Chapter Twenty-Three
It was almost a week before Cara returned, getting him outside for another walk.
“A letter could take weeks or months to reach Zack, couldn’t it?”
“I guess. We can’t just send it in the mail. We’d have to find someone to pass it on to someone else in the hope that, eventually, it would reach him.”
Too slow. He was fast running out of time.
“If I were to go find Zack instead, how would I even get out of here?”
Cara rolled her eyes at him.
“Same way you did the last time. Get the bus.”
“That’s not what I mean. They’re watching me day and night. They’ll notice I’m missing minutes after I’m gone. I won’t get far.”
“I’ve been thinking about that. Next week Yellow Rock are coming, to celebrate Arthur’s engagement to Gina.” Gina was the only daughter of Yellow Rock's Alpha. That she’d be mated to their Alpha successor was a considered an auspicious match for both.
“Dorothy was going to stay with you for the day but you know how she hates to miss a good celebration, so I’ve volunteered to sit with you. I’ll pop into the party a few times, tell them you’re napping. They’ll be none the wiser. You’ll have a good eight or ten hours before anyone realizes you’re not where you’re meant to be.”
It would give him a head start. And that might be enough.
“But where will you go?” Cara pressed.
“I’ve thought about heading to the cottage where I met Seb and Ro, but I don’t think anyone will be there now.”
“Wouldn’t Zack still be there?”
He shrugged, struggling to remember what had been said all those months ago. “I don’t think so. It was just a temporary thing.”
“So where, then? You can’t just wander the country, hoping you’ll bump into Zack, especially not in your condition.”
“I’ll go to Glenoak. They’ll help me find Zack and, if they can’t, they may be willing to shelter me, at least until the baby is born. They’d make sure he was safe.”
“Can you trust them?”
He thought about Seb’s kindness and Ro’s willingness to give him a second chance. And recalled half-remembered words through the haze of his injuries. ‘Glenoak won't forget.'
“I can trust them.”
The week crawled by, Matthew worrying each day that something about his situation would change, that they’d decide to move him or place an extra watcher with him. But as his pregnancy advanced, almost the opposite had happened. It seemed they’d stopped worrying he might take off and were now more interested in ensuring he wasn’t seen by the rest of the Pack.
Cara didn’t breathe a word until they were outside and far away from the house. She’d checked maps and timetables and come back with a plan.
She held out a sheet of paper with roughly scribbled instructions.
"It'll take you almost two full days of travel to get there. There's no direct bus, so you'll have to change twice and travel miles out of your way. You'll take the same bus as last time, going the opposite direction back to the main bus station. From the station, you take this bus east for half a day. Then catch an overnight bus that’ll get you to the outskirts of Glenoak by early afternoon. You’ll go on foot from there or you could try to hitch-hike.”
“You make it sound so easy.”
She shook her head.
“It’ll be harder this time. You’re carrying a lot more with you than the first time you left and I don’t just mean the baby.”
“I can do this. I’m stronger than I look.”
She smiled at his words but this time it was tinged with sadness. “I know you are, Mattie.”
He had to put up with one more doctor’s visit the day before he was due to leave. For the first time, he was almost grateful to get the okay from Doctor Blake, to hear the baby’s strong heartbeat. Both of them would need their strength for the journey to come.
His mother arrived just as the doctor was leaving. Which was odd, as it wasn’t her usual day to come see him. The visit was nothing out of the ordinary and she said very little. For appearance’s sake, he asked about Arthur and the plans for the party. That seemed to animate her for a few minutes as she spoke of the food and preparations before the conversation died off again. There was a comfort in the silence. It had grown familiar.
He glanced up to find her looking at him and, for the first time in months, their eyes met. Hers were bright and clear. She tried to speak but couldn’t quite get the words out, blinking as two solitary tears fell.
“Matthew,” she choked out, forcing her eyes away from his. “I know it hasn’t always seemed like it. I know I haven’t always shown it. But you are my child and I love you.”
She stood abruptly and held out a package she’d been cradling in her lap. “Some food for your journey. And something else. Don’t open it until you get there. Promise me.”
He took it from her, shocked to near silence by her words. “I promise.”
She stepped closer as if to embrace him but footsteps signaled Dorothy’s return, and she turned away instead, going out to greet the older woman. It gave Matt time to steal away upstairs and stash the package under his bed. He sat there until he heard her leave.
He struggled to understand her motivations. While she often tried to soothe their father’s temper, she had rarely done more than that. She rarely stood up for him in any way, big or small. Why now? Why this?
He didn’t sleep much that night. Too full of nerves to rest. The baby felt them too, kicking up a storm.
The next morning, the time for Cara to arrive came and went. He began to get anxious but tried to reassure himself. There were plenty of reasons why she might have been delayed and nothing to suggest their plan had been discovered, except his mother's knowledge of it.
When someone finally did arrive to relieve Dorothy, it was his father and Justin, another watcher. Matthew knew that didn’t bode well. Instead of calling him downstairs, his father came to see him in his room.
“We have to be extremely cautious for the next two days, given our visitors. You will stay in your room. Justin will be downstairs and Don will be outside. No one, Pack or otherwise, goes in or out of this house today.”
