A click made him open his eyes to see that Ford was holding a gun, pointed at Lucky.“I’m sorry.This wasn’t how this was supposed to go, but I promise this is better than the alternative.Those assholes outside will soon scent you going into heat and doanythingto get into this room.It won’t be one or two.”He swallowed, like it was hard to even say.“You’re talking twenty horny alphas with no reason to be gentle.”
Lucky cried, realising he wasn’t wrong—neither Scout nor Ford wanted to do this.Maybe they were only in the Market for the money and had never had to hurt an omega, or maybe he was fortunate enough to remind them of someone they cared for.Whatever the case, this was their alternative to succumbing to the effects of his oncoming heat.
He couldn’t decide whether to be grateful that they’d rather kill him than take advantage of his heat, or to lament the fact he wouldn’t live beyond the next few breaths.He’d never see his parents again, never know if his feelings for Chase were real or wishful thinking.He’d never see his friends again, tell Kain that he deserved to be loved, convince Phoenix he was talented, or remind Caroline to never let her parents’ fame dictate her future.She wanted to be a normal person, to give Phoenix all the contacts and wealth and fame that came from her family name so that his dream of being an artist could come true.Kain wanted to make everyone smile, but never seemed happy himself.
There was so much Lucky wished he’d said that he would never get the chance to.
Ford was right.This was a better alternative to being mauled by twenty unforgiving, uncaring alphas who would only argue about who got to hurt him first and for how long.
Through tear-filled eyes, Ford shook his head and levelled the gun.“I’m really sorry.”
Lucky saw his finger squeeze the trigger, as if time had stopped, and shut his eyes.He didn’t want to see the bullet coming.All he could do was hope that Ford was a good shot and that he wouldn’t suffer.
That would have to be the final gift he gave his parents.
* * * *
Chase
Caroline laughed at Grant’s story, sitting in a booth in Club Madin.Apparently she’d never known his family were in landscaping and that he intended to take over when he graduated college.
Chase wasn’t sure why it mattered.Did she sense something between them?Grant had never mentioned feeling a bond with an omega, but they had never hung out with Lucky’s friends before.It would make sense that the bond hadn’t sparked yet, or that it was so new he couldn’t explain.
Wasn’t he the same?
He’d been hoping Lucky would be here tonight, but when they’d arrived to find Caroline, Kain and Phoenix hovering by the front door, with Lucky nowhere to be found, his heart had sunk, worried that Lucky had had second thoughts.Caroline had been kind enough to tell him that Lucky would be late, but they’d been here twenty minutes and there was still no sign.
Had he decided not to come?
Chase sipped his beer, worried that he’d fucked up.In the library, when Lucky had kissed him, the mate bond had sparked so unexpectedly that he’d been left speechless.He’d ended up calling his mother to get her opinion of how to handle it.There’d been no point asking his father, because Nolan Walker would hear Lucky’s name and dismiss him as an inappropriate mate, then he’d start searching for someone of better status.
It had been safer to ask his mother, who could wrap Nolan around her finger without effort.
Chase hadn’t learned to be ruthless from Nolan Walker.He’d learned from Wynna—the omega female who had made her husband take her surname, because her family were superior.The power, the wealth, and their reputation came from her hard work and scheming.
Strangely, she was everything he could imagine Lucky becoming in the future.
Chase loved how feisty his mate was, but since Lucky was everything that Wynna Walker admired in an omega, he didn’t dare mention his name, only that they were strangers.She’d been thrilled, telling him to register the bond immediately, as his acceptance of the bond would give his fated omega the opportunity to feel the bond and, if they wanted to, reject it.
While he didn’t want his mate to reject him, Chase had obeyed his mother.As always, she’d known what he needed to hear—the truth.Now that he’d registered the bond, the next step was Lucky’s.
Only, was being late tonight a sign that Lucky had made his choice and would reject the bond?Gods, he hoped not.
Kain bounded over to the table, startling Chase.Kain downed a shot, then let the beta he’d been dancing with drag him onto the dance floor.
“Where does he get the energy?”Grant grumbled, lifting his bottle of beer for a drink.
Caroline snorted indelicately and fanned herself with a coaster.“It’s Omega Night.Drinks and admission are free, so he’ll dance until the sun rises.”
“You sure Lucky is still coming?”Grant caught Chase’s eye in a sign that he was only asking for his sake.
She hummed, lifted her phone from the table and frowned.“He’s never late and he hasn’t sent a text to say he’s been held up.”
Phoenix sat at the other side of the table, nibbling his bottom lip.“Lucky’s idea of late is five minutes.”He lifted his phone to his ear and huffed.“His phone’s going straight to voicemail.”
Neko stood and downed the last of his bottle.“Let’s go outside, in case it’s the signal.”He gave Chase a brief nod, ushered Phoenix and Caroline out from the table and walked them to the front entrance, both omegas clearly concerned about Lucky’s prolonged absence.
Grant popped open a packet of peanuts lying on the table.“This is fucked up.I thought he was into you.”
