Chapter 2

Fuck. Watching the omega I just bought being hauled off the stage hurts my heart more than the rage and confusion coming from my alpha’s bonds. Something came over me when I saw her large, tortured eyes gazing over the crowd that I don’t understand.

“What the fuck are we going to do with another omega, Flynn?” Ambrose snarls as we start moving through the crowd to collect her.

All sales are final at the Jefferson City Auction House, and there are no exceptions. Ever. The security in this building is insane, and I know Ophelia has a mafia backer for her business.

“I don’t know what happened,” I wail. “I’m sorry. I know we’re only here to help Jasper, but I felt this need to bid when she walked out on stage. I couldn’t help it. There was this bubble of pressure in my body, and then I was bidding two million dollars.”

Jasper Rivers is a friend of ours, and he’s been looking for his sister for years. His parents sold her the night she presented as an omega at ten-years-old. While we aren’t good men, we do have some morals. Selling children is a disgusting practice, and my stomach turns as I think about the reasons for someone buying her so young.

“You have good instincts,” Everest grunts, wrapping his large hand around the back of my neck. It’s comforting, and I lean into his strength. The scent of nutmeg and heather wrap around me, reminding me of who I belong to.

“I trust them, and we have the money, I just don’t see what’s so special about her,” Everest continues, wrinkling his nose.

“Yet,” Shaw mutters. “God, girl omegas are such a pain in the ass.”

I didn’t think this through. Fuck. Omegas typically can’t share space together because of how territorial we are. Fuck, what if she smells bad? Do I really want her scent all over my things?

“Breathe,” Everest reminds me in my ear. “Baby, it’s going to be okay. What’s a little impulsivity between pack members?”

I am impulsive. I have a collection of converse shoes because I love a sale and they’re really fucking comfortable. I’m known for regularly changing the curtains in my nest because I get bored easily, but I don’t have to bother anyone when I do it since I can do it myself.

A female omega? She wouldn’t be able to reach to change things out, and would have to ask for help.

It doesn’t make me feel any better, because I don’t know if I want to share my alphas. God, sometimes I hate my instincts.

“If she’s a pain in the ass, we’ll dump her at a rest stop and call our good deed completed,” Shaw growls.

This is the third auction we’ve been to on Jasper’s behalf in the last year. He finally told us about his sister one night during drinks, and we asked if we could help. He lives in Illinois now, working for the British mafia, so he’s attempting to canvass all the auctions in the Midwest in an effort to find her.

I don’t even know if this could be his sister, since so much time has passed. He has a very old photo of her, which means she could look like anyone, or her handler could have changed her hair color.

The omega we bought stares vacantly in front of her, appearing as if she’s locking herself away from whatever misery is coming for her. I don’t blame her, this crowd is pretty rough, and each conversation that I overheard was even more terrifying than the next.

Breeding, sex slavery, experiments.

Shuddering, I’m glad I’m wearing scent blocking lotion today. It feels unfamiliar and uncomfortable, but it’s safer for me. Male or female omega, the danger is the same because of the power that’s in our pheromones.

My heat is a few weeks away, but there’s a pull alphas experience in the presence of an omega that can make them feral.

I wear the bites of my alphas on my body, and I know one is peeking out from under my sweater. Sometimes even knowing an omega is claimed isn’t enough for an alpha to be able to resist the pull.

Blowing out a breath, I glance over at Ambrose, where he’s paying the auction bid. His broad shoulders pull his long-sleeved blue shirt taut under his black jacket. His too long dark brown hair is twisted into a bun at the base of his neck, and I yearn to pull it free, so I can run my fingers through it.

“Feeling twitchy yet, baby?” Everest asks, worried. I hate crowds. I insisted on coming with them today, and I don’t even know why, except that I couldn’t stand being home for one second longer.

That’s unusual for me, because I love our home. It sits on several acres with few neighbors, and we even have a goat and some chickens. Everest, Ambrose, and Shaw work for the Irish Mob, doing jobs regularly for them. I don’t ask questions when they come home covered in blood with bruised knuckles.

