Chapter 8

CHAPTER 8

DAMON

I ’m sitting on the hard ground of Adira’s nest, gazing at the wall as I reach for the dull, quiet light inside of me. The little omega is confused and sleeping, and an unkind part of me thinks about how this is the time to make plans about her future. Adira can’t bring me to my knees, nor fight dirty by shoving her pain and screams into my mind.

So why am I still sitting here, paralyzed with indecision? If I was a better alpha, I would wholeheartedly fight for my omega, because she is mine. Yet, I’m hiding behind loyalty to my family, because I don’t know this girl. Her father was my dad’s enemy and it cost him his life.

But Adira? She’s a victim of literal crossfire, recovering from a gunshot. The reality still stands that she’s a stranger I’m tied to for the rest of our lives, however long that may be. I’ve never seen myself as a coward, yet saving an omega simply to keep my sanity and life feels selfish and flawed.

Shaking my head as if it’ll tumble loose better answers, I move into a kneeling position to gather up the blankets to wash them. I doubt Adira will be returning to this barebones room again after being shot. Something that is my fault, regardless of the pothole in the driveway.

Stupid. I know better than to keep my finger on the trigger while running, and have chased many prey through conditions worse than today. Breathing slowly, I attempt to shut down the bond between the little omega and I, while I kick myself.

“Fuck,” I mutter, blowing out a breath as I lift a bundle of laundry in my arms and stand. There’s a laundry room on this level that I saw, and I’m determined to do something productive while I work some shit out in my mind.

I’ve never ever considered going against my father until now, which makes the tiny omega a threat in many ways. I see Jed’s point in staying the course in not pissing Dad off, and I’ve always mechanically followed what he’s asked for.

My sexuality, morality, and sanity are all fucked for the privilege of being their good little soldier.

Gazing at the laundry machine, I look behind me, finding that I’m working on autopilot. I don’t remember moving. Huh. Loading the machine takes but a moment, because I’m not in the frame of mind to separate textures and color. I just need to do things. Morris’ sister can deal with the aftermath.

Hoping I didn’t fuck up anything, I twist the knob to turn the machine to the correct setting and hit the button to make it start. I swear, all of these machines are so different, and this one reminds me of a spaceship with its extra settings and lights. Snarling in annoyance, I turn away to begin to pace.

All I can smell is snickerdoodle cookies, despite no longer being in Adira’s nest. Bringing my hands to my nose, I inhale deeply, in awe that I am tied to not only another person, but my scent match. Me. A twisted and dead alpha who has always stayed as far away from omegas as possible.

I’m cursed to always feel off balance, never have control, and wonder what is my emotion and what belongs to the tiny omega upstairs. I’m avoiding going back up the stairs to see her, though I hesitate to call it cowardice. Everything in my body wrenched while Jed was getting the bullet out of her back, forcing me to feel the full weight of my actions.

I need the space to think.

I have never once had to weigh what’s the right or wrong thing to do, because Jed has always been the one to tell me. He passed me the pills to force me into a rut when I was eighteen, and at that moment, it was the right thing to do.

“ …Nothing like… your first time. Sorry we forced you.”

Jed’s apology floats through my mind as I force my feet to slow. Every step is making my breath quicken and burst out, pushing me toward a panic attack. I can’t afford to get lost in my memories and lose control, but I also need to figure out how to deal with them.

Losing myself to the dead space I’ve lived in for years isn’t something I can do anymore. Adira has already shown me it isn’t an option.

“Bossy little omega,” I growl under my breath as I drop onto my haunches to drop my focus to the ground. I don’t have many tools to self regulate when my emotions run rampant, and Jed isn’t here to help me.

It’s probably for the better, since he still wants to sell my omega. When he left the room to speak to Dad, I came downstairs to the basement. I’ve already punched him, I don’t trust myself not to launch my anger in his direction again.

The smartest move my father could make is to simply give us time to stabilize Adira before transporting her to Ophelia at the auction house. That’ll mean keeping her here until she can be sold. Buyers want a sex doll with a bit of fight in them, or that’s what my father says anyway.

