The Abduction (Omegas of Hunter's Point Book 2)

Chapter 10

Von sat on her side of the partners' desk in the home office, laptop open, earbuds in, transcribing from her phone. Framed by the arched window at his back, Damian sat across from her studiously attentive to a book on prosecutorial techniques. She couldn't help but gloat a bit at the way his skin seemed to evanesce in the light from the desk lamp. Literal afterglow. His long lashes brushed his cheek as he glanced down at particular paragraph, a little crease of concentration between his brows. Her breath caught in her chest. Gods, he was magnificent. Her mate. Her love. Her partner in good times and bad. His words echoed in her mind, "Until we're dust you and I."

He noticed her staring and offering him a lopsided smile.

In the hours since their cathartic encounter in the car, his end of the pair bond twirled and danced with steadily broadcasted affection. Occasionally, she'd find her fingers going to his claiming mark on her shoulder in a subconscious recognition of his choice of her. As she reciprocated his affection and sent it down the bond, her gaze drifted from her laptop screen to her mate just in time to see his fingers burrow beneath the collar of his forest green V-neck shirt to touch her claiming mark.

Damn! She missed it. She paused, half a peanut butter sandwich suspended from her mouth, to run back the audio of Anja's testimony so she could finish typing a sentence. Chewing, she set the sandwich back on its plate.

Focus, Von.

Listening to Anja relate her story the first time had been difficult. Having to listen on repeat to make sure she was transcribing it accurately was, in short, torturous. Randyr's cavalier mistreatment of the young omega was nauseating. He'd clearly been under the impression than friendless Anja would have no one to run to if she somehow managed to get away from him. Von shuddered to think how close Anja's fate had come to being hers: trapped in a forced-mate pairing to an older alpha who was in almost every way a stranger. No alternatives. No support system. No escape.

But Von had found a way out. She'd scraped, and battled, and climbed to shape a life for herself. She'd formed a support system. She'd built a family. And then, she'd found her alpha - a male who respected her mind, her choices, and her ambition without being threatened by it. It sometimes felt as though the gods had fashioned her and Damian with the intent that they find one another, so perfectly matched were they.

The only comfort apparent in Anja's situation was that she'd soon get the opportunity to do the same. A few more weeks at most until the hearing. Anja would be able to reclaim her life, and hopefully, crowd out memories of its terrible start with a happier ones.

Von paused the audio and removed her earbuds.

"All done?" Damian asked.

"Mostly. There's a bit more, but it's just...it's hard to listen to, you know?"

The forced-mate cases without fail weighed the heaviest on her, but they offered the greatest reward once resolved.

Damian closed his book. "Do you have a court date, yet?"

She exhaled through her nose. "Not yet. End of the month, I'm guessing. Randyr's fighting it, but he lost his request for a dismissal yesterday, and the judge will hand down her decision on his request for a delay Monday. A friend in the court clerk's office emailed to tell me chances are high he'll lose that, too. But I don't want to call Tru until I have a date nailed down."

"I don't understand it," Damian said, swiveling in his chair. "Men like Randyr, even Erik, and that other guy, the air cargo magnate, uh..."

"Sayaad?"

"That was the guy," he said. "They're rich, they're cultured, they come from prominent families - "

"Why are they buying omegas instead of just dating or getting fixed up like the rest of us?"