Cause Ωf Death (Femme Fatale Freakshow)

Chapter 17

I ’m sore, tired, hangry, and anxious by the time Steve turns the Suburban into the driveway of a rather large corner block in one of the outer subdivisions of Redding. The moment the garage door lowers behind us, I want nothing more than to fly from the car and seek out Kieran, but I’m prevented from doing so by Leslie. They turn and face me, reaching out to gently grasp my arm as they speak.

“Adam, I know you want to get in there and check on your omega, but before we allow you to do anything, ground rules need to be established. So, when you go inside, by all means check on Kieran, but then you need to sit your ass down, meet the rest of our pack, and hash out the important shit with Henley.”

Our drive up to Redding hadn’t been conducted in silence. While they had avoided answering questions about the woman I’d seen Steve with the other week—other than to tell me that her name was Wisp, she’s twenty-six, and that she was the other omega—they had answered a lot of others I’d asked.

Henley Armstrong is the eldest of their group at twenty-nine, and thanks to his age and alpha designation, is the de facto head of what will become their pack. Steve is a sigma, only a year behind Henley in age, and is actually a lot more docile than his appearance leads people to believe. In fact it’s Leslie and Kimberly who are the so-called “attack dogs” in the pack. Leslie—a delta just like I suspected—is the same age as Steve, but thanks to their line of work in the “import/export sector”—which is code for dealing with the black-market—Leslie has a lot of “friends” who can—and have—helped them dispose of bodies. Kimberly Lovelace is the baby of the group at twenty-five, is a gamma, and can end a person’s will to live with a simple keystroke. She’s also apparently quite vicious and vindictive when she feels those weaker or in need of protection are being exploited or abused. The five of them, including Wisp, grew up together in an orphanage. While not all of them enjoy a sexual relationship with one another, they consider each other family and pack. All they’re waiting on is for Wisp to finally be ready to accept Henley as her alpha, and it seems that Kieran’s oncoming heat has just moved up their timeline.

As I don’t want to start what could end up being my future with this group on the wrong foot, I give Leslie a curt nod, then gesture toward the still-locked door.

“Mind letting me out so I can take a piss, set eyes on my omega, and then get something to eat? I’m unlikely to be the best company until I do those three things, and I’m sure Henley would appreciate not having to deal with a surly, antagonistic alpha when in truth we want the same thing. I don’t care about the order of the pissing and eating, but seeing Kieran takes precedence.”

Steve unlocks my door before Leslie can even open their mouth, and I stagger slightly as I step out of the SUV and stretch out my sore and aching joints. Sitting in one position while still healing hasn’t done me any favors.

Zero out of five stars, do not recommend.

The welcoming, homey aroma of lemongrass, beeswax, and newly-cut wood reaches me just as another deep voice emerges from the gloom of the garage.

“Mr. Knight. Do you mind if I call you Adam? No? Good. Thank you for coming, Kieran has been waiting for your arrival quite anxiously. We still have some time before his and Wisp’s heats arrive in full, so come in, let’s get you settled, and then we can talk while you eat.” The behemoth who steps forward has at least three inches on my own six feet, five inches, and would be one scary motherfucker if it wasn’t for the peace and calm radiating from him. His smile is gentle, his brown eyes kind, and he evokes the image of an oversize teddy bear in my mind. I might be older than the guy by almost a decade, but he exudes an aura of authority that makes me want to take a knee and pledge him my allegiance.

This is a man who will never demand someone’s trust or obedience, because it’s not necessary. You can’t demand what has already been freely given.

“You must be Henley,” I greet in return, holding out my hand to shake his enormous mitt. “Thank you for looking out for Kieran, and not taking advantage of him while he’s in such a vulnerable state. It’s gratifying to know that there are other honorable alphas out there who can overcome the temptation of an omega nearing their heat.”

