Chapter 4

Four

VANESSA

T he next morning, I woke up to a loud crash and a curse.

My heart pounding, I sat up in bed and heard noises coming from the living room.

Robbers .

I had to get to Gabe. Rushing out of bed, dizzy as hell, I ran across from my room into Gabe's. Locking the door behind me, I saw him already jumping up and down in his crib. I still heard noises coming from the living room, and my heart pounded in fear.

I cracked the door open an inch.

"Get the hell out of my home!" I screamed.

Men's laughter sounded in the living room. Furious, I closed Gabe's door behind me and tiptoed into the living room. My heart stopped when I saw who was sprawled out on my beige couch.

It was Jack and his pack sitting in my living room. And my vase of flowers was broken on the floor.

"Sorry about that," said the beta with the blond hair, scrambling to pick up the mess.

"Look who's awake," said Jack, smirking. His long legs stretched in front of him. The delta with the slicked-back brown hair and green eyes was also staring at me. I was suddenly self-conscious of my red silk pajama shorts and tank top. "Did you think you could hide from us? Especially after we know an omega is in town."

"What's so wrong with me staying here?" I asked, annoyed out of my mind. Why won't they just leave me the fuck alone? I wanted to slap the smirk off Jack's handsome face.

"It's not safe for an omega to be here by herself," said Jack. "Grab your things and your baby. We're leaving now."

"Don't tell me what to do," I said.

I was seething inside.

But I also craved being protected and taken care of by an alpha. Even though I had terrible experiences in the past with the Royal Pack, that was all I ever wanted. To be genuinely loved and protected for. But Jack was another alpha I had to watch out for, despite his devilishly handsome looks.

"We can do it the hard way then," said Jack, raising his eyebrows at my rudeness. "I'll have Liam here carry you to the car, and Ryan will bring your kid along. Easy peasy. Choose wisely."

I quietly stalked off to Gabe's room. He was crying now. He was afraid and alone while I was in the living room, fighting for our lives.

"I'm sorry, Gabey," I muttered, carrying him into my arms and kissing his chubby red cheeks. "Shh, my love, it's okay. Mommy's here."

Gabe sniffled and hiccuped, his tiny hands clutching at my shirt. "You left me," he said, his voice trembling.

"It's okay, I'm here now," I said, rubbing circles around his back. "We're going someplace special now with Mommy's friends."

"Where?"

"It's a surprise," I said, setting him down and finding him an outfit to wear.

Gabe and I sat in the backseat of a large SUV.

Liam was driving with Jack sitting next to him. The beta sat in the middle seat in front of us, constantly turning to play peek-a-boo with Gabe and making Gabe laugh uncontrollably.

I didn't know what to think.

This was an impossible situation to get out of. No one was giving me a straight answer about when exactly we'd go to Howl's Edge. We were driving past farmland, pretty far out from the city. I was upset and hadn't said a word for an hour.

"Why isn't she talking?" asked Jack.

"Vanessa has every right to be angry at you," said Ryan. "You literally tore her from her home."

I was grateful to Ryan for speaking up and coming to my defense. Of the entire group, I hated him the least.

"Thanks," I said in a low voice.

"Hey, no problem," said Ryan. "Do you need anything to drink for this long ride? I have water bottles up here."

"No thanks," I muttered, staring out the window at the large plots of land we drove by. My son squeezed my hand in his little ones. We were leaving behind everything I had ever built for my son and me. The little taste of the freedom I had was now gone.

"Are you sad, Mommy?" His inquisitive, bright green eyes didn't miss a thing. I could swear his intelligence level had to be above average for a kid his age.

"No, baby," I said. "I'm just sleepy."

"We're almost there," said Liam.

After another thirty minutes of driving, I gasped when I saw their house. It was enormous. Nothing like I'd ever seen. The house was tall and covered in large glass windows. The cobblestone driveway wound up to the house, surrounded by neatly trimmed hedges and shrubs.

I was the last to leave the van as I held Gabe's hand tightly. There was a large pool in the front of the house. I never taught him how to swim, and he was never around water like I had as a kid growing up next to the ocean of Howl's Edge. A pang of homesickness came over me. The palm trees and the sand under my feet. But at the same time, it was a place that I never wanted to step foot into again.

Walking into the actual estate was something else. The landscaped gardens were a lush tapestry of vibrant flowers, shady trees, and trickling fountains.

"It's beautiful," I muttered under my breath.

"I agree," said Jack, looking in my direction.

"It doesn't mean I'm okay with being kidnapped," I said, making sure he understood that loud and clear.

No matter how fancy his house was.

