Page 5 of Quietly Hux's
I shook my head and wrote,No. I was in the foster system. I never knew my parents.
He nodded and licked his lip. “I, um, I’d love to introduce you to my parents. My mom will love you.” A shy, hopeful smile pulled at his lips.
I returned it with one of my own.I’d like that, I wrote. Tapping the pen against the paper, I decided to ask a question of my own.You don’t have to answer if you don’t want to, but…the scars?
Before I’d even finished writing, he lifted the hand not resting across my lap and touched just below his ruined eye.
I nodded.
He let out a quiet sigh. Not like he was irritated, but like it was a wound that still pained him.
“I was military. A special unit made up of shifters. We were deployed on a rescue mission, and the enemy must have known we weren’t human because instead of bullets, they set up silver spray traps.”
I winced and reached for his hand. I wasn’t a shifter, so I didn’t know how badly it must have hurt, but I’d heard that silver hurt shifters like acid hurt regular humans. Or worse.
Hux nodded. “I was one of the lucky ones.” We sat quietly for a moment, and I tried to convey with my eyes and touch and body just how sorry I was that he’d had to endure that. Leaning up, I softly kissed the rough scar tissue on his cheek. “Thank you,” he whispered. “After, I received an honorable discharge, and Shep offered me a place in his pack. We’ve known each other since we were cubs. He knew I needed a place to heal and would need something to do to keep my mind and body occupied. These woods and the bar have been perfect.”
I gave him a small smile. I hated what had happened to him, but I was so grateful he had this place. And a friend like Shep.
He looked at me, giving my hand a squeeze. “I hope it can be as healing for you as it has been for me.”
With a nod, I set the notebook aside and laid my head back down, listening to his heartbeat until I fell asleep.
Chapter
Four
HUX
“Are we really going to contact Trent?Willingly?” One of the other Omegas asked from their corner of the couch. We’d all settled into the living room of Shep’s house after dinner. Milo was a warm weight on my thighs while the rest of him was settled against my chest. From the way his eyelids kept drooping, I knew his energy was almost spent despite our afternoon nap.
The smell of his heat was almost completely gone from his scent, and even with danger lurking, I’d never been so relaxed. Milo’s relaxation surprised me more, though. He couldn’t scent that only our people were here. That there was no one lurking around the house. Obviously, I’d never been through a heat and didn’t know how taxing it was, but the trust he was showing me had my heart in a vice. I’d die before I let anything happen to him. The way he was half asleep on my chest while we discussed the monsters who’d terrorized him told me he knew it.
“I don’t see another way,” Rylan said, pacing in front of the fireplace. Shep reached out a hand to him, and Rylan took it,letting himself be led to sit beside Shep. “But how are we going to do that without it turning into a huge fight?”
Shep looked at me. “What if you and I go to the pawnshop during business hours? Trent isn’t going to try anything in broad daylight. We tell him he needs to connect us with Dormaunt or we go to the cops.”
Sebastian made a noise. Of all the Omegas, aside from Milo, he was the quietest. He was definitely the most shy. We all went quiet and turned to him. He cleared his throat. Behind him, Thorn pushing off the wall he’d been leaning against, caught my eye. He’d been keeping his distance ever since we got the Omegas out of Trent’s warehouse. I knew he didn’t want a mate bond, but it wasn’t like they were contagious.
“What is it, Seb?” Rylan asked.
“Are—are we not going to go to the cops, anyway?”
Shep’s whole face softened before a wicked smile took over. “Of course we are, but he doesn’t know that.”
Milo stirred from his lounging and reached for his notebook and pen on the side table. I picked them up and handed them to him, earning me a sweet smile. He scribbled something quickly and held it up for me to see.
I want to go with you.
My blood turned to ice. “Milo, no. That’s?—”
He cut me off with a sharp shake of his head and wrote something else.
I wasn’t asking permission. It’s me Dormaunt wants. Trent will want to see me before he calls Dormaunt.
I scrambled for a response that wasn’t the vicious growling my bear was doing in my chest. Some of it was rumbling up without my permission, but Milo wasn’t fazed. He watched me. Waiting.
I grit my teeth, pushing down the snarling beast trying to tear out of my skin at the very thought of my mate being anywherenear Trent or Dormaunt. Taking a beat, I let a slow breath out through my nose. “I don’t like it.”
