Broken Dreams (Unhingedverse)
Broken Dreams: Chapter 24

QUINN

It’s cold in the bed when I wake up, causing me to shiver. Blinking my eyes, I yawn as I look to see where my body warmers went. They woke me up a few more times during the night for sex and I’m feeling it now.

“Linus went to help Duncan with something,” Callum says, slipping back under the blankets. “Come snuggle, baby.”

Scooting over to him, I smile as he wraps his arms around me so that my back is to his chest. His warmth sinks into my skin, making me sigh happily. This is what I wanted to wake up to.

Callum kisses down my neck, making Duncan’s bite tingle.

“You alright, Sweet Girl?” Duncan asks in my mind.

Holy shit. I hadn’t thought about this part of a bonding bite before. My mom had never mentioned it, and the idea of someone being able to hear what I’m thinking is heady for a girl who doesn’t replace her words easily.

“Hi. I’m good,” I reply to the Kelly brother in my mind, and I can even hear his deep chuckle before I feel him slip away enough for me to be able to focus on Callum.

I freaking love this.

“What just happened?” he asks.

Biting my lip, I curse the fact that I fell asleep before he could bite and bond me in the early hours of the morning. I want what Duncan and I have with Callum too.

Twisting in his arms, I rub my ass over his growing erection. I have no problems pushing and teasing Callum into giving me what I want.

“Bite,” I whisper, proud that it came easily. Sometimes, my tongue feels like it swells and my vocal chords refuse to work.

I don’t know if it’s trauma or something neurological at this point. I just want to be able to communicate with the people I love. Having extra voices in my head isn’t even a drawback after being alone for so long. Bret found ways to isolate me even from Linus if he could and he was pissed off at me.

“I was just lamenting how I wish you were wearing my bitemark too,” Callum rasps. “Do you have mind reading abilities?”

My lips are spread in a happy smile as I shake my head and he grins against my skin. His cock is thick and already pushing against my ass, every small shift moving him past the globes of it toward my pussy, and it’s making me slick with need. I’m completely drunk on his scent, inhaling deeply for more of it.

“My cock and bite are yours,” he says, thrusting against me. My whine makes him toss away the blankets to hook my leg over his arm to give him more space. “God, I hope you’re ready for me, baby. You’re soaking me so well.”

If I’m honest with myself, I began slicking the second he enveloped me in his scent and warmth. I don’t know what’s gotten into me, but I can’t get enough of him.

My eyes roll back as the crown of his shaft sinks into my cunt, my gasp begging for him to give me more. Instead of that, it’s almost languid and lazy as he rocks his hips to push further into me.

“We’re doing this my way,” he purrs into my ear. “You’ll get exactly what you want on my terms. Every inch is up to me. Don’t be a brat, I want to enjoy fucking you.”

My fingers are digging into the pillow under my head as I force myself to be patient, his thickness feeling incredible as he stretches me. Callum is completely in control as his other arm wraps around my waist to keep me plastered to his body.

Slowly, his thrusts pick up in intensity, and I can feel the walls of my pussy clamp down on him to milk his cock.

“Shhh, you don’t get my cum yet, baby girl,” he growls in my ear. “We’re going to have a conversation without words here. Let my cock get his way. If I could crawl inside your warm cunt and live there, I fucking would.”

My keen is loud and clear as I cry out, my breasts bouncing slightly as he cradles me against himself. I feel safe, loved, and so fucking cherished as he drives further into me. It’s unhurried, even though I’m desperate for more. I’m not in charge here, he is.

I can feel my orgasm lazily building as well, something I’ve never experienced before. Everything is usually forceful and frenetic with the alphas I’ve been with. Christian has only been different because he’s kept his control by watching Linus and I.

The pinch on my clit is surprising, and I yelp when I feel it. Callum kisses my ear, saying, “I’m the one fucking you. Stay with me, Quinn.”

Holy fuck. A light chuckle flows through my mind before it disappears, and I can feel Duncan’s amusement.

“Move your hair off the back of your neck. My hands are a little full here,” Callum murmurs, his voice sounding strained as his knot bumps against my entrance.

His control isn’t as tightly held as he pretends, and my lips twitch as I move my hair away. His teeth and lips cover the back of my neck the moment I do, his fingers rubbing my aching clit.

Oh fuck. He’s torturing me from all angles, his knot pushing inside my pussy as well. I’m overwhelmed with sensations, needing everything he’s giving me, but I will not beg. I’ll be a good fucking girl and wait.

My need to please him wars with my inclination to be a brat, and I wail as I get close to coming. His lips suck on the sensitive flesh on my neck, his teeth sinking in without breaking the skin.

“That’s it. You’re doing so well for me. Keep going, baby, and I’ll give you every piece of me. The way it was always supposed to be,” he whispers.

His words make my eyes prick with tears, and this moment feels bittersweet. We’ve had so much stolen from us, and now a lifetime to make up for it.

As his knot pushes the rest of the way in, he kisses my neck, before growling, “Here’s to forever, baby girl.”

The pain of his bite triggers my orgasm, and I scream as my vision almost blacks out. Callum holds me tighter as he ruts inside of me, painting the walls of my pussy with his cum. I’m gasping as my body floats in a mixture of happiness and oxytocin, the thread of awareness of my alpha beginning to fill me.

