Beta's Strength, page 11
In fact, the arguments he had battled out with him had been rare. Nine out of ten times, Ruari had chosen the easy way out and had avoided the confrontation. Part of it was because he was legit scared of his father, but in a sense, he'd been pretty rational about it. Why pay a high price for insisting on principles that didn't bring you anything? No, he'd reserved his anger for the battles that really mattered, like when his father had decided to lock him up.
Not that it had made a difference, of course, though he had managed to sneak out during his heat. In hindsight, that had turned out to be the best decision of his life because without that, he wouldn't have met Bray, he wouldn't have had Jax, and he wouldn't have ended up here at the PTP ranch. In a way, his father had caused all that, which might be a strange, too optimistic way of looking at it, like it was meant to be, but it sure beat the alternative of always feeling that bitterness and anger, so Ruari had decided to embrace it. Silver linings and all that.
That didn't mean he wasn't angry with his father anymore, he'd discovered. At first, right after the attack, he’d reasoned he couldn't care less what happened to him. And to a certain degree that had been true. If the pack alpha had decided to kill his father for what he'd done to the pack, Ruari thought he would've been okay with it.
But now that he hadn't, Ruari had discovered that there was a lot of anger inside him, a lot of unspoken words. So the idea of confronting his father had started to take hold inside him, slowly growing in urgency and intensity. Then Vieno had triumphed so gloriously over York, and it had been the last boost Ruari had needed. His father was going to die, either at the hands of the pack or at the hands of the government, who would decide to either execute him or let him rot in prison. Either way, Ruari didn't have much time left for a one-on-one with his father, so the time was now.
He'd debated going behind his mates' backs because he was quite certain those two would have a rather strong opinion on his plan. Bray more than Kean, he supposed, but Kean could be quite protective as well. And he understood—would've probably even felt the same way had the roles been reversed—but this was something he had to do. But he owed it to them to be upfront about it. Plus, from a more practical point of view, he needed Bray's help to even gain access to his father.
He waited till a few days after Vieno's stunt. After they’d all gotten the sex out of their systems, they’d had another pack meeting where Lidon had announced they would burn, then bury the ashes of the dead bodies of the attackers on the wilderness land beyond the pack land’s border. Lidon said he and Bray had paid their respect to the relatives of Brett, Bray’s man who had died. He hadn’t been a pack member, so they’d released his body to his family for a funeral.
They’d also start to repair any and all damage and wipe out all traces of what had happened. They wouldn’t forget, but they needed to move on, and Ruari had agreed, as had everyone else.
Then they’d taken him to the side, Lidon and Palani, and explained that they needed to put more pressure on his father to reveal information they needed. Ruari had understood that pressure was a polite word for torture, and yet he’d nodded and given his permission. Not that they’d needed it, but he’d given it nonetheless. It was a weird idea that Bray would be the one to do it, to try and break his father, and yet a strangely comforting one as well that seemed to hold a certain poetic justice to it. Like his mate would be avenging Ruari, even if that wasn’t what it was about at all. But Ruari was at peace with it, while at the same time realizing it meant time was running out for his father.
So today was the day, he’d decided. They’d all shifted again the day before, because Sando had wanted to run some tests, and Ruari was still on a high from the truly spectacular sex they'd had for hours afterward. He'd limped into the kitchen that morning, his ass hurting something fierce, where he'd run into Sven and Vieno, who seemed to suffer from the same issue. They'd all grinned at each other in companionship before Sven had handed him a small bottle of healing oils, as he called them. With a soft blush on his cheeks, he had told Ruari to insert the oil by rubbing his hole with it. Ruari had to admit the stuff worked miracles.
Vieno had commented Ruari should be glad they’d been in Omega One, as the noises from their bedroom had rivaled the ones out of Grayson’s—something Bray probably wouldn’t have appreciated. Ruari had thought of the fuck fest they’d had with Bray taking him, then Kean, and then the two of them taking turns with Ruari until he’d literally screamed with pleasure. Ruari doubted Bray would’ve even noticed anything coming from the other rooms, but he’d kept that thought to himself.
