Page 55 of Shades of Scars

This isn’t forever.

So then why does it feel like it is?

34

Caito

“You know she doesn’t want you out here, right?” Apollo’s voice is like a needle to the brain. I grit my teeth, but I don’t take my eyes off my omega’s window. She has the curtains drawn closed, even though it’s a beautiful sunny day. Probably one of the last few before fall is in full effect, and the rain starts up. There’s already some in the forecast for next week.

“Unless you’ve heard something I need to know about, leave me the fuck alone.” I’m seriously not in the mood. I let myself walk away from her thinking this little temper tantrum of hers was going to be temporary.

Three goddamned weeks.

That’s how long she’s been holed up in her apartment. When I’m not watching the front entrance, one of my pack brothers is. She hasn’t left. I know she’s in there. I know it because her roommate glowers at me every time she’s gone to and from work or the grocery store.

The only upside is that she hasn’t ditched town. I’m not sure if that had been in her plan book at all, but I made sure that she wouldn’t be going anywhere without my knowledge before we’d left that apartment that fateful day three weeks ago. She doesn’t know it, but there isn’t a single damn place on this planet my omega can go where I won’t find her.

“Joey called.” Apollo finally speaks. He sighs and drops onto the bench seat beside me. A little old beta lady walks by with her dog and gives me the oddest look, before she follows my impenetrable gaze up to Scarlett’s locked up window. I ignore the way she peels her lips back at me in disgust. There’s absolutely nothing wrong with an alpha guarding his traumatized omega. The whole world doesn’t need to know my damn business.

Though I’m pretty sure the mail man of Scarlett’s building is one day closer to reporting me to the police for stalking.

Semantics.

“Do you have a report or not? Stop wasting my time.” He huffs at me for that, but then he too turns his gaze up to our girl’s window. He has it just as bad as I do. Well, I certainly have it worse. I have her damn mark on my jawline, and it’s taking all of my alpha willpower not to march my ass up to her front door and kick it in so I can demand she speak with me. Maybe get her underneath me so I can make her come a few times so she can forget all about our little slip up.

I’m such a fucking fool. We all are. We should have been honest with her from the beginning. Now we’ve been tossed to the curb like yesterday’s forgotten trash, and I fucking hate it. If it wasn’t for Wren and his threats, I would’ve made a move already.

“Harlan has gone AWOL.” My pack mate finally spits out, and I feel my shoulders stiffen. I glance over at him sharply, tearing my eyes away from the window for the first time since I got here this morning.

It’s nearly two in the afternoon now.

Yeah. I’mthatdevoted.

“For how fucking long?” I grind out through gritted teeth.

Apollo sighs and scrubs a hand down his face. “Last night. Joey says he was tracking him when he decided to make animpromptu trip of out town, but he says he lost him when he started heading East.”

I relax slightly at that. Not much, but a little. “No intel on why?” He shakes his head at my question.

“None. It also seems that the other two have stayed back again with the omega.” A frown tugs at my lips at that while I go back to staring at Scarlett’s closed window.

“Does Joey ever see those two leave?” I can’t shake this niggling feeling that’s taking root inside of me. It’s like an itch that I can’t quite scratch.

“No. Lark wants to make a trip out there again, but Wren was a firm no. I’m not sure what the bastards are playing at. They know about us and Scarlett. They’re just biding their time now. Butfuck, man. I hate that we don’t know when they’ll strike. You know they will.” Apollo’s irritation is evident in the way his scent shifts.

Taking my phone out of my pocket, I check for any messages from Wren. There aren’t any. “He’s had no word from his contacts, has he?” I ask while I slip my phone back away.

“As far as I know, no. You haven’t been home when he has much, but he’s been an even moodier bastard than you. You know he tried to go to the diner to talk to Kate?” I lifted my brows at that, looking over at him quickly to find him glowering at a man stopped in front of a storefront across the street from our bench. I think it’s a tea shop or something. It’s the building right next to Scarlett’s.

“I’m guessing that didn’t go well?” Apollo scoffs at that, and it makes a smirk curl my lips. I don’t think I’ve shown any kind of emotion like that since I foolishly turned my back on my omega. Seriously, I’m such a goddamned idiot.

“No. She had him removed for loitering, even though he bought a coffee. Told him right to his face that she wasn’t getting in the middle of his bullshit with Scar.” I blow out a breath atthat, and now I’m eyeing the asshole standing in front of the shop. He’s standing there, but his body is turned towards the front entrance of our omega’s building.

“Walk with me.” I rise to my feet and start heading in the direction of the cross walk about ten feet away. Apollo says nothing, but I can feel him follow me. It only takes thirty seconds for the light to signal, and I walk across the street to the side Scarlett’s building is on.

My pack brother seems to catch on to what I’m doing, and the irritation lacing his scent quickly morphs into something deadlier. We’re nearly four feet away from the loitering asshole when he senses us behind him. I move quicker than he can, though.

Before he can make a move like he intended to run, my favorite knife is firmly pressed against his spine, and Apollo flanks him on his other side. “Lets go have a little chat, eh mate?” Violence sings in my blood at the feel of the beta stiffening against the sharp point of my blade.

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