Truthfully, it doesn’t bother me. These alphas accept me with my social anxiety and impulsivity, and I adore them. We’re pack, and we just fit together.

Blowing out a breath, I nod.

“So far, yeah. I can’t wait to get out of here, though. If misery had a scent, it would be here,” I murmur.

Everest throws his arm over my shoulder with a nod as I wrap mine around his waist. They’re all a full foot taller than me, but it means I fit perfectly against them for a cuddle. Everest’s jaw is covered in blond scruff, and his blond hair is short on the sides while it runs wild and slightly longer on top. His almost colorless blue eyes look around the area, on alert as we complete our transaction.

My eyes stay on the omega who is wearing the tiniest scraps of lingerie possible and a collar. Wondering what she smells like, I inhale to find out. I can’t scent her.

Frowning, I shake my head. Why would they have her wearing scent blockers?

“Alright, little omega, let’s get going,” Shaw sighs, stepping forward.

The girl barely notices as he wraps his huge hand around her bicep, pulling her forward. She truly is lost in her mind as we start making our way toward an exit.

“Shaw,” I yell, walking faster as the door ahead of us is opened and a cold blast of air comes through. “She can’t go out like this. She’s not even wearing shoes. What about the collar? Come on, really?”

The scent of burnt caramel comes toward me, but I stand my ground as I glare at him. I don’t care if he’s annoyed at me. There’s no fucking way in hell this is happening.

“What do you want me to do, babe?” he groans. “You’ll never let me wear this jacket again if I let her wear it and it’s my favorite.”

Shaw is right, I would usually want to claw this girl’s face off, and I have no idea why I don’t seem to want to.

Frowning at my growly, dangerous alpha, I take in his dark-washed jeans and suspenders covering his white button-up shirt. Shaw is meticulously dressed, his tattoos peeking out a bit from under his white shirt and his black jacket is worn open to allow me my fill of arm candy. In almost a fuck off to society, his gauges in his ears are shown off proudly with his hair cut short.

“I may if you let me wash it,” I rasp. God, I am so affected by my alphas, it’s not even funny.

His lips smirk from under his well trimmed beard and mustache, and he lets go of the omega to slowly pull his arms out of the jacket. I know Ambrose and Everest are keeping an eye on the omega, so I let my eyes crawl over the tattoos covering his arms. The sleeves of his white shirt are rolled up his forearms, and he even has a button open at the top.

“Yummy,” I whisper.

“You bet your ass I am,” he rumbles, moving forward to hold my chin between his fingers before he leans down to kiss me.

God, yes. Salted caramel popcorn explodes over my tongue as he devours my lips, a taste I crave more than anything.

“Be a good boy for your alpha, and I’ll fuck your perfect, tight hole when we get home,” he groans.

Fuck. I can feel my cock leaking already. Shaw’s nostrils flare as the scent of chocolate and custard starts to leak into the air as I perfume. The scent blocking lotion won’t help at all with this.

“Fuck, we gotta go before I have to shoot people, baby boy,” he groans. “Listen, we’ll deal with the collar when we get home, okay? I didn’t think to mention wearing the scent blocking boxers for our outing because I know you hate them.”

“I hate all boxers,” I remind him, wrinkling my nose. All three of my alphas groan at the reminder that I’m commando right now, and Shaw tosses his jacket haphazardly over the omega’s shoulders before picking her up.

It should bother me to see someone else in his arms, and I don’t know why it doesn’t. Shaking my head at how unsettled I feel by the questions I have about this girl, I follow behind Shaw with Ambrose and Everest flanking me on either side.

Little girl, I don”t know what it is about you, but I am willing to poke and prod until I have all the answers.

My alphas may be the ones who enjoy bloodshed, but I’m willing to get my hands dirty if the situation calls for it.

