Jessica leads the way, the two alphas keeping close behind her as they approach me. Together they stand on the opposite side of the coffee table. Asher still holds my gun, but it’s obvious he’s not the kind of alpha who could ever realistically point it at someone and shoot.
And as for the omega? She clutches that knife like it’s suddenly a lifeline.
“You,” she says. “How the hell are you here?”
Asher gives her a strange look. “You know this guy?” Beside him, the other alpha frowns at me. Out of the two of them, the latter is the one with more brawn, though he still wouldn’t be a match for me if I were to actually, you know, try.
With a nod, she says, “Yeah. I mean, not really, but… I met him at the Omega Garden the last time I was there. He was looking for an omega.”
I offer up my hands from where they are, as if wordlessly asking,Is that a crime?
To me, she demands, “What are you doing here? How’d you find me?”
“Was I really that forgettable? Damn, you sure know how to wound an alpha’s ego,” I tell her with a half smirk. “I said I work for Alabaster Security. We were contacted by a woman named Cecilia Dryers, your aunt, I believe. She said you were taken and that you’re nearing your first heat. Not only did she contact local law enforcement, but she also privately contracted it out—smart move, by the way. We can do a lot of things the police can’t, avoid a lot of the red tape that keeps them slow.”
Jessica pales when I mention her aunt, and I take that to mean they’re not on great terms. I suppose it’s something I could have put together the first night we met; it was more than clearthat night she wasn’t taking any of it seriously. It’s why I didn’t write her an offer, even though it physically pained me not to.
I can’t help it, even now. I look at this omega and I only have one thought.
And that thought? It might only be one word, but it’s a dangerous one, a word that means so much more. A word that can change everything.
Mine.
“Now,” I say, “why don’t you tell me what you’re doing here, Jessica Dryers?”
“Jess,” she corrects me without thinking, attitude in her tone.
“Jess, then. My question still stands. What are you doing here with these two alphas before your heat? Is this some kind of runaway love match?” I don’t smell them on her, nor do I see any marks on her neck to indicate a claiming bond—which is good. I might just lose my mind if I did see and detect such things.
I sure hope I don’t sound jealous or irritated at the thought of her being entangled with these two. Even though my mind might screammineanytime I look at her, she doesn’t belong to me. Truly, she’s not mine to worry about.
The other alpha, the other über in the room, growls out the words, “It’s none of your fucking business why she’s here.” His light gaze is narrowed in my direction, his mouth perpetually caught in a frown, the very definition of a typical über.
Most of the time, us übers carry around with us an attitude that can fill an entire room on its own, you see. I like to think I’m better than your average über, if only because of my years of rigorous training.
“Actually, it is my business,” I correct him, not letting his tone get to me. How could it? Out of the three other people in the room, I carry with me the most power, the most strength, and thereby the most dominance. If I wanted to, I could force the other alphas to let me take her and that would be that.
But, again, where’d the fun be? I want to see how far Jess wants to take things here.
“Your aunt hired Alabaster Security, who put me on the case,” I explain once again. “So it is one hundred percent my business. If this is a love gone wrong kind of thing, I won’t judge you, but it does make me wonder why you bothered going to the Omega Garden to begin with. If you have a pack you want to match with—”
My words baited Jess into responding, “I’m not matching with them.”
The other über mutters, “And we’re not a pack. Asher’s my brother, that’s it.”
That’s right. I did discover Asher has a brother, but from my short amount of research on him, they didn’t seem to be too close. What was that brother’s name? Merrick? Meridian? Mason? Eh, doesn’t really matter.
“Let’s tie him up with something,” Jess says. “He looks too comfortable.”
“And here I thought we were getting along,” I deadpan, only to earn myself multiple death glares.
“You two keep watching him. I’ll go find something to tie him up with.”
As she walks off, disappearing with my knife, I call after her, “Just so you know, you’re tiptoeing on the lines of kidnapping.” But I don’t think she hears me. That, or she hears me and doesn’t care. Either way, I’m curious to see what she turns up with to restrain me.
When I’m alone with the two alphas, I say, “My name is Rourke Cunningham. You’re Asher Thompson, and I’m assuming you’re Mason Thompson. If neither of you are trying to get with Ms. Dryers, why are we here? Why run away, come to this place in the middle of nowhere, and not tell a single soul?” I shrug. “What were you three hoping to achieve?”
If I can’t get a word out of Jess, maybe I’d get something out of these two. It’s worth a shot.
