Page 4 of Nothing is Free

“What do you mean, you watched me? Protected me? My parents disowned me, Damyn. The day they did, I thought you would come for me. Save me. But then they told me you were dead. Dead, Damyn. I see that after all this time my parents’ lies continue to haunt me,” I reply, feeling the need to give him this truth. After all this time, after everything that happened the day I presented as a Beta, things are becoming clearer. My parents lied, they pushed me away and I have a feeling they did so out of spite.

He pauses as he wraps his hands around something silver and I fight the urge to rise and see what he’s holding. “Oh Butterfly, I promised you forever, with or without my pack. I meant just that. I was coming for you. Unfortunately, my own parents waited to tell me what your parents were planning for you, and I was too late. I failed you. I failed you, and in a way, I did die that day.” He points to his scar. “In my haste, driving in poor ass conditions, my car careened off the road into a ravine and I lost everything.” He quickly looks away, eyes on the cart again as he works absently on something I can’t see.

I continue to eat slowly as I think through what he is saying. We were both victims of circumstance and if he had found me years ago maybe things would have been different. Maybe he would have had the chance to fulfill his promise to me. “Why didn’t you come to me, Damyn? Why didn’t you just reveal yourself? You say you were watching, which means you were in Chicago. I am confused. I want to understand your motives, but I don’t. If you wanted me. Reallywanted me.” I raise my chin and our eyes lock. “Then you would have claimed me before someone else did,” I say defiantly, because ultimately, this is what it is all about. My mates.

Damyn smiles and nods. “Yes, you are right.” He snaps the fingers of his right hand and points at me. With his left hand he reveals a shiny silver gun with a needle on the end of it. I panic at the sight of it and stand so fast my chair wobbles behind me but doesn’t fall.

“That is where I messed up. I didn’t anticipate you moving to Kentucky. Your best friend was an unknown variable. I knew nothing about her life, another failure. So, you upped and moved.” He tsks. “I knew I needed to finally step out of the shadows and tell you everything.” He moves slowly toward me with the gun, well, it’s not a gun but my eyes don’t leave the device in his hand.

“Your parents threatened to have you removed permanently when they found out you were doing well. Callous, right? You changed the spelling of your last name, doing just fine, their throw away Beta daughter. They couldn’t have that of course. Couldn’t let you just live the life you carved out for yourself. No. Still ashamed of the deal they made with some of the most prestigious families in our community.” He moves closer and I step away from the cart, my eyes darting toward the bed, my only escape.

“What is that, Damyn?” I gesture toward the device, but he ignores me and continues.

“I killed every spy and private investigator, but they kept coming. I stopped every attempt to kill you, and by proxy I saved your friend as well. But I failed, Butterfly. You spread those beautiful wings of yours and flew away from me before I could tell you everything. I thought the truth would have you throwing yourself in my arms. I kept my promise. PackSavoy found you before I got a chance.” He sighs. “There are a lot of things I would have done differently. I guess now is not the time to dwell on the what-ifs.” He stops before me, mouth turned down in a frown.

“Sit.” He points to the chair I am slowly moving away from. My mind racing a million miles a minute at all the things he’s divulged. My parents, despite disowning me, still wanted to harm me. The thought stings more than I thought it would after all this time. They couldn’t let me live the life I made for myself. Instead, they had me watched and followed. It’s all too much to process right now, so I focus my attention back to the present.

“Why?” I ask, knowing it’s pointless. I can’t run and hide, he is going to do whatever he has planned with or without my compliance.

“Don’t make me ask again, Butterfly,” he threatens, nostrils flaring as he tries to maintain his calm.

I sit, and before I can move another muscle, he strikes. His hand clamps down on my shoulder in a vice-like grip holding me in place, stopping all movement. The press of the device against my neck, the sudden squeeze of a trigger, a pinch of pain and he steps away. My hand instantly shoots up to the spot against my neck and when I pull it away, there’s blood on my fingers.

Shock. Stunned. Silent. I let the tears fall. I know exactly what he’s done. My fate is sealed. He placed a tracker in me. I am not ignorant of the concept. I know Lox joked about putting a tracker in Mercy and she actually agreed to it. But this, what Damyn has done, is a true violation. I don’t know why I feel so betrayed, but I do. He’s only tethered me further to him.

He holds his hands up in surrender, offering me an understanding half smile as he picks up some gauze from the cart. “This won’t be the first or last thing you will hate me for, Butterfly. I would rather you hate me. I will take whatever emotion you’re willing to give, for now. But you will be with me. This is the only way. The only way to keep you. To keep you and the baby.”

CHAPTER 3

AVION

Iwatched the water cascade down Freeya’s parted thighs. Long, toned, dark-brown beacons slip further apart in invitation as I take in her gloriously naked body against the shower wall. My eyes traveled up her thighs, past her nice, round apple-shaped ass to the flex of the muscles in her back in anticipation of what’s to come. I loved her like this. My Beta. Mine. Yes, she was ours, but I lived for the moments when she surprised me and it was just the two of us. Our own little separate tryst away from the demanding needs of Omari and the possessive clutches of both Vic and Dez.

