BOUN
The image of Prem battered and bruised bent over the table...Kaownah almost doing the unspeakable catapulted my anger to a new level. I needed a moment to collect my thoughts before confronting Ohm. At this level I wasn't sure if I could carry on a rational conversation. I was pacing my bedroom, frustrated. and shaking with anger.
How can I keep Prem in my life without betraying my family?
Out of the things he could've taken, why the Trinket Box?
Was stealing our family's most prized heirloom done to offend our family's honor or was it strictly on a level of financial gain?
My thoughts were interrupted when I heard a knock on my bedroom door. "Come in," I yelled.
It was Off. Why wasn't he with Prem? I was just about to lose my shit completely, when Off spoke first,
"Sir, Tay is looking after Prem in his bedroom, and Singto and Bright are guarding his door." I relaxed a bit. "They were given specific instructions, not to let anyone in."
I knew I could trust Singto and Bright. Like Off and Tay, they were already mated alphas and treated omegas kindly.
"I just wanted to give you an update." Off continued, "Tay and I didn't feel comfortable touching the omega, New volunteered to clean him up, and tend to his wounds." New was Tay's mate, he worked for our family as well, more on the domestic aspect. "He also helped him to eat a little, but after everything, he just wanted to rest."
I nodded curtly. I struggled fixing my facial features. Callousness and indifference were becoming difficult to achieve in regard to Prem.
"Sir...Boun." My eyes met Off's and I could see in his expression; that he knew I was putting on a huge front. He didn't just work for my family he grew up with me. He was my friend.
"What should I do Off?" I asked helplessly. "How can I help him and still 'save face' with my family? Not just with them, but the outsiders?"
Off stood in silent contemplation, his gaze fixed on me before speaking,
"Prem is still a minor, I can make some phone calls, and get him placed in a decent home for now, until you get this shit sorted out with your family."
"Thanks man, you have no idea how much I appreciate this," I started to say,
"BUT it might take a few days before I get an answer back."
"Damn it to hell!" I cursed through gritted teeth.
"...and you already ordered us to put him out, you can't renege now, it'll make you look weak, not to me, but your employees." Off was right, I couldn't let Prem stay.
But I could still keep him safe outside of the mansion. Without him knowing.
"Have Tay give him this," I pulled out a woad of cash and handed it to him, "don't let Prem know it was me."
After tonight, I was certain he would never trust me again.
"I'll transfer you some money, set up a reservation at the Tèja Hotel in your name for the next two weeks."
This way I'll know exactly where Prem is.
"He can take a taxi and stay there, while I figure this shit out." I pulled out my phone and transferred the money. "Besides yourself, Tay, Bright, and Singto don't breathe a word of this to anyone!"
"You're in love with him." It came out of Off's mouth as a statement, not a question.
"I do, and I have to protect him, even if he and no one else knows I am."
I had a sneaking suspicion that someone within our family was betraying us. I never told Prem the value of that Trinket Box or its significance to our family. Only a handful of people knew it's origins, and I intended to question them thoroughly.
But first I needed to check on Prem.
I walked at a leisure pace and outwardly appeared as though I didn't have care in the world. I had to give this unfeeling impression around others because I truly didn't know who I could trust anymore within my own mansion walls. Deep down I felt like I was dying, I wanted to race to Prem's bedroom, hold him in my arms, and vow to never let anyone hurt him again.
But I couldn't make that promise, not now. Not with so many puzzle pieces missing.
Just as Off said, Singto and Bright were standing guard at his door, I gave them a terse nod before pushing the door open a slight crack and peered inside. Prem was sleeping. I watched him breathe deeply, and slowly. My heart ached for him.
I'm going to fix this. I'm going to make this right. Even if Prem never wants to speak to me, I will always look out for him, and painfully love him from a safe distance. I quietly shut the door only to turn around to be faced with Wren. Her arms were folded, stern pressed lips, and dark anger in her eyes.
"If you really loved him, maybe you should've trusted him!" She whispered harshly. "How could you let him go through that?! Beaten and almost, and almost..." Wren couldn't bring herself to say the words, tears started to stream down her face.
