Page 64 of Pack Owned
Pissed as hell at the interruption, but Liam’s tone sounds serious. So we head back downstairs to the kitchen.
“Spit it out,” I grunt. Opening the fridge, I grab two beers and hand him one. The hiss of the cap is the only sound for a moment.
Liam opens his beer, then takes a swig, eyes narrowed on me.
“What’s the plan? Nexus ain’t gonna give up on Kayla easily. We gonna finish this bounty hunt or what?” he says, like he knows exactly what I’m going to say, the smug bastard.
Kayla’s face flashes in my mind—fear, defiance, the way she makes my blood run hot. The idea of her being with anyone but us feels like a fucking sucker punch to my gut.
“Shit,” I sigh, the word heavy. “She’s ours. Our goddamn Omega.” Saying it feels like a confession, sacred and terrifying. Never thought I’d be tied down, not really. But here it is, the truth laid bare between us.
“Damn right she is.” Liam’s agreement is gruff. He casually leans back against the counter. He’s known all along, which pisses me off even more.
“Didn’t believe in this mate-bond crap.” A humorless laugh escapes me, my head shaking in disbelief. Part of me wants to fight it, rebel against the whole damn idea of being chained down, but another, deeper part knows it’s a losing battle.
“Better get used to it, brother.” Liam clinks his bottle against mine in a silent toast. “You, me, Dane… we’re in this mess together now.”
Half of me wants to rage and break something just to feel in control. Instead, I take another swig of beer, the cold doing nothing to cool the fire Kayla’s lit inside me.
“Speaking of messes,” Liam starts, his tone turning serious, “there’s another problem. A big one.”
I stiffen, my grip tightening around the beer bottle. “Shit. What?”
“Something I found out a few nights back,” he says. There’s a hesitation in his voice that doesn’t sit right with me. “Talked it over with Dane.”
“What the fuck?” I growl. Trust between Alphas is everything, and secrets are like knives in my back.
He raises his hands in a placating gesture, but his eyes are sharp as if ready for a fight.
“You were hell-bent on cashing in that bounty. Didn’t seem like the right time to throw more fuel into the fire.”
“Fine. Spill.” My words are clipped. I don’t have the patience for games, not with this gnawing sense of possession eating at my insides.
“Ah, fuck it,” he mutters, then takes a deep breath. “I got her to open up about her past. Why she’s so skittish sometimes... It’s not pretty.”
I set my beer down, my hands curling into fists.
Liam’s gaze meets mine, steady and unblinking. “She didn’t give me details but didn’t need to. I can read between the lines. Her stepdad tried to take advantage of her, but she fought him.”
“Fuck! What’s his name?” I’ll gut him for even thinking about touching her.
“We’ve got to think about Kayla.”
“I want to tear him apart with my bare hands,” I snarl, feeling the beast within me gnashing against its chains.
“Listen to me,” Liam states, his tone low and firm. “Acting on this rage will only scare her more. She needs stability, Alphas she can trust. Not more violence.”
“She’ll never be safe, knowing that scum is out there breathing.”
“Ryker, we need to be strategic.” Liam’s eyes are hard, but I see the worry there, too. “We protect her first. We can deal with her stepfather later.”
“Later? When? After he tries to find her to finish whatever the hell he tried to start?” Each word is a growl, my instincts screaming for action.
“We make damn sure he doesn’t get that chance. We keep her close, earn her trust. Show her we can protect her.”
The fury simmers under my skin like hot coals, the idea of waiting to exact vengeance grating against everything I am. But Liam’s right. Kayla’s safety comes first. My need for retribution has to wait.
“Fine,” I grind out, the word barely squeezing past the tension locked in my jaw. “But the moment?—”