He turned to leave and though Matthew wanted to call him back, he couldn’t imagine a single word that would get past his father’s anger. It was only when the door closed and he heard the click of the lock that he realized the Alpha hadn’t been telling him to stay in his room, he was making sure of it.
Cara wouldn’t be coming. There’d be no escape, not today, nor in the weeks to come.
Chapter Twenty-Four
They drove to the outskirts of Briar Wood territory and parked up. Andrew had outlined the plan. He’d go in first, alone, on the pretense of delivering a gift for the happy couple, and check the place out.
Just as he was leaving, Zack had an idea.
“Matthew was close to a sister, Cara. She helped him get away the first time. If you can find her, she might point you towards Matthew.”
He didn’t like letting Andrew go in alone, but given Matthew’s father and brother knew him by sight and scent, his presence would make things much riskier for both of them.
Hours passed as he went from sitting in the car to pacing back and forth next to it. He was so close to Matthew after all these months. Every nerve ending in his body was on edge.
Andrew returned in wolf form, his clothes held in his mouth. It was a struggle to wait for the other shifter to change, to hear what he had to say.
As Andrew dressed, he grinned at Zack. “Found Cara. There were a lot of eyes around so she couldn’t say much but was able to let me know where he’s being kept.”
“Is he okay?”
“She looked worried,” Andrew said, which only fuelled Zack’s fears.
“All the more reason for us to find him. So, how do we do this?”
“Wait until nightfall, scope the place out, then ge
t in and out with as little bloodshed as possible.”
Zack froze at the words.
“We never talked about bloodshed. This is about finding Matthew and making sure he’s okay.”
“Come on, Zack, be realistic. They’re not just going to let him walk out of there. They’ve got to have people guarding him. We’ll do our best not to kill anyone but we’re not going to get anywhere by being passive.”
“And James is okay with this?”
“You’ve only seen the rescuer side of the Fenrir’s Warriors’ operation. The active militant side is a lot more pragmatic. People have died, and will die in the battles to come, to make things right. These are things worth fighting for. And what you have to ask yourself is, is Matthew someone you’re willing to fight for?”
Zack knew the answer as well as he knew the beat of his own heart. Matt was more than just a shifter he’d slept with.
“Yes, he is.”
“Good. Then we do this. Tonight.”
Matthew’s day passed slowly. He worried. Worried that Cara’s plan had been discovered. Worried his mother would give them away. Worried that his father would take more drastic action. It ate at him as the sun traveled through the sky.
The fall of night was a blessing, letting his eyes rest, if not his mind. There was a change of shift at some point, joking and laughter reverberating through the floorboards.
He drowsed, ears half-listening for sounds of danger, one arm wrapped protectively around his stomach.
But it wasn’t sound that woke him. It was silence. An odd, unnatural stillness. He sat up, listening. Footsteps. At the front of the house. The creak of a door opening, then more footsteps on the stairs.
Matthew’s heart began to race, his palms sweaty. It was the middle of the night. Who would be coming for him? Where was his watcher?
Slipping to his feet, he stood in the middle of the room and waited.
The steps drew nearer and Matthew could hear the shifter’s heartbeat. The click of the key turning in the lock had him taking a step backward, both hands protectively on his belly. The baby moved and kicked in response to his fear.
Matthew closed his eyes, just for a moment, feeling his connection to the child inside him, and wishing there was a way to make this right. He recalled Zack’s scent, heady, and soothing, and Alpha. The memory gave him the strength to open his eyes and face the shifter on the other side of his door.
“Matt?”
“Zack?” One word tinged with hope and disbelief. Could the Alpha really be here?
Zack stepped into the room, not bothering with the light switch.
A long moment passed as they stared at one another before Zack’s gaze dropped to Matt’s hands where they cradled his stomach.
“You’re… oh.”
“It’s yours,” Matthew offered, unable to hold back the words once he'd started “but because there’s no bond, they still want me to mate with Anders. They’re going to send the baby away, have it raised outside Pack but now Morgan’s trying to sell him, because he’s an Omega. I thought… I thought maybe Glenoak might take him, keep him safe.”
“And what about you? Who’ll keep you safe? Who’ll make sure you’re happy?”
Zack stepped towards him, closing in. One hand came up and cupped Matt’s cheek. He couldn’t help but lean into the touch, eyes closing. He’d wanted this for so long.
“Andrew is outside. We need to leave. Come with me, Matt, come make a life with me. It won’t be everything you were hoping for but it’ll be better than the life you’d have in Bear Lake.”
Zack shifted closer, pressing his lips to Matt’s and the Omega wanted to lose himself in the kiss.
A sharp whistle from outside had them detangling.
“Time to go. Do you have anything to take with you?”
Matt pulled his already packed bag from beneath his bed. At Zack’s look, he explained.
“Cara was helping me run again but it didn’t work out.”
Zack took the bag from him and guided him out the door and towards the stairs. Outside, Andrew was waiting. Matthew caught sight of a body on the ground and started.
“He’s just unconscious, he’ll be okay,” Andrew reassured him. “Come on, the car’s not far.”
