The Cemetery

Mari

I had a plan.

I had supplies, a map, a name, and a route. But now, sitting half-naked in a forgotten cemetery, I have nothing. I should have grabbed something other than Izan’s dress shirt, but I was desperate to get away. Too panicked. Too stupid.

My knees gave out the second I reached the cracked altar. It was as if my body couldn’t take another step of separation between me and my new mate. Izan’s pain was already so clear in my head. I had read that some bonds took days to build, while others took weeks, but a few were instant. Apparently, I’m one of those lucky few.

Izan’s physical pain is obvious in my mind. I know it has to do more with his cock than his head. I’m not sure how I know that but I do, but it’s the pain in his chest that’s really distracting. He’s downright panicked, desperate to find me, but our connection doesn't allow me to know why he wants me back. I’m sure he’s pissed he lost his toy.

Somewhere in the distance, leaves rustle and a few twigs snap. My back straightens and my eyes dart, but it’s pitch black out here. The thick overhead canopy blocks out most of the moonlight, making it impossible for me to see anything.

When in doubt, hide.

I try to stand, but my legs still refuse to work, so I crawl, making my way toward the broken altar. The twisted roots of the mighty oak dig into my palms and knees. I’m sure I have a few cuts and several bruises, but it's nothing compared to the mating bite throbbing on my neck. Izan didn't finish cleaning it. Hot blood still trickles from it every time I turn my head.

The ground on the other side of the altar is just as uneven, but I sit on it anyway, resting my back against the stone structure. And I realize, there’s a wall of thorn bushes in front of me, blocking my path. I’ve blocked myself in. I want to let out a bitter laugh, give my location away, and accept my fate. But why should I let any part of this be easy on them?

Something moves on the other side of the altar, heavy footsteps pace, walking one way, then the other, before disappearing once again. It’s Hutch. Don’t ask me how I know. I just do. But my body doesn’t want him. It wants my mate.

It’s so horrible, but I want to smell Izan’s vanilla dipped apple scent, feel his tender touch, and hear his deep voice.

My neck hurts so much.

And I feel so alone.

A swift cramp grips me, and I clutch my stomach as I roll onto my hands and knees. Panting hard, I try to silently collect myself, but it’s as if my body no longer belongs to me.

I have to get out of here.

Shoving my feet under me, I force myself to stand. My legs wobble as if made of rubber. I manage one step toward the beautiful snow-capped mountains, and my stomach heaves. I lurch forward, gagging on nothing.

I can’t do it. I can’t leave Izan or his pack.

Defeated, I lean against the cracked altar, resting my forehead on the cold stone. Tears drip from my eyes, making the gray rock bleed even darker. “You’re so pitiful,” I whisper to myself, deciding to give it all up. “Crying in a broken cemetery over a group of alphas you never wanted,” I mock myself as the footsteps slowly grow louder once again.

It doesn’t take long before Hutch steps out of the shadows. I half-expect the alpha to berate me for running or to call the others over so they can all punish me together, but he just looks sad.

“How did you know I was here?” I ask.

“I could smell your tears,” he says simply, his gaze flickering to the bite on my neck.

“I’m not crying.” I wipe my face, refusing to admit I was.

Thankfully, he doesn’t point out my lie as he walks toward me. A bit of moonlight breaks through the leaves as he walks, making it across his bare chest. The massive alpha comes to a stop on the other side of the altar, looking down at me with a mix of so many emotions. It’s like a shield between us, a puny shield, but I’ll take what I can get.

“What are you doing, Mari?” he asks me straight forward. No bullshit. No accusations. Just a simple question.

“I can’t stay here,” I say, deciding to tell the truth. I mean, with Izan’s presence growing stronger in my head, it’s only a matter of time before any lies will be impossible anyway.

“Why?”

“You wouldn't understand.” I glance at those mountains once again.

Hutch moves around the altar, his steps slow and non-threatening. Or least as non-threatening as a six-foot six alpha can be. “Try me.” He rests his elbow against the top of the altar, looking at me as if chatting at a bar.

