Chapter Seven

The trip home seemed to pass in a flash instead of the hours it had taken to get there. The entire time, Dax and Noah had been on edge, fretting and fidgeting over every move or sound Landon made. When they finally exited the truck, everyone gave a sigh of relief.

“Who knew the two of you were such a pair of mother hens?” Dylan mocked.

Dax snapped, his usual carefree attitude vanishing under the nagging worry for their mate. “Tell me you’d be any different if it were your mate in the same situation? Tell me you wouldn’t be about ready to jump out of your skin, ready to do anything, kill anyone, if it meant protecting the one who was destined to be yours?”

“Of course I would,” Dylan responded defensively. “A mate is a gift. Unfortunately, as I lack a mate, I doubt I’ll ever experience the joy of it.”

“Bullshit!” Dax retorted. “Whether you have claimed each other or not, everyone knows there is something between you and Jai. The two of you are just too pig-headed to do anything about it. How you just sit back and do nothing as he screws anything that moves is beyond me. If that were my mate, I would have chained him to my bed and fucked him until he couldn’t move. Reamed his ass until there was no doubt in his mind who he truly belonged to.”

Dylan shrugged negligently, but there was a gleam of pain in his eyes. “I have no one to blame but myself. Jai put himself out there once. He admitted his feelings, told me that we were mates, and I screwed it up. I let my own fears get in the way and now I’ve lost him, possibly forever. I don’t know if he’ll ever give me another chance. Some hurts run too deep to ever be forgotten.”

“Maybe not forgotten, but possibly forgiven?”

Dylan snorted. “Have you met Jai? He’s not exactly the forgiving type.”

“When it comes to the people we love, we are all willing to take risks and step outside our comfort zones. Don’t give up on him. Jai is a good man. He just needs time. You owe him that much.”

“I know.” Dylan sighed, agitatedly running a hand through his hair. “I owe him that, and so much more. I just don’t know how much more I can give him. Every time I see one of those men pawing him, I want to rip their hands off and then take him up against the nearest flat surface. You know how well that would go over with my mate.”

Dax laughed. “Yeah. Jai is as prickly as a porcupine, on a good day, but I get the feeling that most of that is just cover. I don’t think that things have always been easy for Jai. I mean, he was forced out of his Pack by his own family for being gay, for God’s sake. I doubt that was the first, or last, blow he’s suffered. You just need to find a way to get him to open up to you, to let you inside that wall of snark and sarcasm he uses to keep everyone else at a distance. Once you manage that, everything else should be gravy.”

“Yeah.” Dylan scowled. “Easier said than done. I’m not sure you could breach those shields, even if you had a blowtorch and a crowbar.”

“Nobody said it would be easy,” Dax murmured softly, his eyes now focused on Noah, who was standing off to the side, still holding Landon in his arms. “Nothing worth having ever is.”

Giving Dylan a reassuring smile, he nodded to Noah and they headed off toward the infirmary, praying that they were about to be on the receiving end of some god news.

* * * *

Three hours later found them all back in Noah’s suite. Doc had given Landon a thorough examination and deemed him dehydrated and roughed up, but he was not on the brink of death. With orders for him to get plenty of rest and shift once he felt up to it to kick-start his healing, Dax and Noah were allowed to take Landon back to recuperate in the comfort of Noah’s quarters.

“I love your place,” Dax praised as Noah led him into his suite of rooms.

Taking in the space, Noah had to admit he loved it too. With two bedrooms, a sitting room, a master bath and a good sized kitchen-dining area, the space was like its own separate apartment. The green and brown tones that carried throughout the space managed to be both masculine and soothing. The soft fabrics and open floor plan just added to the inviting atmosphere.

“What about your place?”

“My place is a hovel compared to this. It’s my own fault really. I’m away on missions so often, I never really saw any need to do much with it.” Dax laughed. “I like to call it spartan chic.”

Noah led the way farther into the apartment, making his way down the hall and directly into the master suite. After pulling back the covers, Noah gently lay Landon down and propped him up amongst the mountain of pillows. Their mate’s slight frame was nearly swallowed up by the massive king-sized bed that dominated the space.

Standing back, his arms crossed over his chest, Noah took in the long lashes fanning Landon’s cheeks and his slightly parted lips. “He looks peaceful,” he said softly, not wanting to wake their dozing mate.

“He does. God, he’s exhausted.” Dax came to stand beside him, their bodies so close that their hips brushed together, the touch a comforting presence after the stress of the day.