The images of Oat and Kaownah's rape attempt against Prem flashed in my head again and I started to tremble with anger.
"How did you-?"
"Everyone knows what happened" she snarled and it was the first time I'd seen my sister this furious.
"I know I fucked up, you don't have to remind me, but my hands are tied, there's too much evidence stacked against him, but I'm attempting to make this right," I tried to explain my plans, but Wren cut me off.
"That's bullshit and you know it. So what? A grainy video of someone who looks like Prem? Big freaking deal. You know him, you know his heart." She unfolded her arms and gripped her chest, "And don't even think about putting all the blame on Ohm, you're always telling him he's too weak this was him showing you he wasn't, but you...you," She pointed her index finger in my chest, "have as much power in this family as he does. You could've stopped this before it got out of hand. You two should have approached him with love and support, not accusations. Maybe he would have given you answers, and our family heirloom would still be sitting on your shelf in your office." She was now crying, and I reached my sister and tried to hug her, "Don't!" She warned me, "Just leave."
"Wren..."
I felt the whole world crashing knowing how much I had disappointed everyone. Is this how it felt to have no one trust you?
Driven by anger I stormed all the way to Ohm's office. I didn't even bother knocking. I swung open the door.
"Boun, what the hell!" He stood from his desk and walked around towards me, before he could get any closer, I punched him . Ohm stumbled back, blood rushing from his nose. "Have you lost your damn mind?!"
"No," I snarled, "I just found it! As a matter a fact, I am thinking a bit more clearly than I ever had before. How could you Ohm? Why Oat and Kaownah, out of all our guys? They are the most brutal!"
"Because they get answers!" Ohm remarked boldly while tilting his head back and pinching his nose to stop the flow of blood.
"And the raping him part?" I demanded, "was that your way of 'getting answers' too ?"
When I saw the horrified, wide-eyed look on Ohm's face, and I knew he had nothing to do with this.
"They...raped...him?!" He could barely get the words out.
"No, I was able to stop them, Tay and Off are with him now. They're getting him cleaned up, and then escorting him of the premises." I explained as Ohm finally got the bleeding to stop.
He then went behind his desk and picked up his phone.
"Get your asses in here now!" He snarled angrily into the receiver before hanging up. "Boun, I didn't know." I knew he was telling the truth.
When Oat and Kaownah arrived, Ohm approached both men. He grabbed Oat by his shoulders and kneed him in the balls, knocking the air right out of him, he crumpled to the ground gasping for breath.
Then in lightning speed Ohm grabbed Kaownah by the balls and twisted as hard as he could. Kaownah yelped in agony.
In a very calm ominous tone, my brother said, "Now you two listen to me and listen good. While questioning someone, you will keep these things in your pants, the next time you don't listen, I won't kill you, I'll castrate you, and toss your dicks down the garbage disposal. Got it?"
"Yes...sir." Kaownah managed to squeak out.
"Oat?" Ohm pressed, "I didn't hear you."
"Yes...sir." He managed to say.
"Good." Ohm let go, "Two weeks no pay, and exterior guard duty for a month."
"But it's freezing out there!" Oat complained as he stood up, in response to Oat's outburst I punched him in the ribs.
"You're lucky you're still alive." I snarled, "Now get the fuck out."
Both men quickly limped out of my brother's office.
"I'm sorry Boun." Ohm said after a while.
I held up my hand stopping him in the process.
"Not as sorry as I am." I exhaled, as I felt unrelenting pangs in my chest. "Tell everyone, under no circumstances am I to be disturbed."
Once I returned to my bedroom, I shut my door behind me.
This was my fault.
I could have stopped it.
I didn't protect him.
I didn't protect him.
I didn't protect him
I was so blinded by my rage and failure I couldn't calm down.
In one fury-filled swoop I cleared my entire dresser of its contents. They hit the floor, some shattering into fragments. I flipped over the small table in my room, then ripped the antique clock off the wall that Jess got me for my birthday last year. I slung it across room breaking it to pieces.
There was only one thing, that I knew could soothe me now, and since I couldn't have Prem, I trekked to my nightstand and pulled out a reasonable alternative.