I stay far away from the auction houses due to the amount of omegas who are there. The reminder of my childhood trauma has kept me safe until now. I have to pivot in another direction now to deal with my fears. Though, now it’s about the fear of being out of control, and more about having another person I’m responsible for, whose consciousness lives inside of me.

Keeping the little omega means I need to get Jed to see my side of things. I may not know her, but I owe her some sort of life line since we’re tied together. I tell myself that, but deep inside, I can feel the pull of the truth of things. I cared if she lives or dies even before I understood the full meaning of how the bond works.

For all intents and purposes, I’m going to need to make waves. I’m done letting other people make decisions for me. I have no doubts there will be a family meeting very soon, but I need a nap before I can face them so I’m at my best.

Adira deserves that.

“Wake up,” someone says from where I’m laying on the ground in the theater room. I found some clean blankets and a pillow and called it good. The second my head hit the softness of the pillow, I was out like a light.

“Do I have to?” I grumble, attempting to pry my eyes open to glare upward at the voice interrupting my sleep.

My eyelashes put up a fight as I blink, gunk sticking them together. Grunting in annoyance, I swipe my hand over my eyes until they painfully unstick. Fuck.

Jed and Morris gaze down at me in faint amusement as I push myself slowly into a sitting position.

“This floor isn’t at all comfortable,” Morris says, gazing down at it distastefully.

It was good enough at the time for Adira, so this is where I’ll sleep.

I hold back the words that are bubbling to the forefront of my mind, surprised by the snark I’m experiencing. Is that the omega’s influence or what it feels like to no longer be numb?

“I barely even felt it,” I grunt, my voice dead and lifeless. It’s good to know I can still mimic my baseline before Adira.

That’s the only way I know how to feel closer to the not so well behaved little omega. We weren’t prepared for her.

“Food is ready. We need to talk about what Dad wants,” Jed says. “I’m afraid you’ll need to give up whatever this attachment is that you have to the omega, Damon. Dad and Ophelia are already gathering an audience for the auction. Our job is to make sure she’s ready for her debut.”

I keep my face impassive, noting the way Morris’ jaw grinds at Jed’s words. There appears to be a bit of tension in paradise. Morris won’t say a word of dissent in front of me, since I’m not involved in their relationship, and I’ve never wanted to be.

It makes him the perfect beta for my brothers because of how well he follows directions.

Standing lithely, I hold back the pain in my head from reaching any farther. Jed is watching too closely, possibly worried my loyalty has been breached by a troublesome little omega.

He’d be right.

Unlike Kane, I do dream. I worked through a lot of the bullshit I’m slogging through in my sleep, and I know Adira can’t be sold. Unless it’s to me. Neither of us will be able to survive it.

I’ve been analyzing the motivations and possible ways the little omega may lash out at the only person who will ever know how much things affect her. She can’t hide from me, and I’m barely able to shield my thoughts from her. Adira will either torture me with what’s happening to her in my mind, until all I can think of is getting to her, or worse, she’ll be able to control it all, so I’ll simply feel unmitigated pain as I listen to her screams in my head.

Both aren’t things I’m willing to live with. It doesn’t matter that we don’t know anything else about each other. I know the way she sounds when she’s in pain in my mind, the way her fear feels like a viscous feeling within me. That’s enough for me.

When I can say she’s safe and with me, I’ll pepper her with every question imaginable. Except, it won’t be things like her favorite color or thing to eat. It’ll be her favorite moment in time and every fear she has, so I can kill them all and give her joyful memories to live for.

My life as a mindless soldier is over, my brothers simply don’t know it yet.

“Alright,” I say, taking a step forward despite the barriers in front of the doorway. They’ll either move or not.

“Are you still upset about the omega’s short lived stay with us?” Jed asks, shifting to more solidly block the door. Ah, wonderful. The heart to heart starts now. Too bad as far as he’s concerned, I don’t have one that beats.

“I’ll figure out how to block her,” I state bluntly. “It helps that she’s still under pain medication.”

“You can tell that from down here?” Morris asks, his eyes searching for a reason I’d know this in some other way.

“You’re a fairly intelligent beta, Morris. Please don’t forget that,” I grunt. “How else do you think I know that?”

