7. Jade

seven

Idart out of the refuge doors and jump down the steps. With a giggle, I throw myself into the arms of the alpha that is currently stealing my freaking mind. He's so freaking cute with his scowling ‘I hate you' vibes. He catches me easily, lifting me like I weigh nothing, until I lock my ankles around his waist.

"Did you miss me?"

A tiny lift of his lips is my answer, and it sets my heart to thunder speed. Fuck, he's hot.

"You did miss me," I purr and press a kiss to the huge alpha's cheek. "I missed you, Adrian."

"I only saw you yesterday," he protests.

"That was yesterday and so long ago. Today is different, and today has been such a drag without you."

He shakes his head indulgently. "Where's Kandi?"

I lean in close until I can taste the mint from his toothpaste on his breath. "I escaped," I confide with a grin.

He frowns, and then it smooths out when our gazes catch. I love his eyes. I love everything about this alpha. Is it too soon to kidnap him? I nuzzle into his shoulder and inhale that scent that is so distinctive. I can almost hear the rain when I close my eyes.

"Alpha," I murmur.

"Jade, we have to," he coughs and clears his throat. "Oh, fuck it. Kandi! This way."

I narrow my eyes on the beta as she follows us down the street to Adrian's car. Kandi gives me a narrow-eyed look that promises retribution. I bite my lower lip, and then stick my tongue out at her.

She drags her thumb across her neck.

I snicker.

"Enough, both of you," Adrian barks. "Get in the car."

Kandi slides into the front, leaving me with the back as my only option. That's fine. I get in the back and trail my fingers along her neck. I check her arms and spot the goosebumps, her clenched jaw, and smirk as I put my seat belt on.

Kandi is complicated. I can't help feeling some kind of something for her. I"ve never felt anything for a woman before, but there is definitely something, and the dreams I"ve been having…I"m going to go up in flames. But if I have to suffer, so does she.

But there is a tension between Kandi and Adrian, and I don't understand what it is. I fold my arms over my chest and glare at both of them in turn.

"I remembered something really important. I need to see Sven," I announce to the silent car.

It's like I put a flame on gasoline. The tension in the car gets so thick and hot that it's a wonder we can breathe.

Well, isn't that just telling?

"I, uh, think Sven will probably be busy," Adrian says softly.

"All the same, find him," I insist stubbornly.

"Jade, listen, he's a really busy guy-" Kandi explains, but I sit forward and grip her plait, pulling her head back against the seat so I can put my lips against her ear.

"I need to see him. It's urgent." Just because I can, I flick my tongue out and taste her skin.

She groans and pulls her hair free of my grip. "I"ll tell him to meet us at Adrian's house."

Adrian, my love, almost drives off the side of the road. "I don't think-"

"Alpha, what are you scared of?" I purr. "I promise I won't scare him that badly."

Adrian rumbles a protest, and then presses his foot on the accelerator. "You're a menace, Jade."

I sit back, pleased. "I know, but you love me anyway."

Neither of them says anything, but that thick tension dissipates when Adrian casts Kandi an exasperated look.

It's been five weeks, and I feel great. But it's time for me to move out of the refuge, especially since I"ve found my alpha. Which means I just need to convince him that he wants to keep me.

We pull up at what I assume is Adrian's house, and I bounce out of the car before he can turn it off, but the sound of another car pulling up has me turning. Sven. Holy shit, even with thick glasses on that hide his eyes, he looks good. I run a hand over my tight teal dress and adjust the peasant sleeves of the under top. Yup, I look cute as fuck.

Time to make an impression.

He swings out of the car, his eyes finding Adrian and traveling up and down his body. Oh. OH! Then his gaze travels over Kandi, running down her body. I bite my lower lip as things become clearer.

"You have some information for me?" he asks them.

My temper surfaces, and I cross my arms under my chest, narrowing my eyes on him as he completely ignores me.

"No, I have information for you, but if you can't play politely, Sven Mortenson, I can call Darion Raptore, and he can help me."

He does a double take and sucks in a harsh breath. Now his eyes travel from the top of my head all the way to my toes and back up. I feel every single freaking moment of the caress, and by the time he's done, I"m so hot and bothered I feel like I need an ice bath, and I know one thing for sure.