“After everything he’s been through, can you blame him?”

“No. Not a bit.” Firm lips pressed softly against the side of Noah’s throat. “Come on,” Dax whispered against his ear. “We should go and let him rest.”

Noah gave one last, longing look at Landon before following Dax out of the room. Entering the living room, he was mildly surprised to see Kellan and Eli making themselves comfortable on the couch while Ruby glowered at them from Noah’s wingback chair. Even Jai was there, leaning stoically against the far wall.

“Noah,” Eli called, a smile tugging at his lips. “I heard an interesting story that you were collecting all the eligible gay men in the area. Any truth to the rumor?”

“Not all of them, just the best. I have refined tastes.”

Rising from his seat, Eli crossed the room and wrapped his arms around Noah, pulling him into a big bear hug. Noah froze, not sure how to respond to the unexpected affection.

“You have to hug me back or else it gets weird,” Eli quipped, his voice muffled by the material of Noah’s shirt.

A chuckle rumbled free of Noah’s chest. He lifted his arms and returned Eli’s embrace and then some. There was initial discomfort, but it was quickly replaced with a familiar ease that was long overdue. He pulled back and gave his brother a hearty pat on the back. “It’s good to see you, E.”

“It’s good to see you back in one piece. I have to say, when I heard you had gone running off on a mission I was more than a bit surprised. Then to hear you’d come home with yet another mate? Well, shock would be putting it mildly. Been busy, have we?”

“You have no idea.”

“Where is he?” Ruby barked, jumping in between them, as if someone had lit her pants on fire. “Where’s Landon? I want to see him, now.”

Dax laughed, leaned forward and ruffled her hair. “Bossy.”

Noah frowned, not amused in the least. “I don’t think you’re in any position to be giving orders, princess. There are some questions that need answering before you get anywhere near Landon. You might as well sit there and calm yourself because we may be here a while.”

“You’ve got to be joking.” When neither of them backed down, she threw her hands in the air. “Fine,” she grumbled belligerently, dropping onto the couch in a huff. “What do you want to know?”

“Everything,” Noah demanded.

Ruby’s eyes widened and her shoulders sagged. “I don’t even know where to begin.”

“The beginning is always a good place to start,” Kellan suggested, authority ringing in his words. While the words themselves gave room for choice, his tone made it clear there was none.

Noah had a lot of respect for his brother’s mate. He led his people from a place of caring and concern, not at all like the fear their father instilled in his own Pack. It was a sign of a good man and an even better leader. As an Alpha himself, Noah had to wonder if he still had it in him to lead a Pack with the same kind of compassion. He honestly didn’t know if he cared enough to lead. At the moment, his main concern was for his mates, his brothers and the men and women of the Grand Rapids Pack who had taken him in and treated him like family. The rest of the world could go fuck itself.

“All right,” Ruby breathed, blowing a piece of hair out of her eyes, “the beginning. Might as well air out all the dirty laundry at once.” She turned, giving Dax a small, fleeting smile. “Landon came to our pack when he was two years old. He and his father arrived at my family’s home in the middle of the night, covered in blood and ash. His father, Marx, had been gravely wounded and didn’t survive the night. Before he passed, he told my father that their Pack had been attacked with no warning.

“Located just outside Big Rapids, the North Falls Pack had been small and isolated, no more than thirty members. Homes were ransacked, buildings burned to the ground and people had been dragged from their beds and executed out in the streets. Marx had been jerked awake by the noise. Apparently there had been some type of safe room built into the closet in Landon’s room, so his father gathered him up and locked him inside, then went back for Landon’s mother. When he got back to their room he found his wife on the bed with a bullet hole in her chest and three men standing around her.

“Marx attacked them, killing two before the third managed to get off a shot that struck him in the stomach. He went after the man and managed to subdue him. He forced the man to tell him why the Pack had been attacked and found out they had been sent by the Alpha of the Mason Pack. They’d been given the description of a child and told to locate him and bring him back to the Mason Pack unharmed. They had also been ordered to destroy any evidence that the child or the Pack had ever existed. One guess who that child was?”

“Landon.” Noah’s stomach lurched like it had been dropped off the side of a cliff.

Ruby nodded. “Yes.”

“I’m sorry, but I still don’t understand. We all know that Alpha Steele is crazy,” Noah rumbled, refusing to acknowledge the familial tie between them. “What I don’t get is why he would risk his Pack just to get his hands on one child. Even if the boy was the son of the Alpha, what would it gain him?”

