Omega Bound Chapter 286

Thane

The glow of the monitor paints the war room. My voice is hoarse from repeating the same message to Alpha after Alpha: I am coming. Prepare your pack. Expect me soon. Some answer with obedience. Some hesitate. None refuse.

The screen goes black again, and I roll my shoulders, wolf restless beneath my skin. There’s no satisfaction in this, only grim necessity.

The door swings open without a knock. Cyrus strolls in like he owns the place, Raven at his side. She’s twirling her knife between her fingers as if she’s bored, the blade catching the light with every spin.

Cyrus drops into a chair opposite me, legs sprawled. “You done sweet-talking yet? Or are you still making calendar invites for every Alpha in the damn hemisphere?”

Raven smirks but doesn’t look up from her knife.

I arch a brow. “You’re impatient.”

“Damn right I am.” He leans forward, elbows on the table.

Raven finally looks up, her smile sharp. “We’re moving out. Out of your house. Out of your hair. Into our place.”

For a moment, silence stretches between us. Then, unexpectedly, a laugh rips out of me. Not a chuckle. Not the controlled sort of amusement I sometimes manage. No, this is raw, sharp, nearly manic. It echoes off the walls, foreign even to my own ears.

Cyrus blinks, then grins like a wolf with blood on his teeth. “Holy shit. You hear that, Raven? He laughs. He actually laughs.”

“Creepy as hell,” she says, smirking. “But I’ll take it.”

I shake my head, still catching my breath. “Don’t get used to it. The only time I laugh is with Ayla. If you hear it now, it’s because the thought of you two leaving my house feels like a miracle.”

Raven snorts, shoving Cyrus’ shoulder. “Told you he’d be relieved.”

“Oh, I knew he would be relieved, but I never thought he would laugh with glee.”

“There is no glee. I don’t glee.”

Cyrus is grinning wider. “You’re welcome, then. We’ll spare you from overhearing things you shouldn’t. Besides, I think your walls were starting to blush.”

“Or crack,” Raven mutters, sliding her knife back into its sheath.

I shake my head again, the brief flicker of amusement fading into something heavier. “Good. You’ll need your own space. You’ll be glad you’re not living under my roof anymore. It will be twice as noisy soon.”

Twins. Twice the tiny fists, twice the cries, twice the weight of protecting lives so fragile I can’t even picture them without my wolf bristling. It’s ridiculous, irrational, but I can’t stop counting every risk, every shadow, every unseen danger, because one pup was already my whole world, and now there are two.

“Alpha of Alphas, stop staring into the abyss like the world’s ending. They’re just babies, not ticking bombs. Though come to think of it, with your bloodline, maybe they are.” Cyrus pulls me out of my unnecessary spiral.

“Fine...right,” I clear my throat, “Nikolai. I start with him tonight. Slowly. Painfully. He’s not just going to rot in a cell. He’s going to be broken down, piece by piece, until every pack understands exactly what happens when you betray your kind. I’ll make an example of him. And if there’s anything useful left in that twisted mind of his, like information, contacts, weaknesses in Stevens’ pack, I’ll drag it out.”

Raven’s lips curve, cold satisfaction flashing in her eyes. “Good.”

Cyrus’ grin sharpens, wolf-bright. “Finally. I was starting to think you’d keep him locked up forever. So what’s the plan? Nails? Teeth? Or are you gonna get creative?”

“I don’t torture for fun,” I snap.

Cyrus lifts his brows. “That’s where we’re different.”

I pause, then add, voice low and cold, “But I will make it mean something. Every scream will carry. Every scar will remind them. This isn’t entertainment. This is justice. And it’s only the beginning.”

Cyrus tilts his head, considering. Then he grins again. “Fine by me. Just let me know when it starts. I want a front-row seat. Raven, too.”

“Popcorn optional,” Raven says dryly, though there’s no mistaking the gleam in her eyes.

The phone buzzes on the table. I glance at the screen and see Rhonda. My stomach sinks. Nothing good ever starts with her name flashing at me.

I answer anyway. “Alpha Thane.”

At first, her voice is syrupy, cheerful....too cheerful. I can’t hear the others in the background, but I know they’re there. Then she drops the bomb. My hand tightens on the phone, knuckles white.

“You did what?” My voice sharpens, heat climbing up my spine. “No. No, you don’t just take him. That’s not—” I pause, listening, my jaw clenching tighter. “I don’t care if he agreed. He’s not in any condition to—” My voice rises another notch. “Rhonda, this isn’t a joyride. This is—” I grind my teeth as she interrupts. “You’re drunk, aren’t you?” Silence. Then laughter on the other end, loud and unmistakable.

I rip the phone away from my ear and hang up before I say something that makes Ayla glare at me later.

She just loves Rhonda now.

For a long moment, I just sit there, staring at the wall, hand still clutching the phone. My wolf bristles inside me, restless and irritated, but beneath it is the strangest mix of exasperation and disbelief. I drag a hand down my face, groaning.

Cyrus tilts his head, smirking like he already knows it’s something insane. “Well? What’s got you looking like you’re trying to shit a knife sideways?”

I exhale hard. “Rhonda called. She and the rest of her—” I wave a hand vaguely in the air, “—slutty grandmas just abducted Mikhail and decided to take a road trip. Apparently, they’re going to ‘see if any of his old pack is still around.’”

Cyrus barks out a laugh. “Abducted the healer? That’s one way to keep him from getting recaptured, I guess....constantly on the move.”

“They sounded drunk,” I mutter darkly. “Which doesn’t exactly inspire confidence in the whole responsible caretakers of our Luna’s father arrangement....or our pack's only healer....I need to keep Nikolai alive.”

Raven snorts, crossing her arms. “Technically, it’s not an abduction. You put them in charge of Mikhail. If he’s with them, then they’re just… doing their job.”

I pinch the bridge of my nose. “Doing their job would not involve cross-state road trips and vodka shots.”

“Does she even have a driver’s license?” Cyrus asks, grinning like this is the best thing he’s heard all week.

“Pretty sure she doesn’t,” I mutter. “And if she does, it’s expired by about thirty years.”

Cyrus leans back, still chuckling. “Well, guess we better hope the Fates protect them, because if that car breaks down, the poor bastard won’t know what hit him.”

Raven smirks faintly, shrugging. “Honestly, he’s got a reverse harem of grandmothers. It could be worse. Plus, he hasn’t exactly been with anybody in decades, and neither have they.”

“Oh, I doubt that.” Cyrus laughs.

“Yuck.” I rub at my temples. “The shifter world is on fire, we’re preparing to crush Stevens, and now I’ve got to worry about a car full of drunk geriatrics and my Luna’s father on a sightseeing tour. Perfect.”