Deep in the Forest

Swanley

W hen I close my eyes, I can still feel Carys's sweet cunt wrapped around my knot. The phantom sensation is everything. She has saturated every cell in my body, floating around in my head, and consuming my heart. It’s true what they say: a bond with an omega is more intense than anything else you’ll ever experience. And while I can’t yet zero in on her consciousness the way I can with Isaac, I know she’s there, around the edges. And she seems happy. I wonder what she’s doing today.

Sleeping in?

Sunbathing with Izzy?

Snuggling with Kofi?

I wish I was home.

My phone buzzes, pulling me from my gloomy thoughts. I fish it out of my back pocket and an email flashes on my screen. My heart begins to race.

Scanning the quiet forest around me, I double-check that everyone is still working. My guys keep digging up the earth, creating a large sizable hole. Mike, my second in command, barks out orders to clear a few more tree roots and rocks. And Judson…I can’t even look at the bastard right now. Every time I see his face, all I can think about is that adoring look in Carys's eyes when she saw him. It wasn’t a carnal look, but there was definitely some kind of meaningful emotion in there.

My greatest fear is that my omega wants him. That she’ll want to be with him. And the thought of losing Carys's love to this piece of shit is like a bare-knuckle punch to the throat. I mean, the asshole is practically a child. He has no place in a committed pack. Alphas his age are too immature to dedicate themselves to that kind of relationship. My kind simply don’t settle until our thirties.

No. Judson can’t be with Carys. He’s either hoping to get into her pants, fulfill some disgusting fantasy of fucking his old friend, or he’s got something more evil planned, although I’m starting to think he doesn’t have the backbone for that.

Either way, I’m going to find out what kind of alpha he really is.

I pull up the email, skimming the report. Everything is here. Jud’s background, education (or lack thereof), and his various associations. My eyes move to the last line and my grip on my phone doubles, making the device creek.

“Almost ready.” Mike steps up next to me.

I shove my phone back in my pocket, then turn to check on the progress. “Get the lime!” I yell out to one of the younger alphas, making a few birds scatter. “Line the entire bottom of the pit.”

A couple of guys jump out of the hole, moving a little too slowly for my liking, but I can’t be too pissed. It’s warm out, and they’ve been digging for a few hours now.

“It’s fishing weather.” Mike peers up at the treetops, looking at the cloudless sky between the leaves. “Maybe, I’ll go down to the river this evening.” He glances back at our men. They chat quietly, unloading heavy bags of lime from the back of the SUV. “How far out is Hart?”

I drill down my senses, but I only hear the soothing sounds of the forest. No roar of a car engine. No tires on uneven ground.

“He should be here in the next ten minutes or so.” Judson strolls toward me, and I scowl.

“How do you know?” I ask, not bothering to hide the bitter edge in my voice. “You and Hart share each other’s locations?” I raise my brows, speaking with a mocking tone. “I guess it makes sense. He’s probably scared you’ll wander off like a pathetic lost pup. After all, it’s dangerous bringing children this far out in the woods.”

Judson’s expression is completely blank, not amused in the least, as he holds up his phone. “He texted me when they left the main office,” he says flatly. Then he pockets his phone, looking out at the surrounding mountains as if he were enjoying a day in the park. He's up to something. He has to be.

“Mike,” I turn to the burly alpha, “ask Carison if he wants the van when we’re done, or if he wants it scrubbed and stored.” Mike nods, tapping out a text into his phone.

“Is this where Finn usually disposes of the bodies?” Jud asks.

“ Pieces ,” I correct him. “We don't call them bodies. They're pieces.”

“You use code words?” he asks as if surprised, and it takes everything in me not to laugh.

Un–fucking-believable.

“How long have you been in this line of work?” I can’t help my mocking tone. “Because the fastest way to get caught or killed is by talking about disposing of dead bodies, but by all means, keep it up.”

Jud’s jaw clenches tight, but he doesn’t react otherwise. I have to give him credit, he seems pretty slow to anger. That’s a rare trait among alphas. “I’ve never worked with someone on Finn’s level before,” Jud says. It looks almost painful for the young alpha to admit it. “I’ve mostly worked with inner-city hustlers. Drug dealers and chop shops. Things like that.”

“That’s fucking fantastic.” I roll my eyes, so damn happy that Hart could force this child on me.

“I’m not inexperienced ,” Jud says as if reading my mind. “I know how to handle myself. It’s just that some of your procedures are new.”

