Scum (Book 2)

125. Holding

Liam’s POV

“Something is really different about her,” Royce mind-links, a small amount of fear in his tone. “The old Cheyenne smiled even when she was sad. That woman hasn't even tried pretending.” I've noticed that too, but we have Chey’s alpha's family in our custody, so I don't blame her for not being in a forgiving mood.

“You're overthinking things. She's angry, nothing more.”

“With all due respect, Alpha Liam, you weren't in the car with us. The aura she's putting out is terrifying.” Brandon has been made privy to our mind-link conversation because he was the one who convinced Royce to talk to me in the first place.

“No, it’s not. My mate is only channeling her authority as your Luna. As someone once close to her, you're just not used to it.” I’m almost positive that Brandon has seen Cheyenne angry at least once, so her rank change must be why it feels different to him.

“I don't think that's all it is,” Royce counters.

Both men are right, there is absolutely something different about Cheyenne, a quality I can't quite put my finger on, but I can see and feel it in everything she does.

I can't stop staring at the woman, but after nearly thirty minutes of silent self-motivation, I summon the courage to approach the car she's in.

“We need to keep moving. We still have five hours on the drive, and…” Chey isn't even listening to me, but I can tell that she's mind-linking, so I slap the roof of the car, eliciting a snarl from her.

“Are you planning on keeping me in chains forever?” She asks, making my heart beat wildly as I consider what forever with my mate will be.

“Of course not.” ‘Unless you want to be,’ I think to myself, studying the softness of Cheyenne’s features up close for the first time since I found her.

She looks the same, but there’s a maturity about her that wasn't there before, although I could be confusing hurt and pain with growth; those things aren't the same, but they can often be mistaken for one another.

“Then I suggest you refrain from further angering me.” Chey glances up, her beautiful green eyes seeming to glow in the twilight of the setting sun. I could have gotten lost in her stare, but Kelvin approaches and snaps her attention away. “I'm disappointed in you,” she says to the man, closing her eyes as if my gamma isn't important enough to look at.

“I'm disappointed in myself too,” he adds.

“At least you're honest with yourself.” Kelvin slightly chuckles.

His head is bowed, but I know that his eyes are on my mate, and it’s irritating me.

Cheyenne must have felt it too because she opened a single eye to look at him, a slight smirk transforming her cold expression into a playful one.

“Let's move out!” I shout, hating that the only person who's been shown any kind of affection from my mate is also a man who wants her.

Unfortunately, my actions only made things worse for me.

“Alpha Liam, you scared the baby.” Kelvin starts walking around the car, probably wanting to look good to Chey’s alpha, but I stop him and order Brandon to take the child instead. “I was just trying to help,” he mind-links.

“Me or you?” I question, waiting for a response that never comes.

“Okay,” Royce says, standing between my gamma and I... “It's getting late, it'll be dark soon, and we have no idea who, or what Cheyenne has waiting for us.” That thought sends me into a slight state of panic, so I quickly text my father, wanting him to know that I was not met with the open arms I thought I would be.

If Chey is planning something, I need the pack to be prepared to minimize our losses. Otherwise, it'll be hard for my mate to take her rightful place at my side.

“We'll stop at the nearest gas station before we continue,” I add, turning to see if Cheyenne will look at me; she doesn't. “Find out if your Luna needs anything to eat or drink.” Still nothing from her but a scoff.

Royce tries to comfort me by clasping my shoulder, but his concern isn’t what I want, it’s Chey’s.

“Give her time,” he links. “I think a lot more has happened than we know.” My mind draws completely blank as I consider Royce's words.

I only become aware again when I'm in my car and on the phone with my father, who called for clarification on Cheyenne being a ‘threat.’

“Do you think she has the capability of attacking us?”

“I don't know what she has, but we have her alpha and the woman's family held hostage.”

“How the f*ck did you manage that?”

“They didn't put up much of a fight,” I reply, a little confused by that myself.

“I'll reinforce the parameters, but I will not stop the Lively family from seeing their daughter. They deserve that much after everything we've done to them.”

“Understood.” Although I can’t see her anymore, my eyes drift toward the car Chey’s in, once again distracting me because I just realized that my mate hasn’t asked about her family.

“Anything else?” My father asks, regaining my attention.

“Yeah, I need someone to look into the people who were around Chey.” And by people, I mean the men who may have used my mate for more than sport fighting.

