Irregular (mlm)

Chapter 27

Sorry it's been over a month since I posted, I've been hella depressed and trying to feel like a person again. So updates will probably be few and far between. I'm trying tho <3

Owen's stomach felt like it was tied in knots as they approached Kai's father. He could see the resemblance—they both had gold eyes, straight brown hair, and strong jaws, but that was where the resemblance stopped. Kai's father had paler skin and a smaller nose, as well as being shorter. But the way he held himself, the look in his eyes as they got closer, that was what made them different.

Every instinct in his body was telling him this man was evil. He wanted to turn back and run. To sock the man in the balls and take off in the opposite direction. But he stayed one step behind his mate and leveled his stare on the man, refusing to back down.

When Kai finally stopped, Owen stood beside him. His father took a step forward, looking him up and down. "You've gotten bigger. All of that exercise and food did a good job."

He was right. Kai's body had bulked up significantly, and he'd gained quite a bit of muscle. Owen was dwarfed by him, now, and so was everyone else. Yet Kai's father didn't seem bothered. He knew he had complete control over them.

Kai's nostrils flared. "Let the girl go."

He held his hand up dismissively. "All in due time." His eyes slid to Owen and he felt nasty just being looked at by the man. "You must be the mate."

"You must be the egotistical prick whose neck I'm going to snap."

His father's eyes flared. "Feisty. We'll take care for that."

Kai clenched his jaw as his father waved to a man behind him. The man sneered at Kai as he put his hand in the little girls shoulder. She shrank into herself, looking at the ground while a wobbling frown.

"Release the girl. My son will take her over and return when she has been handed off." His father glanced at her, like her presence was a mere fly buzzing around his head. "Take off her shackles and put them onto the blonde."

The man crouched and unlocked the shackles, loosened the wrist restraints to fit Owen, and clamped them around his wrists. He hissed in pain as silver touched his flesh. God, they'd had the little girls wrists bound with silver.

Once Owen was secured in shackles the man gave the girl a little shove and she made a small noise, barely audible, as she stumbled a few steps. Kai knelt, holding out a hand to her. "I'm going to take you to those police officers behind me. They will keep you safe."

The girl looked at him with big, scared eyes, then to Kai's father. He rolled his eyes and stepped to the side, leaving room for her to walk past him without being in reach.

She bolted forward, faster than he thought her little legs could take her, right into his arms. He scooped her up and stood, holding her securely in his arms as he turned and walked towards Paxton and the others.

Owen watched the little girls face over his mates shoulder, growing more weary by the step. He swallowed the lump in his throat and looked at Kai's father. "You're one sick bastard."

He smiled. "So I've been told."

Owen's whole body was tense, not wanting to be left alone with these men who definitely meant him harm. But his mate was taking a child to safety, and that was more important.

Owen kept his eyes on his mate, the only thing that was keeping him from giving into the amount of fear he was feeling. He'd heard what this pack, Kai's father and his men, had done. He knew the horrors Kai had experienced. How many women and children he'd lead to their deaths. He was terrified. He had to keep telling himself that as long as the little girl was safe, it was okay.

It was okay he'd probably never be free again. It was okay he'd never feel safe or relaxed. A child was being put into the care of his town, his pack, and she would be safe and happy and loved. It was okay because of that.

Kai handed the little girl off to one of Owen's fellow officers, made sure she was secure in his arms, and turned to come back. The pit in Owen's stomach grew larger with each step he took, knowing they were that much closer to the rest of their lives.

When he finally made it back to the helicopter, Kai's father reached up to lay his hand in his mates shoulder. "Welcome home, son."

A snarl ripped out of Owen's throat, his werewolf instincts shining through, and Kai's father sneered. "Control your pet."

Kai clenched his jaw but said nothing, only shook his head at Owen. Owen blew air out of his nose sharply, feeling his nails become a bit sharper against his palms as he clenched his fists. How was he going to survive if just seeing this man touch his mate brought out the little wolf traits he had?

Kai's father turned and waved towards the helicopter. "Load up."

Owen was yanked by his shackles into the helicopter, where his chains were hooked onto a metal ring on the floor and his waist was strapped against the wall to keep him from moving. Kai was loaded in next, no chains or restraints. There was a large crate beside Owen's spot with the door open, to which Kai's eyes flashed with dismay.

He shifted without being told and ducked into the crate, barely able to fit because of his size, and was padlocked in. He laid with his side pressed against the iron bars closest to Owen, his fur poking out just enough to brush against Owen's leg.

Owen hated this. He hated how he could already see Kai regressing back into compliance, the hope fading from his eyes. He swallowed and shuffled closer to the crate so his leg was pressed against the outside of the bars, hoping to provide at least a little comfort to his mate.

Once the small crew of wolves and Kai's father were seated and strapped into the helicopter, the engine started and the began their ascent. Owen could see his pack watching from the ground as they rose up, but he lost sight of them once they made it through the foggy cloud cover above the trees.

And just like that, Owen knew he and his mate had no chance of getting out of this.