I snort, looking him up and down. “You don’t even look old enough to be out past curfew. How old are you?” I know the answer to this, but I want to see if he’s honest about the little shit.

“Twenty-four,” he says, squaring his shoulders. “Why? How old are you?”

Mike lets out a barking laugh. “Swan’s old as fuck. He’s knocking on forty.”

I turn on the gruff alpha, glaring at him hard. “Get the fuck out of here. Go do something useful.”

Mike pulls a sour face at my harsh tone, then lumbers off. “Salty fucker,” he mumbles before marching off to help the younger guys with the lime.

“Are you really forty?” Jud looks me over, the same way I did him.

“I’m thirty-eight,” I say, a little more defensively than I meant to.

“So you're older than Kofi, but he’s the pack alpha,” Judson says as if it’s a wildly interesting fact. “How did you two get together?”

“Fuck off,” I say flatly. “We’re not talking about my family.” But I have to acknowledge Judson’s clever game. He’s told me in one concise sentence that he's done a background check on me and my pack. If he’s really good, then he would have done it prior to showing up at my house, but I seriously doubt he’s that prepared.

“Your beta seems very nice,” Jud says, and anger sparks along my muscles, making me so fucking tense.

“Concentrate on staying ready.” It takes everything in me not to yell. “Hart should be here soon.”

“Hey,” Jud pushes his hands into his pockets, clearly hellbent on pushing all of my damn buttons today. “I’m just trying to make friendly conversation. If we’re going to be working together, we should?—”

“We’re not working together,” I cut in, pleased when he bristles from being interrupted. “Once Finn sees that I don’t need you, he can reassign you somewhere else.” I glance back at my men. They’re done digging, waiting for the piece to arrive. “Hopefully he’ll dump you in the bottom of a fucking pit,” I add bitterly.

“What the hell is your problem?” Jud shocks me with his question.

“Why did you come to my house?” I can’t help the low growl that pushes from my chest. “Carys isn’t yours. She’s my mate, and rolling up on someone else’s property like that is dangerous. You’re lucky Kofi didn’t rip your throat out the second you stepped foot in our house.” I’m well aware that Kofi would never resort to violence so quickly, but this asshole doesn’t know that.

“You decided you didn’t like me well before I came to your house,” Judson says, matching my tone. It’s the most attitude he’s shown me so far. “I know you don’t believe me,” he plants his feet, “but I really just wanted to check up on Carys. Meeting you through Hartley was a coincidence.”

I turn to face the fucker head-on, glaring down at him. “ How did you know where to find her?”

Judson pulls in a deep breath, and the muscles in his jaw tick. Guys like us don’t like to give away our secrets. But it’s clear this asshole still wants to see Carys. I can feel it in my bones. And if he thinks he actually has a shot in hell of speaking to my omega ever again, he’ll have to tell me.

“I’ve got a friend that works the registry,” Judson finally admits.

“Shit,” I snarl under my breath, realizing just how much danger my omega is in. But I don’t have time to focus on that at the moment. Right now, I need to deal with Jud. “So you found out that Carys was claimed and decided to stroll down here to see her?”

“She’s my friend.” His voice is sharp, but his eyes turn down in the corners, making him look like a pathetic beaten puppy. “I don’t want to hurt her or take her away from you. I just wanted to make sure she was okay.”

“Bullshit!” I snap, and some of the chatter near the pit dies down. Everyone is listening to us, but I don't give a shit. “I ran a background check on you too, Judson Lancaster .” I move toward him, pushing into his space. “Both your parents are dead, orphaned when you were five years old. College dropout. You did three years in Saevus Pen for armed robbery, you’re broke as shit, and the last job you had on paper was working for Preston Hyde .”

Jud’s eyes go wide as I say his boss's name.

I take another step, forcing Jud to back up, but he’s tense. Just as worked up as I am. “Are you still working for him?” I ask.

“What?” Shock and rage mix in the young alpha’s eyes. “No!”

“Is Preston paying you to track down Carys?” I bow up, curling my fists tight. “I know money is tight for you. Do you get a bonus if you bring her back alive?”

“I would never!” Judson roars. “I care about Carys. I tried to protect her!”

A harsh snort jerks from my throat. “You did a real shitty job.” My biceps twitch, ready to throw a punch. “You let that piece of shit beat her senseless day after day after day.”

