Chapter 4

Chapter 4

Ramon

The city lights were glittering on my windows as I drove through the roads that led to my estate in the hills.

 Rain had started falling again, creating a tense situation that was already going bad with the people I was with. In the rearview mirror, I could see the omega—Lake—who was holding onto his brother who was pressed against his side, both wrapped in blankets my security team had provided for us at the beach.

Lake Sanders. The name had been nothing but paperwork on my desk for months, assets that I had gotten from working with morally questionable characters in the city.

Samuel Sanders had been a pain in my ass, a massive thorn at my side for years. He was always borrowing, never repaying, cutting deals with rival packs that undermined my authority and I hated it.

When he'd offered his omega son as collateral to me that last time I had seen him. I'd accepted out of spite more than an actual need. It was meant to be a lesson to be learnt. I never expected Samuel to disappear, leaving his debts—and his son—behind.

And I never expected to find his son trying to kill himself in the middle of the night.

"You're safe now," I said, breaking the silence that had been in the car since we left the beach. "No one will hurt either of you."

Lake's eyes held mine in the rear mirror, looking defiant despite the fear I could smell rolling off him. 

"Except you."

I held on tight to the steering wheel, my knuckles white as I said.

"I don't hurt what belongs to me."

"I don't belong to you," he shot back immediately, though his voice trembled slightly. 

Your father knew exactly what he was doing when he signed you over. He knew the laws of our kind. And according to them, I own you now." 

"Did he tell you I'm raising his other kid too by the way? Did he mention that part when he was selling me like I was fucking livestock?"

The bitterness in his voice was much and almost tangible to hold. I glanced again at the child—Ollie, Lake had called him—who was now fast asleep, exhausted from the night's event.

"No," I admitted. "Samuel didn't mention a child."

Lake gave a bitter laugh as he shook his head clearly expecting that answer as he didn't look disappointed one bit. 

"Of course not. Ollie was never important to him at all,. He abandoned him as soon as he was born. All he saw when he looked at him was another disappointment.

Just another mouth to feed. Another omega's spawn."

I filed that information away. Samuel Sanders had never struck me as the paternal type since he did hand over his son to me, but abandoning a child—even one from a different omega—was cruel even for him.

"Tell me about what happened at the restaurant," I said, changing the subject as we drove through the gates. "The customers who hurt you."

Lake's hand went instinctively to his bruised face as he looked at me with suspicion present in his eyes, not understanding why I wanted to know such things.

"What's there to tell? They wanted something I wouldn't give them. I refused. They expressed their disappointment physically."

"Details," I pressed, a growl entering my voice. "I want details."

"Why? So you can congratulate them on breaking me down for you?"

I slammed on the brakes, the SUV coming to an sudden halt right in the middle of my driveway. I turned fully in my seat to face him, letting my alpha pheromones fill the small space. His eyes widened, pupils dilating in response.

"Listen carefully," I said, keeping my voice controlled and calm despite the anger that I felt moving through my body at the moment. "Those men touched what is mine. They damaged what belonged to me. No one in this city touches what is under my protection without consequence. So I'll ask again:What happened?"

Lake swallowed hard, his omega nature responding to my dominance even as he looked resentful at me.

"Three regulars. Alphas. They cornered me after closing, and wanted me to... service them. When I refused, they beat me unconscious and left me in the storage room. I woke up hours later and had to run to get Ollie."

Three alphas. At a restaurant. I made mental note, for now but this was something that I would pursue right after I was done with Lake.

I would find them, and they would learn the price of touching what belonged to me.

"Thank you," I said, as I pulled back my pheromones so he could breathe more easily.

 I resumed driving, pulling up to the front of my mansion.

Lake's sharp intake of breath as he took in the mansion gave me a moment of satisfaction. Let him see what I could provide for him if only he lets me. Let him see the difference between his world and my world.

"This is where you live?" The child had woken up as well, his voice small and filled with wonder as he pressed his face against the window.

"This is where we all live now," I corrected, parking in front of the main entrance. Almost immediately, staff appeared—two security guards and three house staff, all betas to prevent any scent conflicts.

I got out first, summoning my head of security, Michael, with a gesture with my hands to approach. 

"Have rooms prepared for our guests," I instructed quietly. "The blue suite for the omega, and the adjoining room for the child. And send someone to their old apartment to collect their belongings—what little there is."

"Yes, Alpha," Michael responded, already typing the orders into his phone. "The address?"

I turned back to the SUV, where Lake was helping Ollie out of the car, and they were both still wrapped in the blankets. "Lake, your apartment address?"

He hesitated before saying it. Michael nodded and left right away to make the arrangements. I moved to help Lake, but he flinched away from my extended hand.

"We can walk," he said harshly, guiding Ollie toward the front steps.

Pride. This omega had too much of it and it needed to be addressed soon before it became a problem for me.

"Mrs. Winters," I called my housekeeper, an elderly beta who had served my family for decades. "Please see that our guests are given dry clothes and something warm to eat."

"Of course, Alpha Ramon," she responded bowing her head at me before approaching Lake and Ollie with a warm smile present on her face as she said.

"You poor dears must be freezing. Let's get you inside and comfortable."

To my surprise, Ollie immediately took to Mrs. Winters, chattering about how hungry he was as she led them into the house. Lake followed more hesitantly, looking around with obvious suspicion but staying close to his brother.

I gave them space, instructing my staff to make them comfortable while I changed out of my own wet clothes

By the time I returned to the main floor, dressed in dry clothes and a sweater, Mrs. Winters told me that both guests had been given dry clothing and were currently in the kitchen, where the chef was preparing a late meal for them to have something in their stomachs.