My cock hung heavy between my thighs, precum dripping from the tip as my eyes locked with hers. She looked over her shoulder at me, arms splayed in front of her as she braced herself against the wall. Complete submission. She was waiting for me and only me.

“Putain!” Fuck, I said under my breath. The urge to close the distance and taste her lips was almost uncontrollable. Bright white teeth bit down on her bottom lip, but her eyes, heavy lidded with lust glanced hungrily at my cock. I couldcum from the desire in that look alone. I’d save her lips for last as she squirmed in front of me in a silent plea. I knew what she wanted.

“You want my knot, Mon Chéri?” I asked as my hand slid down to fist my cock. I squeezed, stroking myself from root to tip, closing my eyes tight, willing myself to calm down. Right then I felt like a teenage boy eager to release his load at the sexy assed sight before me.

“Avion, please. Don’t make me wait,” she begged, arching her back and pushing her ass up. My knees weakened at the sight, and I couldn’t help myself as I stepped forward, dropping to my knees behind her. I watched her pussy lips part and I salivated. Despite the water from the shower, I didn’t miss the way her arousal clung to her folds.

“Brace yourself, Mon Chéri,” was all the warning I gave before I pushed her thighs wider and buried my face in her wet heat. I bit and licked her clit, making her buck and thrash against me, the sweet taste of her essence coating my tongue. It’s better than breakfast, the best part of waking up in the morning is having her fall apart with my mouth wrapped firmly around her clit.

“Jesus! Avion! Fuck!” Freeya moaned; her body went limp after she came. Her release was so loud, I was sure my brothers knew exactly what we were up to in here. It was never just an innocent shower when Freeya was involved. Never quick either.

“That’s one, Mon Chéri. Now, you have to give me another.” I rose quickly, not giving her a chance to catch her breath before I pulled her hips back and notched the head of my cock at her entrance, ready to make her scream for me a second time.

“Avion, they’re here,” Vic calls out from behind me. I close my eyes and let the memory of Freeya from yesterdaymorning fade. Her bright eyes had shone with love and affection as she had clung to me while I dried us both from our shower escapade. The slow kisses she had peppered against my lips when she promised me she wouldn’t overwork herself as she left to finish the final preparations for Mercy’s gala. I had watched her leave, barely seeing her as the night progressed, and I regret it. I regret that I let her out of my sight for a moment. My brothers and I are equal in all things, even Omari, despite him being our Omega. Somehow though, I have became the figure head of our pack, Dez my enforcer, our protector, Vic our light-hearted, voice of reason, and Omari holds us together.

Until Freeya came along, I thought our pack was complete. The day we met her at M. Bar changed everything. She is our everything, Freeya is our glue. The moment I saw the fear in Dez’s eyes last night. . .my world came crashing down around me.

The anxiety and fear I felt through our bond is still so fresh that it threatens to crush all my cool calm resolve. I am barely holding on, but I need to for Omari, Vic, hell, even Dez. He took her.I drop my head against the windows and breath through the simmering rage. My hands are shaking so badly, I cradle them under my armpits and close my eyes shut tight against the memory of the night before. The haunting image of a figure in black escaping out of the side door of Smooth Bourbon Distillery with an unconscious Freeya hanging limply over his shoulders is on constant replay in my thoughts.

“Avion,” Vic calls again, his own voice laced in pain. I know I am not alone in my grief, no, not grief, she is not dead. I still bite back the need to yell at my brother for disturbing me. Pushing off the window, I smooth my hands down my suit, adjusting my tie. I open and close my wateryeyes against the memory of Freeya doing the exact same thing every time I left for another overseas trip. She took care of each of us in her own way. In such a short time, she became our universe. I sigh and roll my shoulders back. All of it seems trivial now. All the moving around, the promises to return to her, to Omari. It all means nothing if she is not here to greet me. She completed us and now. . .

“Avion.” My eyes snap up at the sound of Mercy’s voice. She approaches me slowly, fidgety, Lox and Knight at her back keeping a close eye on their Omega, even though she doesn’t need it. Mercy is their leader, and she is her own force. It’s cute how protective her Alphas are though. Can’t believe it was only months ago that she was taken from them. They got her back though, so there is hope for me and my pack. I hold on to that hope as I greet her.

“Mercy, thank you for coming. Dez says you might have some intel to share with us.” I offer her a small smile and she mirrors it with her own. Her eyes wander around the room anxiously, nostrils flaring, she’s uneasy but trying to keep calm. The scent of burnt sugar permeates the entire penthouse, Omari’s distress thick and heavy in the air. Omegas don’t do well in each other’s presence in situations like this, it’s a testament to Mercy’s strength that she managed to walk in the door.

---