“I don’t know why I was there,” Ollie said matter-of-factly, helping the alpha out.
Ronin frowned. “Huh?” he asked.
“You were wondering why I don’t have the same scars on my body that the others have. Right?”
Ronin sighed and wiped his face with his hands. “Yeah, I suppose that has me curious.” Ronin's head suddenly spun so he faced him. “I wasn’tlookingat the others. I swear.”
That had Ollie giggling and kind of reduced the heaviness of the moment, but he finally answered.
“I honestly don’t know. Anton didn’t use me like he was using the others.” He felt ashamed admitting that for some reason. “I honestly have no idea why I was even there. I mean, I guess you could say that’s good for me, right?” Ollie shook his head. “But I heard the stories, and I saw what happened to everyone else.” Tears filled his eyes and his voice shook. “It was really bad... really bad.” Images of his friends coming back badly beaten and barely breathing surfaced in his head. “They were brutally abused. No one should have to go through that.” Ollie held Ronin’s eyes. “But Anton, he never took me to an alpha.”
Ollie felt arms go around him and he sniffled. “I thought they would hate me because he only slapped me around a couple of times. Sometimes he would give them food, but not give me any. Yet I didn’t go through what they did.”
“You guys supported each other. Just because you didn’t go through everything they did doesn’t take away what you went through.” Ronin began caressing Oliver’s back while making soft, soothing sounds to calm his mate.
“He kidnapped you, and that must have been a traumatic experience. Pain and grief can be different, but that doesn’t make it any less.” His hands kept rubbing up and down Ollie’s back, and it gave him strength to talk about what happened.
Ollie leaned back so he could look Ronin in the eye. “My birth mother was messed up in all sorts of ways. Drugs, alcohol... you name it, she probably snorted or drank it.” Ollie shrugged, “She didn’t want to or couldn’t take care of me, so when I was born, she dropped me off at my aunt—her older sister—and uncle’s house. I guess they always wanted a child of their own, but they couldn’t have one.” Ollie hesitated, looking down, and a sudden pang hit him in his chest. God, he missed them so much. He looked back up, attempting to put a smile back on his face. “They adopted me and gave me the best life I could have possibly have had, but I guess my birth father must be a wolf.”
“Then what happened?” Ronin asked.
“Well, I was outside and running like I have been since I was, like, sixteen, and then all of a sudden, I’m on four legs and everything is weird… I guess I shifted. It was the first time ever, and I totally freaked out. All I could think was I’m a total weirdo… a freak, and I just wanted out of there. I didn’t think my parents would have been able to handle having me live there, knowing that I wasn’t like them. Like, at all. And I couldn’t bear it if they were scared of me.” Oliver breathed in deeply and sighed thinking back to that day “So, I ran away. Unfortunately, I ran straight into Anton. It was a really cold night and the shelter was full… I was stupid. He said he knew what I was, and I trusted him. He bought me dinner, then I woke up at that place, and, well, I guess you know the rest.”
“I’m so sorry, baby.” Ronin’s voice was soft. “I am so sorry you went through all that—finding out you’re a shifter and not knowing what it means, and Anton.”
Ronin used the pad of his thumbs to wipe his cheek, and Ollie hadn’t even known he was crying.
Their eyes met, and that was when Ollie saw it—the naked hunger in Ronin’s eyes. The smoldering heat grew, wrapping them in it.
“Have I said thank you? For finding us, rescuing us.” Ollie couldn’t take his eyes off Ronin. “I hope I never see Anton again as long as I live.”
“He won’t come after you. At least not if he knows what’s good for him.” Ronin's tone was menacing, but instead of scaring him, it aroused Ollie even more.
“You can’t be sure of that.” Ollie sighed. As much as he wanted to be in the moment with Ronin, his brain couldn’t help wondering what if Anton found him.
“Maybe I can’t be sure of that, but I can tell you that I will kill him if he does. I swear on everything I hold dear that you and the rest of the omegas are going to be safe and always will be. We’ll make sure of it.”
“And when will I get to go home?” Oliver asked.
Ronin flinched and cleared his throat. However, he kept his voice even as he said, “I’m not so sure that it’s safe for you to return home just yet, but if you want to go home, I’ll get you there. I promise you.”
Oliver nodded and smiled. He had a feeling Ronin kept his promises. Still, he was curious... maybe if he didn’t go home… he and Ronin could maybe live together, although he didn’t even know where that would be.
“Where do you live?”
“Home for me is Wildwood.” Ronin’s eyes lit up at the mention of his home. “Although for the past months, I’ve been in Chesterfield and a few other places working on a project that my brother has me helping him with.”
“Roman?” Ollie asked.
Ronin shook his head. “Rick. He’s my oldest brother and the pack Alpha.”
Ollie yawned, suddenly very sleepy.
“I think you should head to bed,” Ronin said. “I’m sure it’s been a while since you’ve gotten a good night’s rest.”
“Yeah.” Apparently telling his life story had drained him. “So should you.”
“Someone has to keep watch,” Ronin said with a shrug. Neither of them moved, though.
