Chapter Four
Ronan had slipped back to the house in time to see Preston following the omega out. He watched at a distance, feeling the buzz of his phone in his pocket when Noah made the call to him, followed by yelling, and the unmistakable sight of Preston chasing Noah across to the house. He could hear the rage in the other alpha’s voice and knew Noah was likely to be the victim of it in short order. And though the omega had lied to him, he’d also called him, so Ronan was as willing to overlook it as he was unwilling to stand by and watch an omega take a beating.
The look of surprise on Preston’s face when Ronan caught his hand before he could hit Noah was equal parts pleasing and amusing. It would be a story he’d be telling Griffin the next time he saw him. Preston was not a fighter, that much was clear. He didn’t know how to duck, and he telegraphed each move a mile before he made it. Still, Ronan liked a work out now and then so he didn’t end it too soon.
Finally, Preston lay unconscious on the ground beneath him, and Ronan made quick work of rifling through his clothes, finding the diamonds in a small black drawstring bag in the inside pocket of his jacket. He pocketed them before dragging Preston’s prone form across to the garage, wrinkling his nose at the fake pheromone scent the alpha reeked of. No wonder the omega was head over heels.
Preston’s car was inside, just like he’d guessed. There was some rope and some rags in the garage too, so it took no time at all to tie the alpha up, gag him, and lock him in the trunk of his own car. He left it cracked open an inch or two to make sure the alpha got enough air, then strode back over to the pack house.
It was growing late, the sky was darkening, and after three days of trailing Preston, he was tired. Seemed as good a place as any to stay the night.
There was, of course, the matter of the omega. He was still hiding under the table when Ronan came in. Ronan rapped on the tabletop, eliciting a wince from the huddled form underneath.
“Come on, out of there.”
There was a long pause where Ronan wondered if he’d have to haul him out before Noah slowly climbed out and to his feet. He looked everywhere except at Ronan seeming more than a little wary. Two alphas in two days and neither what they seemed? The poor guy was having a bad week.
Ronan got distracted looking around the kitchen for some food, catching movement out of the corner of his eye as Noah made a run for the open door. He caught him easily, grabbing him by the shoulders and hauling him backward.
“Where do you think you’re going? It’s dark and there’s nothing out there but the cold.”
He turned Noah around, holding him by the upper arms. “Believe me, you don’t want me chasing you down. I’ve had enough of that these past few days.”
The omega stopped fighting him, giving in to defeat.
“You called me.”
Noah nodded tensely.
“Why?”
“He lied. About everything.”
Now that he was so close to the omega again, the lilt in his scent was irrefutable. Ronan thought he’d scented it the first time they’d met, but they’d both been tense, and he hadn’t exactly been looking for it. Now that he had a moment to breathe, it was plain as day. He let one hand cup Noah’s jaw, just for a moment, before slowly dragging his thumb down along the omega’s neck. Noah shuddered under his touch, watching him with confusion. His body was probably all over the place thanks to Preston and his spray-on pheromones. Those things were banned by most packs, but that didn’t stop people like Preston from using them.
Ronan released Noah and pushed him toward the table. He’d had enough of thinking about arrogant alphas when there were so much more interesting things to think about, like the lonely omega stranded in the middle of nowhere by his pack. A veritable Cinderella.
“Sit yourself down.”
The omega did as he was told, drawing his knees up to his chest and wrapping his arms around them.
“What does an alpha have to do to get some food around here?” Ronan muttered, returning to his search for food and pulling open cupboards and drawers.
That seemed to get the omega’s attention, and Ronan heard him get to his feet.
“Park yourself back in that chair. I’ve got this,” the alpha said without even turning around. He opened the freezer and a voice piped up from behind him.
“The bottom drawer.”
Ronan opened it and made a sound of appreciation when he saw the steak. That was more like it.
“That’s what I’m talking about.”
He lifted his bounty out and set it on the counter then he turned to look at Noah and just waited.
“The cupboard at the end, on the left. And the top shelf of the fridge.”
Ronan quickly found what he needed and got to work, noting that the omega’s fear started to fade as the smell of cooking and the sizzle of a frying pan filled the room.
“How do you like your steak? Rare, medium, well-done?”
Ronan wasn’t really expecting an answer, but he asked just to be polite.