“I tried to save her,” Jud grits out, his voice filled with thick emotion, but it’s all bullshit.

“You tried ?” I mock him, again. Pleased when his face flushes red. “What did you do? Politely ask the fucker not to hit her so hard? Maybe see if he could beat her somewhere that didn’t offend your delicate senses?”

“No!” Jud’s face twitches with pure rage. It’s the look of an alpha that is ready to kill, and I’d love to see what kind of fight this kid could give me.

“You did nothing,” I repeat. “After what Preston did, Kofi had to sew her guts up, piece her back together bit by bit. All because you couldn't do your goddamn job!” I shove the fucker, pleased when he stumbles backward. “She’s covered in thick, long, silver scars. Proof of how hard you tried to save her.”

Judson steadies his feet, then his eyes meet mine. I see what he’s about to do a fraction before he does it. He throws a punch and I dodge it, but I’m caught off guard when he somehow lands a swift kick to my gut.

A few of the guys yell out as we swap blows. Judson is fast, but I’m stronger, just barely. I take every advantage I can, slamming my shoulder into his gut, then ramming the asshole into the nearest tree. Jud’s ribs crack and he grunts, but he doesn’t let up. Wrapping his arms around my middle, he spins us, then launches an attack on my lower abs. He punches. One, two. Three, four. Swift jabs that take my breath away.

“What the fuck!” Hartley’s booming voice carries over the trees.

I immediately stop, giving Jud a clear shot at my face. He takes it, easily breaking my nose. I curse loudly, just in time to see the piece stumble out of the back of Hart’s van. Brute Castril is a big fucker with a bloody face and one arm dangling at his side. It’s clearly broken, the bone protruding out of his elbow.

“Shit!” Hart reacts too late, giving Brute a head start.

I race after the piece, cutting a quick look into the back of the van. Two of our guys are unconscious, lying on top of each other like sacks of bloody meat. Pumping my arms and legs, I run as fast as I can.

It’s been a long time since we had a runner.

I tackle the fucker, a little shocked when he doesn’t go down. “Come on, Brute. Don’t make this hard.”

“Lemme go,” Brute’s words come out like mush. His jaw must be broken.

“You knew this was coming when you betrayed Stanley.” I squeeze his chest, trying, and failing, to throw him to the ground.

“Take him down!” Mike yells and feet pound.

“Don’t make this harder than it has to be.” I try to adjust my hold and slip. We both fall down a steep embankment, landing side by side at the bottom of a sizable hill. Brute takes his chance, straddling my chest, then grabbing me by the neck. He squeezes hard, making my eyes burn.

“Stan had it coming!” Brute’s face contorts, blood spraying from between his broken teeth. His fingers tighten, and my vision goes fuzzy.

“Bru–brute.” My throat burns as I struggle to speak. I can hear my men yelling above me, twigs snapping as they race down the hill toward us.

“Let him go.” Judson appears out of nowhere, his voice loud and clear.

“Fuck off!” Brute yells, then Judson’s hand flies out. He cracks Brute once in the throat, and the alpha goes limp, falling forward, on top of me.

I kick out hard, shoving Brute’s enormous body off of me. Then I roll onto my hands and knees, sucking on ragged breaths of air.

Out of the corner of my eye, I can see Judson straddle Brute’s big body, then he brings his fist down, cracking the fucker’s windpipe. There are a few wheezing breaths, and a gurgle of blood, then Brute stops moving.

“You okay?” Judson moves toward me, holding out his hand to help me up.

“I’m fine.” I swat his hand away, touching the bridge of my nose. The back of my tongue is covered in blood.

“Let me make myself clear!” Hartley roars as he marches up to us. “If I ever catch you two fighting like that again,” his dark eyes are burning with rage, “it’ll be your bodies i n a fucking pit.”

“What the hell happened to you?” Kofi rushes off the front porch toward me.

“Broke my nose,” I sniffle hard, scrunching up my face. My skin feels so tight. “It’s fine.”

Kofi slips into doctor mode. “Sit down.” He motions to one of the rocking chairs. “Let me see if I can set it.”

I do as he asks, closing my eyes as he presses on my cheeks and checks my front teeth. I hate that I can't tell him that Jud flew off the handle and sucker-punched me, but I owe the asshole. Brute had the upper hand, and I’m terrified to think what would have happened if Jud hadn’t got there so fast. I thought about it the whole drive home, wanting to tell Carys what a piece of shit her “ old friend ” is, but I’ve decided to keep it to myself so I can call us even.