Far was a relative term, Matthew thought, when they seemed to walk for ages, his back twinging in protest, stomach heavy. Zack explained the situation to Andrew, whose eyes strayed repeatedly to Matt’s stomach.
“At least now we know why Bear Lake weren’t out for your blood,” Andrew commented as they walked, “but why would anyone think there could be a baby without a bond?”
Matthew was surprised at the question and looked to Zack for answers.
“Seb’s been doing some research. It may be a bond doesn’t require a bond bite. Just an Omega in heat and sex.”
“But I’ve never felt a bond,” he replied doubtfully.
“The feeling might not be that strong given the circumstances. The baby would be a strong argument for the presence of a bond. Most shifters can’t carry a child to term without one.”
“But Omegas are different,” Matthew commented bitterly.
“In that respect, probably not,” Andrew replied cheerfully, adding, “You two are hopeless, you know that? Clearly, a match made in heaven.”
By the time they reached the car, Matthew was tired, feet aching and the twinge in his back growing stronger. It eased when he sat into the car, Zack slipping in next to him in the backseat.
“Once those guards wake up, all hell is going to break loose,” Andrew said, handing Zack his phone before putting the car into drive. “Call James, will you? Let him know the score.”
Matthew leaned his head against Zack’s shoulder as they left, listening to the phone call. It was odd hearing the Alpha’s voice as he disclosed the pregnancy but James’ response seemed to reassure him.
“James wants us to head to the Riverside safe house. Says it’s quiet there right now.
Matt, afraid to let his eyes close in case this was a dream he'd wake up from, struggled to stay awake as the first hour passed. The twinges in his back grew stronger, then moved to his side and stomach. It was such an odd, gradual thing that the first proper cramp caught him by surprise, as he bent forward to relieve the pain.
“What is it, Matt? What’s wrong?”
Zack’s concerned voice reached him as the Alpha’s hand rubbed circles across his back.
“I don’t know, just a pain.”
“What kind of a pain?”
“Just a pain. It was in my back, but now it’s everywhere.”
“Matthew, think. Could it be a contraction? Could you be in labor?” The Alpha's eyes were scanning him, concern etched on his face.
He shook his head. “It’s too soon. I’m not due for two months.”
The pain eased a little and he sat up, catching the look shared between Zack and Andrew. “I'm okay. It’s better now.”
Zack helped him sit back in the seat, then held out a hand. “Do you mind?”
Matt shook his head, unsure what Zack was asking but trusting the Alpha was trying to help. Zack let his hand rest, palm down, on the lower part of his stomach.
“Just close your eyes, take nice, slow breaths, and try to relax.”
He did his best, reassured by Zack’s proximity, his steady hands and sure voice. The Alpha knew what he was doing. Matt was safe in his hands.
He wasn’t sure how much time passed before the next wave of pain hit. Gasping, he tried to lean forward again, hampered by Zack’s hands holding him.
“Just breathe, Mattie, nice slow breaths, in and out through your mouth.” The Alpha coached him through three or four sets of breaths with gentle encouragement.
“Okay, that was definitely a contraction. I could feel it,” Zack said.
“But it can’t be,” Matt argued. “I’m not ready. The baby is not ready. The birth canal hasn’t even opened yet.”
There was silence above him before Andre
w commented. “Don’t look at me, my knowledge of Omega anatomy is spotty at best.”
“I don’t know anyone’s that isn’t,” Zack said.
But Matthew did.
“What about the doctor in Glenoak? The one who delivered Adam’s babies?” She would know what to do. She’d be able to help them.
“Glenoak are closer than our own medical facilities,” Andrew commented.
“Okay, so we’ll go there,” Zack said.
“Call James. Tell him about the change of plan. He can pave the way for our arrival. They mightn’t be too happy with us dropping in unannounced.”
“I think they’d make an exception where Matt is concerned,” Zack replied, but he was already dialing.
“Hold on, Matt. It’s all gonna be okay.”
Chapter Twenty-Five
But it wasn’t okay. The contractions got more frequent and the pain grew worse. Zack could see it on Matthew’s face, in the fast beat of his heart and in the sheen of sweat that covered his body. Zack listened to the baby’s heartbeat as well, reassured at first that it seemed strong.
Andrew drove fast, but they had to take a detour to stop for gas a few hours into the journey. They got back on the road.
“We’ll be there in three hours. Just hold on Matthew,” Andrew said but Zack could see the worry on the other shifter’s face. It didn’t look good. Not for Matthew, not for the baby.
James had worked his magic and managed to get Alicia, Glenoak’s doctor, on the phone to Zack. He put her on loudspeaker, the woman’s confident voice reassuring, to him at least.
“Okay, how about everybody take a deep breath? Matthew, I know you’re in pain sweetheart, but that’s okay. Contractions are a good thing. What’s the baby’s heartbeat like, Zack? Can you count it?”
Zack admitted it was a little too fast to get a proper count.
“That’s good, that’s really good. Slow is bad, fast is good. The first stage of labor is usually long. But it mightn’t be as long as normal since you’re early and the baby is a little smaller.”
The Alpha's Wish: Lost Omegas Book Three: A M/M Shifter Romance Page 12