His Omega Page 17

  “We need two. I hope she is okay. The birth went easy. I suppose Dr. Artis said she could be out and about. Maybe she’s lonely because Bernard went up north. He is her mate.” Rene looked to make sure Martin was behind him.

  “I suppose, but it was still kind of strange. Armand told me that being away from your mate is very traumatic. I think the he should have sent Adele and the babies with Bernard.”

  “The babies wouldn’t have been allowed to leave the pack; especially since one is a girl.” Rene drove around the lot a second time.

  “She must miss Bernard.”

  “How she could miss that bastard is beyond my comprehension, after what he tried to do to Elena,” Rene grumbled.

  “Shush. Little pitchers have big ears. My mother used to say that.” Sean sighed. He looked over the parking lot. “There are two spots together.”

  “They are a bit far from the museum entrance.”

  “But they are the only two together within walking distance.” Sean said. “Pull in there, Martin can park right beside us.” Rene parked the car.

  “Can I talk now?” Elena asked.

  “Why not, sweetie? You could have spoken any time.” Sean asked a bit puzzled.

  “Uncle Bernard said I couldn’t talk when other people talked.”

  “Oh. Well, Daddy says you can talk whenever you wish unless we tell you to be quiet.”

  “What a bastard.” Rene commented under his breath. “Shifter children are special to the pack because they are so rare.”

  “Then why did the pack leave Elena with Adele and Bernard?” Both men got out of the car. Sean reached into the backseat and loosed the belt to bring Elena into his arms.

  “I can walk, Daddy.” Elena wiggled.

  “You have to hold my hand.” She grabbed Sean’s hand. Rene walked beside him.

  “You were saying?” Sean knew he was prodding but he was curious.

  “There was no obvious mistreatment of the child. They were a little cold, but that isn’t enough to take a child away from blood relatives. It wasn’t until Bernard tried to sell her that the Alpha took action. The offer was made over the phone just before you arrived. It was an item under discussion at the meeting the night the Alpha found you. Even if we took the child away from Bernard and Adele, we still needed a placement. The Alpha was looking for a mated pair willing to adopt.”

  “So he would have acted sooner, if it wasn’t for me.”

  “Probably. We planned to go home, your arrival delayed us by only a few weeks.”

  “So as soon as we were mated, it was okay for Armand and me to take Elena.”

  “That’s about right.”

  * * * *

  “Adele, it’s about time you showed up. We might have missed them. What took you so long? You called me early this morning.”

  “It’s difficult trying to lug around two newborns. They need care. I don’t think you should do this thing, Bernard. If it wasn’t for the Alpha Mate, we would have lost both our babies.” Adele’s face was wet with tears.

  “Yet, it was the Alpha Mate who mortified us in front of the entire pack. He made a deal with us for that child. He didn’t honor his word.” Bernard stamped out his cigarette on the ground.

  “You should pick that up,” Adele said.

  “You are always such a Goody Two-shoes, a model loup-garou. I’m doing this for our family. Alpha La Farge says we will have a place in his pack when he takes over the council. I can be a Beta. All I’m going to do is give Elena to Dimitri. Once Dimitri has Sean, Elena will be free. There are just using her to get the Alpha Mate. The rest of it is on their head.” Bernard set his chin in a stubborn line.

  “But what are they going to do with him? Will they harm him?”

  “Of course not, you fool. La voix is too valuable. They just want Alpha La Marche to cede leadership to Alpha La Farge. No one is harming anyone else. Sean is just an insurance policy.”

  “I still don’t like this.” Adele cried.

  “All you have to do is take the kid into the bathroom. She always has to go to the bathroom. She won’t make a fuss. Just do what I say and for gods’ sake shut up the brats.”

  Bernard signaled to Dimitri who stood outside the back entrance. “Do what I say or you’ll be sorry. Go into the museum and offer to take Elena to the bathroom. There is a second entrance. Take the kids and go out that entrance, Dimitri will be waiting for Elena. Then we’ll get into the car and travel to the safe house.”

  “What safe house?”

  “The house that Alpha La Farge rented for me. That’s all you need to know. Now go.”

