“It was kind of her to check on you.” Roman unlocked a door and pushed it open before ushering Sidian inside, dropping the two suitcases that contained the clothes he’d purchased them before twisting all the locks with a quick, paranoid touch.
The room was beautiful. Dark wood-paneled walls contrasted with the white, gauzy curtains overlaying a pair of windows, giving the room a cozy vibe that Sidian appreciated. A large nest was pushed against the far wall, with a loveseat and an armchair positioned in front of a brown brick fireplace. A door off to the side made him think bathroom, which was probably on the nicer side, too.
“Good choice,” he said, kicking off his shoes.
“I’m going downstairs to nose around. See if I can get a feel for the place.” Roman slipped an arm around Sidian’s waist to reel him back against that broad chest, dragging one scruffy cheek along the side of Sidian’s head so that the delicious molten metal scent marked him. “Get comfortable. Nest to your heart’s content. I’ll be back as soon as I can.”
Sidian had never built a nest in his life, so he wasn’t sure how Roman thought that was going to work. “Get back soon so I can take an actual shower. This place probably has pretty nicesoap, but I’m not gonna risk slipping and cracking my head open without you somewhere nearby.”
Roman made a low, displeased noise at the idea. “You have soap in your suitcase.” He kissed the top of Sidian’s head, then pointed to one of the front pockets of the suitcase while Sidian purred from the tiny brush of warm affection from his alpha. “An employee showed me where the omega-grade bath products were. Maybe somewhere else in town will have more supplies. It couldn’t hurt.”
Supplies.Like it was the end of the fucking world or something. “Sounds good to me. Have fun.”
Roman rumbled against his back, a petulant noise, so Sidian tilted his head up so Roman could press a brief, rough kiss to his lips. His thighs pressed together at the touch of Roman’s mouth, the promise of so much more, but he made himself step away from Roman before he ended up jumping him right here and now. It amazed him he could think about fucking Roman at all with Pack Kincaid lurking at the back of his mind, but they couldn’t touch what Roman was to him.
Thank the Goddess for that.
Roman hesitated as if there was more he wanted to say, but he drew back and slipped out the door, soundless enough to make the hairs on the nape of Sidian’s neck prickle. He reached back to smooth them down, shuddering at the drag of sensation over the sensitive mating gland there. His hair was long enough to cover it, which he was grateful for, but being around Roman made him so much more aware of everything around him. Of whattheywere to each other.
He locked the door and rubbed his hands over his face, trying to gather his bearings as his stomach tightened. How could Roman disarm him with such ease? How was it possible that he slipped into Sidian’s head, where so much nasty shit lived, and just banished so much of it away?
Sidian would never let Roman go. Not just because they were mates.
A padded trunk sat at the foot of the nest, and Sidian sat on it, wrapping his arms around his stomach as he allowed his guard to drop for just a moment. He smoothed his fingers over his belly, willing the tiny spark of life there to understand they were safe now. It felt sort of odd to go from having an ultrasound almost every day—the staff did not trust him with a life that wasn’t his own—to knowing nothing about what was going on with his baby. Nerve-wracking, but he was trying not to let it bother him too much. What was he supposed to do about it?
You could always just tell him the truth.
He gritted his teeth at that, but shook his head at himself, leaning against the foot of the nest instead. No, it wasn’t time for that yet. When they had Amethyst back, then Roman would understand how special she was, and he would want her. He’d want the baby growing inside of Sidian, too. He’d accept them both as his own, and that would be that. That would be their happy ending.
A blood-soaked one to be sure, but it would be fucking worth it.
Chapter Ten
Asingle black bag sat on the driver’s seat of the Ultima, the smooth leather gleaming in the dull gray light from the sky overhead.
Roman’s heart jammed itself into his throat as he scanned the parking lot around him, his eyes narrowing as he tried to gauge how safe it was to be standing around out there. Certainly, nothing about Angel Ridge gave him the impression that anything about the town was more noteworthy than the many dozens just like it all throughout the mountains. Just the same, it would have been dangerous to pretend as though he and Sidian weren’t traveling with targets poised on their backs.
The staff of the Bell Breeding Center had families and friends, not to mention government connections. What alphas might have been serviced in that wretched place, and what might they do to recover the omegas who might be bearing their children?
How would they even know where to find us?
He opened the car door, something catching his eye as he reached for the bag. A small slip of white paper was foldedup and taped to one of the bag handles, likely to prevent it from falling off without him noticing it. I peeled the tape off as carefully as he could, unfolding the note to discover seven simple words greeting him in a cold, impersonal script.
We are the same. Control yourself. - Devereaux.
How did the boss know where they were?
Roman stared at the message for a moment before pocketing it and slinging the bag over his shoulder, not sure what he would find inside but no longer concerned it might be something like a bomb. He doubted the boss trailed them in his own car; he wouldn’t have gone to the trouble just to drop off a bag and a note, busy man that he was when he wasn’t staying with the Vipers. Though he’d never said much about what his business life included, the Devereaux fortune was vast enough to tip Roman off it could not all be legal.
But the boss funded one of the seven branches of Ouroboros. It made sense he had enough money for a messenger. Roman just didn’t know how he knew where to send that messenger.
He made a mental note to call the captain as he headed back into the inn, hoping he gave nothing away as he mounted the stairs. The elderly woman behind the front counter didn’t so much as glance at him as she focused on what looked like a knitting project spread out across the faux granite. There were a handful of betas sitting on plush couches next to the enormous fireplace across the room, but none of them looked at him. Everything in Angel Ridge was peaceful.
A tourist spot was a good sign. Most small towns had motels and prepared to see visitors at their establishments every so often, but for plenty of places, that was a courtesy. It didn’t mean they wanted visitors; it meant they prepared for them because they knew such things could be inevitable, especially in a town just off the highway or on the way to a larger city or tourist site.He and Sidian would hopefully stay long enough for him to get the information he needed to ferry them right to the front door of Pack Kincaid.
Roman would bring them to their knees as soon as he met them.
It was the least he could do for his mate’s sake.
