“Can I use it during our plan?” he asks suddenly, looking up at me with eyes full of hope.
For the first time in three days, I see a glimpse of the old Hayden. The loveable pyro who made my days a little brighter. “...Yeah. Maybe. I’ll talk to Sam.”
A huge smile lights up his face and he does a little fist pump. “Fuck yeah! That’s what I’m talkin’ about! Fuckers won’t know what hit them!”
Okay, maybe giving him the lighter wasn’t such a good idea.
But…he’s so happy now.
Suddenly there’s a knock on the door, and I quickly motion for Hayden to put the lighter away.
“Come in,” I call, my shoulders relaxing when Sam sneaks in.
Then, he opens his mouth. “We have a fucking problem.”
Hayden groans, gripping his hair again. “Can you stop fucking saying that?”
I find myself rising from the chair. “What happened?”
Sam paces the room. “Kole just got doped up and dragged away by Tate and Keaton.”
“Well, they do run some fucked up experiments on him regularly…” Hayden frowns, looking up at Sam. “How do we know it’s not that?”
“He walks himself to those, nobody has ever had to take him.” My brows furrow as I mull it over. “It’s the reason why we all have to look the other way with him. He doesn’t give the doctors trouble, and they let him do whatever he wants.”
A timid knock on the door has Sam frowning, and he goes to answer it. “Adela?” he asks, his tone turning concerned. “What’s wrong?”
“I think…” the small voice comes from just outside the door, “I think I’ve made a terrible mistake.”
Hayden sits next to Adela on the couch, a comforting hand on her shoulder as the beta rubs her heavily pregnant belly.
“Tell me what happened, Adela,” I say as calmly as possible.
“Doctor Brooks came to me,” she hiccups, her face red and blotchy, “he said that Jo was in a bad way. That she was really sick, and that she needed the scents of her true scent match bond to get better—” she hiccups again, and Hayden stiffens next to her, his eyes going dark.
“Adela…” Sam says carefully, “What did you tell him?”
Her teary eyes are bloodshot behind her glasses. “That I didn’t know anything about a bond, but that I overheard Kole tell her during movie night…something about knowing she was his but being unable to scent her.”
Fuck.
Fuck, fuck,fuck.
“Why…” I clear my throat. “Why do you think that was a mistake, Adela?”
“Because…” she chokes, covering her mouth. “They just barged into the middle of Circle Time and dragged him out less than ten minutes later saying that he lied to Brooks! They stuck him in the neck…I’m so sorry! I thought I was helping! I just wanted to keep Jo safe!”
Hayden exhales through his nose, before closing his eyes. Dammit. We hadjustgotten him in a good place. “You didn’t know.” His voice is strangled, and the teenage beta only sobs harder. “It’s okay,” he gathers her in his arms in a brotherly hug, “it’ll be okay.”
There’s murder in his eyes though, and I know it’s not directed at the poor, misguided girl sobbing into his shoulder.
“When’s your birthday, Addie?” Hayden asks gently, pushing her back by the shoulders.
“Tomorrow,” she hiccups. “Vander is supposed to come get me, but how can I leave without knowing about Jo—”
“You will leave with him tomorrow,” I jump in, giving her a stern look. She can’t be here when Declan’s plan goes into effect. It won’t be safe for her or the baby. “Make sure…make sure he comes early. Okay? I’ll find a way for Jo to get in contact with you when she gets out.”
Adela’s lip wobbles, and she nods shakily. I call Leslie in to escort her back to her room, and once she’s gone, we all sit, wondering what the fuck we’re going to do next.