“You know.” I turn my back at the mountain, giving Hutch my full attention and praying my legs don’t give out. “All of this is so unfair.”

Hutch’s eyes narrow ever so slightly, silently asking me to elaborate. So I do.

“Alphas get to take their time, having fun and picking their pack until well into their forties. Omegas only have a few years. We’re only seen as desirable, prime-age, right up until twenty-five. After that, our health declines fast.” I can’t help my bitter tone. “And if we’re not mated, we get sick. Real sick,” I emphasize for effect. “Most don’t live past thirty.”

Hutch nods once, just listening.

“There are a million things I want to do with my life.” I think about those mountains behind me. “Things I need to do. But I’m not allowed to do any of them because I have to have an alpha. And if I don’t want an alpha, then I’m crazy and broken and need to be fixed.” I pause, waiting for Hutch to react, but if my words upset him, he doesn't show it at all. “So here I am,” I continue, “with all this shit I need to do in my life, and no ability to do it because I have to be tethered to a fucking alpha.” Another rolling cramp grips my belly, and I clench my abs, determined not to show that I’m in pain.

“What do you have to do?” Hutch asks.

“It doesn’t fucking matter,” I grit out as the pain hits its crescendo, making my skull pulse behind my eyes. I pinch the bridge of my nose, then slowly sink to the ground. Hutch moves with me, sitting by my side. Both of our backs against the altar and our feet stretched out in front of us.

“Does it have to do with this?”

I open my eyes as the pain fades. “Of course, you have it.” I take my map from his hand. I want to ask him where he found it, or maybe accuse him of snooping through my stuff, but it doesn’t matter anymore.

“What’s in Cresthill?” Hutch bends his legs, resting his fists on his knees.

“Cardis Contos.” I fling the map into the thorned bushes. It catches, dangling on a thin, wiry branch.

“Was he…” Hutch takes a deep, tense breath, and I notice his hands shake. “Was he your lover?”

“What?” I snap, shocked. I lean forward, looking at Hutch with wide eyes. “Why the hell would you—Where did you—Why?” I can’t get a single question out. “He’s not my lover!” I finally yell. “He…” I try to speak, but I’ve never actually said the words out loud. And I’m not sure if I can. “He hurt…”

Hutch’s whole demeanor changes. The wounded look in his eyes is replaced with a violent rage and his fangs punch out, flashing when he speaks. “What did he do to you?” His voice is dangerously low, making my whole body tremble, but there’s also something comforting in his rage. Because it’s not directed at me. It’s for me.

I suck in a deep breath, then I force the bitter words from my mouth. “He threw me over a cliff, while Andros kidnapped my brother,” I confess, trying to fight off the urge to cry. “I was supposed to protect him, but Andros took him away. I have to find them, and find out what they did with my brother.”

Hutch’s whole body goes tight as a vicious growl erupts from his chest. The sound is so shocking it makes me flinch and shrink away from the alpha. As if pulling himself together, Hutch suddenly lifts his head and inhales deeply, then he turns his attention onto me. “I’ll handle this.” He looks me up and down. “I’ll get the information you need. You’ll never?—”

“Don’t tell me what I can’t do,” I snarl, riding out another vicious cramp. “You don’t know what I’m capable of.”

Hutch’s anger shifts, giving me a look that tells me he thinks I’m cute. Maybe even pathetic. “You’re tiny, Mari. A little thing like you will never be able to torture the information you need out of Cardis or his brother.”

I want to laugh at his assumption that strength is the only way to get what I want. “Alphas are incredibly stupid after sex,” I say bluntly, making Hutch freeze momentarily. “They let their guard down. They speak too much or fall asleep, exposing the weakest parts of themselves.” Rage bubbles in my gut as I remember all the horrible things I’ve done over the years to survive. “Alphas assume omegas are too fucking pathetic to defend ourselves, until it’s too late and there’s a blade shoved six inches deep in their neck.”