Ruby shook her head. “It had nothing to do with his father. Landon is an Omega.”

Kellan frowned. “An Omega—really? I always assumed they were a myth. An old wives’ tale. I don’t know of anyone who’s ever seen one before.”

“Not to sound like an idiot, but what the hell is an Omega?” Dax asked.

“Sorry, D.” Kellan gave his cousin a fond smile. “Ruby, I think you’d be the best one to answer that as you’re the only one with any real experience with an Omega. From the stories I heard as a child, they were always made out to be weaker members of the Pack that needed to be protected. Forgive me, but that doesn’t seem all that special to me.”

“No,” she laughed, “that doesn’t seem so special at all. Omegas are a bit more impressive than that. Alphas and Omegas are opposite sides of the same coin. While an Alpha is the Pack’s strength, an Omega is its heart. Having a pair completes a Pack in a way that an Alpha alone never could. Omegas bolster peace and happiness. They have heightened senses that are able to pick up on Pack connections and intuition that borders on precognition.”

Ruby nodded to Eli. “Even now you’re getting a small taste of it. Do you not feel at ease? Calm in a way that is not quite natural? What you’re experiencing is only a diluted imitation of his normal power. He’s hurt and weak. Most of his energy is being diverted in an effort to heal his wounds. Imagine him healthy and whole.”

“What an amazing gift.” Eli smiled, shaking his head. “How is it possible that none of us knew about this?”

Ruby shrugged. “Omegas have started to fade out over the years. According to my father, Alphas and Omegas used to be nearly even in numbers. No one knows what happened, but over the last hundred years, the Omega population started to thin considerably. Now, most people will go their whole lives without even the rumor of an Omega. They’re a dying breed.”

“Not that what you’ve told us isn’t amazing,” Kellan interrupted, “but I still don’t understand why Alpha Steele would have gone to all the effort to get his hands on Landon.”

“I agree,” Noah replied, worry niggling at the back of his mind. “While a normal Pack would treasure the abilities of an Omega, Alpha Steele leads his Pack with an iron fist. He doesn’t give two shits if his Pack is happy or healthy. All he cares about is power and getting more of it.” He shook his head. “I don’t see the benefit in this for him and my father doesn’t do anything without some kind of gain on his part.” Narrowing his eyes, Noah gave Ruby a suspicious glare. “Is there something you’re not telling us?”

Between her downcast eyes and her wringing hands, Ruby might as well have ‘guilt’ tattooed across her forehead. Hopefully she never planned for a career in politics.

“I think it’s time we got the full story of what happened in that hellhole. Ruby?” Kellan’s countenance was dark and his eyes were narrowed. Despite his anger, it was more than clear that his anger was not directed at Ruby but to what had been done to them.

Ruby’s indecision was palpable. From her white-knuckled fists and the rigid way she held herself, her strain was clear. Ruby’s features were tight with pain and her beautiful blue eyes were red-rimmed and bloodshot from her tears. The woman was not a pretty crier.

“You can do this, Ruby,” Dax encouraged. “Tell us what happened.”

She made a noise of protest that had Noah pinning her with a stern look that froze the words on her lips. Yeah, it was an asshole move, but they didn’t have time to beat around the bush. They needed answers and they needed them now. He’d have time to feel bad about it later. Ruby hesitated for a moment, then her shoulders sagged in defeat. Dax, ever the peacekeeper, gave her a reassuring smile that brought a sparkle to his eyes and seemed to have a calming effect on Ruby.

Dragging in a shaky breath, Ruby began to speak. What came out of her mouth painted a picture of a tale so horrendous, Noah could feel the bile building in his throat. At first they had all been housed together, presumably to keep them more pliant to the demands of the guards and medical staff. When that delusion was quickly proven false, they secluded Landon away in a cell down at the far end of the prison wing. They’d thought it would be easier to control him without the influence of the rest of his Pack. He had remained completely alone after that. Whenever they brought in a new group of prisoners, they would march the new wolves by his cell but, beyond that, the only contact he had with another living soul was with the guards, and those interactions he would have gladly lived without.

The longer she spoke, the more Ruby seemed to get control of herself. She remained detached, telling her tale as if it had happened to someone else. Fertility treatments, invasive examinations, rape, drugs injections, physical and mental testing. The doctors had treated them no better than animals. With every act she described, Ruby’s expression became more and more withdrawn. Noah could actually feel her shutting down.

