They would have one evening to examine the home that Pack Kincaid called their own, and from there, Roman would devise the proper strategy to infiltrate that home and take all of them down. He knew he could command them and they couldn’t do it to him; that was useful information.
All he had to do was ensure that Sidian was safe, and the earplugs would do just that. Protecting him was easy, given Roman had done it once before.
He would do it again. This time, there would be no one left to hurt his darling.
Chapter Twenty-Seven
Sidian didn’t know if the Mambas had sworn a pact with each other to stay out of the dorm’s communal shower as long as he was in there, but as he sat with his back against the tiles, letting the hot water soak the exhaustion from his muscles, no one walked in or knocked. He kept expecting it, kept waiting for someone to poke their head in to ask if he was all right, but no one came.
He wasn’t sure if that was a blessing or a curse. He wasn’t sure he wanted someone to check on him.
Though he’d asked Roman to give him some space this morning, he was cursing himself for doing it. What he wanted was for his alpha to come to him, comfort him, push through his boundaries and take care of him… At least, it was a pretty thought to have in the moment. He’d probably hate it happening.
Was that his prime omega side so desperate for affection and love after a lifetime of pain? Was it his human side that pushed back against needing that sort of care with everything he had?
In the shower's privacy, Sidian pressed both of his hands to his stomach, sure he could detect the slightest hint of a curve taking shape beneath his skin. It had taken him significant time to show with Amethyst, too, as if his body refused to carry more than the most minimal amount of weight necessary in order to keep his child alive and well. That Amey had been born a healthy eight pounds and five ounces was something he reminded himself of often. Despite how much of a fucking failure he was at being an omega, he’d still birthed a healthy baby girl. That was worth something.
And he could do it again. Would do it again to give her the little brother she deserved to have.
You can’t stay in here all day,he reminded himself, his eyes fluttering shut as he pressed his head against the wall behind him, focusing on the pulse of the water through the showerhead, the rivulets that dripped over his bare skin.Roman will worry even if he doesn’t come check on you, and you need to get your shit together if you’re going to go with him tonight.
He had to go. Sidian refused to back down now that he was so close to getting his much-deserved revenge and to saving his daughter. Amey was so close he could almost delude himself into imagining her weight in his arms, leaning against his chest, soft and just oh-so-faintly floral like him.
Would Roman love her? Or would he decide Sidian’s lies were too much for him?
What about the omega who had been raising her? What if she had bonded with him? It wasn’t something Sidian wanted to think about because he knew he wouldn’t be able to make peace with it.Hewas Amethyst’s mother. He wanted her back too much to let her go to anyone else.
He needed her in his life. To care for her and provide for her in the way his parents never could and never would for him. To ensure she grew up healthy, happy, and safe.
Sidian dragged himself off the floor of the shower and shut the water off. A hook on the outside of the stall held the towel and robe Roman had given him, and he took his time drying off as thoroughly as possible before slipping the robe on. It was much larger than he was, but then, most of the clothing in the Pit was likely sized for the alphas who lived there, not for a scrawny omega that none of them had asked to be responsible for. A bitter laugh rose in his throat, but he choked it down as he combed his hair back out of his face, hoping Roman was somewhere nearby. It was sickening how codependent he was becoming.
To his relief, Roman waited in the living room. A spiral notebook and the folder about the Kincaids were spread out on the coffee table while Roman sat on the floor, one hand over his mouth and the other scribbling notes as he muttered to himself.
It was so much like the boy who used to pore over his homework while waiting for Sidian to come down to the common room to see him it made Sidian’s heart ache.
Before he could sink any further into his own guilt, Roman turned to look at him, green-silver eyes flicking up and down before he beckoned Sidian closer. Sidian went to him, crawling into his lap so he could get a better look at the notes Roman was working on. He didn’t want to talk about what was wrong. Frankly, he didn’t even want to think about it anymore.
And Roman seemed to sense it because he wrapped an arm around Sidian’s waist, his hand settling on Sidian’s stomach in a way that made Sidian tense up.All he has to do is miss the pregnancy for a little while longer, and then he’ll miss it for good.“None of them have backgrounds in combat that would concern me. There’s no evidence they have any personal trainers. If they’re a bunch of gym rats, that’s preferable. They’ll be slower than I am, which should give me an advantage.”
“That’s good to hear.” Sidian noted that Lilac’s profile, slimmer than the others, had been set on the far corner of the table. “What are we going to do about their omega?”
Roman sighed, then pressed a kiss to Sidian’s hair right over the nape of his neck, which made him tense just. No, it was fine. Roman wouldn’t bite him without permission. “I don’t know. If he’s on our side, we shouldn’t have to do anything whatsoever. If he’s on their side… I mean, the obvious is that we’d have to kill him, which I would do for our purposes there.”
Sidian’s stomach twisted at the thought. “I don’t want to kill him. He wouldn’t choose them if he could; you can see it in his eyes. Can you command him to stay out of our way?”
“I should be able to,” Roman admitted after a moment, with a detectable amount of strain in his voice. “We have strict rules about not using alpha commands during missions, though.”
“This isn’t a standard mission, and if it keeps Lilac alive, then you’ll do it whether or not you want to. I don’t want him to get hurt for no reason.” It was just too hard to believe he was dangerous at a glance, and Sidian knew firsthand just how much damage Pack Kincaid was capable of.
He wouldn’t see another victim turned into a monster if he could avoid it.
“Okay,” Roman conceded. “I’ll do what I can to ensure he lives. When night falls, we’re going to drive out there. I have a map, though their house is very remote.”
“Old money packs often have countryside houses.” It was almost the norm.
“Which is good and bad. Means it’s less likely that a neighbor is going to overhear and call the police, but also more likely they’ll know the terrain far better than we do.” Roman flipped through his notes, then spread the notebook out again, slipping his other arm around Sidian’s waist and giving him a brief squeeze. “They may also have cameras, but I should be ableto hear them once we get so close. We should conceal our appearances as much as possible in case we’re caught, anyway.”
That was an upsetting thought to consider. “They might come after us.”