Morris glares at me, his strong jaw showing he doesn’t appreciate my sharp words. Maybe he should stop fishing for answers that are clearly in front of him.

“That’s just perfect,” Jed says, blowing out a breath. “Is the connection fainter while she’s drugged?”

“Yes. Unconsciousness doesn’t mean shit to her, though,” I remind them. “The little omega showed me exactly how much it hurt to have you digging around in her back.”

“Hence the numbing agent,” Morris echoes. “How are you going to keep her from controlling you?”

“Love how I’m not an enemy,” I say, clapping. “Exactly how I wanted to continue on with my day. Distance will probably make the connection fainter, and if I concentrate enough, I can block her completely. It doesn’t feel natural, but it’s possible.”

“What you’re not saying is that either way, you’re still going to suffer as her mate,” Jed states.

“I’m not saying that nor will I,” I tell him. “It’s counterproductive to the overall climate of the mission Dad’s clearly presented us with. Isn’t that what you always say? Do anything to keep him happy?”

Jed looks startled, his eyes almost black as they look back at me. It’s as if his irises were completely swallowed by his pupils. It makes people shit their pants and is effective during missions. Unfortunately for him, it has no impact on me. I grew up with the fucker.

“Yes,” he rasps. “I’m glad we’re on the same page. Kane is asleep with his face in his little rabbit’s cunt. I’ll let you have the honor of waking him up.”

My oldest brother is testing me. I present him another dead look as I let his words run off of me. Jed is trying too hard. He’s hiding something, and I plan to find out what it is.

KANE

“Get your head out of there,” Demon says, penetrating the darkness of my mind. The subsequent shaking that comes after it makes me groan.

“It’s so nice here, little brother,” I complain, blinking my eyes to wake up as I pull away from my little rabbit’s soft skin. The only reason I’m not putting up a fight is because a part of me doesn’t want to hurt her.

That’s new. Huh. I don’t get attached to new people, especially females. They’re just a place for my cock, a warm, wet hole, and I’ve already done that with the little rabbit. I should be ready to bag, tag, and discard her at her next destination.

Swallowing hard, I force myself to smirk at my younger brother as I take my time drawing my fingers down the little rabbit’s soft and supple skin. In a way, I’m simply edging myself, because I woke up with a raging hard-on. It doesn’t make it any less satisfying to maintain eye contact with him as I do it.

Nor does it matter that he’s a brick wall as he gazes at me with emotionless green eyes. I have no doubt in my mind that Adira means something to him now after the way he punched Jed. They never come to blows with each other, I’m the hot head.

I’m the wild card that enjoys pushing every button possible to see what it’ll do.

“Family meeting?” I ask Demon, who nods and steps away from me. There are times where I miss the brother who had emotions.

Will Adira bring him back to me or destroy him?

Only time will tell.

Getting up, I walk over to where Jed is constructing pulled pork sandwiches with bbq sauce. Hmm. Thank god condiments last forever.

My eyes are pulled down to the table where the little rabbit had a bullet pulled out of her, and see no traces of blood as Jed puts plates down on it. It’s as if nothing ever happened, if you ignore the girl behind us, which is the tone my older brother is putting out.

Fantastic. I love playing pretend.

Pulling out a chair, I sit down at the table, meeting Morris’ gaze as he joins me. He merely shrugs as he lifts his sandwich and takes a large bite. Following his lead, I dig into my food as Jed sits down as well.

“Here’s the deal,” Jed says as he looks over us all. Demon is quiet as he eats as well, though he uses the food as the fuel it is, instead of because it tastes good.

Pleasure hasn’t been something I’ve seen him partake in, until the pretty little rabbit we hunted down twice as our prize.

I want to keep her, but Jed’s opening words belie that possibility.

“Do tell,” I drawl, quirking my brow at him.

“You’re all assholes,” he mutters. “Dad was less than pleased at the news that the omega is injured. However, I mentioned that she’ll survive and we’re snowed in for a while regardless. Morris won’t drive in this ridiculous white shit.”

It doesn’t matter how long we’ve lived in the Midwest, Jed still acts as if snow offends him.

“Nope,” the beta grunts. “I won’t be able to see most of the drive, and that’s miserable. Rock can wait it out while this clears.”