“Where’s Preston?”
Ronan was impressed by the omega’s bravery.
“In the trunk of his car.”
“Is he dead?”
“Not yet.”
“But he is going to die?”
Ronan thought carefully about his answer. “Not by my hand. I’m just a bounty hunter. My job is to find him, find what he stole, and return them both to the people he stole from. After that, he’s none of my concern.”
Sensing more questions were coming, he turned his attention from the frying pan to Noah.
“What about me?” the omega asked.
“What about you?” Ronan challenged, folding his arms.
“I… I helped him. Lied to you.”
“He was using artificial pheromones. You weren’t exactly compos mentis where he was concerned. It’s a dirty trick to play on someone. Besides,” he added, turning back to his cooking. “You called me once you realized the truth. That’s something.”
He got to work plating up the food, setting it out on the table. A quick rifle through the cupboards found a few bottles of wine, nothing fancy or particularly drinkable. He set them aside in favor of some beer he found in the fridge. A bit of alcohol would help Noah with the comedown that followed exposure to pheromones like that.
When he handed the can to Noah, the omega refused it. “It’s for the guests.”
“Well, I’m a guest,” Ronan retorted, cracking it open and setting it down next to him. “And I say you need to drink it. It’ll help.”
Noah made a face but picked up the can and took a sip, followed by a longer swallow.
“Alcohol dulls the fake pheromone response, sets you back to neutral,” he added, sitting down on the seat to the left of Noah to make it easier for them to talk.
“How long does it take?”
“Your exposure was short, so only a few hours. Eat, the food will help too.”
Noah stared at the plate Ronan had set in front of him as if only just realizing it was there. “You made me dinner?”
“Sure, why not? Cooking for two is as easy as cooking for one. Eat up, before it gets cold.”
He tucked into his own, enjoying every mouthful. Noah ate more slowly, but Ronan could tell he was hungry.
“Who are you?” the omega asked suddenly, pinning Ronan with an inquisitive gaze.
“Like I said, I’m a bounty hunter.”
“Do… do you have a name?”
He paused a moment before replying. In his job, making friends wasn’t high on his lists of priorities. He didn’t often give out his name unless he needed to. This time, he’d make an exception.
“Ronan.”
“How did you know Preston was here?”
“I find people, it’s what I do. What do you do?” he asked, turning the tables.
“I look after the boarding house,” Noah said, gesturing around with his fork.
“All by yourself?” It seemed like a big job for one person.
“We don’t get a lot of visitors. You’re the second this year.”
Making Preston the first. That really wasn’t a lot of visitors.
“That’s a slow turnover. Don’t you get bored out here all by yourself?”
“Why would I be bored? There’s so much to do here, between the dust cleaning and the road watching, and did I mention the cleaning?”
Noah seemed to realize what he’d said, the animation fading from his expression as he flushed red.
Ronan just grinned. “Bored out of your mind, huh?”
Noah nodded, shoulders sagging. “I thought yesterday was the best day of my life. Finally, an alpha who actually wanted me around. I knew it was too good to be true.”
He turned his attention back to his plate. “This is good.”
“You think so?” Ronan asked. He didn’t have a lot of people to try his cooking out on and the betas he’d dated knew their way around the kitchen. It made them hard to impress.
“Uh-huh. I always overcook the steak. This is just perfect.”
Ronan grinned, happy with the compliment.
“All we’re missing are some candles and a few glasses of wine to set the mood.”
Noah raised his head, his eyebrows drawn down in confusion. Ronan put his fork down and tried to explain.
“With all the excitement, I think you missed it.”
“Missed what?” The omega was on edge again, waiting for the catch.
Ronan leaned forward and angled his head so that his neck was exposed. Noah hesitantly scented him, repeating it a second time before pulling back and staring at him in wide-eyed silence.
“One-hundred percent real,” Ronan said slowly. “Can you tell the difference?”
Noah nodded, but he didn’t look happy at the realization.
“But you saw my scars right? You know what I am, what I can’t be?”
“I saw,” Ronan said. “Lots of people have scars, it doesn’t make them untouchable.”
“Try telling my pack that.”
He could almost taste the bitterness in Noah’s voice.
“Oh, don’t worry. I’ll be telling them that; and more.”