His shirt.
Thankfully, his scent was still lingering. I took it a while back unbeknownst to him.
I inhaled deeply and immediately I fell apart, I cried myself to sleep, sprawled on the floor of my bedroom holding Prem's shirt and wishing he were here.
PREM
The pain of Boun's rejection was greater than any pain or physical torture Prem had ever experienced in his entire life. The seventeen-year-old's whole existence had been one disappointment after the other. No mother to love him, zero guidance, and a pathetic excuse for a father who abused and sold him off to the first bidder. He constantly felt like a ragdoll, always enduring a good beating, then thrown away by whomever when they lost interest or no longer had any use for him.
Even Ohm. The once loving accepting Alpha broke his heart first after he refused to believe him. So much time spent together, with him, his family, and mate. How could he not see the type of person Prem truly was how could he ever believe that he would ever harm Boun or anyone else in his family?
It was easy for Prem to be manipulated, he was young, naïve, and felt so alone
The trafficking ring seemed plausible because it was in fact real, as Prem saw many news reports of minors going missing. What other choice did Prem have, anyway? Boun was no different from Ohm, he was ready to literally throw him to the wolves. He turned his back on him and chose to believe fabrications and lies.
Earth was the first person to show him true kindness and desire nothing in return.
And now there was Kao. The young omega was starting to realize that just like Ohm, he had been lied to and deceived also. Kao promised he would escape with him, but no he only cared about fleeing for his life and left Prem behind.
Prem could still feel the warmth of Tay, New, and Off's goodbye hugs, but he couldn't bring himself to trust any of them. They offered money and shelter, but he refused, because they still worked for Boun's family.
With no place to go for shelter, Prem crouched down behind some cars, parked a few houses down. Brewing in his own anger and foolishness, he started plotting his revenge. No one would ever gain his trust so easily again unless they worked for it.
The night was getting colder by the moment and the wind was chilly.
Prem felt a shiver run down his spine.
Since this morning he'd been battling such an annoying pain in his head. It was intense, pounding, and throbbing, much more intense than the days of his confinement.
A flash of blinding white light flickered across his eyes.
Was he experiencing a concussion? The stabbing pain felt like someone had taken a machete and started slicing into his skull in relentless excruciating reverberation.
"Prem! Let me out!" That same nagging urgent voice, that he heard maybe once or twice that day was pleading, imploring, and growling again. He crouched to the ground, he could feel his toes and fingers curl and wished so badly he could have someone or at least something to hold on to.
"Aaargh what's happening to me, someone some-one help" he whimpered clutching his stomach as he felt a burn tearing him apart, he felt like his muscles were being stretched and twisted and being torn apart, he tried to breathe but his eyes were getting blurry and he fell back on the ground.
"Prem, listen to me, can you hear me?" The voice said again. Prem felt his bones popping, spine lengthening, every part of his body changing.
"Who are you? Pl-please help me"
"Prem, I'm Ken, I'm a part of you, I've always been, it's time to let yourself out, our mate needs us, it'll be fine, our mate needs us, please Prem, please, get up. Alex needs me, please let me out Prem, you can do it, please" the voice pleaded.
His clothes tore away, he felt himself diving into a deeper level of consciousness, a void blackness and then nothing.
When he finally awoke, he was no longer human, he successfully shifted.
His ears perked up at the sound of frenzied whispers in the dark.
Not one, maybe two, possibly three.
The very much awaited-Prem's wolf is finally here!!! Tissues? Anyone?
Anyway meet Ken😊
The muttering wasn't from nearby, thanks to his newly enhanced hearing in wolf form, all five senses were sharper than before. His nostrils twitched with the detection of spicy and fragrant aromas intertwined together.
Two musky odors, one foreign to him...the other vaguely familiar? But Prem couldn't place or remember who it was. The third fragrance was sweet, like dripping honey, and slightly distinguishable...his head jerked up in response.
Pushing himself up on all fours, he rose, on shaking legs, using remnant energy, he trotted closer using the parked vehicles to hide him.
