," Gage agrees. My estimation of him rises tenfold in that moment. So does my attraction. Though I'm not sure anything will ever happen between us. He seems wholly focused on Sorrel. And I have to be okay with that.

I don't blame him for it either. She is enchanting, delightful. Fucking gorgeous.

Gray's lips tip into the smallest smile of approval, no doubt thinking the same as me. Or maybe he's feeling how turned on I am? Shit. I bet that's it.

I scramble to shut down my side of the bond as Rafe laughs and shakes his head.

"You mistake my meaning, Mr. Stillwell. The contracts are signed and notarized. The loan you held for Sorrel is now ours and believe me when I say the contract will hold up in court."

Stephen's mouth drops open and he splutters. I have no clue how Gray did that, but I have no doubt that he did. Even if he faked the Stillwell pack signatures, he wouldn't have left it up to chance. I'm sure he has a set of the same contract somewhere with no signatures. He always intended to give them the chance to do the right thing, but he wouldn't have left something like this up to chance.

He may not fully trust Sorrel, but he hates seeing someone being taken advantage of, almost as much as he hates being taken advantage of—though that doesn't happen all that often anymore. No one would dare. He's Grayson motherfucking Cordova.

"You can't do this!" Stephen snarls, lunging forward, but not going anywhere, only pressing his neck further against Gage's forearm.

"It's already done," Gray dismisses him.

"We're going to press charges! My dad will arrest the fuck out of you."

My prime alpha hums. "I don't believe he will. We approached you calmly and without malice." I snort at that because we definitely didn't approach this pack of assholes without malice. "We simply wanted to discuss the terms of your loan with Sorrel Forbes. You attacked us. Not the other way around. We defended ourselves. Nothing more, nothing less." I look around at the groaning men on the ground. We probably could have done without the broken bones and the unconsciousness. But what are you gonna do about it? "If you'd calmed down, we might have been able to avoid all this unpleasantness. I don't enjoy violence, Stephen. I would have preferred avoiding beating the shit out of you. However, you forced my hand."

God, he's so sexy when he's like this.

Gray holds out the envelope again. "I suggest you take the check and the contract, though if you don't, the terms still stand. We hold Sorrel's loan. Not you."

Stephen's lip pulls back in a snarl. "That's fucking bullshit. You can't just-"

"Oh, but I did," Gray says, smoothing a hand down his suit jacket, and frowning at the speck of blood on the cuff.

Rafe chuckles, low and dirty, and my cock wakes up at the sound. "You're delusional if you think you have any say in this, bastardo . You don't. Stay away from Sorrel. End of story."

Gage releases his choke hold and rounds the other alpha. He bends low, one thick hand wrapped around his neck, and squeezes. His lips brush the other man's ear as he murmurs just loud enough for me to hear. "If you ever touch her again, I will fucking kill you, Stillwell. I warned you in high school, but you didn't fucking learn. Sorrel is mine. Mine to love and protect, cherish and care for. You go against her, you go against me. I have no fucking problem putting your entire pack in the ground if it means she never has to deal with your abusive fucking ass ever again. Do I make myself clear?"

"Do we make ourselves clear?" I correct, because I'm right there with him. We all are. Or at least I hope we are. I can feel the approval radiating off of my alphas, so I have to think they're in this with us.

"No one will find your bodies," Rafe intones darkly. "We've made people disappear before." It's a struggle to keep my lips from twitching. We've never actually killed anyone. Never hired someone to kill someone for us. We tend to let the law and our money take care of our problems. But they don't know that.

Gage grunts out something I can't make out, then pulls his fist back and slams it into Stephen Stillwell's temple hard enough to knock him out. Then he hits him again. And again.

Grayson lets it go on for a while, but then he tsks and reaches down to haul Gage to his feet. The blond alpha struggles briefly, but when Rafe slips in front of him and says calmly, "We have to go meet Sorrel. Get your shit together so our girl doesn't see you like this," he stops. His chest heaves with pent up rage as he gives a jerky nod.

One of the Stillwell alphas still conscious laughs. Gray twists his head to pin him with a look. "Something funny, asshole?"

He smirks. "You're fucking funny." He jerks his chin at Gage. "You think he's going to share Sorrel Forbes with you? The dude is fucking obsessed. Damn near feral for her. Warned everyone away from her in high school, before he up and abandoned her." I don't view that as necessarily a bad thing. Well, the abandoning part is bad, but not the warning assholes away from her. I'd have done the same if I went to high school with her. "It's only a matter of time before he's whispering threats in your ears, too."

Rafe grins. "The difference between your pack and us is that we're not afraid of a challenge."

Gage shrugs off Gray's hands and swipes at the blood under his nose with the back of his hand. "And the crucial difference is that Sorrel actually likes them, Justin. If she wants to be with them… there's nothing I can do about it."

Hmm, not exactly a glowing recommendation, is it? But still it's better than nothing. Gage is important to Sorrel, which means he has to be important to us. If we want to have Sorrel be a part of our pack, we're going to have to convince Gage it's a good idea, too.

Problem is, I'm pretty sure he's dead set against it already.

Not that I blame him. Sometimes I don't want to share Sorrel either.

But that's the reality of pack life. You all belong together.

There's a groan as Gage hits him, and then he arches a brow at Grayson. "We done here?"

My prime scans the prone bodies on the ground and then gives a tight nod. "Yes. We're done."

"Hooray!" I wave a fake flag in celebration. "Lets go pick up our girl!"

Gray frowns down at the speck of blood on his cuff again. "Let's get cleaned up first. She doesn't need to know we did this."

Rafe and Gage make sounds of agreement while I just snort, practically skipping back to the car in excitement. "She's gonna know," I say, yanking open the front passenger door. "As soon as she hears they've been beat to a bloody pulp, she'll know it was us."

"Plausible deniability, sweetheart," Gray says, climbing behind the wheel. "No one knows we're here, and she doesn't need to know either."

"She'll suspect," Gage agrees. "But we won't give her a reason to know , right?"

"Right," I'm quick to say. I want Gage to like us. I want him to consider joining our pack.

Gray starts the engine and we take off, the adrenaline from the fight fading in the quiet hum of the engine. The silence is only broken when Gage admits, "If they come anywhere near her again, I'm going to kill them."

"We'll bring the shovels," Rafe says cheerfully.

"Or the acid," Grayson adds, starting the engine and checking the blind spot before pulling out.

"What about pigs?" I suggest.

Gage snorts while Gray and Rafe chuckle. "What?" I say. "Pigs are great for disposing of bodies!"

They laugh harder. "Where the hell are we gonna get pigs, mi amor ?"

I shrug and snuggle into Rafe. "We're rich. We can just buy some."

Gray chuckles again. "Oh yes, because that won't be suspicious at all. City slicker Cordova pack suddenly has an interest in farm animals. Just out of the blue."

I arch a brow. "You think it's less suspicious to buy acid that can dissolve bones?"

"I can think of at least ten reasons it would be less suspicious for us to buy acid than to buy pigs."

"Well, the thing with pigs is that you only need one reason," I say matter-of-factly. "They're stinking cute!"

They all laugh again at that, even Gage, who shakes his head and presses one bloody hand over his mouth, like he's trying to stifle his laughter.

It fills me with satisfaction to see them all doing something together, even if it is laughing at me. I'll take it.

I want this to work. I want Sorrel and I want Gage.

I think tonight went a long way toward making that happen.

Nothing like a little mayhem to bring pack members together.