“Sweet tooth for a sweet girl,” he mutters in my ear, just loud enough so no one else can hear.
My cheeks heat, and I smile softly as I open the candy and eat slowly. Conversation flows around me, but I hardly understand a word of it. They’re speaking English, but the terms and jargon being thrown around are confusing enough for me to tune out of the conversation entirely after a few minutes.
There aren’t any windows in the back of the van, so I just close my eyes and pretend to sleep again, just so I don’t have to engage. Joker tucks a blanket around me, snuggling me close even as he eats the other package of gummy candy.
“You really shouldn’t get attached. She can’t stay,” Siren says, breaking a long stretch of silence.
“Says who? We’ve got plenty of room,” Joker fires back immediately.
“Joker…” Cross’s sighed word is more distant from the front of the van but I can still detect the gentle exasperation.
“I thought you were with me on this. We can’t let her go back into that government sanctioned torture house slash sex slave market,” Joker snaps, holding me tighter.
“Easy, Jokes,” Phantom soothes.
“Of course, I don’t want to send her back. But we have to be realistic here. With that APB, she’s not going to be able to leave base, which will make her just as much of a prisoner with us as she was with them. And we have our work that still needs to get done, which either leaves her at homebase, or forces us to bring her with us,” Cross says calmly.
I have to fight to keep my face blank despite my confusion. Their work? What sort of group have I found myself involved with? I saw what Joker did at the facility, and how the rest of them were dressed, but I’m still missing a few dots in order to form a full picture.
“It’ll go away after a while, and we’ve already basically made it out of the area free and clear. We just have to wait for a while, and it’ll go away. Then she’ll just be a regular missing person,” Joker says, pulling me from my thoughts.
“I hear you, but I just want us to look at this from all angles,” Cross says with a heavy sigh.
“I’ve already looked. And the only angle I see is the one where she stays,” Joker says, shifting me easily to hug me closer.
“What has gotten into you?” Siren snaps. “She’s just an omega, and we’ve already got you.”
My heart sinks at their dismissive tone, and aches even more when Bones growls in agreement from the front of the van.
“I don’t know, Rin. All I know is what my instincts are telling me. And they’ve been screaming bloody murder from the moment I met her. Protect her. Keep her close. Bring her home. So bitch all you want, but my instincts have never been wrong before, and I’m not about to ignore them now,” Joker snaps, more heat in his voice than I’ve ever heard before.
The van goes silent as everyone takes in the seriousness of his words. Omegas are rare, about as rare as people with naturally red hair, and are the most sensitive designation when it comes to interpersonal relationships. Alphas are dominant, aggressive, assertive, and betas are the mellow balance between the two extremes.
Functioning packs, especially ones bigger than three people, will have a mix of them, usually with only one omega at the center of a group of alphas and betas. But according to the people who study these sorts of things, omegas will be able to sense imbalances within their pack and their instincts will start to look for a solution. That can be another alpha, or a beta, but occasionally, it means adding another omega.
If Joker’s instinct are reacting this strongly to my presence, that’s not something to be ignored. Not if this pack wants to maintain proper balance. The silence stretches on, growing increasingly suffocating with each minute. Not even Bones dares to contradict his omega’s words, which ignites the tiniest ember of hope in my belly.
“Okay. If that’s how you feel, then we’ll just have to figure it out,” Phantom says at last.
Bones lets out a low growl, but doesn’t speak to contradict the other alpha. The tension releases and I let out a breath I didn’t know I was holding. Joker purrs and chuckles, leaning down until his nose brushes the shell of my ear.
“You’re bloody awful at fake sleeping, luv,” he breathes.
I keep my eyes closed even as they roll, which only makes him chuckle again.
“I told you I’ve got you, and I meant it,” he says as the alphas start talking among themselves.
I hum softly, smiling slightly. While I’m still very unsure of how things are going to go, knowing that I’ve got at least one person in my corner is comforting enough to allow me to relax for the rest of the drive.
Chapter eighteen
Ittakesexactlytwominutes and forty seconds for Bones to grab me once we’re back at home base. I can only give Delilah an apologetic look over my shoulder as my alpha grabs me by the back of the neck and marches me into the house. Bypassing every other room, his growl sends shivers down my spine as he kicks in the door to my nest and slams it behind him.
“Just carry me over your shoulder next time, you caveman,” I tease with a laugh.
“You talk too much. Come here,” Bones snarls, ripping off his mask and respirator before grabbing my throat.
I gasp as he drags me forward, but he swallows my moan as he slants his lips over mine in a positively possessive kiss. My eyes slide closed as Imelt into him, my hands already starting to remove his vest. Despite everything with Delilah, I still missed my alpha. His mouth tastes spicy and bright, like lemons and pepper and harsh cinnamon; his woodsy scent surrounding me as he walks me backward toward the massive platform that surrounds the sunken nesting pit.