Page 2 of Dream Mates
“Hold it together, Wes. You’re an alpha. Hold it to-fucking-gether. Let’s go back to the house and re-group. For fuck’s sake, you’re not even wearing shoes,” Brennan growled, the slightest bit of alpha dominance in his voice.
True.
The three of us walked back to the house, Evan sobbing. Wave after wave of anguish rolled off my sweet, giant, omega mate.
When we got home, Riley stood in the living room, laptop open, yelling at Spencer.
“Agent Asshole said that he’d bring her back. They’ll realize she’s innocent andbring her back.And in the meantime, I will fucking find them.” Her light brown hands sat on her hips, as her heavily-lined brown eyes squinted at him.
“Ri, I am sorry to say this, but they’re not going to bring her back. Jett, get off the phone. Calling the police isn’t going to help.” Spencer paced the living room, one olive hand raking his dark hair, which held a hint of grey.
“Will someone tell me what the fuck is going on? Who took Grace and what do you mean they’re not bringing her back?” Brennan demanded, turning on the air filter on the wall. The air was bitter with the smell of burnt leather and sour anise.
I froze at Spencer’s words, because if anyone knew what was happening it would be our resident mad-genius.
“They’re not bringing her back? Spence, what do you fucking know? I can’t feel her. She’s not dead, right? Just unconscious?” My voice shook.
“Is this the whole Omega Protection Program thing? Are they throwing her back in?” Jett joined us, dark hair pulled back in a ponytail. He got out his phone.
“What are you talking about?” I clawed at my chest as if doing so would make me feel her. It was like I was nineteen again, when I finally realized that she was never coming back to my dreams.
“I need to know what just fucking happened.” Evan returned to the living room, pushing the entire bar cart.
Spencer took a deep breath, leaning against the back of one of the chairs. “That man was clearly from what I always thought of as the Temporal Police. I’m guessing they took her because she’s not supposed to be here. That’s what they do–ensure that the ban on interdimensional travel is enforced. She’s gone from our phones because they probably went to whatever parallel world that they take people to. That could be why you don’t feel her.”
“Oh fuck. The people running the simulation? You knew they’d take her anddidn’t tell us?” Riley punched Spencer in the arm, scowling.
“No. I just knew it was a possibility. Especially since we still have no idea how she got here.” Spencer bowed his head, his brown and gray eyes filling with sadness, scent turning salty.
“Ri, you know that she’s from another world?” Evan handed me a glass of bourbon.
She knew? I’d thought only Evan, Spencer, and I knew about Grace’s interdimensional-traveler status.
“Um, yeah.” Riley rolled her brown eyes. “How do you even know who they are? Since I’m guessing they’re some super-secret agency? How could you do this to us? You’re an alpha; you’re supposed to protect her. I thought you cared about her.” She started punching Spencer again, tears streaming down her face, smearing her makeup.
“You knew someone wouldcome and take her?” I stared at my packmate, my friend, my boss, too angry and upset to move.
Spencer gently took her pummeling fists and held them, pulling her to his chest. “I do care about her. So very much. I didn’t know if they’d come and if they did, there’s nothing we can do to stop them.”
“Wes, she told us this. That was why he didn’t want her to research how to get home or any of her old theories.” Evan nestled into my arms, sadness coming through the bond.
“I didn’t want Grace to draw attention to herself. Those theories are dangerous.” Spencer shook his head.
“I didn’t realize that there’s some actual agency that could come and take her. How do you even know this?” I countered, holding my omega tighter so that I didn’t punch my packmate.
“What the fuck is going on?” Brennan roared with enough dominance that we all stopped. His pine scent flared with anger as alpha pheromones filled the room.
Spencer sighed and sat on the couch with Riley.
“We know about Grace’s fake identity,” Jett started, holding on to his husband. “Bren had a PI investigate her. Why was shein the Omega Protection Program–was it because of her mom? But why would they take her backnow? Who do I need to call? I’ll pull in every favor I can.”
While that was nice, it wasn't going to help. An agency. There was some actual agency keeping parallel world travel a secret. Grace had mentioned it, but I just brushed it off.
Mostly because I wanted her to stay here with me. So, I didn’t listen. And theytook her.
I turned to Brennan, anger rising inside me. “You had her investigated?”
“I have to protect the pack. It’s literally my job as head alpha. She was hiding something. I needed to know what. Once we were told she was part of the Omega Protection Program, we let it go. We figured that if she didn’t tell us in her own time, we’d broach it eventually.” Brennan took a long drink of bourbon, hand shaking slightly.
