Giblin closed in on him, grabbing Nat by the front of his shirt. He felt Nat up and yanked out his staff access pass—for the office. “We hadplans,” the alpha snarled. “And you had to open your big mouth, get her fired.”
“She threatened me!”
Giblin slapped him again. “She told me things. Like how you’re sleeping left and right, popping out babies. Spreading your legs for anyone who even looks your way.”
Nat tried to stay still even though he wanted to escape. “I’m not sleeping with everyone.”
Giblin sneered, ugly and terrifying. “Stop lying.”
“I’m not!”
The alpha hit him again. Nat whimpered, hurting. He needed to keep himself in one piece. So he could contact Duke. Or Hubrie. Someone.
The door to the warehouse opened again, and Kylie stepped in.
Nat had never hated anyone like he hated her. “You!”
Kylie scoffed. “Where’s his pass?”
Giblin tossed the lanyard at her. “I don’t want to see your face again.”
“Right back at you.” Kylie spared Nat a glance. “Mr. Brimstone will be mine.”
“Don’t you dare touch Wanda!”
“She won’t be in the picture for much longer,” Kylie said offhandedly.
She stepped up to Nat, claws pushing out of her fingertips. With a flick of her wrist, she tore open Nat’s shirtsleeve, drawing lines of fire through his skin.
Her claws came away dark with blood.
Kylie smiled triumphantly and left.
How did she plan on reaching Wanda? There were protection spells around the playpen that Uriel had written. Nat had to be present in order for the barrier to allow anyone through.
His blood.
Nat’s stomach clenched.That’s why she stole my blood. To gain access to Wanda.
His head swam. What was Kylie going to do with his daughter? Would Duke catch her before it was too late, or was he still in his meeting?
Would Kylie sell Wanda to a kidnapper?
Nat felt sick. He clutched his belly, scrambling backward when Giblin approached him. “I can’t believe you would work with her.”
Giblin curled his lip. “We had a deal. Not that I want her. She’s even more of a slut than you, except she’ll get further because she has the looks for it, while you don’t.”
“You can have anyone else in the world!” Nat knew he should keep his mouth shut, but this didn’t make sense at all. “You said it yourself. Kylie’s prettier. Why wouldn’t you get someone else to be your omega?”
Giblin crouched in front of him and grabbed his hair, yanking him forward. “Because you obey me.”
Nat wanted to spit that he’d changed; he was stronger now. That his heart belonged to someone else.
Faced with Giblin, Nat saw his life with greater clarity. Duke was everything he’d ever dreamed of having in an alpha, everything that Giblin wasn’t. Duke was kind and patient, he accepted Nat with all his missing fingers and flaws. He had been giving Nat every single good thing, instead of taking them away like Giblin had for so long.
And so Nat knew: Duke would come to rescue him.
He felt like crying. Duke really cared about him.