They met for lunch, he and his men, Kean and Bray both a little sweaty from their work. Ruari had made them big sandwiches with hand-fried fresh chips, and he watched with satisfaction as they devoured them.
"Jax asleep?" Kean asked. He never failed to inquire after Jax, and every time he did, Ruari loved him a little more for it.
"Yeah, Vieno's watching them both at my request," Ruari said.
Kean raised an eyebrow. "Why? Do you have something planned?"
Bray looked stunned for a second, and Ruari giggled. "No big guy, no sex today. You guys wore me out yesterday."
That made Bray look rather proud until worry flashed across his face. "It wasn't too much, was it? We didn't hurt you?"
"It was perfect," Ruari assured him. "But I'm feeling it."
"What's going on then?" Kean asked.
Ruari took a deep breath. "I want to talk to my father."
It was quiet for a few seconds, and then, much to Ruari's surprise, Bray shrugged. "Sure."
Wait, what? That was not the reaction Ruari had been expecting. "What do you mean, sure? You understand what I mean, right?"
Bray wiped his hands on a napkin after finishing the last bite of his sandwich. "Of course I do. I was expecting this, to be honest. A lot happened between you and your father, so I reckoned you needed some kind of closure."
Well, color him surprised. "I figured you'd be against it."
"I can't say I'm a fan, but that's why you won't be facing him alone. Kean and I will be right there with you."
Ah. That was more like the Bray he knew. "And what if I don't want the two of you there? What if I want to talk to my father in private?"
Bray leaned forward in his chair, slowly folding his arms. "Ruari, I say this with all respect, but that's not gonna happen."
Ruari scoffed. "I see your alpha arrogance is in fine form again. How about you let me decide for myself?"
Bray slowly shook his head. "No. And please understand that this is not about you being an omega. This is about you being my mate, our mate. It's about our need to protect you and be with you. What kind of mates would we be if we let you face this alone?"
Ruari studied him for a few beats, the alpha's face tight but his brown eyes unwavering. It was hard to argue with him when he went all understanding like that. Ruari had been braced for a fight but not an emotional appeal, and that's what this was. They were mates, Bray had simply pointed out, as if that was all there was to it. And maybe he had a point there. Maybe if Ruari were honest and looked deep inside himself, the thought of facing his father alone was absolutely terrifying. Doing it with both his men by his side, maybe that wasn't such a bad idea after all.
"I don't like it when you're right," he told Bray, turning up his nose at him.
Kean laughed. "Good thing it doesn't happen too often," he teased Bray, who didn't even dignify him with a response.
“But, Ruari,” Bray said, his face serious. “You do realize he won’t be in the same…shape as before, right?”
Ruari met his eyes. “I know.”
"Do you want to go right now?" Bray asked.
Would there ever be a time when Bray wouldn't surprise him? He'd acquiesced when Ruari had expected resistance. He'd been kind and emotional when Ruari had expected rational pushback. And now, when he'd unconsciously been expecting some kind of delaying tactic, the man understood that now that he had decided, Ruari wanted to get it out of the way as soon as possible.
So he leaned over the table and kissed him on his lips, causing the alpha to jerk in surprise. "Thank you."
It was a strange procession to the basement, where Wyndham was being held. Bray hadn’t been pretending with Ruari. He did understand the omega wanted closure with his father, and he also understood that wasn’t something that could wait. Courage was fleeting, Bray knew, and the mental fortitude Ruari had shown in wanting to face his father could crumble down in a second. That wasn’t judgment but a fact of life, one Bray was intimately familiar with.
How many times had he found the courage to start a conversation with Ruari or Kean, only to lose it just as quickly again, that fear of being rejected once again too deep? He knew they had agreed to spend more time together and get to know each other better, but it was hard when he was so scared of fucking things up again—and this time with potential catastrophic results because these were his mates.
