Alpha Assignment (BL) Chapter 29 (Early Access) (Patreon)

The faces in the front seat of the last car pulling out of the petrol station were exactly those Quinn had hoped for. He swung his car across the exit and received a honk from the driver. Quinn threw his door open and slammed it behind him once he was free of his seat. The women's faces fell.

"Evening ladies, I have some questions for you.” He knew they could hear him without raising his voice, werewolf ears were much stronger than human. “First, get out of the car."

The women obeyed, along with a man who had been in the back seat, all murmuring, "Yes, Alpha."

"You'll have to excuse my temper,” Quinn snarled. “But until tonight I didn't know that my omega had been through unimaginable horrors in his previous pack. You see, he's not one to tattle." He spat the childish word back at the women and enjoyed their flinch. "So, I'll be relying on you to fill in some blanks for me. I want to know every pack that took in your members, I want the names of the worst offenders and where they are now, and I want apologies to Remi, here and now and very sincere or I will make them sincere."

A small hand curled into the back of his top. "Alpha." Soft and sweet. "Please calm down." A bond was extended from behind, Remi’s attempt at soothing Quinn with his own, calmer, emotions. Quinn refused the bond and Remi didn’t push through the light block.

"Sorry, Remi," Quinn grunted. But he didn't turn to look, seeing Remi's innocent little face would only rile him up further. How dare they stand by and watch an omega be put through hell? How dare they not do anything? How dare they blame him for his own victimisation once something finally was done?

The trio glanced between themselves at the apology, unnerved. Then their own apologies fell out of their mouths, talking over each other at once. Quinn made them start again. Eventually, he got an apology he would allow Remi to accept.

Next, the pack information.

Back in the car, with a notes app list on his phone detailing every person who needed to watch their fucking backs, Quinn drove with white knuckles and a deep scowl. Remi had finally taken the passenger seat, but Quinn suspected it was only to keep him calm enough to get them home safely.

“It’s time to read the file,” Quinn muttered.

“No.”

Quinn started, his back straightening against his seat. “You don’t want me to read it anymore?”

“Not tonight. You’re too angry.” Remi’s eyes were sad, but he kept them looking ahead. “It will only make you feel worse.”

Quinn accepted Remi’s choice, even if he knew he wouldn’t sleep now that he had a glimpse at the severity level they were dealing with.

When they got home, Quinn was ready to stew in bed until his heart exploded. Remi took his hand and pulled him to the living room instead, and down onto the sofa. Quinn sat, and Remi climbed into his lap.

“Are you okay?” Quinn whispered. His arms folded around Remi’s body naturally, this was what belonged between them. He extended the bond hesitantly, unexpectant of acceptance after rejecting Remi’s at the petrol station. Remi allowed him shallow entrance. All seemed fine on the surface he was allowed to dip into, and Quinn retracted back out.

“Yeah,” Remi said into Quinn’s chest. “I’m… I just feel better when you’re near. Safer.”

“You’re always safe with me, Remi.” It wasn’t possible to convey with his voice how serious he was about the statement. The things he would do-

“I know.” Remi looked up with his first smile since he was asked to help find the windscreen scraper. “No one has ever stood up for me… not like that.” His cheeks tinted pink, right at the curved tops, and invited Quinn’s fingertips to brush over them.

“I’ll stand up to anyone for you.” And, from the list he now carried in his pocket, he had a lot of ass to kick. If defending his love from ex-abusers wasn’t a prime reason to get back to the gym every day, Quinn couldn’t name one.

“Thank you.” Remi’s voice was wisp-light, as was the kiss he pressed to Quinn’s jaw.

“Alpha included,” Quinn added.

There was a momentary stiffness to Remi’s body at the thought, and when it passed he buried in tighter to Quinn, wriggling his hands into his sides.

“What?” Quinn laughed, feeling a flash of manic energy hit him. He knew in that moment, deep in his soul, he could handle anyone that had laid hands on Remi. “Is he so scary you think I couldn’t take him?”

“He’s scary,” Remi agreed. “But… old and lazy.” For some reason, he looked guilty saying so. “He couldn’t take you in a standing-up competition.”

This time they laughed together at the mental image. Remi a little nervously.

“Do you feel a bit better, Alpha?”

Quinn gazed down at Remi, knowing there was no way to hide the fondness that would be in his eyes. “A bit.”

“I feel much better,” Remi announced unprompted.

“I’m pleased to hear it.”

“I can’t believe I was scared of you before today.”

Quinn felt winded. “You’re scared of me?” he croaked.

“No, I meant when I first came here.”

“Ah.”

“But that alpha wasn’t scary at all. The alpha at the petrol station…” He shook his head. “If I had seen that the day Mister Isaac left me here, I would have peed a little.”

Quinn snorted. “Sorry, I do my best to be careful around you, but today…” It was his turn to shake his head at the evening’s wild events.

“I know.”

Quinn sighed. “Am I the only one completely drained after today?”

With a yawn, covered under a teeny hand, Remi shook his head.

“Let’s get to bed,” Quinn whispered into Remi’s hair, standing and lifting them both from the sofa.

“Um-”

“You don’t want to be carried?” He began to lower Remi back towards the ground. Remi reacted as though it were covered in thorns, holding his feet up and clinging to Quinn’s shoulders.

“I do!” he yelped. “But… I don’t want to be alone after we go upstairs...”

Quinn straightened. “Me neither.”

They shared Quinn’s bed for the night, but only one got enough sleep. The other watched fluttering lashes and methodically rising blankets in time with breaths and swore destruction on every wolf that had ever hurt him.