Chapter Six
Jay didn’t like to set foot in the Pack house. The handful of times he’d been there were clouded by the memory of being locked in the basement by men working for Byron’s father.
Byron had suggested he stay in the car with Odin but Jay refused, sticking close to his Alpha as they went inside. They didn’t stay long, Byron speaking with his uncle and cousins. Jay didn’t listen too closely to what was said, distracted by his own thoughts and worries.
It was a relief to return to the car, Byron a warm, steady presence in the seat next to him. Odin drove them home, but Byron cautioned they’d be leaving again as soon as Glenoak needed them.
He fell asleep before they reached the house, waking with a jerk as the car slowed to a stop. A hand touched his arm and he jerked away, lashing out with his free hand.
His wrist was caught in a firm grip before it met flesh, Byron’s concerned eyes watching him.
“What was that all about?” he asked, letting go as soon as Jay went still.
“Sorry, Byron,” he whispered, dropping his gaze. Byron gripped his chin with strong fingers, raising his head until their eyes met.
“Another dream?” he asked.
Jay tried to look away, sighing and letting his shoulders sag when the Alpha stroked a thumb along his jaw, the touch firm and cool along his heated skin, steadying him.
“Hey.” Byron’s soft words caught his attention. “It’s okay. Can you tell me about the dream?”
The driver's door opened and closed as Odin stepped out, giving them some space.
Jay opened his mouth to speak, but nothing came out.
“Okay,” Byron said, “Let’s go inside. You can talk when you’re ready.”
He stuck close to Byron as they went into the house, one hand clasping the hem of Byron’s shirt. The Alpha didn’t seem to mind when he was clingy, he usually brought Jay to his room or they lay down in the living room, Byron holding Jay close and tight, like he’d never let go. Those were the times Jay felt truly happy, felt truly safe. Because somewhere inside of him was a little voice that said he’d been left alone before and it could happen again. If he was too much work, too much trouble, upset the wrong client, maybe Byron would decide he was better off without him.
They reached the kitchen and Byron turned to him.
“Do you want to go out to the woods for a while?”
Sometimes, when things were bad, when the walls were closing in on him, that was the only thing that helped. Distance and space. But, right then, he didn’t want distance and space. He wanted safety and protection. He wanted Byron.
Shaking his head, he grasped Byron shirt a little tighter, pushing himself closer until he was pressed against the Alpha.
The Alpha sighed, long and loud.
“Okay, Jay? This, whatever this is, it has to stop.”
His words were like the cattle prod the traffickers had used, shocking him back to reality and he took two steps back from Byron, wrapping his arms around his middle. This was it, he’d done it, crossed the line. Byron was fed up with him. He’d send him away. Hanging his head, he waited.
The loud beat of his heart drowned out Byron’s first few words. “…just one word at a time, Jay. I know it’s hard but I can’t help if I don’t know what’s wrong. I can see you’re scared but you are safe, under my protection like you’ve been since the moment I found you.”
Jay chanced glancing up at his Alpha. There was no anger there, just bewilderment. Byron stepped closer, cupping Jay’s cheek with a cool hand.
“Let’s go lie down for a while.”
Leading Jay to his room, he got them both lying on the bed, Jay on his side, his knees bent, his chin tucked into his chest. Making himself small so he’d look like he needed Byron’s protection. It was a stark contrast to when the Omega was under threat and angry. At those times, he’d be larger than life, standing tall with a growl that had sent more than one Alpha hurriedly backpedaling.
Byron slipped off his shoes and jacket before climbing onto the bed after Jay. As much as he’d tried to encourage Jay to sleep in his own room at first, this was where he ended up, night after night. Byron slotted his knees in behind Jay, pressing his chest against the Omega’s back and wrapping an arm across his front. Jay liked it, liked to be held tightly, to feel protected and cocooned.
“Tell me,” Byron coaxed, knowing they needed to get it out in the open.
“The man from before,” Jay whispered.
“The one who watched you?”
The Omega nodded. “Because I was different. But it was a secret.”
“You being an Omega?”
Jay didn’t give a direct answer. Byron suspected he just didn’t know. It had been a long time ago, and he’d had years as a wolf in between with nothing to cement the memories from before.
“They were scared of him.”
“Who were?”
“The woman and the man. But her especially.”
He turned in Byron arms, so they were face to face.
“I don’t remember her much, except her eyes were sad and scared.”
“Because of the man.”
Jay nodded.
“They were afraid he knew about me. That he might come for me.”
“So that’s why they took you to the forest?”
Why not just take him and run, find somewhere safe?
“They had to do it quickly, before he came back. He was always coming and going. And when he was there, he watched, and everyone was scared.”
Jay lay his head against Byron’s shoulder. “What if he’s still out there?”
“What if he is? He can’t touch you now. You’re mine.”
“But I should have been his. That’s why they were scared. They kept me out of sight, but they knew he suspected. Then one night they woke me. It was dark and I was sleepy. They said we had to go, because he’d be back. He always came back.”
No names. That was something they hadn’t gotten before either. Jay had never called the woman and man Mom and Dad, which made Byron wonder if that’s what actually they were. They might have been grandparents or other relatives. Outside of Packs, shifter relationships were funny things.
“What were they afraid this man would do if he knew what you were?”
Jay shrugged. “Take me away.”
In an epic feat of bad timing, his phone rang.
“It’s Sebastian. I need to answer this, sorry Jay.”
But he knew Jay didn’t mind. He had a fondness for Sebastian and Ro, and he liked the other Omega, Adam.
“Seb?”
“We have some news. We know who took Noah.”
“Who?”
“Gray Valley's Alpha, Terrance Porter.”
“There’s a history there.” Byron vaguely recalled the story.
“A long one.”
“Gray Valley been teetering on the edge these past few months. I know Fenrir’s Warriors have set their sights on it being their next target for wiping the slate clean. With this, we can justify approaching the Pack Council for immediate action against them.”
“It’s not that simple. They’re saying they took Noah, but that they don’t have him now.”
“Then where is he?”
“They traded him, in exchange for an older Omega, closer to mating age.”
He blinked at that, the oh-so-casual trading of people. Jay shifted against him, eyes alert, and Byron knew he was taking in every word.
“Which Pack did they trade him to?”
“Not a Pack, a person. The same person who raised Adam and Luke, a man going by the name of Tobias.”
Jay went rigid against him all of a sudden, his eyes wide then one hand scrabbled for a hold on Byron’s shirt.
“That’s him,” he breathed. “That’s the man.”