He was their alpha. He was supposed to take care of them, and instead, all he could do was stand by half paralyzed, hoping for some bolt of inspiration on how to navigate this. Granted, it wasn’t on the same level as facing your father who tried to kill you, but the principle was the same. He hoped Ruari wouldn’t lose his courage…and that he’d be strong enough when confronted with the reality of his father’s condition. Bray hadn’t gone all out on the man yet, but he’d not spared him either.
They made their way to the basement quietly, Ruari seeking his hand once they reached the stairs, which brought Bray some comfort. He held it tenderly and didn’t let go, not until they reached the door.
“Are you ready?” Kean asked, keeping his voice low.
“I’m terrified all of a sudden,” Ruari said, his bottom lip quivering just a little.
Bray put his hands on the omega’s shoulders. “That’s normal, but remember this. He has no more power over you than you allow him to have.”
“What…what do you mean?” Ruari asked, his nose crumpling, making him look adorably cute.
“He can’t hurt you anymore. He’s powerless. All he has left are words because everything else has been stripped from him. He knows he’s either gonna die or gonna end up in jail for a long time, where there will be plenty of men he fucked over who have a score to settle. You’re free of him, Ruari. All he can do is lash out.”
He saw the moment it hit Ruari. “I’m free,” he repeated softly. “He can’t hurt me anymore.”
“He can’t,” Kean confirmed. “Especially not now, not with Bray to protect you. He’ll make sure of that, honey.”
Oh, Bray liked being Ruari’s protector. It made his alpha hum with pride deep within him. “I will,” he said, and the sweet smile Ruari gave him made his alpha hum even deeper.
Bray nodded at Jay to open the door, and he was glad to see the man follow all precautions, making sure the prisoner was secure before he waved them in. Bray walked in first, and when Wyndham saw him, his face distorted into a sneer. “You again?”
But then he spotted Ruari and Kean, and his expression changed. “To what do I owe this honor?” he said, but it didn’t come off quite as mocking as he’d probably planned, Bray thought. No wonder, since his face was showing the pain he was in, courtesy of the bruised ribs he was now sporting, as well as a broad collection of bruises Bray had been all too happy to inflict as a payback for what had been done to Kean.
It took Ruari a while to answer, and the omega once again slipped his hand into Bray’s, who softly squeezed it.
“I had some things I wanted to say to you,” Ruari finally said, his voice soft.
“And what if I don’t want to listen?” his father said in an icy tone.
“Then we’ll walk out of here, and that’s it,” Bray said. “No more talks, no goodbyes, nothing.”
A spark of something flashed in Wyndham’s eyes. “You would allow them to kill me?” he asked Ruari. “Your own father?”
Bray wasn’t sure what changed, but he felt Ruari freeze for a second before he raised his chin. “Without a second’s hesitation.”
“You know he’s been torturing me, right? Your mate?”
Ruari shrugged. “Then give him the answers he needs.”
His father scoffed. “Some kind of loyalty you have toward your own family.”
“That’s rich coming from you,” Ruari fired back.
“I would’ve given you everything…anything…if only you’d been born an alpha. Hell, even a beta would’ve been enough.”
Here we go, Bray thought, and he squeezed Ruari’s hand again to let him know he was there for him.
“I never understood why you hate omegas so much,” Ruari said, his voice soft but steady. “What is so horrible about me, about omegas, that you despise us?”
His father sneered. “What’s there to admire or respect? Omegas have nothing to offer but softness and weakness. All they’re good for is to be bred and bear strong alphas…and even that, your mother failed at.”
“You do realize that if all kids were born strong alphas, our species would go extinct, right?” Kean asked.
Wyndham waved his argument away. “We’d only need a few omegas if they weren’t so damn fragile and didn’t die giving birth half the time.”
“And if you and your fellow alphas weren’t such arrogant, egotistical shitheads and actually took care of your omegas, maybe more of them would survive,” Kean said, anger dripping from this voice.
