“Are you sure it was just two?” Thor asks, and I have to wonder if his mind is doing the same as mine. Apollo looks like he’s seen a fucking zombie eating brains.
“More outside, in the stairwell, and in the lobby.”
“He wasn’t supposed to come yet. He used to give me more time.” The Omega at my side trembles as he speaks, his eyes as wide as discs.
“Hey. It’s okay. It’s sooner than expected, but we knew he’d do this, right? Thor and I are ready. I need you to trust us, but that means we need to be able to trust you, too.” I take his hand in mine and cup his cheek, tilting his head to face me.
“Okay.” His voice is barely there. His father terrifies him. Fucking Scott. If I could, I’d rip his throat out the second he gets to our room.
“You need to act like you always do when you’re around your father. Drunk playboy, whatever. Just do it.” I nod, and he nods along with me.
“He can’t catch Apollo here.”
“I know, Beau. We’re going to take care of him.”
I turn to Thor. At this moment he’s probably the most level-headed and strategic of the four of us. I’m pretty sure the answerisn’tto ambush Scott the second he steps inside and then murder him in the middle of a Sunday afternoon. Might be hard to clean up. I know Easton has connections to questionable people, but Declan did specifically say not to kill him until we can guarantee Beau’s safety. As much as I want to see him die, I couldn’t agree more. Beau’s safety is the most important thing.
“Where’s your room?” Thor asks as he straps all of his security gear back on. I put my earpiece back in too.
“Hurry,” Beau murmurs, still shaking like a leaf next to me, but Apollo is frozen in place.
Scott is his boogeyman.
I don’t like this version of Apollo. It scares me in a way he never could with a blade in his hands. He’s like a void. Unmoving, unblinking.
“Thor, can you get him to his room and make it back in here before Scott?” The cold, calm void from before is starting to slip away as panic fights to take over.
I’m scared for Apollo and Beau, but if I have to, I’ll fight like a feral dog to protect all of us. Thor is so big, he could easily take out this mystery Alpha while I claw Scott’s eyes out of his fucking skull, but that won’t help Beau. One day…
Soon.
“Yes.” Thor nods but drops to a knee in front of Beau first. “I’m sorry that I have to push you, Beau, but we’re running out of time. How do we make him leave as fast as possible?” The Alpha is so gentle with him that it makes me want to jump in his arms and curl into a ball so it’s easier for him to protect me too.
“He hates when I’m…intimatewith someone. He laughs. Insults me. Calls me disgusting. He hates the way Omegas smell when they’re aroused. It makes him all twitchy and shit.”
“I’m sorry, Beau. You didn’t deserve that, and I’m sorry I’m digging this up. We’re going to do everything we can to get him out of here quickly, okay?” Thor places his hard hand on Beau’s, and for a second it seems like it helps, even just the tiniest bit.
“He’s talking to the guy behind the desk now. He’ll be up here soon. I can fuck with the elevators, but if I delay it more than once, he’ll get suspicious. We need to hurry up,” Apollo says flatly, staring down at his laptop once again.
I think his initial shock is wearing off, but he looks odd. When he turns to face me, it’s clear that the Apollo from just afew moments ago has checked out, and the Alpha before us is on autopilot.
This morning, I had this feeling like someone was watching me. Last night too. As the Alpha meets my eyes, every ounce of panic gone, I realize this is the version of him that takes over when he blacks out. The numb void. It’s still Apollo, but it’s the part of him that comes out when he’s threatened. Scared. Triggered.
It’s chilling to witness.
“Can you handle Dream’s scent? If she straddles your lap, and it looks like you are being intimate, can you handle that?” Thor presses gently.
“They’re heading for the elevators. I’ll stall them. We have maybe two minutes before he’s here.” Apollo looks between the three of us and sighs. “I’m not fucking any of you just to scare off your father,” he grunts, and my eyes go wide. That’s not exactly where I thought Thor’s line of questioning was going.
Unfazed, Thor ignores him.
“Quickly,” Void-Apollo says with a deep, growly voice as he starts grabbing bottles out of the mini fridge. He’s pouring some on the carpet or down the drain. When he hands me a small clear bottle, I take a sip before rubbing some on my skin and then Beau’s.
Apollo watches me with a level of calm that frightens me, his face devoid of any emotions.
“Be careful. I’ll be down the hall.” He turns to Thor to add, “Anything happens to them, you better hope you don’t survive it.”
“Great.” I stand up, preparing to strip out of my clothes when he growls.