“They were trying to find his mate,” Ruby announced.

“Excuse me?” Dax stammered.

“It’s the reason for all the extra testing and special handling. Every time someone new came to facility, be it a prisoner or staff, they would march them down to Landon’s cell to see if he showed any response to them.”

“Why the hell would they do that?”

“Because if Landon is mated, he can give Alpha Steele exactly what he’s been looking for.”

“And what would that be?”

“An army strong enough to take on the existing Packs and possibly take over the country.” Ruby stared at him long and hard, practically begging Noah to believe her. “Mated Omegas are extremely fertile with the added bonus that their children are born either Alpha or Omega. Any children born from Landon’s seed would be the strongest of the strong. Now, imagine those same children being raised under the watchful eye of Charles Steele.”

Fuck. Noah could see it playing like a horror movie in his head. The idea of his father or someone like Carl Yager getting anywhere his mate or children left him feeling more than a little homicidal. He wouldn’t want a rabid dog left in the man’s care let alone a child.

“Wait a minute,” Dax chimed in. “That’s impossible. Landon can’t have children. The doctor and the guards at the facility were talking about it. They kept saying that he was defective. Why would they say that if he’s supposed to be so important?”

“Because they’re idiots who don’t know the first thing about Omegas,” she sneered, her lips drawn back in derision. “Until they meet their mates, an Omega is unable to experience arousal and unable to breed. An Omega will only ever respond for their mate. Once he’s claimed, his body will fully awaken and will be capable of reproduction.”

“Gawd,” Eli groaned. “You sound like my high school health teacher. Please, spare us the whole birds and bees scenario talk. I don’t think I can handle a play-by-play of my brother claiming his mates. I may be scarred for life.”

Kellan appeared troubled. His eyes had darkened and a deep groove had formed between his eyebrows. “I don’t know how I feel about this whole situation. Landon’s an Omega. I get it. While I agree that it’s amazing, I also have other things to consider. There are families here, children. I can’t risk their lives for one wolf, no matter who or what he is.”

“Excuse me?” Noah was in Kellan’s face in seconds. “No way in hell are you going to withdraw protection from him.”

“I am Alpha,” Kellan bellowed. “The decisions I make are for the good of the Pack as a whole. Whether you like those decisions is not my concern.”

“You’re not my Alpha and if you even think about casting him out, you’ll find yourself dealing with more than a wounded Omega.”

“Do you think to challenge me?” Kellan snarled, his stance rigid.

“If I have to. I don’t want your Pack, but I will take it from you if you leave me no other choice.”

Kellan scoffed. “As if you could.”

“He won’t be challenging you alone.” Dax stepped forward, standing shoulder to shoulder with Noah. “I will fight with him.”

Kellan’s head jerked back and his mouth dropped open. Glaring at his brother’s mate, Noah crossed his arms over his muscled chest. Kellan looked dumbstruck as he stared at Dax.

“You would really stand against me, D? Against your own family? Why?”

“He’s family, too.”

Kellan made a sound of protest but was quickly halted when Eli lay a hand on his arm and shook his head. “You’re right, Noah. He’s your mate. That makes him family, and more than worthy of Pack protection. Don’t you think, Kel?”

Kellan glowered. “Noah, I swear to God. If this is just some bullshit show of power designed to fuck with me, I’m gonna kick your ass all the way back to Mason.”

Noah laughed. “Thanks but no thanks, Kellan. I think two mates are going to keep me busy enough.”

“Congratulations, big brother,” Eli smiled. “I’m so happy for you.”

“I don’t know.” Jai sauntered forward with his normal loose-limbed gait. “Whenever I propose a threesome, everyone says I’m a perv. When you do it, it’s something special.” He tapped his chin thoughtfully then pointed an accusing finger at Noah. “I think we’ve got a double standard at work here.”

The playful gleam in his eyes and the quirk of his lips left Noah laughing.

“Ah, Jai. You are good for the heart, old friend.”

“Not just the heart,” he leered cockily. “I’m willing to demonstrate, if the three of you ever want to spice things up.”

“I think we’ll have to take your word for it.” Noah grinned. “Besides, I don’t think your mate would appreciate us taking you for a spin.”

The smile disappeared from Jai’s face in an instant, gone so completely it was like it had never been there at all. The sparkle disappeared from his eyes, leaving behind a cold, glacial blue that was void of all emotion. His jaw clenched and his eyes locked on some point over Noah’s shoulder. The effect made it feel like Jai wasn’t looking at him as much as he was looking right through him. “You’re mistaken, Noah. I have no mate.”