This man is definitely one of my alphas.

"What's the information?" he growls and stalks towards me.

My heart jumps into my throat, and I have to bite back a smile.

"Buy me a drink first."

He looks around, almost like he's confused. "We're at Addy's house."

"Sooo," I drawl out, "you can still get me a drink first, right? I am parched." I touch my throat and draw my fingers down my chest, stopping at the neckline of my dress. Argh, I can't see if he's looking because of those damn glasses, but judging by the way he swallows, I"m having some kind of effect.

"No. Tell me what you know or I"m leaving."

"You"d leave me?" I ask in a soft, teasing voice.

"Fuck!" he growls. "You have Addy. Be happy with that and pretend you never met me," he hisses so just the two of us hear.

I smile up at him. "I can't do that."

He bares his teeth and turns on his heel. He gets three steps away when I call out a single sentence guaranteed to make him stop walking.

"The man who did this to me came to the refuge yesterday."

Sven whirls around. So do Adrian and Kandi. Three of the most violent, toughest people I"ve ever met, and they want to kill for me.

Be still my cold, dead heart, I think I just came a little.

Sven sits opposite me on a chair he snagged from another room. Kandi is on my left, I"m acutely aware of that citrus scent. I want to lick it off her. Why does she look so good in black, skin-tight jeans and a singlet?

Adrian is on the other side of me with a hand on my thigh. Rivers, water, forests. He's wild and untamed, this man, and, oh, so deep. If I could, I"d make this alpha my lollipop.

"You saw the man who did this to you?" Sven asks clearly. "When?"

"Oh, it was around midday."

Sven purses his lips and leans back in his chair. "You're lying."

I grind my teeth and sit forward. Instantly, I"ve forgotten the peace and calm. I"m an inferno of outrage. "I am not lying. He was there."

"Give me a description. A name. Give me a detailed account of what happened to you."

"No," I snap back at him.

Sven growls. It doesn't intimidate me at all. I fold my arms over my chest and lean back, staring at him. He really is pretty but stubborn and foolish. I"m going to train him, it's going to take some work.

"You need to tell me so I can help you." He speaks to me like I"m four years old.

I raise an eyebrow. "I don"t know you. You haven't been here. Why should I trust you?"

Sven tilts his head back and sighs with exasperation. "You're a pain in the ass."

I smirk. "Yes. I am."

"Why am I here?" Sven asks quietly. "You could have just told Kandi."

My beta shifts beside me. I almost turn to look at her, but her thigh presses against mine, and I inhale, feeling myself calm.

"The man who hurt me thinks he owns me. My mother gave me to that pack more or less. Well, according to him. I had words to say about it and thus ended up how you found me. He's not a good man." Well, that's putting it lightly.

Adrian is choking. I turn to him, and then cover his hand with mine. "They gave you to him? I hadn't believed that information."

Interesting. How much do they know?

"Well, he's a very respectable alpha with a respectable pack," I say calmly. "I can't do better. Or so my mother kept parroting." I wrinkle my nose and sigh heavily, watching in amusement as Sven swallows hard and shifts his weight again. His eyes drop to my legs before he tears his gaze away.

I"m being blunt because I don't have time. When I spotted Trevor yesterday, I finally realised my time was up. I won't go back to him. I"ll be dead within the year. I need them to want me. They need to be my pack now.

"Your family said that to you?" Kandi bites out.

"Yes, of course." I turn to her and smile, though it feels brittle. "My family is kind of crappy."

She shakes her head and looks at Sven. "We have to help her." It's a demand.

"Well, I would, but she's holding back information," Sven growls. "And since Addy's leaving at the end of the week, I"ve got a lot of things to organise."

I don't hear anything else he's saying. Wind roars in my ears like I've stepped into a tunnel. He's leaving? He's leaving me? Why does nobody want me? I drag my hand from Adrian's and stand up. The room has gone painfully quiet, but I clear my throat and try to force a smile as I pace away from him.

"You're leaving?" I ask in a cheery tone and turn back to face Adrian, the big fat liar.

He stares at me, and I see the truth in his face.

"You really are leaving. Were you going to tell me?" That comes out a whine, but I can't help it. He's mine. I sniffle back tears and bite my cheek as I fight to get control of myself.

