Chapter Nineteen

I'd sat with the guys before, had a "meeting," but something about this felt so much more official. Maybe it was because last time, I was there more as a witness, giving my firsthand experience, and this time, I was there as a member. I wasn't sure. In any case, this was like a rite of passage to me.

This time, it wasn't just the crew that my mate worked with; it was their mates as well. Once again, it gave a vibe of pack. My wolf was thrilled by that. He longed for that kind of structure. I suppose in a way he had it at Shifter House, only there, it was more of a boss/employee situation rather than family above me. And, with the children, I treated them as my own, so that was different too.

I was probably just overthinking all this.

Tyrus and I walked in together, barely on time because…fine, because I couldn't stop kissing him. But it was allowed. We were newly mated, and it seemed everyone had figured that out. They'd probably have been worried if we were early, wondering if something was wrong with us.

Instead of sitting next to my mate, I sat with Gray, Hutch, and Jack, the other omegas. Had I been seeing a snapshot of the meeting, not knowing the people here at all, only their designation, I'd have thought there was some grade A omega discrimination going in here. Only it wasn't about separating us. This was about them fully welcoming me into their fold. It was the omega mates letting me know I was not only wanted there but was accepted and needed.

It was an interesting dynamic, and one I hadn't expected. There was no indication I couldn't sit with my mate. And had I been at all uncomfortable, I'd have done so. Jack waving me to them had been an invitation and not an expectation.

"We sit back here so that when our mates do something eye-roll worthy, we can shake our heads in peace," Hutch joked.

Although, maybe, maybe there was some truth to it. The guys could be ridiculous on occasion—all of them, including the ones I was sitting with. They loved to joke around with each other, but they understood when it was time to be serious.

"I sit here because it's close to the door," Gray whisper-shouted, earning him a few headshakes of his own. "As soon as this sucker is over, I'm outta here."

He had me giggling now.

Jack was the only unmated omega here. He'd come rescued from a breeding facility, giving birth on the way to this warehouse…in a van. I don't know how he did it. He was stronger than I was.

Aziz found his place at the head of the table. Showtime. He'd just come back from spending time staking out the place in my dream and had pictures for us to look at as well as some information. I wasn't sure how they found it, but apparently my picture was enough to allow them to do so. They were quite clever like that, especially with computers. They found things I didn't know existed on the internet.

"I hate to be the bearer of bad news," Aziz said, pushing some pictures forward. "But it's not abandoned. There are a few kids there, middle school and elementary, maybe? I'm not so good with ages. But no one very young, based on what I could gather."

Which was the opposite of what I saw at Shifter House.

"I set up some cameras before I left. They are feeding into my computer, and I'll be sharing that feed with those of you who are willing to help monitor it. I set the motion detectors to notify me when someone is on the go. It also tells me when fox, birds, and large moths fly by. It's not exactly helpful, but it is better than staring all day."

"And what are you looking for?" Hutch asked. He didn't wait to be acknowledged. He had a question and asked away, no one batting an eyelash over it. This might be more formal than the last time I was here with the alphas, but I'd hardly call it rigid.

"I figure we can try to assess what's happening, possibly find some patterns. There might be people coming and going who are different than the ones I saw? Honestly, I don't know what we are looking for, but, as of right now, there's no concrete proof that these are anything but squatters."

"You know they aren't." Hammer barely contained his growl, his voice not fully human. "Sloan wouldn't have dreamed it if they were."

"Unless they need help?" My comment was probably not that helpful, but that was okay because seconds later, I took it back.

I grabbed some of the pictures, flipping through them. My heart sank as I saw the kids. These weren't squatters, and my instinct was confirmed with the very next picture.

It was him, the man who I thought was the inspector. Or maybe he had been an "inspector," but not the kind I'd thought was coming.

"Mate, you look…are you okay?" Tyrus started to get up.

"No. Stay. It's fine." I slid the paper across the table. "This is the man who put the collar on me." I didn't want to bring up the beating again. They all knew it happened.

Tyrus picked it up and he swallowed deeply. That was weird. It was almost like he recognized the guy. "Are you sure?"

"I will never forget that face as long as I live." And if it took my dying breath, I was going to make sure he paid for what he did not only to me but who knew how many other omegas and children. The man was a monster.

"I got a tip about him." My mate set the paper down. "He's evil. Pure evil."