This girl barely weighs anything as she lays curled tightly in my arms. I hate to admit it, but my sexy red-headed omega is right. It’s too damn cold for this girl to be out in lingerie in this weather.

It may not be snowing in May, but I can still see my breath in front of me as I walk. The omega in my arms is quiet, her eyes vacant even as she shivers.

“Little omega, we’re leaving the auction now. You’re safe,” I tell her gruffly. I’m shit at being sweet to anyone, and the girl shudders violently against me. The collar is stark and ugly against her skin, and I have to agree that it needs to come off.

God, please don’t let her have a seizure or some shit right now. I don’t know what to do with a female omega, since I’ve been with my pack for years. Ambrose, Everest, and I started working together for Corbin when we turned eighteen as his enforcers, and then met Flynn on a blind date of all things about two years later. We’ve been together for about ten years now.

I never imagined things would turn out as perfectly as they did when we found out that Flynn was Ambrose and Everest’s scent match. I was immediately attracted to the gorgeous red-head with his shy smile and beautiful bright green eyes. While I would have loved to have been his scent match, it wasn’t necessary for me to want to bond with him.

Ambrose breaks from our close huddle as we walk to our SUV, hurrying forward to unlock our vehicle and open the truck.

“I’m bonded to cavemen,” Flynn sighs. “I know you’re mob men and all, but are we really shoving little omegas in the trunk?”

“It’ll be a first for me, I assure you,” I say drolly, tossing her gently into the space.

Unfortunately, I have more strength than most, and she flies through the air, grunting as she rolls several times before slamming into the seats in front of her. The little omega doesn’t move an inch, and Flynn’s jaw may hit the ground if he doesn’t lift it.

Fuck.

“Well, she’s in the car now,” I say with a chuckle, mostly to cover the pinch in my chest as I step back to close the trunk. My eyes never leave the girl who doesn’t move an inch as I shut the door, making me swallow hard. “Who else is ready to get home after this shittastic day?”

Flynn glares at me as he mutters to himself, opening the back door to climb inside, lips twisting in a grimace, I shrug at Ambrose and Everest who just snicker at me. I’ll make it up to my omega later, that is if he doesn’t decide that he dislikes having the girl around after all and asks me to kill her.

I would snap her neck if he asked me to without hesitation. God, why does that feel so wrong though?

Feeling conflicted, I get into the driver seat as Ambrose sits next to Flynn and Everest pulls open the passenger side to sit next to me.

“I’m so ready to get home,” I say, sighing. “I didn’t see anyone who could be Jasper’s sister, did you?”

I don’t bother to lower my voice, because I’m pretty sure I managed to knock the poor girl out. Turning on the vehicle, I put it into reverse to pull out of my parking spot.

“It’s so hard to tell,” Everest says, blowing out a breath. He takes out his phone, opening it to where we all have a photo saved of little Harley Rivers. Her wide smile is missing a tooth, and the image is so dark it’s hard to see what color her eyes are.

Her brother says they’re hazel, so we have to take his word for it. She’s tiny for a ten year old, and the thought of what she’s been through the last ten years turns my stomach. God, ten fucking years.

Taking a weak breath, I shake my head as I start driving toward the highway.

“I don’t know how much longer we can keep doing this,” I admit. “So many things could have happened to that little girl.”

“How do we break it to Jasper, though?” Flynn whispers. “I always think about how if I had different parents, that could have been me, guys.”

“It isn’t though,” Ambrose growls, his arm wrapping around Flynn’s shoulders. “It never will be, either.”

My mood is dark as I drive home, and when I’m about twenty minutes away, I hear movement in the trunk. Flynn twists in his seat to look over his shoulder, checking on the other omega.

“Hey, are you okay?” he asks softly. The sounds of feet pushing along the floor fill the SUV as I glance into the rearview mirror. The girl is squished into the corner of the trunk, gazing at Flynn with wide eyes.

She still doesn’t say a word, making me frown. Maybe she can’t speak?