“Oh, you have no idea how controlled and in command Henley is, hero. His willpower is fucking legendary in certain circles, isn’t it, Hen?” Leslie snarks as they walk past carrying my duffel, and I grimace at the thought of them going through it and discovering all my weaponry. I’m torn, uncertain whether I should speak up and inform them of my hidden stash, or remain quiet and hope they don’t go searching. The decision is taken from me by a voice I’ve been anxious to hear in person.

“Hey, Leslie, be careful when you go through that. Knowing Adam, he’s brought half of his personal armory with him, and will happily exist with only a couple of changes of socks and jocks.”

I don’t even remember moving. One minute I’m standing in the dark garage with Henley between me and the door, the next I’m in an open plan kitchen-dining room, crushing Kieran to my chest with my good arm and inhaling his mouth-watering orange and spices scent.

“You fucking disappear on me like that again, and don’t call me the fucking moment you get a hold of a phone, and I’ll have you over my knee and tanning your ass so you can’t sit for a fucking week. Jesus fucking Christ, Kier. I thought you were dead .”

Tears clog my throat, making my voice hoarse as I give Kieran a dressing-down I hope he’ll never forget. My body is trembling with reaction, and I can’t find it in me to let him go, not even so I can check him over.

Linen, cut grass, and hops fills my nose as a pair of arms wraps themselves around Kieran and me, the heat from Steve’s body chasing away the cold dread that had settled in my heart. While sigmas don’t have a true purr like alphas and omegas, it doesn’t stop Steve from doing his best to mimic one. The soft, deep rumbles vibrate through my body, and along with his calming scent, I’m quickly soothed to the point where I’m no longer trying to absorb Kieran’s body into my own.

“There you go, now. Kieran’s safe and as healthy as we could get him without his medication. Henley likes to be prepared, so our med-kit has a couple of different types of antibiotics inside it that we were able to use. We patched him up pretty good and have been keeping a close eye on him. Now that you’re here, we can get back on top of Kieran’s schedule, and everyone can relax.” I sag against Steve in relief now that one of my greatest fears has been assuaged. Kieran takes advantage of the loosening of my arm to pull away from me slightly, just enough to glare up at me and jab a finger toward my face.

“While you might smell like a walking, talking advert for all things masculine, I do need to fucking breathe, Adam! I don’t think my dad would appreciate hearing that I survived kidnapping and assassination attempts only to be done in because you literally smothered me with your protection. Now, come and meet the rest of the gang, get some food into you, and then we can all sit down and figure what the next week is going to look like. We don’t have a lot of time because Di—uh, Wisp’s and my heats are feeding off one another, and I’m starting to think any and every surface looks like a suitable alternative to a bed. Lemme tell you now, I’m not spending my heat fucking on a hardwood floor, thank you very much.”

Reluctantly, I allow Kieran to step out of my embrace before pulling myself away from Steve. Thankfully, they’re both careful of my arm. I shoot Steve a small, abashed smile, then allow myself to be tugged over to the large table set in a corner of the room.

“Okay, so you’ve met Henley, Steve, and Leslie. Wisp is in the shower at the moment, trying to cool down a little, so you’ll meet her later. This is Kimberly. Don’t let her diminutive size fool you, though. She’s the secret head of this pack and one of the most bloodthirsty people you’ll ever meet. The only way to truly stay on her good side or pacify her is to provide her with copious amounts of coffee.”

The gamma leans back in her seat, her hazel eyes roaming over me in an obvious once-over. The sweet curve of her mouth twists in a sneer, her nose wrinkling and sniffing dismissively once she’s done. I don’t know whether to be offended or not, until Henley obliterates the entire act by walking around the table, hooking his arm around Kimberly’s neck, and giving her a noogie to end all noogies.

“ HENLEY! Get off me! ” comes the muffled shriek from the direction of Henley’s armpit, and with a final rap on her head, he releases her.

“Let that be a lesson to you, Kimmy. You might be able to ruin a person’s will to live when you sit down behind that keyboard and monitor, but you don’t scare me. I have every single embarrassing photo ever taken of you, and I’m not afraid to share them with the world. Plus, I will happily drag your stunted ass out of bed every morning at the ass-crack of dawn and make you come for a three-mile run with me. So, behave.”