  “I don’t like this.” Adele started to walk away.

  Bernard grabbed hold of her arm and twisted it. “You’re my mate, you’ll do as I say.”

  * * * *

  Adele pushed the tandem stroller into the museum and quickly found Sean and Adele. “Hi guys. You said you were coming here, since I was downtown I thought I’d drop by and spend some time with my niece.”

  “Hello, Adele. You’re using the stroller I bought. I’m glad it works for you. You’re out with the babies a bit early on, aren’t you?” Sean asked.

  “I was feeling rather cooped up and wanted to get out a bit. It’s lonely without Bernard. He is my mate, Sean, no matter what you think of him. He was just desperate for the money to pay his gambling debts.”

  “Well you can make a fresh start once he comes back.” Sean backpedaled, after all she was Elena’s aunt.

  “I need to use the ladies room to change the babies. Elena, do you have to go?”

  “Elena, do you have to go to the bathroom?” Sean asked.

  Elena began to do a little jig.

  “Yes, Daddy. I can’t hold it anymore.”

  “You should have told me, sweetie. Go ahead with Aunt Adele. We’ll wait outside.” Sean pushed Elena toward Adele.

  “I don’t want to go in my pants.”

  “It’s all right, go with Aunt Adele, she’ll take care of you. But come right back, it’s getting late and Papa’s going to worry.”

  “Okay, Daddy.” Elena grabbed onto the stroller and Sean held the door open to the ladies room. The door closed on the hinge.

  “Uncle Bernard?”

  “Be quiet Elena…” He grabbed her arm. She gave a little cry.

  “No need to manhandle the kid.” Dimitri said. “She’ll make too much noise.”

  “Who’s that?”

  “Never mind, go into the stall and pee.”

  “Not alone, I can’t undo the straps.”

  “Just go Elena…Here, I’ve undone the straps.” Adele snapped. A minute later Adele pulled Elena out of the stall.

  “You have to put the straps back up.”

  “Shut up, Elena.” Bernard grabbed the stroller. “Come on, let’s get out of here.” He pulled the stroller away from Adele.

  Elena started to sob.

  Bernard slapped Elena and put her back into the stall.

  Dimitri stayed hidden in the second stall.

  * * * *

  Five minutes went by. “It’s been too long,” Sean paced. “I’m going in there to see what’s wrong.”

  “Take it easy. Maybe the kid had to do more than pee and Adele had to change the babies.” Sean paced some more. He looked at his watch. Ten minutes went by.

  “No one else went in, right?” He walked toward the door hesitating. He seemed to make up his mind. “I’m going in to get her. If we delay any longer, Armand will worry.”

  The door opened inward. Sean stepped through. The bathroom looked empty. “Elena?” Sean began to panic.

  “Daddy, I can’t do the hooks.”

  He opened the door to the stall. Elena was sitting on the seat. Sean bent over. He didn’t see it coming. Dimitri was behind him with a syringe. He plunged it into Sean’s arm.

  Elena yelled. “Daddy! Daddy!”

  Sean slumped over the toilet with Elena underneath. Dimitri grabbed Sean and dragged him out the door.

&nbs
p; * * * *

  “Was that the kid?” Martin asked. Rene was already in the door with Martin behind him only to see the second entrance close. Rene saw Elena.

  “Martin, they took Sean and left the kid, I’m going after them, call Armand.” Rene ran out the other door. The back entrance to the museum closed. He ran, Dimitri shot at him. Martin arrived to see Rene on the ground and just in time to hear the tires squeal as Dimitri left the parking lot.

  “The man took Daddy.” Elena shrieked. “Uncle Bernard was there. They took the babies and went away. I had to pee. Then Daddy came and he fell…”

  Martin was on the phone to Armand before the child finished her sentence.

  Rene limped back into the museum. “We have to get back to the Alpha before the cops come. This is shifter business.”

  “Can you drive?”

  “Yeah, it only grazed my arm.”

  “The Alpha said to come home.”

  Chapter 16

  Sean began to come around. Dimitri had put a ball gag in his mouth to silence la voix. He panicked when he found himself gagged, bound, and lying on his side in the back seat of an SUV with tinted windows.