I don’t know if Hutch is too stunned to speak, but it takes a minute before he slowly parts his lips. I expect him to call me reckless or stupid, but instead, he pulls in a deep breath and bows his head. “I want to kill every alpha that has ever touched you,” he growls softly. “But I refuse to allow you to put yourself in harm's way ever again.” He looks up at me, his blue eyes filled with so much restrained anger. “Please. Go back to the house.” His fangs flash as he speaks. “I’ll handle Cardis.” He glares past me at the mountains in the distance.

“I’m not going back to the fucking house,” I snap, making Hutch startle at my tone.

“This is not up for discussion,” he says in his booming alpha voice. “You will go back home.”

I know what I’m about to say will probably upset him, but it has to be said. “I’m not going back to Dassy!” I yell, making my throat burn from the force of it. “He was Cardis’s fucking packmate.” I grit my teeth and Hutch clenches his jaw. “Cardis and Andros threatened to rape me and my brother. And Dassy was one of them!” My voice cracks and tears fall, but I refuse to look away. “How many omegas has Dassy raped?”

“None!” It’s the first time Hutch has ever yelled at me, and it’s more upsetting than I could have ever expected. I begin to sob but the alpha’s anger immediately evaporates. He pulls me into his lap—his hands soft but firm—cradling me like a baby. “It’s okay,” he purrs. “I understand your fear and confusion, but Dassy isn’t like that. He could never hurt someone like that.”

“Then why?” I hiccup as tension coils once again in my belly. The cramp isn’t as sharp this time, but I still clench my abs. “Why was he with Tenus?”

Hutch brushes the hair out of my face before gently angling my head to the side. He looks at my mating bite, and deep worry etches between his brows. “Dassy was a kid when he joined Don. He thought he was in love,” he says simply, and I frown. “I know it’s a shit explanation but it’s true.” The tip of his finger grazes the base of my neck and I wince. He’s nowhere near my mark, but everything hurts. “This needs to be cleaned. Izan did a shit job.”

“Why didn’t Dassy leave Tenus?” I ask, refusing to let it go. “Alphas are allowed to do whatever the hell they want. He could have left.” Rage squeezes my throat, making my voice pitch higher. “He could have stopped his mates from hurting omegas. Why didn’t he?—”

“Easy, Mari.” Hutch holds up his hand, brushing his fingers down the bridge of my nose. It instantly calms me. “My brother wasn’t a saint, and he made a lot of bad choices. He ran drugs for Don. Fucked up a lot of lives. Hell, he even killed a few. But he never raped anyone.” He punctuates each word. “I know that for a fact.” He looks deep into my eyes, making sure I believe him.

And I do.

I don’t know why I do, but I feel like Hutch wouldn’t lie about this. He and Izan have been pretty honest about the shit they do.

“I won’t lie and say that Dassy didn't know what Cardis was up to,” Hutch continues. “I honestly don't know what my brother knew, and I don’t want to know. But I can tell you that alphas can’t just leave their packs. There’s a brotherhood, a loyalty that’s formed,” he pats his chest, right above his heart, “and it has to be broken for an alpha to quit. Dassy was too scared to break that bond.”

The pain in my belly dulls once again, but this time it leaves a hot fluid between my legs. Slick. Fuck .

“How did he get out?” I ask, hoping that if I keep talking, maybe I can put off my heat a little longer. But honestly, I probably only have an hour tops before I’m ass up and begging to be knotted by any alpha that will have me.

“Dassy had a pretty hardcore drug problem,” Hutch says, shocking me. It’s so hard to picture my sweet, smiling Dassy strung out. “He OD’d while on a job and Andros left him for dead. Dassy’s heart stopped. He was dead,” Hutch says bitterly. “A passing stranger performed CPR until help got there. His own pack left him for dead.” My hard alpha pulls in a big breath, before adding, “It took a lot of therapy and love to bring him back to life after that. But I’m used to taking care of my brother.” He nods, almost as if accepting his role. “He’s always been the more sensitive one.”

I am numb. Devastated for the alpha holding me and his identical brother. I know what it’s like to have to care for the people you love. But I also know what it’s like to be the one that’s falling apart. Both situations suck.

“Please, omega,” Hutch cups my cheek, being careful not to touch my mark. “You’re bleeding so badly. Let me take you back to the house. Izan needs to clean your mark.”

