Erica's POV
The tension from the turn around got me scared. Scared was an understatement. I kept on imagining things. What if they actually did something bad to her? My mind was a carousel of the worst possible images — Alexis limp, Alexis crying, Alexis gone — each more awful than the last. My breathing refused to steady. It was happening so fast.
Too fast to comprehend.
The figure looked at us, and Tyler looked at him with uncanny familiarity — the kind of recognition you wish you could unsee.
"Do you know him?"
I managed to say it, breaking the silence and tension between them. Tyler didn't say anything, just gave one slow nod. That single movement felt heavy, loaded with history I didn't know.
The figure's gaze slid to me for only a second, then back to Tyler. That glance alone made my skin prickle. I could tell he was dangerous by the way his presence filled the space — his aura was thick, oppressive, like shadow made solid. Dangerous enough to make Tyler look… different.
Tyler's hands curled slowly into fists, his knuckles whitening. He was on the verge of exploding, like he was one heartbeat away from launching himself forward. His eyes were burning with anger I could feel radiating off him. His jaw was locked tight, muscles jumping beneath the skin. He wasn't just looking at the man — he was reading him, like a predator waiting for the flick of a tail before the pounce.
My own heart hammered so hard I swore they could hear it. This wasn't just fear. This was something primal, the kind of instinct that makes you either run or cling to the only protection you have. I stayed close to Tyler, every move the figure made pulling me tighter into his shadow.
The figure was careful to keep the light from catching his face, but as he paced around us, I caught fragments — a sharp jaw, a smirk that didn't belong anywhere near kindness.
"Oh, how the mighty have fallen," he said, his voice dripping with mockery. "Tyler! This is you now?"
"Shut your hole, Cole," Tyler thundered. The sound of his voice made the air vibrate. "What have I done to you this time?"
Cole's smirk deepened. "Why sound like I've been a burden to you? I made it pretty easy for you to get here."
"Did you encounter any troubles finding your way?" He tilted his head, eyes glinting. "No? Shame. I was hoping for a little warm-up."
I stayed directly behind Tyler, my hands clenched around his jacket, every muscle in my body taut. This felt like taunting, like a wolf circling another to test his limits.
"Can we have Alexis now?" I asked, my voice smaller than I wanted it to be. It sounded almost fragile against the weight of the moment.
Cole didn't even look at me when he answered. "You owe me, Tyler. In blood and in pride."
The words made the hair on my arms rise. Owe him? I wanted to ask what he meant, but something about the way Tyler's shoulders stiffened told me not to.
Cole's eyes flicked to me briefly, something sharp and dismissive in them. I knew why. To him, I was an omega. Beneath notice. Someone to ignore until it was convenient to remember I existed.
"But because we're friends," he said, drawing out the word 'friends' like it was a private joke, "you get to see her."
Then he laughed, a sound that made my stomach twist, and started walking toward the warehouse door. His hand reached out, the metal groaning as he pulled it open. Cold air spilled out, laced with scents I didn't want to identify — blood, sweat, fear.
Inside, the light was dim and yellowed, shadows pooling in the corners. And there she was.
Alexis sat bound to a chair, rope cutting into her wrists. A thin line of blood traced her lip, her dark hair messy around her face. Her eyes snapped to mine immediately — wide, desperate, searching. I moved before I could think, taking a step toward her, but Tyler's arm shot out across my chest.
The silent warning in that single movement made me stop. Not now.
Cole's voice was smooth, almost casual. "Alive and mostly unharmed. For now. But she stays here until our little… arrangement is fulfilled."
"What arrangement?" I demanded, but Cole didn't answer me. His eyes were locked on Tyler, like I was just background noise.
"You'll get your instructions tomorrow night," he told him. "Follow them exactly, and she walks free. Fail, and…" He let the implication hang, shrugging. "I'm sure you can picture the alternative."
I looked back at Alexis, my throat tight. I wanted to promise her we'd get her out. Instead, I mouthed the words silently: Hold on. She gave the smallest nod, though her lips trembled.
A faint hum filled my ears — not from the room, but from me. My omega instincts were in overdrive, pushing me to do something reckless. To fight. To claw. To rip her free. But Tyler's hand stayed firm against me, grounding me in place.
Cole turned to the side, his smile returning. "Until tomorrow, Alpha."
We were ushered back out into the cold night, the door clanging shut behind us.
Neither of us spoke on the way to the car. My pulse was still too fast, my mind looping on the image of Alexis tied up, the ropes biting into her skin.
When we finally slid into the seats, Tyler gripped the wheel but didn't start the engine. He just stared out into the darkness, jaw still locked. I wanted to ask about Cole. About the debt. About what kind of arrangement involved 'blood and pride.' But the words stuck in my throat.
My phone buzzed in my pocket. I almost didn't check it, thinking it might be another photo of Alexis — but when I opened it, my stomach turned to ice.
It wasn't Alexis.
It was Tyler.
Asleep. In his own bed. The angle was too close, too intimate — whoever took it had been inside.
A single line of text sat beneath the image:
We're already closer than you think.