Page 27 of Rescue Me

The tension in his shoulders continues to ease as he leans against the doorframe, his smirk creeping back. “Returned,” he repeats, his tone almost playful. “So, you’re not here to take him away?”

I shake my head. “No. This is just a routine welfare check. Nothing more.”

His eyes narrow slightly, searching my face for any cracks, any signs of deceit. Finally, he nods, stepping aside. “Alright,” he says, gesturing for me to enter. “Come on in.”

The moment I step inside, the smell hits me like a wall. The thick, nauseating scent of Hailey’s post-heat clings to every surface, mixing with the musk of her Alphas. My nose wrinkles involuntarily, but I force my expression to remain neutral. This isn’t the time to show my disgust.

The house is impeccably clean, almost unnaturally so, but it feels cold, unloved. There’s no warmth here, no sense of home. It’s a display, designed to intimidate and impress, but it only makes my stomach churn.

“Hailey’s still resting,” Jackson says as he leads me down the hall. “She had a long heat. The Beta helped a lot.”

The way he says it makes my skin crawl, but I bite my tongue, nodding politely. “That’s good to hear,” I say evenly. “It’s important for the Beta to play their role effectively.”

As we reach the end of the hall, Jackson stops and turns to me, his smirk widening. “See for yourself. He’s fine.”

I step into the room and my breath catches in my throat. Reid is leaning against the far wall, his body slumped like it’s taking everything he has just to stay upright. His face is pale, his hazel eyes dull and unfocused. A fading bruise mars his cheek, the skin around his left eye swollen. His lips twitch into a weak smile, but it doesn’t reach his eyes.

“Hi,” he mumbles, his voice barely audible. He shifts slightly, wincing as if the movement causes him pain.

Lyle stands beside him, one hand gripping Reid’s arm like a vice. The other Alpha smirks at me, his eyes gleaming with amusement. “Told you,” he says, his tone smug. “He’s fine.” Lyle is nearly a spitting image of Jackson, both of them picture-perfect versions of what most people think Alphas should be. I can see why they’re popular but their personalities make it hard to see anything else.

I look at Reid again, taking in the way his shoulders sag, the faint tremble in his hands. He’s not fine. Not even close. But I can’t say that. Not yet. Not without putting him at even greater risk.

Instead, I nod, forcing a neutral expression onto my face. “I’d still like to ask him a few questions. Standard procedure.”

Lyle’s grip tightens on Reid’s arm and Jackson steps closer, his smirk turning colder. “Sure. But don’t take too long. We’ve got a busy household.”

I do my best to hold myself together, to not let the cracks show. Reid stands—or rather, leans—against the wall, his dull hazel eyes scanning the room until they land on me. For a moment, I think I see recognition flash across his face, a faint spark of something. Hope? Relief? I don’t know, but it disappears as quickly as it came.

His scent reaches me then, subtle but unmistakable and it hits like a punch to the gut. Almond and sandalwood, warm and earthy, and everything I’ve been craving since I first caught his scent from his hat at the diner.

Jackson watches me, his arms crossed, clearly waiting for me to make a move. “What’s wrong with him?” I finally ask, weathering the anger bubbling up in my chest. Hearing these two Alphas say that Reid is fine when he’s clearly fading is pissing me off.

“Nothing serious,” Jackson says, his tone dismissive. “He’s just clumsy. Had a bit of a fall earlier.”

“A fall,” I repeat, my eyes narrowing slightly. The bruise on Reid’s face tells a different story, but I bite my tongue.

Before I can press further, Hailey saunters into the room, that nauseating scent following her, making my nose wrinkle despite my best efforts. She’s dressed in soft, flowing fabrics, her hair tousled in a way that’s meant to look effortless but screams calculated. Her eyes flick to me briefly before settling on Reid.

“He’s always doing dumb things,” she mumbles with a casual shrug. “Clumsy little Beta. He messes up a lot, and, well...” She trails off, her smile tightening. “There are punishments, of course. When he needs them.”

My jaw clenches, but I force a nod. “Of course. Sometimes Betas just need a little extra help following the rules. It’s not uncommon.” With the Omega now in the room, I have to take a slightly different approach. The mission is to get Reid out of the house. Everything else can come later.

Hailey perks up at that, her smile turning genuine for the first time. “Exactly! I mean, we’re doing him a favor, really. Structure is good for Betas.”

I swallow back the bile rising in my throat. “I understand. It happens. And that’s why I’m here—to make sure he’s in good health so he can continue serving the family properly.” When no one moves, I step forward, focusing on Lyle. “Sometimes things happen and we get a little… overzealous in our punishments. Let me just get him cleaned up and returned so I don’t have to put anything in the report, yeah?”

Those words cinch it, both Alphas letting out a little sigh of relief. Even Hailey looks less bothered. Unfortunately, Reid has the opposite reaction. His hazel eyes meet mine and I can see the distrust there, the way he stiffens as I approach. He doesn’t know I’m lying, that every word I’ve said to these monsters has been calculated to get him out of here. All he sees is another Alpha, another person in power he can’t trust.

“Can you walk?” I ask, keeping my voice as gentle as I can manage.

He hesitates, his lips parting as if to answer, but before he can, Lyle tightens his grip on Reid’s arm. “Be good,” Lyle warns, a growl on the edge of his lips. “Do what the Alpha says.”

Reid flinches as his eyes flash with defiance before he just nods, his gaze dropping to the floor. “Okay,” he whispers, his voice so quiet I almost miss it.

The moment Lyle lets go, Reid’s legs buckle. He crumples to the floor, his body folding in on itself like he’s finally allowed himself to fall. A strangled sound escapes my throat and I drop to my knees beside him, my hands trembling as I reach for him.

“See?” Jackson laughs from behind me. “He’s just weak. A little soft.”

---