Wyndham’s eyes flared. “You need to learn how to address alphas with the proper respect.”
Bray grinned, a deliberate, arrogant smile. “Nah, he’s doing just fine.”
Wyndham sent him a dirty look. “It says a lot about an alpha when he can’t even control his own mates.”
Bray’s smile never wavered for even a second. “It says a lot about you that you think mates need to be controlled.”
For a second, there was genuine confusion on Wyndham’s face, as if he tried to understand a world where alphas weren’t in charge of everything and everyone. But then Ruari spoke up again, and it disappeared. “I’m not weak. Nor soft. Not fragile.”
His father scoffed again. “What do you mean? Just look at you. I could break you in half if I wanted to.”
Ruari shook his head. “Strength doesn’t always show on the outside, and I’m amazed that you really think it does. Physically, I may be the weakest one in the room, but mentally and emotionally, I’m just as strong as Kean and Bray, if not stronger.”
“True,” Kean said, and Bray nodded in agreement as well.
“Mentally, it’s you who’s weak,” Ruari continued, and a muscle near Wyndham’s eye ticked. “You’ve always relied on physical strength, on intimidation, coercion, and force. And it may have gotten you far, but where does it leave you now? Where’s your men’s loyalty toward you?”
Wyndham’s breath quickened. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“Oh yes, you do. You’ve been here a week. Where’s the rescue party? Where are your men? Because they’re clearly not storming this ranch, demanding your release…or even your body.”
He had a great point, Bray thought. Why hadn’t his disappearance gone public yet? Why had the rest of the military branch of the AWC not demanded an investigation, or at least shown up at the ranch for revenge or even answers. Something strange was going on here, and Bray couldn’t figure it out.
Wyndham’s face slowly turned red. “Fourteen of my men were killed,” he snapped.
“And you have hundreds more,” Ruari said. “So where are they? Why are they not fighting for you?”
Wyndham opened his mouth, then closed it again. “I’ll tell you why,” Ruari said, and Bray got chills from his icy tone. “It’s because they don’t give a fuck about you. No one does. All they cared about was your money, your power, what you could do for them. And now that that’s gone, they couldn’t care less about you. And so ends the reign of Big Bennett Wyndham. How the mighty have fallen…”
That proved to be too much bait for Wyndham to resist, and he flew up from his cot, charging at Ruari. Bray jumped in front of him, clamping Wyndham’s arm in an iron fist. But then he felt it, the dip of power and the blast a nanosecond later. And he let go, understanding that this was a battle Ruari needed to fight on his own.
He stepped aside, and that sleek white wolf attacked, jumping against Wyndham’s chest and knocking him backward, his face wincing with fear and pain.
“Get the fuck off me!” he yelled, then to Bray, “Do something! He’ll fucking kill me!”
Bray crossed his arms, sharing a look of deep satisfaction with Kean. “Omegas are so weak and powerless,” he said in a mocking tone.
“I know!” Kean said. “Wasn’t he defeated by an omega before, though?”
Bray nodded. “Yup, Vieno caught him. Scared him so much he pissed himself. Ruari, baby, think you can do that again?” he called out to the wolf, which stood over his father, growling in the back of his throat, his sharp teeth only inches away from the man’s neck.
“Oh yes, that’s a fun bet,” Kean said, and Bray loved how in tune they were. “Honey, if you can make your father piss himself again, Bray and I will tag-team you tonight, I promise,” Kean said to Ruari.
“He’ll love that,” Bray said, putting it on thick. “The man did have a point that omegas love to be bred…at least by mates who know what they’re doing.”
“Right? I mean, he bore you a healthy alpha heir and lived to tell the tale, so clearly you did something right. We’ll make it good, baby, I promise!” Kean called out to Ruari.
In response, the wolf growled a bit louder, and Wyndham let out a yelp. “Are you fucking insane? Get him away from me!”