Soon, he noticed three humans, clad in black, each holding a revolver and an assortment of knives placed in sheaths inside their belts. Prem's eyes shone at the realization of what was about to happen.
He watched in horror with wide eyes as the tallest man held a gag against the mouth of the night guard and swiftly slit his throat and threw the body aside effortlessly, without a trace of guilt.
He wished he could just have a black out instead of seeing the horrendous killings that they were committing, but ...they couldn't be here to just kill the guards, which meant, P'Boun...P'Ohm...or maybe Wren...
"No... no... we can't let this happen!" Ken growled.
He shook his head with dread, as he moved with a sense of urgency in the direction of the mansion. He held back his whimper; his eyes ragefully gazed upon the slain guards in stark silence.
His blood ran cold realising who it was-Oat and Kaownah lay dead in a pool of their own blood. Their eyes were still opened in horror. The same eyes that held malice and gruesome thoughts in them, the same cruel smile that twisted in sadistic pleasure over his agony, was now drawn into a thin line. Every wrinkle in their lifeless face, spoke fear and terror and Prem for once, didn't feel as bad as he thought one should, to see someone dead.
But there was no time for this. He had to rush.
Doing a low crawl on his belly, Prem crept inside through the very same hallway he had been dragged and thrown out of, earlier that evening.
He could hear light footsteps receding and from his months of living in this house, he knew it came from the direction of the master bedroom, the alpha and luna's room itself.
He clambered his way to the second floor. He could hear the whispers approaching him and he quickly hid behind a cabinet that engorged half of the hallway.
"Finish the Alphas, take the others hostage and yes, Mistress wants the heir dead too, so, I guess you know what that means." A deep murky voice ordered.
"You get the boy and he'll take his mate hostage; we have orders to kill him only after the MARK is removed. Make no mistakes, I'll be waiting with dad at the other end, clear?"
"Clear"
The second voice he heard was undeniably feminine, and eerily familiar. Had it not been for the excruciating throbbing in Prem's head, perhaps he would have been able to recognize with the upmost certainty who the unknown assailant was.
Unfortunately for the young omega, was still adjusting to his new form; everything sounded distorted and had a glitching echo effect.
Prem froze in fear.
Kill the alphas? Was it a mass slaughter?
Who were they going to take captive?!
And the heir?!
That could mean only one thing, Ohm and Fluke's baby...
No!
He couldn't... he couldn't let this happen,
The omega huffed breathlessly as he sprinted up to the third floor. Earlier he overheard the perpetrators would be using the front route, so he took the fire exit instead. These heartless criminals were well acquainted with the layout of the house, they knew every nook, every corner, and every cranny.
It was made abundantly clear to Prem, that this was in fact an inside job.
His head was throbbing again, he could hear the voice pulsating in his mind.
Then with a snap he turned to see the door of Ohm's bedroom already ajar, a shadow lingering in the doorway, he galloped as quickly as he could.
And then, with a flash of white fur and gold he lunged in front of the man who stood towering in front of the bed, gun aimed into the moonlit darkness.
Then BOOM.
"P'PREM!!! "
He felt the bullet pummel its way through his white fur, into his muscle, then seek refuge his bones. For a moment he felt nothing, but soon pain set in.
Heat and sizzling agony. Severely injured, Prem involuntarily shifted back to human form.
He heard a familiar voice ringing in his head, but he couldn't focus on that right now, he was too busy focusing on staying awake, he was in a different kind of pain now, the ache was gone his body surrounded in a warm pool of liquid.
He heard two more loud bangs simultaneously, followed by a strange ringing in his ears. Then, someone dragging him by his legs on the floor.
The last thing the omega saw as the blackness completely, mercifully, swallowing him whole.
Soooo, we finally have Prem's wolf, Ken. Do you like him? Did you like the chapter? I understand most readers were really upset after the last chapter, so AstringentlySweet and I thought it's necessary to include a Boun's pov and a bg on Prem.
Were you expecting this?
Let us know what you think is gonna happen next and who were these people!
Till then, goodbye bubs!
Don't forget to vote and comment if you enjoyed the chapter.🥰