His words sober me, slowly bringing me back to my body. My breathing finally evening out. I can hear Abel murmuring that I’m doing good and to keep regulating my breathing. My eyes focus on Abel’s face in front of me, and I find my words to answer August. “If this isn’t going to trigger you…”
August forces me to turn around to face him. “I’m more worried about it triggering you, Kev.”
“It’s not the other omegas…” I trail off, knowing that what I just said makes me a piece of shit, so I elaborate a little more. “It’s the thought that if we didn’t get to you that night, we would not be here doing any of this.”
“You both got to me. Walked me through my first heat unknowingly and marked me to keep. As bad as it sounds, if these horrible people hadn’t taken me and offered my heat up on that random website, I wouldn’t have met either of you…”
I blurt out, unable to hold it in any longer, “I tried talking Abel out of going!”
“Oh my sweet, Kev…” August whispers, grabbing my face and slowly pressing his lips to mine so gently.
“You’re not mad?”
“Kev, Baby, if you hadn’t been on edge going to a random run-down office building to go on a date with a random omega that Abel found, I would’ve been more worried. ”
“We didn’t even know it was an office until we got to the address those fucks provided…” Abel and August chuckle at my words.
August’s brows pinch together, and sadness takes his features over. “Has this been on your mind since we met?” And I’m now beating myself up over letting these thoughts eat away at me for the past year.
I give him a sheepish nod, and I’m immediately met with their arms wrapping around me, squeezing like they never want to let go—and at this point, I hope they never do.
We stand wrapped up in one another for what feels like an eternity, but then it hits me that we need to get over there and help. I can feel August practically vibrating with anticipation, so I break the silence. “Lets get dressed and get over there.”
CHAPTER
SIXTEEN
ABEL
As we pull in, we see the industrial-sized garage door that would normally accept shipments or outgoing packages is open. Instead, there are battered omegas being carried out one by one, and I pull into the closest parking spot.
August is out of the car before I even have the thing in park, and Kev is right on his tail. I take a deep breath before opening the car door to follow them. We don’t even make it through the huge door before we’re all choking on the omega scents. Kev wraps his arm around August’s shoulder, wondering how he’s going to react to the scents.
He takes a deep breath, trying to clear his head, but instead rushes out, “Let’s see where they need us.”
I wasn’t prepared for the immediate revulsion the other omegas’ scents would bring me once I bonded to August. Packs with two omegas have to be fighting for their lives… I couldn’t imagine.
Kev seems to be holding his breath as much as I am, but responds to August, “This way, I see Ryan back there.” His eyespoint toward the back of the warehouse, and we start toward them.
As we make it back to Ryan, he motions for us to follow him into a huge room that looks like it may have been used for sleeping. There are couches all over the place, mattresses all over the floor, and the stench in here is something I never want to smell again.
Ryan introduces us to the two guys who seem to be guarding one of the omegas. “This is Rex and Maverick, the ones that busted this whole ring up.” These two big dudes must be the mercenaries August told Ryan to call in. They seem on edge the more I’m looking at them, but it could just be the nature of their jobs.
“Ryker?” I hear August whisper. “Ryker?!” He squeals louder, before he’s moving toward the battered omega on the couch in the corner.
The omega, who I’m assuming is Ryker, looks up at August with tears already lining his eyes. But the two beefhead mercenary Alphas growl, and the darker-haired one Alpha barks, “Stop!”
August stops in his tracks, turning around toward us and cowering away. My jaw clenches tight, but I keep my cool. “Apologize to my omega, now.”
“August?” Ryker speaks from the couch, and August whips around.
On a sob, August hits his knees in front of Ryker. “It’s you… Fuck, I’m so sorry this has happened to you.”
They sob while hugging one another and Kev leans into me, whispering, “This is his omega friend from high school that was snatched.” Kev waves his hands around the whole building, and all of it starts to click in place.
Fuck.
This poor omega has been in this situation, or a similar one, for at least seven years. My heart cracks wide open for him and every other omega that has been put through this. Not that I didn’t see August’s vision for Heat Wave before, but now it’s clear as day.