“Do you suspect them of something?”

“I just want to know how much damage I have to undo. She’s behaving oddly.” My father doesn’t say anything, but for whatever reason, I’m imagining his judgmental stare.

Of course my mate is behaving oddly; there’s no reason for her not to be.

Chey's POV

Sophia was awake for a while, but Brandon played music on his phone to keep her distracted until she went back to sleep, and now, I'm feeling tired.

I’ve been fed jerky and soda, nothing compared to what I’m used to eating, making me sigh because I don’t know what’s going on with my pack, and without my money, things may come to a standstill.

Dyson knows that he has permission to use the funds in my account as he sees fit, but my fear is that he’ll be too stressed from my abrupt departure to focus on pack functions, which is where I hope Bruno will step in.

He’s not the kind of person who’s easily shaken, which is why he was completely comfortable and capable of leaving his home pack to follow his fated mate into uncertainty.

He knew he’d be able to adjust with ease, but I earnestly wish I could have spoken to him before being abducted.

“How much longer until we get there?”

“I’m not telling you,” Royce replies, oblivious to the fact that the GPS is on full display.

“I can’t mind-link anyone from this distance,” I add, sitting back after glancing at the phone. “Wake me up when we get there, and if anything happens to that baby, you’ll both regret it.” I glare at Brandon, who switched positions with Royce at Liam’s command.

“Yes, Luna,” the man replies, making me nauseous before I correct him.

“Your Luna is Nancy, and her successor is Porsha.”

“You can’t still believe that after all this.”

“And you can’t think that I would actually accept Liam as my mate.” I sigh, settling into the silence of making my point, but I can’t find sleep because I’m too unsettled.

By the time my eyes are heavy enough to stay closed, we’re already in an area I recognize, albeit it brings forth bitter memories of how I lost my virginity.

“Of all the men in the world,” I mumble, uncaring of who’s listening.

Liam’s POV

I’m so anxious that I’m pacing, afraid because Chey hasn’t arrived on territory just yet, but I know that she’s close, Royce just chose to take a different exit to give me time to assess the situation.

Nothing seems to be happening except for the fact that we have a very irritated couple who’s anxiously waiting for the arrival of their daughter.

Apparently, it’s time for the child to eat, and because we left without any necessities, she’s going to need to be bathed.

“If anything happens to my daughter, Cheyenne will never forgive you.” I’m sick of Chey’s alpha’s nagging, especially since she keeps threatening me as though she could use her title to force my mate to reject me.

“Nothing is going to happen to your daughter, and stop using my mate as a weapon. You may be her alpha, but I am her fated partner.”

“What?” The woman asks, glancing at her own mate, a relatively quiet person compared to her, but before I get a chance to repeat myself, I spot the Lively family approaching with my father.

“Is it true,” Dallas mind-links, walking ahead of my father, which could be considered disrespectful, but considering the circumstances, it’s acceptable.

“She’ll be here any minute.” Dallas doesn’t say anything else to me, but his father starts cursing me out, apparently appalled that I would re-introduce his daughter to the pack in chains.

It makes her look weak and expendable, but if anyone wants to find out what my mate is capable of for themself, they’re free to do that.

I’d love to see how she handles that situation because, win or lose, the i***t who decides to test her won’t get off easy.

Chey’s POV

Liam must think having my family stand at his side will somehow ‘help’ him, but as far as I’m concerned, I’m an orphan.

“Cheyenne!” My mother steps forward, and I immediately step back, lifting my shackles towards her alpha and his son. “Sweetheart…?

“Princess?” I’m still ignoring my mother, so my father tries to speak up, only to join her in her fate.

“Are cuffs still necessary?” I question. “I’m already on Alpine soil, so the odds are stacked against me.”

“Are you okay, Cheyenne?” Dallas moves closer to me, but I have no words or time for him either. “He didn’t tell you, did he?” I simply ignore my brother’s question, assuming that he must be referring to Liam and yet another ‘secret’ the man may have.

In response, Dallas ends up rambling about not having access to his phone and all kinds of other limitations, meaning that… “We couldn’t call you. We wanted to, but Liam wouldn’t let us.”

“Don’t lie to her, Dallas… I asked you several times, but you refused.

“Because you don’t deserve her!” I don't know what's happening, but I don't want to hear it anymore.

“Just be quiet and have someone take us into holding already.”