He looks away.

"I see. Perhaps Trevor really is all I deserve," I murmur to myself.

Kandi stands up and looks between the two guys. She's outraged, and I feel a spark of kinship for the beautiful beta. "You didn't tell her? What the fuck, Adrian. Why wouldn't you tell her?"

They don't look at her. Sven and Adrian stare at each other, keeping their secrets. My two very idiotic alphas. How lucky am I?

"Ah, I believe that would be my fault, wouldn't it?" I say and clear my throat. "You see," I turn to face Kandi and lean in conspiratorially. "They are my alphas. My scent matches."

Kandi looks from me back to Sven, to Adrian, and then back to me. "No, they would have-" She breaks off, her face clearing of expression. "You lied to me!" Kandi says in such cold agony that I instantly regret telling her the truth.

"Kandi, wait!" Sven says, but the beta is furious. Her face turns red, and she shoves Sven's chest hard.

"You lied to me."

"No, I never lied."

"What's going on between you and Adrian?" Kandi snarls.

"Nothing," Sven says urgently.

Adrian slumps, the hurt evident in every line of his body. "Nothing," he confirms in a pained whisper. "Nothing is going on. Sven and I are…nothing."

"Is she your omega?" Kandi asks.

Sven doesn't look at me. "Not if I don"t claim her."

I snort a shocked laugh, but I feel worse than I did when Trevor was hitting me. At least he only hurt my body. Sven apparently has a whole new set of powers. He's breaking my heart and soul with his callous words. "You might be the Lone Alpha, Adrian, but I"m the unwanted Omega. Fuck you both."

I turn on my heel and stalk towards the front door. I"m not sure where I"m going, but I"m sure as hell not staying here.

Adrian stops me before I get out of the house. "Wait."

I pause, my back stiff. "You were leaving?" I can't hide the hurt in my voice.

"I"m sorry, Jade. I can't stay here. I just can't. You deserve better."

Pain lashes me, and I sniff and reach for the door handle. "I need to go." I whirl back and stab a finger into his chest. Damn, I wish he wasn't so tall. "I deserved the truth, and I deserve a chance to be happy. A chance to be me. How do you know so perfectly that we wouldn't be happy together, Alpha?"

He swallows hard, and his eyes shutter. He's not going to answer my question. Great. Fine.

"Where are you going?"

"I"ve made friends here. I have somewhere to go. Don"t worry about me, Alpha. I"ll be fine." I open the door and walk out, willing him to come after me, begging him to come after me.

Spoiler. He doesn't. Tears track down my cheeks, and I sniffle as I walk down the road of his street. I have one place to go, but I don't know how to get there; I have no money, no phone. Trevor is out there.

Not for the first time in the last five weeks, I"m aware of my mortality, my fragility. I"m smaller than average, weaker as both a female and as an omega. I"m vulnerable. I adore being an omega, especially being free from my mother's iron control, but with freedom comes vulnerability.

I used to feel safe in the world, annoyed by my parents and shy, but I was safe. After the Omega Meet where I started standing up for myself and choosing my own eclectic clothing and style, I discovered that safe and doing what was expected meant different things. People like an omega who obeys.

They dislike it when they say no.

My parents hated it. They fought against my change. I"d been baffled by it at the time because they were just clothes, but they saw something offensive in my behaviour and got stricter and more imposing until they basically gave me away.

Trevor Lockier is perfect. Exactly the kind of man my parents wanted for me as an alpha. Rich, classy, and with a pack as handsome as he is; he showed my mother photos. He has all the charm, and he's so boring I"d wanted to stab myself with the nearest utensil. He's also dangerously arrogant, with the expectation that everyone will fall under his will.

He has a secret side. A cruel streak that makes him smile when people are in pain. You catch glimpses of it when you get to know him. A snigger when a server gets stiffed, a smirk when a woman gets told off by a man, a gleam when he sees a fight. It's the powerful scent of arousal when I told him no. It's the angry challenge when I said I didn't want it. Sometimes it was the way he ignored my words like I hadn't spoken, like I wasn't a person anymore. I was just a thing. His thing.

I"d rather be alone than be with Trevor.

I am alone. My pack doesn't want me.

But if Trevor finds me, I won't be alone.

I"ll be dead.