Page 81 of The Beta: Part Two
“Grab some sheets, make a pile” she tells the rest of us, “we’ll spread them down the halls to spread the fire quicker.” Then she reaches for one of the water guns Jasper pulls from somewhere.
I must have a look on my face because Jasper shrugs and says, “these were more secure in the holsters than squirt bottles.”
I couldn’t wipe the smile off my face if I tried, and Trent’s no better.
Talia and Jasper liberally squirt the makeshift rope and the pile of sheets, as well as the mattresses in the room, then we continue on our way. We leave sheets and pillowcases squirted with gas in our wake, all connected by Talia’s very flammable rope.
I’m glad Devon isn’t with us right now. Both omegas soaked in gasoline and blood, covered in bits of bodies…we wouldn’t have to light the other end of this rope. Devon’s head would explode and that’s all we’d need.
The room Seth said the omegas should be in is empty. I can smell that they were here recently, and that something terrible has been happening in this room, but there’s no sign of where they went. All we can do is hope that they’re out of the building by the time we get to the door, because we’re setting this fire. This place needs to be destroyed.
“There,” Seth says, pointing down a passage off to the side of the main hallway, “that’s the other bunker.”
I close my eyes for a moment and focus, I can make out Nathan’s woodsy scent above the smell of accelerant but it is off, almost like when lightning hits a tree. The bond is much stronger now, too. I want to be relieved, but I can tell that Nathan isn’t going to be well when we get to him. I hope he isn’t hurt, but I don’t think that’s the problem.
Nathan feels…feral.
Chapter twenty-seven
Jasper
Trent’s hand is on the doorknob, about to open the door when a shot rings out. Nobody’s screaming but we all turn to find the source.
“Jay,” Trent sneers.
I shove the earbuds back into my ears as fast as I can and tap on Talia’s shoulder to get her to do the same. Now, neither of us can hear anything but the glorious violin remixes Alex chose to block out every other sound and frequency.
Seth shoves me and Talia behind him while Trent and Kaleb move on Jay. I never paid attention to Seth Pratchett or his pack before Talia came to me. I don’t know why, but I thought Jay would be bigger. Seth is a pretty big alpha, Derek was bigger than him. Jay is my height, and just a little bulkier than me. I know there are alphas who are smaller in stature, but they're almost more rare than male omegas. Jay has dark spiky hair and dull, muddy eyes, and he’s pale in the same way Talia and I are.
The part of my brain that picks people apart would love to investigate his lineage to see how those traits passed down and mutated, but I’d really rather just see him dead. The picture Derek sent of Jay with Talia flashes in my mind.
I can’t hear the growl vibrating in my throat, but Seth can. He turns his head to the side just enough so I can see his mouth tell me toshh.That pisses me off, but I guess he’s right. He’s standing in front of me and Talia, using his body to protect us from his pack mate. The least I can do is not make myself a bigger target, even if Seth is a raping bastard who deserves to die.
I can see Jay’s mouth moving with words that I’m sure I’d want to hear. I make out Seth’s name and I feel his body tense. Talia reaches up to put her hand on Seth’s shoulder, and I glance over at her. Her mouth is drawn up in a little disgusted snarl, but her body language, though as tense as Seth’s, is comforting. Her fingers are lightly rubbing Seth’s shoulder.
I touch her arm to get her attention and she nods at me then at Seth and twitches one of her eyebrows. She cannot possibly expect me to try to comfort this motherfucker.
But that’s exactly what she expects. Her face morphs into a completely different irritated scowl just for me, and she grabs my hand and pushes it against Seth’s back. Then she forcefully nods toward Seth. I’ll leave my hand there, because that’s what she wants, I’m not going to create a more stressful situation by fighting her on it; but I am not going to rub his goddamn shoulders like I give a fuck. And she and I will have a discussion about her doing it once this is over and we’re home. Probably a very loud one.
As much as I hate it, after we’re both touching him, Seth does lose some of the tension, not all, just some. Enough that I know he’s able to fight with us instead of going into a panic or shock or whatever you call it when you’ve killed one pack mate and might have to kill another one before he tries to kill the girl you raped and her omega mate.
Fast movement takes my attention from mine and Talia’s traitorous hands on Seth’s back.
Trent and Kaleb have Jay on his knees between them before I realize what’s happening. I feel the vibration of Seth saying something and Kaleb nods. Well, alright, I guess. If whatever he said is okay with Kaleb, it’s okay with me, too.
Kaleb is looking around the floor and eyeing the fabric from Talia’s shirt and pants. He wants to restrain Jay but he doesn’t have anything. I do, though. I take out one of the heavy duty zip ties from one of my pockets and wave it so Kaleb sees it before I toss it over.
After Jay is sufficiently restrained with his hands behind his back, we continue on to the door at the end of the passageway. The closer we get the stronger the sense of urgency and desperation twisting up my bond with Nathan gets. I’m almost afraid to open the door and see what these fuckers have done to him. My poor Nathan feels so differently than he usually does
Chapter twenty-eight
Talia
Nathan looks like a caged animal. His long hair is tangled and wild. His shirt is ripped down the front and stained with blood that can’t all be his. One of his eyes is starting to black and his lip is split. His bare feet aren't making any noise as he paces and prowls the length of the cell. The usual calm and laid-back disposition that I have come to expect and adore has been replaced with the snarling, seething, growling rage of a predator waiting for his chance to strike.
Nathan scents the air and seems to recognize that we, his pack, are there with him. But then he zeroes in on Seth. I watch Nathan's beautiful brown eyes go almost entirely black and a chill crawls up my spine. A low, rumbling growl is beginning to emit from Nathan's panting chest. This version of Nathan is genuinely terrifying.
He's going to kill Seth the moment the door to that cell opens.