I think about that, knowing I don’t have a choice. I’m going back to the house whether I want to or not, but it seems the terms are mine to dictate…at least for now. “You got Brea from the black market.”

This time I can see the annoyance in Hutch’s eyes. But I don’t care. “Brea was in her thirties and previously mated.” Hutch’s tone is harsh this time. “She was never going to find a pack willing to take her on, but Everly wanted to help her and Izan was willing to love her.” His eyes narrow, giving me a pointed look. “He has a thing for challenging omegas.”

I don’t know what to say to that. Packs don’t want previously mated omegas. And they sure as shit don’t want one in their thirties.

“You can judge us for claiming Brea the way we did, but know that there are lots of packs out there that will judge us for claiming you,” he says softly as he brushes his thumb over my cheekbone. “Broken omegas aren’t something alphas fight over.” His honesty is unbelievably harsh, but his touch is tender. Almost loving.

“I guess you have a point,” I say, thinking about all the packs that I’ve courted over the years that have obsessed over scars and fertility. The Silva pack never asked me about either. They just wanted to get to know me.

Fuck, I’m an asshole.

“How about this?” Hutch’s voice is impressively calm. “Let's get you back to the house, and clean your mark. Then we can talk about whatever the hell you want. How we got Brea. Dassy’s past. How I’m going to rip Cardis’s spine out of his fucking body and strangle him with it.”

I freeze at his violent description, then I melt at the rage he feels on my behalf. “You’d do that?”

A shadow crosses Hutch’s face as he leans down toward me. “That fucker hurt what’s mine. And you are mine , Marigold.” The intensity of his words excites me, and I lean into him. “You belong to me, Dassy, and Izan. No one else gets to fucking touch you.”

I don't know why I’m nodding, but it seems to make Hutch happy. But he can’t kill Cardis until I find Stefan. My baby brother is all that matters.

“Alpha?” I shift, trying to sit up. “Before you go after Cardis, I need—” A swift stabbing pain lances my belly, making me wince. My heat is coming on fast. Faster than any other I’ve had before. It might be the mating bite or the warmth radiating from Hutch’s big body, but either way, it’s not good. “Before you do anything,” I swallow hard, “I need to know?—”

Hutch’s voice comes out stern, a weird mix of calm laced with panic. “We can talk about whatever you want at the house, but first you need help, omega.” He moves me into his lap. One leg on either side of his hips. Then he tilts my head all the way to one side, so he can really look at the bite. It pinches from the movement, and a fresh wave of hot blood drips down my shoulder, rolling down my back. It really is in bad shape.

“Don’t move,” Hutch says in a soft but firm voice. Then he opens his mouth wide and covers Izan’s mark completely. He’s careful with his teeth, trying not to make new puncture marks as he sucks and laps at my tender flesh. The sting rapidly fades, leaving only the feel of his wet tongue on my skin.

The healing power of an alpha’s mouth is unreal, turning my pain into swift desire.

Growing needier by the second, I slip my hands around Hutch’s neck and then into his hair, holding him to me. More slick gathers between my thighs and Hutch growls with pleasure against my throat. Can he sense how hot I am? How flustered?

“Sweet Mari.” His cheek slowly brushes against mine as he pulls back to see my face. “I can smell how turned on you are, omega.” His voice is the same deep rumble as Dassy’s when he’s aroused, but there’s no playfulness. It’s all dark, sexy gravel.

“Hutch.” I paw at the back of his neck, feeling so empty. “I need…” I whine, long and loud, then I pant as another cramp crushes me in its grip. “Help!” I manage to scream the single word as I claw at the back of his neck.

Everything hurts—my pussy. My back. My skull. Even my toes.

“I’ve got you,” Hutch stands, and for a moment, I expect him to lay me across the altar and fuck my brains out, but instead, he holds me tight and starts running straight for the house. “Hold on, Mari. We’ll be home soon. Izan will take care of you.”

Instant relief flows through me, followed quickly by defeat. I’m going back. Back to the Silva pack. Back to Dassy and Everly.

Back to Izan …who I just tried to kill.