That’s the closest I think I've heard him come to telling Rock to fuck himself. Interesting.

Jed ignores it as he continues. “Dad is going to reschedule the auction in the meantime, and has asked that we keep Adira drugged for as long as possible.”

“I hope you have plans for a catheter or something, or we are definitely ruining your sister’s couch, Morris,” I state, reminding them of human biology. “She’s going to have to piss with all of those fluids being pushed into her.”

“Fuck, I don’t know how to do that,” Morris says with a wince. “I’m going to need to help her to the restroom soon. It’s been hours and I changed the banana bag.”

“Amateurs,” I grunt, continuing to eat. “Think about the nuances to your plan before you end up giving the couch an unexpected golden shower, brother. What other holes do you have in your plan? I will thoroughly enjoy pointing them out.”

I’m not typically this much of a snarky jerk, but I don’t like any of this. I enjoyed being strangled by my little rabbit, seeing her spark. Jed is proposing to snuff it and reduce her to a vegetable until we drop her off at the auction house. I’m sure they have a wicked cocktail to get her upright afterward too. Ophelia isn’t one of the best madams in the business in name only. She earns it.

“Fine. Dad basically wants her kept relatively docile and comfortable while she recovers until we drop her off. That’s the plan. Happy?” Jed asks. “I don’t want her pulling any of you into her orbit. There’s something off about Adira. Her innocent act isn’t fooling me. What if her father planned for her to go off her suppressants while he was gone?”

“Impossible,” Demon grunts. “He begged for his daughter’s safety. What if there’s a reason he had her on suppressants?”

“She’s a sow to fuck and impregnate,” Jed says indelicately. Demon doesn’t show any reaction, but I still feel it enough for the both of us. “Jeremiah wanted to choose when her heat happened. I just don’t know for what purpose specifically.”

“It’s too late to pick through his papers now that it’s blown sky high,” I say, shrugging. I’m not sorry I blew it up. It was fun, and I rarely begrudge myself life’s amusements.

“I’m aware,” Jed says dryly. The only reason I notice it is because I haven’t taken my eyes off of him as he glances quickly behind me. Hmm. If he didn’t care, he’d be avoiding Adira at all costs. “Morris, you may want to rouse the omega if we don’t want to have to relocate her due to her bladder.”

The beta is done with his food thankfully, but I don’t doubt that he’d get up immediately either way. He’s a good little soldier unless there’s a reason to say something to the contrary.

The fact that we’re in this house is an excellent example of that.

Twisting in my seat, I watch as Morris stops the flow of the fluids in the tubing and removes the needle from her inner arm. He takes special care to hold a piece of gauze to her skin to help it clot before he tapes it down.

“Adira,” he murmurs, picking her up in his arms. It seems oddly intimate and careful as his locs even seem to curl around her body. “I’ll wake her up in the bathroom. Don’t wait for me.”

Nodding, Jed turns to gaze at Demon. “I hate to say this, but you’re my weak point on this, little brother. How do I know you’re not going to fuck this up?”

“There’s no way to reject an omega once a bond is in place, is there?” Demon asks uncaringly.

There are a lot of things that I know about my baby brother. One of them is that he never goes out of his way not to care, he simply doesn’t. This feels forced. Hmmm.

My brothers are both keeping secrets.

“No,” Jed says, jaw dropping in surprise. “Once the bond is in place, it’s for life.”

“Your proposal is that I cut myself off from a part of myself for the rest of my life, correct?” Demon asks. It almost feels as if he’s picking apart Jed and our sperm donor’s plans as emotionlessly as possible.

Demon is simply checking boxes instead of fighting. It’s harder for Jed to dispute his logic this way.

“Yes… I mean, shit,” Jed mutters. “I am proposing that you give up the omega for now. In the long run, you won’t feel what’s happening to her, and she’ll be shielded from any of your possible reactions.”

To the various people who will rape her. Good talk, big brother. Stellar conversational skills. Leaning back in my seat, my lips twist at how terribly this conversation is going.

