"Valek said he saw an omega down there," I add. "And Wraith waswaytoo fucking quick to deny it."
Thane's jaw works, muscles jumping beneath the bruised skin. "Why didn't you tell me this earlier?"
I’m still pacing. “Because we were?—”
"Planning to investigate further before bringing it to you," Plague finishes for me.
Thane sits back, wincing again as the movement jostles his ribs. "So Wraith is hiding an omega," he says, letting the breath out through his teeth. "That's what all this is about."
"Not just any omega," I say, scratching at the back of my neck. "One we're both dreaming about."
Thane's eyes narrow. "You're serious. You're both having the same dreams?"
Plague nods, clearly uncomfortable with the mystical direction this conversation is taking. "About an omega with auburn hair and honeysuckle scent in the tunnels."
Thane blows a puff of air through his nose. "You always did share a weird fucking bond."
Plague's eyes narrow.
"What the fuck'sthatsupposed to mean, bro?" I demand.
Thane ignores me, his eyes still on Plague. "And that's the scent you found in the shower room?"
"Yes." Plague's voice is calm, matter-of-fact. Like we're discussing the weather and not the fact that our feral packmate is stashing a dream omega somewhere. "We believe Wraith is hiding her in the loft."
Thane's expression darkens. "That's why he didn't want me to know. Why he was so desperate to leave." He runs a hand through his shaggy dark hair. "Fuck. I smelled her too. On his clothes."
That gets my attention. "You what?"
"When we fought," Thane clarifies. "A honeysuckle scent."
"That's her," Plague and I say at the same time.
"And we caught a group of fans outside who said they saw Wraith at an omega clinic," I add.
The muscles in Thane's jaw jump again. "Okay. So there is an omega, and he's protecting her." He shakes his head, dragging a hand down his face. "And I just beat the shit out of him for it."
"Based on your appearance,hebeat the shit out ofyou," Plague points out, because he's apparently incapable of reading a room.
"Not helpful," I growl. The anger about my bike is still simmering dangerously close to the surface, but it's beingcrowded out by a different kind of tension. The same one I've been feeling since we found that honeysuckle scent in the shower room. "So what do we do now? Confront Wraith again? Find the omega? What's the play?"
Thane is quiet for a long moment, staring off at nothing. Then he sighs. "We wait."
"Wait?" I repeat incredulously. "For what? For Wraith to skip town with her? For Valek to recover enough to tell management what he really saw? For Coach to have another meltdown when Wraith doesn't show up for the rescheduled press conference?"
"We wait," Thane says again, firmer this time, "because Wraith is going to come back. And when he does, we'll talk to him. Calmly." He gives me a pointed look. "All of us together. No one is going off to confront him on their own."
I scoff. "Since when has talking to Wraith ever gotten us anywhere?"
"This time is different," Thane insists. "He's protective of this omega. If we fuck up, he'll shut down completely. We almost destroyed the whole damn parking garage because I was asking him questions. And I'm his brother."
"Why would he need to protect her from us?" I mutter, finally dropping onto the couch, too restless to sit properly. "We're his pack."
Thane's expression turns grim. "Because he doesn't trust easily. Not with his background. And especially not with something this important."
"But why an omega? Why now?" I press. "It makes no sense. Wraith has never shown interest in anyone, let alone brought them home."
"Because she might be our scent match," Plague says.
