Chapter 56: My Sugarplum
Torin Pov
I pull into downtown Prone City, the Phantom VIII purring to a stop beneath the dim streetlights. I climb out quickly, slamming the door shut with more force than necessary, and make sure to lock it. Flashy cars don’t belong here—leave it unlocked and you’re practically begging to be robbed.
The trailer park sprawls before me, a crooked line of rusted trailers, junk heaps, and discarded tires scattered like bones. The air reeks of weed, thick and pungent, the kind that clings to your clothes and burns your nostrils. My nose twitches at the stench, but I force myself to focus. The sooner I find Lorali, the sooner I can get her out of this hellhole.
I walk through the park, eyes scanning every shadow, every corner, every face. My pulse hammers in my ears. Just when doubt begins to gnaw at me—just when I think Tobey has lied again—I see her. A familiar back hunched on a bench, shoulders trembling. I don’t need to see her face. I know. I know this is Lorali.
My feet move before my mind catches up, running toward her, shoving Tobey aside with a force that sends him stumbling. He had been standing in front of her, arms crossed, blocking my view. But now she is revealed, and the sight guts me.
Her eyes are swollen with hurt, her skin ghostly pale. A black eye blooms across her face, her lip split and bleeding. Rope burns mar her wrists, her knees scraped raw. She wears nothing but a ragged cloth, barely covering her, barely protecting her from the night air.
"T...orin," she cries, her voice breaking, and she collapses into my arms. I hold her tight, letting her fall against me, her sobs tearing through my chest. My heart strains under the weight of her pain. I shut my eyes, biting the inside of my mouth, listening to her tears as they soak into me.
I don’t know what happened to her during the two months she was gone, but I know it was bad. Too bad. And it’s my fault. I should have protected her. I was negligent.
"It’s okay. Let it all out. I’m here now, sugarplum," I whisper, my hand moving to her back, stroking gently. My musk mixes with her vanilla scent, colliding like sea and land, a dance of familiarity I thought I had lost forever.
We remain locked in each other’s embrace for what feels like eternity. I never want it to end. But eventually her body sags against mine, her breathing shallow and rhythmic against my chest. She has fallen asleep, exhaustion claiming her at last.
I lift her into my arms, brushing strands of hair from her face. It has grown longer since I last saw her, cascading down her back.
A cough snaps me out of my trance. I turn sharply, my gaze landing on Tobey, who I had nearly forgotten existed.
"How did she get into this condition? And how did you find her?" I whisper, careful not to wake Lorali from the rest she desperately needs.
"One of my friends in the field was investigating a disappearance," Tobey explains, his tone maddeningly calm. "He told me he found someone matching her description at an omega auction. I tracked which auction it was, followed the routes they use, and it led me here. Looks like she escaped when they were moving to their next city or something."
I shut my eyes at his words, bile rising in my throat. Omega auctions are no joke. They steal omegas with the sole intent of selling them to packs who are forbidden or unqualified to have one—for good reason. The thought of Lorali being dragged into that world makes my blood boil.
"Umm... so my payment and bonus. When am I getting it?" Tobey asks, glancing at his watch, his voice casual, almost bored.
As useless as he has been, he still did his job. He found Lorali. And I can see why he’s considered the best in the field, even if he wastes half your life in the process.
"My assistant will pay the remainder of what you’re owed, plus the bonus," I say curtly, turning away from him.
I need to get Lorali home. I need to wrap her in blankets, surround her with warmth, and make sure this nightmare never repeats itself. This will never happen again. I won’t let her out of my sight. I won’t let her go anywhere unchaperoned. Not ever.
Walter | A few hours later
"Does anyone know why Torin told us to come back right after the funeral was over?" Augi asks, tugging his tie loose beside me in the back seat. He unbuttons the top of his shirt with exaggerated relief, inhaling deeply as though he’s been suffocating all day.
"Not a clue," Oril answers from my other side, his shoulder pressed against mine. "But I know whatever it is, it’s probably bad. Why else would he leave Erin’s pack’s funeral early? That guy is literally the only person in this world he actually cares about."
I’m sandwiched between Augi and Oril, their shoulders rubbing against me, their scents enveloping me. We wouldn’t be this squashed if we had left the same way we came, with Oracle and Kei riding alongside Torin. But I don’t complain. I like being pressed between my mates, their warmth calming the storm brewing in my stomach ever since Torin ran out of the cathedral, my omega senses have been tingling, warning me that something very bad is about to happen.
"You know, sometimes I think Erin and Torin should have just obeyed their parents and formed that pack," Oracle says from the driver’s seat, his eyes fixed on the road.
"Yep, I agree," Kei nods, still fiddling with his phone, trying to connect it to the car’s Bluetooth. He’s been at it for ten minutes, muttering curses under his breath.
"Anyone up for some pizza with extra cheese?" Oracle blurts suddenly.
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