Page 138 of Pack Rivals, Part One

"Then what? Then what, Courtney?" I bark, my patience running thin. If something has happened to my omega, I need to know about it now.

"They wouldn't let me in, which I thought was funny because they were all lovely and friendly when I dropped her off and–"

"She's in heat. They probably thought it was inappropriate–"

"Axel," she says, "no one's stopping me from seeing my cousin." I smile. I like this girl. "I barged my way in there and …"

"And …" My blood runs so cold I shudder.

"She wasn't there. She was gone. No one could tell me where she was." A sob breaks free from Courtney's throat. "Axel, Bea's missing."

29

Angel

I stare downat the ringing mobile in my hand. It's a long time since he's called me. Years in fact.

Is it to gloat about the fundamental screw up today?

Then again, maybe he doesn't consider it a screw up. Maybe he doesn't feel the way I do about this omega. Maybe it was always about taking something I wanted from me. Hasn't it always been that way between us?

I stare at his name as the phone continues to ring, the electronic bells chirping loudly, the thing vibrating against my palm.

What does he want?

Nothing good.

But there's only one way to find out.

"Axel," I say, venom leaking into my voice as I answer.

Did he see her face? Did he see how much we hurt her?

I should have known it would end this way. Those who end up caught between our packs have always been crushed.

"Angel," he responds, and in that one word I can hear the lisp, know I fucked up his lip good and proper.

I smile to myself. Good. I'm fucking nursing a bleeding nose here myself.

"What do you want? Is this some kind of victory call? Because you didn't win the bet, York. I'm not backing down. That land and that omega are going to be mine."

"I don't give a fuck about the bet or the land, Angel."

I snort. "All you ever care about is winning, Axel. All you've ever cared about is winning. You don't care who gets hurt in the process."

"Are you serious?" He chuckles ironically. "That's you, Angel. It's never been me. You always wanted to be me. Always wanted to emulate me."

"And you always wanted to take everything from me. Anything that was mine."

We're silent. Both thinking back to that time. When the cracks that had always been there severed us apart once and forever. Celia. The accident.

"I can't steal something from you, if it was never yours in the first place," he says.

I close my eyes. All those years ago. I still feel it like a fresh wound. Still so painful. My girl. With him.

I won't let it happen again. Celia was a schoolboy infatuation. Bea could be the love of my life. Because, goddamnit, I've never felt this way before. Never spent every waking minute of my day, and every dreaming minute of my sleep, thinking of her. Wanting her.

I'm going to make it up to her. I'm going to fix this mess. She is going to be mine. She is going to be a part of my pack.

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