Then, I hear something that makes me freeze.
Nik, clearing his throat at the door.
Fuck.
“Um … Hi, Nik.” I wave at him from beneath the twins. “How’s it going with Threnody? Everything copacetic there?”
“The fucking grift is over,” he growls as he steps into my room. “Where’s your medicine?”
Kip stands up and positions himself between me and the grumpy alpha. “It’s not her fault, Nik. Someone fucked with her vials. They’ve all been tampered with. You were busy, and—”
“I know they’ve been tampered with!” he roars.
Kip stiffens, and Kaden joins him in standing guard. I tug the hem of Kaden’s shirt back down, covering myself in hopes that Nik will calm down.
Since when is Nik so possessive? He’s part of our pack, yeah, and we have an arrangement, but exclusivity never entered into that arrangement. I don’t understand why he’s upset. Hell, he should be relieved that he didn’t have to deal with my heat this time.
“What do you mean you know?” I sit up with a slight grunt. I just used muscles that haven’t been exercised much, and I have a feeling I’ll be sore in the morning.
Nik rakes his hands through his long hair, which I now see is disheveled. He looks like he left Threnody in a rush, mid-heat, which is not good for the fucking con. What was he thinking? We need her knocked up and happy to get paid.
“Threnody told me all about Dave’s interference. Her asshole brother drugged you, Mags. You’ve been giving yourself drugs to trigger your heat, not suppress it.”
No wonder my shit wore off so damn soon. “Fuck.”
“Wait a sec …” Kip looks back and forth from Nik to me. “Dave clocked that you’re an omega?”
I don’t know how. I’ve been playing beta for over a decade. He shouldn’t be able to tell.
“Pack up your shit, guys. We’re leaving.”
Nik doesn’t wait for a response. He storms off to his room, leaving the three of us gaping in shock.
This is not good.
If word of this gets out among the rest of the West Coast packs, our cushy life could fall apart. No one wants to hire heat helpers if there’s an omega among them. That would make me competition for the very omegas we’re trying to scam.
We’re so screwed.
Chapter 13
Nik
I can’t believe what I walked in on.
If Mags had just held out a little longer, I could have taken care of her, like I always have. Why did she do that with Kip and Kaden?
Within an hour, we’ve got what few belongings we brought with us packed and ready. I stand guard at the door while Kip, Kaden, and Mags slip out the back. I’m sure the Donnellys’ security will be around any minute. I left Threnody in her nest, naked and pissed, and it won’t be long now before everyone in the mansion knows what we’ve been up to.
Back at the rental house, tensions are high. The twins won’t stop blushing, and Mags won’t look me in the eye. I retreat to my room in a huff, unable to control my rage.
I know it’s not Mags’s fault. She had no clue what Dave Donnelly was doing to her.
So why am I this pissed?
I pace back and forth in front of my closet—Mags’s makeshift nest. My mind keeps flashing back to all the times I helped her, all the times I took care of her when her meds failed her. It should’ve been me in that room, not the twins.
It should’ve beenmycock inside her,myknot easing her misery.
