I never imagined that I’d see any of the alphas who took me from the traffickers and delivered me straight into the hands of the OC again. I’ve had nightmares about them, night after night of waking up, sweating and shaking, iron in my mouth as I choke back nausea.
And now they’re here in front of me, I feel nothing at all.
Sudden heat breaks through the cold of my skin, Hudson’s scent wrapping itself around me as he places his hand on my shoulder.
“Gabrielle?”
The sudden shame curls in my stomach. I’ve embarrassed him, his restaurant, in front of everyone. And for what?
Blinking back sudden tears, I turn away, pulling my shoulder from his touch and ducking past him. I weave through the tables blindly, tears starting to fall as I reach the main doors.
I need a minute. Just a minute, and then I’ll go back and… my stomach clenches at the idea of apologizing to them. But I’ll do it, if it smooths things over.
I’ll explain to Hudson.
I just need a minute to pull myself together.
ChapterForty-Three
Cade
My phone rings, the number for downstairs flashing across the screen.
“Yeah?” I ask, assuming it to be Hudson. But it’s Veronica, her voice babbling down the phone in a tone I’ve never heard before.
Panic.
I make out shouting in the background, a crash.
Gabrielle’s down there.
I’m flying down the hall, shouting for Axel and Nate as I throw myself down the stairs, hearing the commotion before I burst out of the stairwell door.
My eyes land straight on Hudson, his face darker than I’ve ever seen it as he lunges at someone. Others are holding him back, shouting things.
Jesus fuckingChrist.What the hell is going on?
Axel and Nate arrive behind me, and Axel curses. “The fuck?”
We push our way past the full tables, everyone watching the drama unfolding avidly. Hudson is livid when I reach him, trying to reach the alpha in front of him.
There’s no sign of Gabrielle anywhere. “Find her,” I tell Axel.
Nate and I push ourselves between the two alphas. “Hudson. What’s going on?”
Fucking hell, I’ve never seen him this angry. Hud is generally the most level-headed of us all.
“Ask him,” he spits.
I turn, blinking when I realize who exactly Hudson is yelling at. “Rogue?”
Rogue Winter. Infamous for his father’s role in destroying the Omega Creed for good. He looks blindsided, his hands up placatingly, but he doesn’t say anything.
“Ask the fucker who delivered Gabrielle to the fucking Omega Compound.”
My mind short-circuits. “You what?”
Rogue tries to explain, but my fist flies out before he gets a word in, and he rocks back.
