Great. The little twats found us.
“Oh, ho, ho, what do we have here?” Carter says, his voice closer now. It’s clear they discovered the stairs. Shit. Maybe we should have closed the entrance behind us. Well, at least now they can see for themselves that we found it first. Assuming this is the library.
“I knew I heard something,” Branson says. “They were probably just here.”
Phoenix picks up his pace as if he’s worried they might overtake us and make it to the library before us. Madi and Caspian follow suit, keeping quiet. I hang back. Maybe I can slow them down, give Madienough time to find the library if it’s not right at the bottom of the stairs. I really hope it’s not far, though. This has got to be it. Hidden, secret, just like the records said.
Madi and the rest of the group round a curve out of sight. I shine my flashlight back the way we came, waiting.
Branson comes down first.
“Where’s Madi?” he asks as soon as he spots me. Is that actual worry in his voice? His eyes dart around, neck straining as he tries to see past me, eyebrows pinched, and lips tipped down.
“She’s none of your concern,” I answer calmly.
Carter and Rodrick growl from just behind their pack alpha.
“She’s my omega, so yeah,” Branson steps down so he’s only one step above me, “she’s my fucking concern.”
A growl bursts from my chest. “She’s not yours.”
Branson laughs in my face. “You think she’s yours? You’re what? Fifty?” he mocks.
His guess about my age is inaccurate and more than a little insulting, but it’s the arrogance and the way he talks about Madi that really sets my blood boiling. I curl my fingers into a fist, but force myself to stay still.
“Do you have any idea how insatiable she is during her heat?” Branson pokes my chest and sneers. “You’ll never keep up, gramps.”
“Yeah, she’s a fucking slut when she’s got the fever. Couldn’t get enough of our dicks.” Carter leans over Branson’s shoulder like he’s telling a secret. He laughs, and my ears ring.
I tighten my fists, nails biting skin.
Branson watches me with narrowed eyes, a smug grin lifting his cheeks. He knows I can’t touch him.
Carter squeezes onto the same step as Branson, getting right in my face. “This one time she was on her hands and?—”
Fuck this. Before I can think things through, my fist is flying. Branson’s head snaps back as I make contact with his jaw. The force is enough to push him into Carter, and both men stumble. Rodrick steadies them from behind.
“What the fuck?” Branson yells.
“Talk about her like that again, and I won’t stop at one hit,” I say through gritted teeth. My alpha wants to tear them apart right here and now, but as it is, I’ll probably face assault charges just from that punch. The Prescott pack is the type to file them.
Fuck, Madi’s not gonna like that.
Branson rubs his jaw, but to his credit he doesn’t punch back. “You’re gonna regret that,” he sneers.
He’s probably right, but right now, I don’t fucking care. It’s about time someone taught this asshole a lesson.
“Out of our way.” Branson shoves me to the side and stomps past.
I chase after him with Carter and Rodrick at my back.
When we reach the bottom my pack is nowhere to be seen. There’s just a solid wall. Or I think that’s all there is, until it slides upwards.
Madi stands there with her hands on her hips and a triumphant smile on her face. “I win.”
She steps aside with a flourish, revealing a dimly lit room beyond the entry. I can only see part of it from my position, but it appears to be a round room with shelves carved into the stone walls. Books and other trinkets fill the space, and I can’t wait to get rid of theseidiots so we can truly explore.
“Thanks, omega,” Branson pats her head like she’s a fucking dog. “This is without a doubt gonna get me published inArchaeologia Oceana.”