As we walked inside, I noticed the grand staircase with bronze banisters. It was simply stunning. I couldn't stop staring at everything. The magnificent high ceilings and the large fake palm tree in the corner. A white recliner was in the middle of the living room, with a cream-colored coffee table in the middle. A large flat-screen television sat high above the fireplace. There was a maid quietly setting up food on a majestic oak dining table that could easily seat sixteen people. After living in my small apartment for three years, this was a lot.

Even though I had lived in the Royal Palace before, it was still breathtaking to me, all the same. I loved nice things, even though sometimes it could be at the expense of others. I never forgot how much Queen Ophelia hated me when her husbands took me as their second omega because she couldn't have children anymore.

"I can show you to your room before we eat," said Jack. I silently followed Jack up the staircase while carrying my squirming three-year-old in my hands, who was starting to get fussy without his afternoon nap. I couldn't help but notice Jack's muscular ass as he walked up the stairs.

Jack opened the door to a room with a king-sized bed. It was a simple room with a white comforter and oversized pillows. The room had sheer white curtains and a large thick beige rug with circles on it. "This is our guest room. You'll be staying here until we can get you back home."

I nodded, not saying a word.

"You know- we're just trying to save your life," he continued as he leaned against the door. "You should be grateful we're bringing you back to your true home. You don't belong here."

Ignoring him, I sat Gabe on the floor and walked to the window. I noticed a large building in the back with a large white dome.

"What's that?" I asked.

"The greenhouse," he said after a slight pause.

"What's in it?"

"It's not important. Don't go in there," he said, sounding panicked.

I quietly turned away from the window to look him in the eyes. He was hiding something, and he looked guilty for some reason.

"When are we going to Howl's Edge?" I asked instead.

"In a few days," he said.

"You said you had some business to do first. What type of business?" I asked persistently.

He licked his lips.

"It's really not important, I promise you."

"What shady stuff are you doing?"

His lips twisted into a wry smile. "You won't stop, huh? It's a greenhouse."

"For?"

"For the plants used in omega heat suppressant pills and scent blocker creams."

"Aren't those illegal to just grow anywhere?" I asked. I was surprised to learn he was part of the drug rings that made a ton of money selling this shit behind closed doors.

"It's not illegal for me," he said. "The Royal Pack assigns certain people to grow these worldwide in hidden locations. That's why it should be kept secret."

"Oh," I said. "Well, your secret's safe with me."

"Why don't you unpack and come to lunch?"

"Alright," I said, my stomach growling when he mentioned lunch. Jack chuckled and left the room. I sat cross-legged next to Gabe, who was hiding under the bed and ripping books underneath it. "Please, Gabe. Come on out."

"No, Mommy."

"Now, Gabe. You can't tear other people's books," I admonished. "We're going to eat food now. Are you hungry?"

He slowly crawled out from under the bed and peeked his head out at me, scowling.

"Nasty carrots?"

"No, it's going to be yummy food."

We sat at the dining room table fit for a large family. The meal was a feast, with platters of roasted meats, steaming vegetables, and fresh loaves of bread filling the table.

Gabe was sitting between Ryan and me as Ryan was feeding Gabe spoonfuls of macaroni and cheese. I was grateful to have a little break from Gabe as I piled my plate with food. Jack sat on my other side, and Liam was sitting across from me.

As I bit into the juicy, delicate piece of steak I had procured for myself, I felt like I was in heaven. It was the most scrumptious meat I've ever tasted. The maid, a short little woman with a halo of white hair, poured a glass of lemonade for me and scurried away into the kitchens before I could thank her.

"How did you end up here? In the human lands?" asked the delta, eying me as I devoured my plate.

"I was supposed to be sent to the Omega Auctions, but I escaped," I said, omitting any mention of the Royal Pack. If they found out the real story, my behind would be shipped off to Howl's Edge immediately, considering Jack's loyalty to the Royal Pack.

"Do you think we might send you to the Auctions?" asked Liam, taking a large bite of steak.

"If you're scared of that, there's no need to worry," said Jack. "You can live with my family and meet my sister Jade until you can get on your feet."

"Thank you all for the suggestions, but I'm more than happy here," I said, taking a large sip of my cold and tangy drink.

"Who was going to send you to the Auctions?" asked Jack slowly, turning to look at me. "I can take care of them for you if you know what I mean."

"I don't want to talk about that. It brings back horrible memories," I muttered, taking a big bite of mashed potatoes.

"I don't understand why you were sent to the Auctions. You're clearly beautiful," said Jack, giving me a once-over. My body burned under his gaze. "Any alpha pack would be extremely lucky to have you."

At his words, I felt butterflies in my stomach.

It had been a while since an alpha affected me like that. His stark gaze and honest words didn't hide some ulterior evil motive. But I'd never know. Alphas could be charming one moment and then an asshole the next.

"Yeah…I don't feel like talking about it," I said. "I need to put Gabe down for his nap."

And with that, I was able to escape the intense line of questioning.