Page 40 of Scent of Sanctuary
There’s no fucking way.
None.
And yet, I can’t keep making excuses. I have to know.
With the kid safe, I rush back to the station, following the firetruck, intent on cornering Jonah for answers. Ishouldn’t. I told Lyle and Ambrose to lay off for the very same reason—that we don’t need this kind of distraction when we’re trying to build a family but if Jonah is behind all of this, then he wasn’t going to stop at being kicked out of our house.
He must truly believe we’re keeping Seraphina locked up and away from him.
Which means that tonight, had I been any later trying to save that kid, we would have both plummeted several stories below. Survival would have been slim and there is no doubt in my mind that he would then target Lyle or Ambrose next.
I need to know.
Rage billows from me as I stalk toward the locker room after Jonah disappeared inside and slam him against the opposite wall, growling in his face. “Tell me you didn’t do it.”
His eyes flash with defiance, but he stays silent and that’s enough to snap the leash on my rage. My fist connects with his face, a crack echoing amongst the tiles, blood trickling from his lip. He doesn’t hesitate to swing back, his punch grazing my jaw, but I’m faster and stronger, my next hit landing square on his cheek.
Everything else blurs away, just the two of us, the bastard wiping his face and then spitting at my feet. “Seraphina is mine, she was always mine!”
“Seriously? You do all this shit for her? You’d tear down her support system, terrify her, and back her into a fucking corner because she’s yours?” I throw another punch at his face, satisfied when there’s a crunch. “She hid because she was terrified of other Alphas coming after her, which makes me wonder who else joined in that bullshit.” Another punch and then paired with a knee to his gut.
He doubles over but I’m not done. He’s going to feel my wrath and then he’s going to feel all of the pain he caused her. He hasn’t even admitted to anything but I don’t care. Jonah will bleed beneath my fists. I’m not sure how long I rain down on him, Jonah no longer able to fight back when the locker room doors slam open and Harrison drags me back.
“Fuck, Callum, go home!”
I’m too lost, my Alpha instincts fully taking over my rational thought. “He hurt my Seraphina!”
Harrison yanks my arm back and pins me against the wall, shaking me out of my fury. “I know and he’ll pay for it, but not like this. If he dies, that will be on your hands and I know you want to get home to your family. I will handle this.”
A growl tears from my throat as my gaze lands on Jonah slumped over and barely conscious, his blood pooling on the floor. “Count your days, Jonah. I will have your fucking head and serve it to my Omega.” Harrison shoves me toward the door, shaking his head.
“Shower in the other locker room and then go the fuck home.”
Ambrose
Istirslightly,wakingup to feeling Lyle against my back and Seraphina curled against my chest. Callum is kneeling on the other side of her, gently brushing her hair from her face to place a kiss on her cheek. My gaze drops to his bruised knuckles and the darkness in his eyes that’s slowly clearing being in her presence.
“Is he dead?” I shouldn’t ask but there’s a spark of hope.
Callum shakes his head. “No, but I fucking wish he was. We’re pretty sure he’s behind everything, including the fire that broke out tonight. It spread too fast and it smelled like turpentine in there. Harrison is handling it. I would have killed him if Harrison had gotten there.”
I let out a little chuckle, staring down at our Omega who’s finally asleep. It took her awhile to calm down, Seraphina begging us to fuck her until I finally plunged my fingers into her pussy. She fell apart so easily, that tortured look in her eyes dissipating slightly. “For the record, I’m glad you didn’t. Not sure there would be much of a pack without our big strong Alpha to keep us in check.”
That draws a smile to Callum’s face as he sheds his shirt and then saddles up against her back, placing a firm hand on her hip. She tries to mold herself to us both, a little grunt of frustration falling from her before she settles again. “Yeah, I much rather be here than in a jail cell. Besides, we’re going to be dads soon and no way in hell am I going to be missing that.”
Lyle groans behind me, his tongue dragging up the back of my neck before he’s nibbling on my earlobe. “Jesus Christ, would both of you go to sleep? I’m glad we’re alive, not behind bars, and all in our Omega’s nest. If Seraphina wakes up, I’m taking her into another nest and locking you fuckers out.”
I’m about to argue when Seraphina leans forward and digs her teeth into my chest. “Ditto. What Lyle said. I love you all. Sleep please.”
I know for a fact she didn’t hear most of our conversation but the casual ‘I love you’ falling from her tongue needs to be said again. And again. And again. I don’t get that far, Lyle tugging on my ear again, his threat loud and clear. He absolutely would lock us out of one of her nests and I’m not having that. So, tonight I’m going to hold our precious cargo in my arms and tomorrow, we’re going to deal with the fucking bastard who tried to steal what wasn’t his.
Seraphina
“Whatdoyoumean,he killed my brother?” I ask, resting my hands on the curve of my belly. My Alphas are sitting around me, Callum resting his ass on the coffee table, his hands clasped over his knees. They came from the police station an hour ago, telling me that there’s a list of charges he’s been convicted of but that now the case is going to court. When none of them speak, I ask again, my voice shaky. “What do you mean Jonah killed my brother?” Tears stream down my cheeks as I try to understand everything they told me.
Jonah thought I was his, that being Felix’s friend gave him full access to me. However, I never so much as looked at him twice. So, he tried to take. He even hired a few other Alphas but it didn’t work out as he planned and I hid myself away in our house. Felix never asked me any questions. He just made sure I was comfortable. I didn’t notice it then but it was easy to see how he distanced himself from Jonah and clung to my Alphas.
But what Callum is saying is that the reason Felix never asked me was because he found out. And he protected me to the very end.