“I want to talk to you about something serious,” Kofi says, pinching the bridge of my nose. It forces a stinging sensation through my face, making me flinch. “It’s about Carys.”

My eyes fly open. “Is she okay? Did something happen?”

“She’s fine,” Kofi says, but there’s clearly something off. “I think,” he sucks in a quick breath, “I think Carys has feelings for Judson.” His throat works as he swallows hard. “I think it would be good for her to meet with him.”

Every cell in my body reacts, and my teeth gnash together. When I speak, my voice is a dangerous growl. “You want our omega to date someone else?”

Kofi’s dark eyes go wide at my tone, and he squares his shoulders. “I want her to find some closure between her old life and this one.”

I shake my head. This is a bad idea. “I don’t trust him.”

“You don’t trust anyone,” he says forcefully.

“He’s a crook who beats people up for a living,” I growl loudly, flashing my teeth. Distant laughter hits my ears as Isaac and Carys giggle somewhere inside.

“Calm down,” Kofi commands me. “Carys can feel your emotions. Remember?”

I curl my fists tight, trying like hell to force my mind to relax, but it’s no use. My head is killing me. Between my still-forming bond with Carys and my broken nose, everything hurts. I want to hit something really hard.

“This is a shit idea,” I say, knowing full well that I’m being wildly disrespectful, but Kofi always encourages me to speak my mind. I think he regrets it sometimes.

“Listen to me, Swan.” Kofi’s voice shifts, more tender. Understanding. “I just want Carys to have some closure, but, ” he says the word very loudly, cutting me off when I open my mouth to speak. “If it’s more than that. If Carys has real feelings for him, and you can’t accept him into our pack, I won’t accept him either.”

My alpha’s words bring me a small bit of comfort, but not much. “You’re a fool if you think he isn’t going to hurt her.” And I instantly know I’ve gone too far.

Kofi's eyes darken as he leans down, pushing into my face. “And you’re a fool if you think denying Carys a chance to sort through her past won't hurt her more.” He slowly straightens his back, looking down at me with every ounce of his pack alpha authority. “Jud has been nothing but respectful to both myself and Carys. I think as long as we have clear boundaries, she can meet with him once or twice.”

I know he wants to believe in the good of people, but he doesn't understand people like me and Jud. We’re vicious and cruel. Alphas like us are good at hiding it when we’re around the people we love.

“You honestly think this is a good idea?” I ask.

“I think Carys has suffered a great deal of trauma in her life,” Kofi says softly. “She’s been held captive at the hands of an alpha that broke her down and stole all her joy.” He lets out a pained sigh. “I think that anything that helps our mate heal is worth pursuing. Even if that means letting her talk to an old friend.”

I grimace at his choice of words. “ An old friend ,” I repeat his words. “Alphas don’t keep tabs on omegas for over two years in the hopes of being friends .” Kofi snarls at my tone, but I can’t help it. “She’s going to end up having feelings for him.”

“She already does.” Kofi’s eyes drill into mine. “And we can either love our omega enough to let her flourish or we can get rid of Judson and force her to be miserable. Like the last asshole who claimed her.”

I jerk at his words, disgusted that he’d compare my desire to protect to an alpha who beat his omega. “This isn’t the same!” I snap.

“No, it’s not,” he says. “But you can’t go through life thinking that everyone is out to hurt you.” He lets out a heavy sigh, and I know what he’s about to say before he says it. “Your parents?—”

“Don’t fucking say it,” I say, unable to keep the harsh emotion out of my voice. “This isn’t about them.”

Kofi squeezes the back of my neck, trying to soothe me. “I would crawl to hell and back if it meant you had a chance to work through your past.” He places his hand under my chin, forcing me to look right at him. “Carys has needs and if we ignore them or push them away, then we’re no better than the alphas who abuse their omegas.”

“I’m not trying to hurt her,” I say, looking him hard in the eyes. “I only want to protect her.”

“Me too,” Kofi says simply. “I want to make sure she’s happy and safe from all the awful things in this world. Including the demons in her head. And I think Judson’s friendship can help her.”

I drop my head as defeat settles in my gut. “And what if you’re wrong?”

“Then you’ll handle him.” Kofi touches the bridge of my nose. “But the real question is, do you trust our omega enough to let her have feelings for someone else?” Then he jerks, making the cartilage pop and blood pour.