Ambrose turns to look at her as well, his dark brows furrowing. During the drive, he pulled the hair tie from his hair, and it’s now free over his shoulders. I know it was so that Flynn could play with it as we drove to soothe his nerves. We all have a soft spot for our bonded omega.

“It wasn’t quite the plan to buy you, but we’ll muddle through,” he says gruffly. “We’ll be at the house soon, and then we’ll decide what to do with you.”

The girl simply nods quickly before looking down at the ground, burrowing into the jacket. No matter what Flynn says, I’m pretty sure I’m going to have to burn my favorite coat. Training my eyes back on the road, I rub the well trimmed hair on my face in annoyance.

I’m exhausted. I want to toss the girl in a room and not have to worry about her, so I can fuck my omega and nap. I pretty much hate people, and even though the little mouse doesn’t speak, somehow that pisses me off even more.

A few minutes later, I roar down the back road to our home, enjoying how peaceful it looks. There’s a gate that only opens when it reads the sensor on my vehicle, and I wait as it begins to move once it recognizes me.

The guys shift around me quietly, clearly happy to be home as well.

“I want a shower and a nap,” Ambrose groans, stretching. My lips twitch in amusement as Everest rubs his stomach next to me, because he’s always hungry.

I don’t know where the blue-eyed alpha puts it all.

“It’s nice to be home,” I murmur. The driveway is a mile away from the gate, and the gorgeous trees on the way to our home are blooming, making me excited for summer.

It’s been too damn cold this spring.

Pulling into the driveway outside of the house, I gratefully put the SUV into park. I usually am the driver when we go places because of my need to be in control, and while I don’t mind it, it’s always a relief to come home.

Shoving the door open, we all bail out of the vehicle, closing the doors behind us as we start walking toward the front door. I lock and arm the SUV as I walk, starting to unlock the front door when I hear Flynn curse loudly.

“What?” I ask, half turning to see him standing exasperated as he points at the trunk of my vehicle. I can’t even see the little omega curled up in there, and I sigh as I realize we all fucking forgot about her.

“Not it. One of you get her out of the car and toss her into a room with a couple of blankets. She’ll keep till tomorrow.”

“Are we not feeding her?” Flynn asks, eyes wide.

“Nah,” I grunt. “I don’t want her to get too comfortable. We aren’t keeping her.”

Tossing the SUV keys to Everest who just rolls his eyes at me, I continue opening the front door and disarming the security system. Whatever I’m feeling right now is a passing phase. As long as I ignore the girl, it’ll fade.

I continue to tell myself this even as I shower, and then refuse to ask where they put her when I throw on a pair of joggers and walk down to the kitchen to make myself a sandwich.

My mouth is full when Jasper’s number flashes across my screen, and wince when I push my phone to Flynn to answer, while I finish chewing.

“Hi, Jasper,” Flynn answers, putting him on speaker phone.

“Hey, is Shaw around?” he asks. Grabbing my glass, I take a quick sip, swallowing hard with a wince.

“Yes,” I rasp. “Sorry about that. I took a bite of my sandwich just as the call came in. We just got in a little while ago.”

“Any luck?” he asks. I feel bad for the guy. His brothers and he are beating themselves up for not noticing the shit his parents were into.

“No, I’m really sorry, man. It’s been a really long time. That auction was really tough today. The omegas weren’t treated very well,” I say honestly. “I don’t know how a little girl would survive at that age. There weren’t any kids under the age of sixteen there today.”

“Shit,” Jasper whispers. “Maybe it’s a pipe dream to keep looking. My brothers and I just feel so damn guilty.”

“You were kids,” Ambrose reminds him, leaning on the island to make sure Jasper can hear him. “There was nothing you could have done.”

“Sometimes you just have to let it go, man,” Everest murmurs. I don’t miss the tortured glance he gives me, and I give him a small nod.

We all have things we wish we could undo. The reality is that life doesn’t offer do overs.

Ever.

All we can do is keep moving forward, and hope the howls of our ghosts eventually forgive us.