Page 112 of Believe it or Knot

Liam’s gaze drops, and he gives a quick shake of his head. “No, she didn’t deserve any of that.”

“Yeah, she fucking didn’t.” I agree. Then I sigh, rubbing the gun on the side of my head. “Something’s wrong,” I tell them, because they deserve to know and I’m going to need help to find Sorrel.

All three of them stiffen. “What do you mean?” Rafe asks, his voice a growl, gaze sharp.

Tucking my gun into its holster at the base of my spine, I say, “I went to her house, and it was… torn apart. Glass broken and furniture knocked over.” My hands fist at the memory, fear climbing up my throat that I need to shut down quick, because fear is the fastest way for Sorrel to get hurt. If I let it overwhelm me, I’ll be fucking useless. “The lock on the door was broken, like someone kicked it in.”

Gray’s brows climb his forehead. “And you thought we did something to her?”

I shrug. “Wouldn’t be the first time, huh?”

His nostrils flare as his eyes narrow on me, but he doesn’t deny it. Instead, he looks over at Rafe. “Someone has our girl.” My heart clenches at the easy way he claims her.

“My girl,” I snarl back in response.

Liam scowls at me. “She’s all of ours! Jesus. Can we please just focus on what’s important and work out the pack dynamics later? Sorrel needs us. Right fucking now.” He looks at Rafe. “Has there been any threats against her?”

“Before all this bullshit?” The head of security tucks his gun away as well and shakes his head. “Nothing that seemed out of the ordinary.”

“I’m sorry. Out of the ordinary?” I growl.

Gray shrugs, moving to the dining room to grab his laptop and bringing it over to where we’re all standing. “It’s part of being in our pack. Liam has a lot of fans who are… well, fanatics, and that means they feel they have a right to his time and his affections. If they see someone infringing on those rights-”

“Like a new beta in the pack,” Rafe cuts in.

“They tend to be a little overprotective.”

“A little overprotective?” I nearly bellow. “How is kidnapping Sorrel a little overprotective?”

Rafe shakes his head as Liam ducks his chin. “I don’t think this is because of Liam,” Rafe reassures both him and me. “I told you we analyzed the threats against Sorrel and none of them were truly cause for concern. We issued a few restraining orders, but there was nothing that leaned toward violence.”

“Was that before or after you publicly shunned her?” I ask through gritted teeth. “Someone leaked what you said to her, Grayson. Someone could be mad enough at her and twisted enough to think they’d be doing you a favor by getting rid of her.”

All three of them pale. “Shit,” Liam whimpers, swaying on his feet and reaching out to catch himself. “It’s our fault.” He runs a trembling hand over his face, and it’s like with the motion all his fear and guilt washes away, replaced with anger. Anger at his own prime alpha. He rounds on Gray, green eyes narrowed. “I told you she wouldn’t do something like this to us. I told you she was legit, that she cared about us. This isn’t our fucking fault, it’s yours! You’re the one who unilaterally decided that she was a lying, manipulative bitch we needed to cut ties with!”

“Liam,” Rafe warns. “Don’t say something you don’t mean, mi amor.”

Liam rounds on him, nostril flaring, scent spiking to show his rage. “And you’re just as bad, rushing me out of there without giving me a chance to talk to her, giving her a chance to explain! She should be here with us right fucking now, safe and sound and not out there with some psycho fan who wants to hurt her because of us! Because of me.”

His voice cracks on the last word and his face crumbles. “If she dies or is hurt, I will never forgive either of you.”

“Liam,” Gray says, his own voice suspiciously tight, his expression full of devastation, reaching for his omega to comfort him. I have the urge to do the same, but Liam isn’t my omega, so I keep my hands fisted at my sides.

Liam smacks his hand away with a snarl and does the same when Rafe reaches for him as well. Instead, he darts round both of them and comes to me. Pressing into my side, his face against my chest. I freeze for half a second before alpha instinct takes over and my arms wrap around him, a low purr rumbles out of me. Surprising as hell, but then I’ve never spent much time with omegas.

The other two alphas watch as I comfort their omega, jaws tight and hurt clear in their gazes. I ignore it. Everything Liam said to them was the truth, but I’m also not innocent.

If I’d reached out to her sooner, figured out where she was, stalked her to make her listen to me, then I would have been with her when she was attacked. I could have prevented it.

I run my hands up and down Liam’s back in soothing strokes until he’s calmed down. He takes a deep breath, inhaling my scent and then blowing it out in a rush. “I’m sorry,” he murmurs before pulling back. At first I think he’s apologizing to me for hugging me, but then he glances at Rafe and Gray. “I’m sorry. Losing my temper will not help her. It isn’t going to help us find her.” He stays close to my side as he looks up at the other two alphas. “What do we do?”

“Fuck,” Rafe says, wiping a hand down his face and removing the signs of devastation on his face at the same time. Re-centering himself. Focusing on the problem. “I really fucking wish I’d put some kind of security system in place on her cabin.”

My brows arch. “You didn’t? I swear I saw pinhole cameras set up around her place. I assumed it was you from before you tossed her aside.”

“Watch yourself,” Gray growls. “You accused her of only being with us to further her career and for the money. It’s essentially the same fucking thing.”

My stomach tightens with guilt.

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