Thorns And Roses

Chapter Twenty-three

Theo kept glancing back and forth between Jones and the door that Demi just went through. He could have asked Quinn to grab them more coffee, he didn't have to leave. A sensation of discomfort crawled it's way up Theo's throat, threatening to come out as a small whimper of despair. He didn't like it when Demi left him for long periods of time.

"Shall we get back to the meeting, Mateo?" Theo tore his gaze away from his office door to glare at Jones like he was the reason why Demi left. The werewolf smirked at Theo all sadistic and shit. It sent an unwilling sliver of fear through Theo's chest. There was no cause for him to be afraid of Jones. The man was almost harmless. Well somewhat. Theo didn't forget that he took and tortured Demi.

"Uh...yes." He easily slipped back into his Alpha role and tried not to stare at the door as Theo talked to Jones. His eyes were starting to freak Theo out a little bit. Theo could see the malicious intent in them. Like Jones was thinking about every way possible to hurt him.

"You seem a little distracted. Why is that?" Theo growled low in his throat at Jones and pulled at the tie around his neck, loosening the black material. He felt like it was suffocating him. He was basically displaying how uncomfortable he felt in the presence of Jones.

"You know how it is when your mate is gone for too long." That was the only explanation Theo would give him. He didn't need to give him anything.

"I don't actually. Never had a mate before." And who's fucking fault was that? Maybe if the deranged werewolf would keep business and pleasure separated he would have a mate. All Theo did was hum in acknowledgment but that was it.

"So you finally made it official?" Theo gave him a nod, not even pretending at that point that he was worried about finishing up their meeting. He was about to go and search for Demi. It had to be more than five minutes already.

"I'm surprised you were even capable of mating him." This caught Theo's attention. What did Jones know that Theo didn't?

"What do you mean by that?"

"Oh, I'm talking about what happened in the orphanage." Theo visibly shuddered as the nightmares he's been having flooded back. He pushed them aside and groaned at the migraine that took up shop on the right side of his head.

Theo pressed his palm into his right eye, praying that it would help with his migraine. It did nothing. The pressure seemed to only make it worse. He sat down in his chair and tilted his head back. Theo got the sickening feeling that he was putting his throat out there for anyone to slit. He dropped his head back down and snarled at Jones. This was entirely his fault.

"And you know what happened?" Theo asked. His heart jumped against his ribcage as Jones leaned forward in his chair. He gave Theo a venomous smile all sharp teeth and thin lips. Like a snake.

"Do you, is the question, Mateo. Do you know what happened at the orphanage?" Theo gulped back the whine of pain that bubbled up in his mouth as the nightmares tried to push forward.

"Of course I do." It didn't sound convincing at all and Theo could tell Jones knew it was a lie. The thing was though, did Theo want to know what happened at the orphanage? If the nightmares he's been having are actually memories trying to break him?

"So you know about the way you would spread your legs for any boy that walked through those doors?" Theo froze in place at Jones' whispered words. Like he was telling Theo a dirty little secret.

He couldn't speak. Theo forgot how to form sentences as his brain tried to catch up with what Jones just said. Then came the heart-stopping realization that those nightmares were memories of him at the orphanage, tied up and raped every single day.

"That's right Theodore. Every day you would take a new boy. And like the whore you are you enjoyed it."

"What the fuck did you just say to him?" Everyone jumped at the voice that snarled at them. Theo looked up and felt like crying when his eyes landed on Demi. The Omega stood there with a curled lip and fire melting the ice in his eyes. His blazing blue orbs pinned to Jones who had just spoken to Theo.

"I fucking asked you a question, you disgusting mutt. What the fuck did you just say to him?" The coffee in Demi's left hand busted into pieces. Glass and steaming black liquid dripped from his fingertips. Theo let out a small noise of displeasure and went around his desk to help him clean up the mess.

"Stay." Theo instantly seized up at the command in Demi's voice, planting his feet on the ground. His eyes didn't move from Jones who seemed to come up short-handed for an answer. It's like Theo wasn't the only one affected by Demi.

Theo winced and jumped a little as Demi hurled the other cup of coffee right at Jones' face. The ceramic white cup broke into pieces, cutting at the werewolf's skin, as hot liquid burned his eyes. Jones let out a yell and stood up, wiping at his face.

"You stupid Omega. What the fuck is wrong with you?" Theo, who wasn't too shocked about Demi's act of aggression stayed right where he was. He didn't try to apologize to Jones for it and he wasn't trying to stop Demi from going crazy.

"I don't fucking care. All I care about is what you said to my mate." Theo saw the way Jones' lips curled into a murderous smirk and knew it wouldn't bode well for him. He would probably tell Demi a bunch of lies and his pretty little Omega would believe them.

"You heard me. Mateo would have sex with anything that moved back at the orphanage. He loved it."

No.

Theo didn't like it. He hated it so much that he had to be tied down and forced. He was only eight years old when it started. What eight-year-old would enjoy something like that?

Demi didn't even spare a glance at Theo, his eyes still trained on Jones. The room smelled strongly of coffee and tension. You could cut it with a fucking knife. That's how thick it was. Jones was barely holding his men back from attacking Demi as they stared each other down.

"You think I fucking believe you?" Demi asked, his tone dripping with acid. The smirk that was plastered on Jones' face quickly turned into a frown.

"And why wouldn't you believe me? Has Mateo told you anything about his stay in the orphanage?" Theo did. A little bit in the beginning. The good memories he could retain. He didn't know about the other things until they started popping up as nightmares.

"Because I know Theo like the back of my hand. I'm the only one that gets to call him Theo. I'm the only one that gets to see the real him. I'm his and he's mine." Demi bared his teeth at Jones, all sharp teeth and shaper tongue. Theo could tell that he was only seconds away from shifting.

Ignoring the small part of him that told him to stay, to listen, Theo broke out of his stance and walked towards Demi. The Omega didn't stop him this time as Theo buried himself into Demi. Strong supportive arms went around him, holding Theo up as it felt like his legs would buckle. He pressed his nose against the column of Demi's throat, breathing in his snowy scent. He wanted to go home, get out of his stuffy suit, into something of Demi's, and snuggle for the rest of the day.

"I think we're done here." It was Quinn who told Jones and his men to leave. Theo didn't have it in him to face the man right now. That small part of him from before wanted Demi to pick Theo up and take him home. Wanted to be held and carried like a child. But Theo knew in reality that Demi couldn't, wouldn't do that.

"Can we go home?" He quietly mumbled into Demi's neck. He sighed in contentment as Demi started to card his fingers through his hair.

"Of course pup." Another contented sigh as Demi kissed his hair. "Let's get you out of here."