  Dimitri got a call on his cell. He told the person on the phone that they were in the parking lot of the McDonald’s just before the entrance to I-40.

  Sean thought could only access Mate Link in wolf form. He tried to shift but before he could the Russian stuck another needle in his arm; the world went black.

  * * * *

  Rene and Martin broke all speed limits getting back to the compound. Elena rode with Martin because Rene was afraid that his wound might affect his driving and wanted to be sure of the child’s safety. They pulled into the compound fifteen minutes later. The Alpha waited at the entrance; Martin stopped the car. Armand opened the door and took Elena out of the booster seat. The little girl was quiet for the whole ride home but when she saw Armand, she broke into tears.

  “Papa, Uncle Bernard and some man took Daddy, we need to get him, Papa.” Armand attempted to soothe Elena when he himself could not be soothed. He knew that they wouldn’t harm Sean, not with his Talent. Armand knew they were really gunning for him.

  He walked from the courtyard and into the house handing Elena to Meg. “You go with Miss Meg, now sweetie. Papa’s got to take care of finding our Daddy.” Elena was still sniffling as Meg took her away. He walked down to his study. For the first time in his life he wished a wolf could get drunk. There was nothing he could do until they called him with their demands.

  * * * *

  Sean woke up and realized he couldn’t speak. He had a ball gag in his mouth and spittle poured down the sides of this chin. Dimitri placed him in a chair with his hands cuffed behind him, a heavy chain around his chest and legs and his feet cuffed.

  His tormentor walked toward him. “Not so uppity now, you little whore. Told Leroy you were too good for the likes of me, now we’ll see.”

  Sean tried to speak around the gag but couldn’t emit a sound. His eyes leaked water as he thought of how much trouble he’d caused his mate since they met. At least Elena was safe.

  The Russian kept talking. “So, you’re a little Omega with a big gift. Who would know that I stumbled upon such gold among the dross that night? Going to buy myself a position as an Alpha back in Russia with you at my side. La Grange gets the American Council, I get Russia. Then after, Russia, with la voix, I get it all.”

  Sean made desperate noises behind the gag. “Oh you think because you’re mated that I can’t use you. You’re wrong, little wolf. La Farge is going to challenge your Alpha to the death and then you’ll be free to be with the first wolf that is smart enough to fuck you, that would be me.”

  Dimitri walked over to his chair and slapped him hard. “That, little wolf, is for running from me in New York and causing me all this trouble. You have me on the run from all of the packs in North America. But that is about to change. La Farge should be issuing the formal challenge to La Marche soon enough and then things will start to get interesting.”

  Sean felt the taste of blood in his mouth. A second unexpected blow came direct to his right eye. He felt it swell and close up. A third blow went to his left eye, now he could barely see.

  “The best part about torturing you is that you heal quickly and I can do it all over again and you, my little Omega, can do nothing about it.”

  The Russian rolled up the sleeve of his Henley and poked around for a vein. He took a syringe, filled it with a substance, and inserted it into Sean arm. Sean passed out.

  The next time Sean woke up he was smart enough not to open his eyes. He heard Dimitri on the phone. “Yes, Alpha La Farge, I have him here. He’s a little worse for wear.” Dimitri chuckled. “He’ll be good enough for the trip to Russia.”

  “I know I have to wait until you win your challenge. Everything will be fine.”

  Dimitri came in and gave him another injection. “I knew you were awake. The dope only lasts so long in a wolf, even a half-blood like you.”

  * * * *

  Armand’s cell phone rang. He picked it up. “Yes, Edward…Yes…He has Sean…No I can’t prove it. I’ll do what I can. Pierre, call Martin and Rene, La Farge issued a formal challenge through Edward. The council will be here by this evening.”

  Rene and Martin entered the room. “We have to prove that La Farge is behind Sean’s kidnapping. We can’t get the council behind us if we don’t. Send out all of the enforcers to find Adele and Bernard. It shouldn’t be too hard to find a woman, a man and two newborn weres.”

  Rene’s arm was in a sling. “I’m going to start to track them from the museum. That is a populated area. There is a danger if one of us is seen in wolf form.”