“Jai,” Noah soothed, “Dylan told me he made a mistake and how sorry he is. Don’t you think he deserves a chance to make it right? Don’t you both deserve another chance?”

“Ruby, why don’t I take you down to see Landon?” Dax suggested. “The doctor gave him some medication to help with his discomfort so he’s probably going to be out for a while, but I’m sure he’d rest easier if he could hear your voice and know that you’re all right.” Glaring at them warningly, Dax wrapped a protective arm around Ruby’s shoulders and led her from the room.

Guilt gnawed at Noah’s insides as he watched them disappear down the hallway. The last thing Ruby needed was to be trapped in a room where people were arguing and emotions were running high. Noah hadn’t even thought about it. He never should have put her in that position. For that matter, he shouldn’t have put Jai in that position either. He owed his friend an apology.

“Jai—”

“Noah, I appreciate what you’re trying to do here. Really, I do, but you need to back off. My relationship with Dylan, or lack thereof, is nobody’s business but my own.”

“But, Jai,” he appealed, “if you would just—”

“No! You don’t get to tell me what I should do or how I should feel. That I should just forgive and forget and give him another shot. You don’t even know what you’re asking. The things he said, the way he acted…” Jai shook his head. “I don’t know if that’s something I’ll ever get over.”

“So what now?” Kellan butted in, catching wind of the conversation. “You’re just going to give it away to any hot piece of ass who asks?”

Jai jerked back. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“Don’t feed me that line of bull,” Kellan scoffed. “We’ve all seen you out at the club. You offer yourself up to anything with a dick and a pulse.” He crossed his arms over his impressive chest and scowled down at Jai. “So he was a bit careless with his words and your feelings were hurt. Who fucking cares? That doesn’t give you the right to screw around with other guys, right in front of him. Dylan is my friend, and one of the best Betas I’ve ever had the honor to work with. He deserves better.”

Jai’s eyes widened and grew wet. “I thought we were friends, too.”

“Yeah,” Kellan muttered, his tone filled with disgust, “so did I.”

Shocked by Kellan’s over-the-top behavior, Noah waited for one of Jai’s snarky comebacks, but it never came. The silence from the younger man was so out of character. One look in his eyes had Noah sucking in a breath. There was a pain welling there so deep and strong Noah wondered how Jai could stand under the weight of it.

Apathy replaced past fondness when Jai met Kellan’s gaze. “The next time you throw accusations at me, I suggest you get your facts straight, Alpha. You know nothing about me.”

Jai dismissed his Pack leader and turned to Noah and Dax. “I’ll stop by in the next few days to check on Landon if you don’t mind. I figure a friendly, non-mate face, may help make him more comfortable.”

“Of course,” Noah replied. “We would appreciate it.”

“No problem, sugar,” Jai answered with a tiny mockery of his once luminous smile. With a wink and a quick hug for both Noah and Dax, Jai swept out of the room without a backward glance.

Eli stared after him, his mouth downturned and his shoulders sagging so low they might as well being holding the weight of the world. “We should get going, as well,” he mumbled distractedly, his eyes never leaving the door.

“Eli—” The rough edge to Kellan’s voice was hard to ignore.

“Not now, Kellan,” Eli stated, his words cutting the air with the sharpness of a blade. “I’m sure whatever you have to say can wait until we get back to our place.”

Lowering his head, Kellan nodded. “Of course.”

He looked more like a naughty puppy than the powerful leader of a Shifter Pack. It served him right for being such an asshole to Jai. Maybe next time he’d think twice before opening his big mouth and sticking his foot in it. Noah would have smirked if he hadn’t been worried about invoking his brother’s wrath.

“We can take Ruby back to her room if you’d like. It’s on our way.” Eli smiled, but it didn’t reach his eyes.

Oh, yeah, Kellan was definitely in the dog house tonight.

“That would be great.”

“Not a problem. Don’t hesitate to let us know if there’s anything we can do for Landon. He’s family,” Eli stressed, “and we look out for our own.”

Noah felt his throat tighten and emotion swelled up within him. It was a nice reminder that even though the rest of their world had changed, the love between brothers remained constant. “Thanks, E. It means a lot.”

“No worries, big brother.” Eli’s eyes had taken on a suspicious sheen as he held Noah’s gaze. “You know I’ve always got your back. I love you.”

“Love you, too, Eli.”