Chapter Fifteen
Scott
"You did what?"
As dramatic as it sounds to say that Zade roared a half hour later when I dropped the bomb that I'd proposed to Harley, it really wouldn't have been inaccurate.
"I asked Harley to marry me," I repeated calmly.
"You fucking promised me that you weren't going to tell him about your past until the Doc said it was okay!"
I shrugged and, yeah, it might have been a little sheepish. "Well, Zade, the truth is that I meant it and I didn't intentionally violate it." His blatantly disbelieving look made me sigh. "Shit, Zade, I swear. He showed up while I was working on my laptop and I forgot that the screensaver was a slide show of our pictures, okay? It really was an accident."
"Excuse me." Rafael had been passing by and he spun around, a couple of steps bringing him close. "Did you just say that Harley remembered that you have history together from seeing pictures on your computer?"
"Not exactly," I responded, taken aback by the intensity of his stare. "He doesn't remember, but when he saw them, it was obvious that we'd been close." When Rafael raised a brow, I groaned. "They're pictures from when we were dating. Hugging, kissing, that sort of thing."
Instead of clearing things up, the other Alpha's eyes hardened further. "Did you tell him who was in the pictures with you?"
Huh?
"No," I said slowly, feeling more lost every minute. "It's obviously him."
"So you're saying he recognized himself in the pictures?" Zade's anger fled and he sounded concerned.
"Yes. Then he asked me about them." I looked from Rafael to Zade and back. "What the hell is with the third degree?"
Levi spoke from his spot at Zade's side for the first time since we'd exchanged greetings. "Since he was returned, Harley hasn't been able to identify his own image," he explained softly, his forehead creased. "Mirrors, pictures, nothing."
"At least, that's what he has claimed," the Blood Valley Alpha broke in. "We're going to need to talk to him again, Zade."
Harley's guardian nodded, still frowning.
"I better call the doctor," Levi muttered. He stretched up to kiss his Alpha's cheek before turning to face Rafael. "Can you wait about thirty minutes? I want to be there."
Rafael nodded. "Sure. I'm going to need to make a few calls first, anyway." He gave me another intense look. "We're going to have questions for you, also."
"Okay." I kept from shrugging – it seemed like I'd been doing that a lot – but, truthfully, I really wasn't sure what they were all so worked up over. A little over an hour later, things went from confusing to alarming when I found out exactly why they were all so concerned.
Clint and his brother had apparently stepped out, the rest of us – Zade, Levi, Rafael, Colby, and the Empath, Trevor – were all sitting around the conference table in the Coruscation Alpha's office when Zade began to speak.
"Harley," Zade kept his voice calm, but there was an unusual hardness in it, as well, "Do you know why we want to talk to you?"
Harley's scent was tinged with fear. "I..I guess so."
Rafael pinned Harley's wide eyes with his own steely gaze and my Omega's Adam's apple bobbed as he swallowed nervously. "What do you have to say for yourself?"
"I.." Harley choked out the word and turned to me for help. Help I'd had to promise not to give to be allowed in for his questioning. "I'm sorry," he finished weakly.
"Sorry?" Colby snapped. "After everything that's been done for you, to help you, all you can say is sorry?"
Panic filled Harley's face as he stared back at Rafael, his body beginning to shake. He opened his mouth, but no words came out. Instead, silent tears began to slide down his cheeks.
"Dammit, Rafael," I growled, shoving my chair back and striding to my Omega. I gathered Harley's trembling body in my arms and held him close, allowing my comfort to wash over him. "You're scaring the shit out of him. Just tell us what the hell this is about or we're leaving."
Zade stood and I glared at him. "If I have to go through you, I will, Zade," I warned him. "I tried to work with you, but I'm not letting you put him through this."
"Sit down, Scott."
I stayed where I was and Rafael sighed. "Look, everyone in this room understands how you feel, but this is a criminal investigation."
What? They thought accusing my Omega of a crime was going to make me less protective? That absurdity nearly made me laugh.
"Criminal?" Harley squeaked from his spot against my chest. "We didn't even screw! We just made out a little!"
"What?" Zade and Rafael exchanged confused looks and Zade cocked his head. "Harley, why do you think you're here?"
I felt Harley's swallow. "Because Scott and I were…you know…and he said he wants to marry me?"
"That's ridiculous," Colby snapped. "No one cares if you're getting laid."
"The pictures, Harley," Rafael added, his voice equally harsh. "Your swiss-cheese memory seems to have conveniently healed itself. Or maybe you never forgot who you were at all."
"The pictures of us?" Harley's voice was barely a whisper. "That's why they're mad?"
"I guess, Har," I murmured in his ear, ignoring everyone around us. "I'm not sure what the deal is."
"The deal," Colby said coldly, "is that a significant amount of resources have been wasted on this dick pretending he was kidnapped and abused."
"That's enough." Trevor's voice was harsh and everyone in the room turned to stare with wide eyes, leaving me with the impression that it was out of character. The Blood Valley Omega, Colby, began to respond, but Trevor was adamant. "I said enough, Colby. Stop."
Colby's mouth snapped closed and Trevor looked across the table. "Zade, sit down."
Zade obeyed without question and Trevor turned to us. "Harley?" Trevor's voice was much softer now. "Remember when we meditated in the kitchen?"
Harley turned in my arms, his frightened eyes meeting Trevor's gentle ones. "Yes."
"Good." Trevor walked over to stand beside us. He ignored me and reached for one of Harley's hands. "Close your eyes." Very quickly I noticed the change in Harley's body as he relaxed against me. Where his heart had been thundering against my forearm, it slowed. His breathing evened out.
Trevor murmured softly but I couldn't make out the words and then they both opened their eyes.
"Thank you," Harley said to Trevor with a deep sigh.
Trevor nodded and returned to his seat. The look he shot at the end of the table where Zade, Rafael, and Colby were seated was very nearly a glare.
"Harley has no idea what you're talking about, but you're scaring the hell out of him." Trevor shook his head, disappointment flooding out from him. All three of them hung their heads at his next words, "Coruscation lands are a safe place for all Omegas. Shame on you for treating Harley like that."
He stood up and looked pointedly at the door. "It's time for everyone but Harley and Scott to leave."