Page 22 of Pack Owned
“Or maybe you should stop thinking with your cock. You’d probably be better off.”
“Relax, Ryker.” A sardonic laugh escapes his lips. “We both know you can’t keep your eyes off her.” There’s an edge to his voice, a challenge I ignore. He saunters past me, a suggestive wiggle in his hips, and heads to where Dane and Kayla are.
Just because Kayla has a spark and her pheromones are clouding my mind doesn’t mean I can’t handle the situation.
My mind flashes back to the smoky, dimly lit Nocturne club—Kayla, vulnerable and alone, being harassed by some lowlife Betas. How eager he and his friend dragged her out to the alley. Disgust flares up like acid in my throat. Her eyes were wide with terror, the raw panic in her cry for help slicing through me. The idea of those men touching her clings to me, like the stink of rot that won’t wash off.
I wanted them dead.
Stepping in was the easy part. A swift punch to the jaw, a well-placed kick, and the Betas were sprawled on the cement, whimpering. But something about her kept me digging—her name, her friends, where they were from. Research led to dead ends; their digital footprint was scrubbed clean.
Maybe Liam’s right. Maybe another Alpha caught wind of them, someone more ruthless. Someone who saw Kayla not just as merchandise but as something else entirely. Competition isn’t something I welcome, but I will choke the life out of anyone who gets in my way.
Of anyone who dares to touch Kayla.
The thought sends a jolt of anger through me, hot and primal.
Fishing out my phone, I tap out a message.
“Still searching for any of the Omegas. Will update again when we’ve something new.”
The reply comes back quicker than I expected, a single, terse sentence that chills me to the bone. “Bounty has been doubled. Find them and bring them in.”
The phone feels heavy in my hand, the screen glaring back with the answer. I need to figure out what the hell game Kayla’s playing and if she knows where the other Omegas might be.
My gaze drifts toward the hallway. Her scent is faint but persistent. The bounty amount replays in my head. But it’s not just about the deal anymore, is it? The thought of another Alpha touching her, marking her... sends a primal snarl through me.
Anger and something else, something deeper, war within me. I grind my teeth.
This wasn’t part of the plan. Kayla and the other Omegas were supposed to be a simple transaction. Now, she’s becoming a complication, a loose thread unraveling the carefully woven fabric of my fucking control.
I whip around, my boots thumping hard against the floor as I make for the door.Gotta get out, gotta breathe.The minute I’m out, the chill hits me, and the sharp, earthy scent of pine cuts through the fog in my head. A sheen of sweat coats my scalp, a grimy kind of relief against the coiling tension that’s been eating at me inside.
Tonight’s a gamble. We have one Omega, one lead, and a whole lot of unknowns. And the feeling gnawing at me tells me this is just the beginning.
CHAPTER 7
DANE
The door to my bedroom remains open as my gaze locks onto the little Omega. Closing it feels like an invitation to something more than just tending to her cuts.
She’s huddled slightly, arms wrapped protectively around herself like armor, but it’s the defiance blazing in those ocean-blue eyes that commands my attention. No fear, just a challenge.
“Come here,” I say gently, my voice a low rumble. “Let me take a look at those injuries.” I gesture toward the bed where a medkit lies open, its contents spilled out from earlier today. I open one of the packs, and the sharp scent of antiseptic cuts through the musky tension hanging between us.
She moves with cautious steps, each carefully measured, her chin jutting out stubbornly as dark blonde waves fall across her face like a curtain of secrecy. I can sense it all—the restless energy vibrating beneath her skin, the guarded tilt to her jaw, the distrustful crease between her brows.
“Alright.” She lowers herself gingerly onto the edge of the mattress, her posture strained.
Part of me aches to reach out and smooth away the worry lines with a gentle touch, but I quell the urge, reminding myselfthat she’s not mine. She’s already been bought, and I need to focus on the task at hand.
“Let me see,” I say, my voice calm. I don’t miss her instinctive flinch as I move closer, the reaction a pang in my gut. In this cruel world, her fear is understandable—but I swear, I’m not the enemy here. We do our best to find Omegas Alphas who will take care of them and cherish them, which is more than I can say for Nexus.
“Easy,” I force out, frustration simmering beneath the surface. “I’m just gonna clean you up again, alright? This will hold you over until the morning when we can get you some fresh medicine.”
Her breath hitches, and her body tenses like a coiled spring.
“Why should I trust you?” she asks, a tremor in her voice betraying the defiance in her words.
