Chapter Sixteen

Sutton

“Abso-fucking-lutely not.” I slammed my fists on the meeting table. “No. Out of the question.”

Gray cleared his throat. “I thought we were about omegas not getting told what to do around here.”

“Do you think it would be okay for Hammer to let you be bait for some cutthroat alphas?” I made sure my tone was low, holding no malice at all. Not only did the omega not deserve any of my anger, but Hammer would turn my ass into ground meat if I did.

“If I was the only one they would go for, it would be my decision. Are you saying it’s not Raven’s decision?”

My bear reared up on his back legs. “Are we sure we’re not just letting him be bait because of some harbored anger and revenge wishes?”

“That’s enough, Sutton. My omega didn’t mean it that way, and you know it. The decision isn’t yours. It’s Raven’s.”

I turned to my omega, silently begging him to say no. I’d just found him, and we’d been through hell and back to be together.

One wrong move, and I’d be stripped of my mate.

That wasn’t an outcome I wanted to entertain.

Raven took my hands in his, and I was sure I’d won. “I’ll do it. They probably think I’m still bonded to the other alpha and my microchip is in place. They won’t suspect until it’s too late.”

I collapsed in my chair, defeated. Raven whispered an apology in my ear.

Everyone stayed quiet for a few minutes.

“If he goes in, then I need everyone’s word that they will do everything they can to get him out safely. I’m concerned. If there’s any lingering hatred toward Raven—”

“Stop,” Hammer said. “You haven’t been a part of this team long but Raven is good with us. King?”

The lion met my stare and nodded. “I would never leave anyone’s omega to die, Sutton. You’re one of us now, and so is he. I’m no grudge holder. It may take a while before we trust him, but that doesn’t mean I’m going to hang him out to dry. Trust me?”

“Yeah. I do. Okay. Let’s lay out the plan.”

While we were talking through everything, going over maps and drone footage, I pulled Raven into my lap and wrapped my arms around him. I was sure he wanted to do this to prove his loyalty to the team and maybe as his own kind of apology, but there were so many little things that could go wrong.

I would just have to make sure they didn’t.

We talked about the layout. Tyrus and I had gathered intel on the houses. Where the alphas would be. Where the omegas were being held. Ways to get out if things went south. Every detail was discussed at length.

By the end of the meeting, I had more surety in the mission and my mate’s safety, but my worries lingered.

“Sutton,” Pop-Tart called out as Raven and I left the building hand in hand. If we were going to do this, then I wanted to spend the night soaking up my mate’s presence. Tomorrow wasn’t guaranteed for any of us.

“Yeah?” I called instinctively putting Raven behind me.

“I mean no harm,” he said, palms out. “Everyone wanted me to remind you and your mate that tonight is the bonfire. We’re going to cook hot dogs and have s’mores for the kids. We wanted to make sure you knew you were invited. Both of you.”

“Thank you,” I said.

We went back to our cabin and hung out for the rest of the day. We took long walks, and I completely ignored any training or classes I had that day. I simply texted Tyrus and said I was spending the day with my omega.

His reply? Sounds good.

When we returned from our walk, some of the team were placing pieces of wood into a teepee formation. Others set up tables and chairs around the fire.

“Do you want to go?” I asked, tugging on our joined hands.

“Yes.” His answer surprised me. They had excluded him. They didn’t look at the reasons, only saw what he did. Sure, I could see myself acting in the same manner if someone kidnapped my mate, but we knew it wasn’t his fault. He had to do as he was told.

“Are you sure?”

He pushed in closer and wrapped one arm around my waist. “Am I sure about sitting with my alpha under the stars with the warmth of a fire? Yes.”

That night, we shared a camping chair. I cuddled him on my lap. We didn’t say a lot, only observed. All the kids were having an amazing time. Laughter enveloped us. Some of the team came up and talked to us but others didn’t. Accepting us would take time, and I was fine with it. More time with my mate.

Raven turned in my arms as the fire dwindled down. The kids had gone to bed and most of the omegas as well. “There’s something I need to tell you before tomorrow,” he said.

“You can tell me anything. You know that.”

He placed his warm hands on my face. “I love you. It’s not the bond or the fact that you saved my life. You are strong and honest and you’ve treated me better than I ever thought an alpha would. I love you, Sutton.”

I pulled him down and kissed him. We got some whistles and calls from the others to get a room, but I didn’t expect any less from those animals.

“I love you, Raven. For who you are today. None of the rest matters to me.”