“What happens after the ‘for now’?” I ask. I may as well engage in my favorite thing: stirring the pot. “Are you saying we’ll find her later? If not, then you really are suggesting that Demon cut off a limb. Did you not see the way that she affects him as his scent match and bonded mate, Jed? We’ve done a lot of fucked up things, this one may take the cake.”

“Good girl,” Morris rasps as he brings Adira back in.

Our eyes snap to the little rabbit that whimpers in pain. I wouldn’t be too happy to be woken up to piss after being shot and having surgery either.

“I have antibiotics in the IV to help you, sweetness,” Morris rumbles, surprising me. He’s not a soft man. We’ve been involved together for years, and it’s all hard, rough, and tumble with a dash of familiarity and affection.

I also wonder if he’s lying to her or not. Though, antibiotics would probably be a good idea.

Morris makes eye contact with Jed as he walks back into the living room, passing us, and my older brother lurches up to retrieve a banana bag that I assume has antibiotics in it. That’s just peachy.

Demon growls under his breath, his displeasure becoming known. It’s the first time he’s shown any kind of emotion about this. It’s warranted, though. They would have thought about this already if it was one of us.

It’s shitty behavior.

Morris gets her comfortable on the couch as Adira whimpers, her pain making itself known. My lips thin as I watch them get the IV in with both pain and antibiotics, and I bury the answering growl that threatens. This is fucked up.

Morris’ fingers brush over my little rabbit’s forehead gently, his gaze on her fluttering lashes as she’s pulled back into unconsciousness.

“It’ll all be fine,” he murmurs, lying out of the asshole I want to punish. I’ll ensure he takes my knot and refuse to let him come.

I’m quite unhappy with my beta.

Watching Jed and Morris lie to her and me tastes like ashes in my mouth. As they walk back to the kitchen, I glance at Demon, watching his body emit dead calm energy. If he can play, I can too.

I’ll be the wild storm while he makes them think.

“Yes, please lie to the little rabbit some more to keep her happy and docile,” I croon. “It’s easier to fight infection if you give her antibiotics earlier than this.”

“She’s cool to the touch,” Morris grunts. “Adira is fine. I was too tired and fucked up. It won’t happen again.”

Nodding curtly at him, I turn my gaze at Jed. He flinches as he meets my eyes, making me grin in triumph.

“So, big brother. Now that we know she’s not going to die due to your emergency surgery, would you like to tell us what you’re not telling us?” I ask. “I’ve spent my entire life living with you. You simply aren’t that good of a liar.”

“I’m fucking going to need to be,” Jed grunts. “She’s like a plague, burrowing herself under our skin, and she’s not even awake! How the fuck is that possible?”

“She’s an omega,” Morris says, rubbing the stubble along his cheek. He looks delicious, eyelids hooded as he leans forward to speak to us. “Biologically, she’s perfect for Damon, which means she also is a good fit for those in his pack, even without the scent match component. I feel the pull too.”

“You’re the one lying to her and us,” I remind him. “How is this not part of the plan?”

“You really think Morris would pretend to be interested in the little omega?” Jed asks, brows drawn down in disapproval. “For the most part, he is rarely attracted to women.”

“That’s true,” Morris grunts with a nod. It’s even without a hint of betrayal.

“We’re at an impasse, big brother,” Demon says, glaring coldly at him. “Is it because you think I’ll accidentally share it with her? You insinuated I was the weak link earlier.”

“Yes. I don’t know how locked down you can make things in your head,” Jed growls.

“That’s all I need to know,” Demon says, standing. “Come get me once you’ve figured things out. In my mind, you’re all pieces of shit selling my omega. Congratulations.”

Jed waits for our baby brother to head outside, sighing as the door closes behind him.

“He’ll freeze his knot off out there,” he mutters. “You can’t repeat this, Kane or it’ll never work. Let’s take this away from the little omega’s ears. Morris?”

There’s two monitors on the island I didn’t notice earlier, and Morris moves one to keep Adira in sight. He holds up the hand held monitor that shows her on the screen, gesturing that we leave the room.

Okay, little rabbit, let’s see what’s really in store for you. My oldest brother is resolute, a true soldier, but not one to be willfully cruel unless someone deserves it. She doesn’t, and I want to keep her.

Not just for Demon’s sanity, but she soothes something inside of me too.