Pack King!Surely, they’d find her soon. Her alphas would be looking for her already; they would no doubt be here any moment. She just needed to keep these imbeciles talking until they arrived.
Frank drew nearer to Bianca, fists clenched at his sides, his mouth twisted with loathing. “We’ve never had another omega so much as look at us. It’s like they could sense we’d already lost a mate, and their instincts rejected us. Your douchebag dads made us look weak. We were marked, even though you never bit us. They took you and fucking emasculated us in the process. Do you know what that does to an alpha, Bianca? What happens when you feel like less of a man? It makes you desperate.”
Robert’s eyes were wild now, alight with the crazed conviction of a conspiracy theorist. “I know they sabotaged us! It’s why our startup tanked. I bet they blacklisted us or some shit like that, with all their money and Illuminati connections. And we were stupid enough to sign non-disclosure agreements so we can’t even speak out and clear our names.”
Frank leered at her. “Unfortunately for them, and for you, that meant we were forced to take work with some rather unsavory people. That’s where we learned how much you’re really worth and how much was stolen from us. We’re going to collect on that debt.”
“What the hell are you on about?” Bianca demanded, sidling toward the nearest car. “You signed an agreement that precludes you from ever seeking additional compensation.”
The matching smiles on Robert’s and Frank’s faces sent an icy shiver down Bianca’s spine. They were both close now—too close for her to feasibly make a run for it. No matter which direction she ran, they’d be able to overtake her easily. Bianca could tell from their expressions that they were well aware they had the upper hand.
“Oh, Binks. We don’t need your daddies’ money anymore,” Robert said softly. “All we need is you.”
Chapter twenty-three
Callum
Callum watched Bianca flee, barely resisting the tug in his gut that urged him to follow. He instinctively turned to King, already used to trusting his alpha’s judgement.
King, however, was glaring at Bianca’s parents, who looked torn between outrage, fear, and confusion at the turn the situation had taken.
“You folks obviously have business to attend to here, so I’ll go talk to Bianca,” Callum announced, backing out of the room. He patted Daniel’s and Dante’s arms reassuringly as he passed. “Don’t worry. She’s gotta freak out first but she’ll be okay.”
“Let her know that she doesn’t have to see anyone,” King called after him, his attention still locked on Pack Bonnycastle. “She can have all the space she needs, andnobodywill bother her. Just make sure she’s okay.”
“Yes, King,” Callum replied, the words coming naturally. It made him want to smile, despite the tense atmosphere. Pack King wanted him and Bianca, and Callum knew the feelings were mutual, even if his omega hadn’t been quite ready to admit it. He couldn’t blame her, considering how she’d been put on the spot, not to mention the terrible shit her parents had said. His chest ached. He needed to find and comfort her. “BRB. And, um, good meeting you folks!”
He waved at Bianca’s parents, which her fathers completely ignored. Her mother gave him a venomous glare that was so different from and yet so like her daughter that it was a bit eerie. Callum hurried from the room. He’d have to work on winning the in-laws over another day.
Callum was no hunter, but it wasn’t hard to follow the scent of apples and oleander through the stairwell. He also knew a bit about anxiety, and he recognized that Bianca’s fight or flight instinct had kicked in. Since she’d chosen flight, her goal would be to get out of Bonnycastle Privé as quickly as possible. Once he passed through the security door separating the penthouse access from the main stairwell, Callum followed his gut out through the exit door into the parking garage.
The evening air was warm and laced with oleander, reassuring Callum he was on the right track. He followed the rows of cars as they spiraled downward, straining his ears for any sign of Bianca. The garage was weirdly quiet and dimly lit, and Callum suddenly felt a deep sense of foreboding. He broke into a jog.
Just when he thought he must’ve lost her, Callum heard a sound that made his heart stop. It was a scream. Bianca’s scream.
He started running, pulling his phone from his pocket, nearly dropping it as he skidded around another curve. He opened his contacts, jabbing the screen with more force than necessary.
“Parking garage, now! Something’s wrong,” Callum panted as soon as Dante answered. Somewhere below him, he heard another scream—a man’s this time—and the sound of footsteps pounding against pavement. “Level fifteen or sixteen. Hurry!”
He didn’t wait for a reply, shoving his phone back into his pocket and focusing his attention on getting to his omega. The footsteps were getting farther away, meaning Bianca and her attacker were heading down. Maybe toward a waiting vehicle. His lungs seized, worst case scenariosflashing through his mind. The ache in his chest intensified. He had to reach her.
Callum broke into a sprint. The footsteps had stopped. He could hear raised voices. He braced himself, wishing he’d had the foresight to bring a weapon. Of course, he hadn’t been expecting any trouble. He’d just thought she needed some space to panic, and he’d find her pacing angrily or maybe hyperventilating a little. If she was in danger and he was too late…
Callum descended another level and there she was. Bianca was okay, though she looked furious. She was grappling with her asshole ex, the one he’d met at the shopping village. The motherfucker was clutching her arm in one hand, the other pressed to his bleeding mouth. Bianca spun toward him, driving her knee up and into his groin. He doubled over in pain and released her.
“Bianca!” Callum yelled, relief making his voice weak.
His omega was okay. More than just okay, she was kicking ass. So much for choosing flight. He should’ve expected as much.
She turned, her eyes lighting up when she recognized him. Then they widened in horror and, as her mouth opened in a silent scream, Callum felt a blinding pain. Something collided with the back of his head and his knees buckled. Before he could hit the concrete, rough hands caught him and wrenched him upright. An arm snaked around his neck and Callum clawed at it, gasping for breath. He choked on cloyingly sweet alpha pheromones as the arm tightened, cutting off his oxygen completely.
“Knock it off, Bianca, or I swear I’ll break his fucking neck.” The alpha’s breath was sour against Callum’s face, ruining the ragged sip of air he managed to suck in. “Jesus Christ, Robert. Way to get your ass handed to you by a fucking debutante.”
“Fuck you, Frank,” Robert snapped, grabbing Bianca’s arm again and yanking her toward him. “This uppity bitch has had the best trainers money can buy. She’s not as weak as she looks.”
“Too bad I can’t say the same about you,” Bianca sneered. “You’re exactly as weak as I expected, and even stupider than you look.”
Robert shook her violently, gripping her arm tightly enough that Callum saw her wince. He growled, rage flooding his veins, though he barely had enough air left in his lungs to make a sound. Spots danced across his vision.