Henley punctuates his order by pressing a chaste kiss on top of Kimberly’s hair, her russet strands a messy tangle dangling around her face. She glares up at him for a heartbeat, then dissolves into tinkling giggles, one hand lifting to cover her mouth as she offers me the other.

“Sorry about that, Adam, but I couldn’t resist. The look on your face, though… I didn’t think I’d be able to keep mine straight! You looked like you were about to shit your pants. Anyhoo, as Kieran and Henley have said, I’m Kimberly. It’s true about the coffee, and Henley’s threats are most vicious and underhanded, because I am not a morning person, an exercise person, or someone who was in any way photogenic before I hit my twenties. However, when it comes to technology, I’m your girl. I’ve yet to meet a system, server, or network that I can’t hack, reprogram, or subvert in some way. Unfortunately, there’s very little in the way of legitimate work that isn’t overseen by big brother—and I don’t mean Henley in that respect—so I have to settle for dealing with people who will be the first casualties in the war against the machines, should they ever rise up against us.”

I chuckle and shake her hand, the sweetness of her nature echoing in her scent, the aroma a refreshing blend of strawberries, rosemary, and mint. She’s a tempting little morsel, and I’d be a liar if I didn’t admit that I find her attractive. She’s the type of girl I always imagined myself pursuing when I was younger, before I met Kieran and left my heart as an offering at his altar. But she’s also a dozen years younger than me, and I have no right to ask her—or anyone else in this pack—to do more, be more, to me than a friend. I’ve always been a bit of a loner, and I don’t really know how to play well with others.

“I’ll keep that in mind, Kimberly. Now, I’d really appreciate it if someone would point me to the nearest bathroom, otherwise I’m likely to embarrass myself and create a mess nobody wants to clean up.”

The others all snicker as Kier grabs my hand once more and tugs me behind him. We walk through an open-plan space that combines a large living area with a formal dining space and foyer. Just off the foyer is another hallway, and it’s here that Kieran deposits me in front of a door, waving his hand in presentation.

“Here you go. Do you want me to wait for you to finish, or should I leave you to find your own way back to us once you’re done?”

I smile softly before drawing Kieran into my arms again, finally giving into the urge to kiss him that I’ve held back for so long.

It’s soft and tender, a shy meeting of lips after an eternity of waiting and pining. I don’t let it devolve into anything more passionate or demanding than that, because I promised Leslie I’d sit and talk with Henley before starting something with Kieran.

I reluctantly pull back, a smug smirk on my lips at the dreamy expression flitting across Kieran’s face as he chases my mouth for more.

“Go on, now. Go back to the others. I’ll be along shortly, once I’ve relieved myself.” I urge, and with a small moue of disappointment, Kieran does as he’s told.

Good omega.

I waste no more time and step inside the bathroom, impressed with the gleaming fittings and modern finishes. My cock is heavy in my hand as I piss, the relief of pressure on my bladder immense as it empties in a torrent loud enough to drown out the traces of conversation I can otherwise hear through the closed door.

Bladder empty, I give myself a good shake to remove any lingering droplets before tucking myself away, hit the flush, then turn to wash my unencumbered hand in the sink.

The smell of the hand soap has my dick inflating, and I glance down at the label as I try and figure out why I’m reacting this way.

Sweet Alyssum.

Still trawling through my memory banks, trying to pinpoint the reason for my burgeoning arousal, I open the bathroom door and step into the hallway.

Straight into someone else.

I pull them into my arms so they don’t fall as I spin and thump my back against the hallway wall, seeing nothing but thick, copper hair, pale skin, bee-stung lips, and golden eyes.

Their scent slams into me, sending lust spearing through me as I drown in smoky vanilla, ozone, and petrichor.

It’s her.

The woman who’s been haunting me.

The omega vying for my attentions.

Wisp.