  “Use the smaller wolves, the ones who can pass for a very large dog. Humans see what they want to see. Just get it done.”

  Rene issued a call to the pack and all of them volunteered to help track Alpha Mate. He took the smaller women with him to the museum. They tracked Bernard past I-40 to the South Valley, a densely populated area near the Kirkland Air Force Base.

  * * * *

  Sean didn’t know how much time passed before he woke again. The injection packed one hell of a punch. At least it took away the pain for a while. However he was worried that he’d heal too quickly and Dimitri would start all over again. The pain from his eye was excruciating. He heard footsteps. He still couldn’t quite see out of his eye.

  “So, you’re awake. You should know the name of your new master, dog. I am Dimitri Petrovich, soon to become Alpha of all Russia.” Petrovich kicked over the chair and put his boot on Sean’s neck. “Thought you could chase me away because I killed a human, didn’t you? No more running. Once La Marche is dealt with, you’re mine to do with as I please.”

  Sean could barely see the big boot come at his ribs, again and again but he felt the steel toe.

  He didn’t know how much more of this he could take. His father had broken bones, but this lummox seemed to know exactly where to hit to give the most pain. He felt like he could barely breathe.

  He had to think of something fast, whatever they were doing to him, they had worst plans for Armand.

  * * * *

  Armand picked up the phone. It was Martin. “We’ve tracked Bernard to a house in the south valley. They’re in a densely populated neighborhood.”

  “Is Sean with them?”

  “No, Alpha. Their paths diverged and we couldn’t pick up Sean’s scent so we stuck with Bernard.”

  “How many men do you have?”

  “Six, what do you want us to do?”

  “Bring Bernard in along with Adele, how far are you out?”

  “About thirty minutes give or take, depending on the fight he puts up.”

  “Get him.”

  “What about the pups?”

  “I want all of them here.” Armand slammed the phone. He had held it together up until now. He had to hold it together. His mate was depending on him.

  “Pierre, bring
me a bottle of whiskey, and a glass.”

  Meg came into the study. “They agreed to meet here.”

  “The entire council will be arrive late tonight and be ready to be in session tomorrow morning.”

  “Including La Farge?”

  “Yes.”

  “Get the guesthouses ready and get Edward.”

  * * * *

  Rene, Martin, and the six enforcers circled the house. Rene looked in the window.

  Adele sat in a chair weeping while nursing one of the babes while Bernard stood over a coffee pot making coffee.

  “You don’t even know what’s happening to him. Dimitri has a reputation of hurting other men, especially Omegas. He was thrown out of Russian pack lands because of rape. What if he’s raping Sean? Right now the situation is still retrievable. If something happens to the Alpha Mate, there is nowhere we will be able to hide. Think, Bernard. Think.”

  “Will you stop your yammering, woman? I can’t think with your mouth constantly running.”

  “We don’t have much time. The enforcers must have tracked us here by now. Call the Alpha, let him know where Sean is being held.”

  “You stupid woman, I don’t know. All I know is that it’s somewhere near the compound. La Farge is going to challenge the Alpha and he wants Sean nearby.”

  Martin heard enough. Martin motioned two of the enforcers to the rear and four to the front. They kicked in the front door and Adele began to scream.

  Rene went for the babies to get them out of harm’s way. Six enforcers surrounded Martin and Adele, guns at the ready. Martin saw Bernard’s eyes dart around the room. “Remember Bernard, there are some wounds from which even a loup-garou can’t recover.”

  “Shift,” he told them. Bernard went for Rene, but Martin shifted and went for his throat. Bernard bared his neck. Martin shifted back and collared him in a steel collar with the spike on the inside, making the collar tight so that if he shifted back, it would remain in place. He wrapped him in heavy steel chains and threw him in the back of one of the SUVs.

  They did the same to Adele. Rene took the babies. The seats of the stroller converted into car seats. Rene moved the babies and gave them to two of the enforcers to hold while he maneuvered the car seats into the second SUV. Martin drove the first with Bernard and two enforcers, Adele and the rest of the enforcers brought up the rear. They sped back to the compound.