“Where do you want to bite me, Quinn?” he asks, carefully putting down my leg. His honeyed tones roll over me, and it takes me a moment to understand what he’s asking me.

Pulling up the arm that has the crown on his bicep, I tap on it. I may as well claim him the way he has me. Duncan’s bite will show even with the collar of his shirts, showing I’m a pretty possessive omega.

“Fuck yes,” he growls, making me whimper. His bicep is perfectly positioned since he’s wrapped around me, and I bite down hard.

Here’s to the future, I think.

“Amen to that,” Callum whispers into my mind. “It’s so damn good to hear you, Quinn.”

I’m already emotional so I gasp out a sob as he holds me. He lets me get it out, whispering nonsense in my mind. It’s so different how writing out my words can exhaust me, while hearing them in my mind doesn’t. Instead, it gives me peace, knowing I’ll never be alone again.

“Can I have this with Linus? It feels wrong not to share this with him,” I tell him in my mind through my hiccups. I’m trying to come down from all of this emotion, but it’s difficult.

“Multiple omegas in a pack isn’t typical, but I know someone who may know,” Callum says. “Wren and Flynn from Pack Mohan don’t typically leave their home, though.”

“Why is that?” I ask. I need to talk in order to process what happened, and my teeth are beginning to chatter.

Pulling the blankets back over us, Callum answers, “They’re the omegas who were kidnapped from the party we had a year and a half ago. Flynn has severe anxiety, and Wren is happier to work from home. They may be more comfortable if I ask their pack if you all could meet. It may help to get to know the other omegas better before the party.”

“I guess I can be sociable,” I tease him. It’s so odd to be talking about this. A world where I have choices, am organizing time to hang out because I want to.

I can’t believe this is my life.

“You deserve it,” Duncan whispers into my mind.

Damn right, but I’ll never take it for granted. Not ever.

CHRISTIAN

“So you want to stay in Minneapolis, I hear?” Corbin asks, smoking his cigar. He has an alpha guard sitting next to him, stoically gazing at me without any apparent emotion on his face.

He was introduced as Shaw Mohan, though I’d heard through the grapevine of gossip that he was running other avenues of Corbin’s businesses. I’m unsure if I should feel special for bringing him out of retirement or worried. I’d really rather not end up wearing cement before being tossed into one of Minneapolis’ lakes.

“Yes, I do,” I say. “I’ve been looking at relocating and expanding my business. I’m not looking to step on any toes, though.”

That’s not entirely true. While I do want to stay if Linus and Makayla are here, I have more than enough clients to keep me busy. I also have people in Canada I supply, and my bank account isn’t hurting at all from my current hiatus.

I also know none of them will replace a replacement because I replace them all the good shit. I haven’t taken any time off in years and they know it. The motorcycle club in New York City that I supply grumbled a bit, until I dropped off a shipment through my carriers and sent him the invoice. His complaints went silent, and I got paid.

I offer the best service. No one can deny that.

“There’s rumors that you’ve lost something,” Corbin says shrewdly. “I don’t want any shit started in my city, Christian. The lot of us will take bets on how quickly we can kill you and feed you to the pigs. I’m all for biology and destiny doing its thing, but consent is also important, you hear me?”

“Yes, sir,” I say, stifling my desire to respond in a different language. Fuck, he reminds me of my father, all demanding and shit. Only he’s alive. “I have lost two people, because of my own inaction. I’d never force either of them to do anything due to their history and I do believe in free will.”

Shaw shifts in his seat before leaning forward to rest his forearms on his thighs. The alpha’s suit seems to strain from the movement, his body appearing to dislike it. His beard makes him appear even meaner, his lips settled into a thin line.

“That’s all well and good, but we don’t let just anyone into our city,” he murmurs. “You need to be vetted by the families to ensure you’re not as much of a shite head as you appear.”

Looking down at my well cut custom gray three piece suit, I attempt to figure out what he means. I always look sharp, I’ve never thought about how it would appear to others. Shaw’s suit has suspenders and is all black, appearing well loved but functional.

Fuck it, I’m a whore for nice clothes, Shaw can choke on a dick.

“I don’t think my clothes nor my appearance have anything to do with this conversation,” I say. Dammit, I sound like I have a stick in my ass, but I’m beginning to lose my cool.

I was fine when Ambrose teased me, but now I think my desperation is showing.

Celtic Knots and Corbin are my only access points to replaceing my omegas. This club has allowed me to enjoy information I wouldn’t be able to replace anywhere else. There’s a beta who is especially loose with her gossip about the mafia world, but none of that matters if I get accepted into their circles.

I need to be able to bump into my omegas in a natural way, so I can ease back into their lives. I can get my control back if I know I have a chance to speak to them, I won’t allow myself to scare Linus again.

My face is still swollen from the punch he threw three days ago, and it’s starting to change colors.

“The bruise on your face is what he meant, boyo,” Corbin says, smirking. “Your clothes make no difference to us.”

“Oh,” I mutter, feeling dumb. I think I’m letting myself get into my head too much. My father was an abusive fuck, who was also fairly homophobic.

It’s the first place I went when Shaw said what he did.

“I don’t give a shite who ya fuck,” he says, rolling his eyes. “I want to make sure you’re not going to start a brawl if we give you a chance.”

“I never threw a punch,” I explain. “Look, I’ve fucked up with my omegas, and I just need a chance to figure things out. Things are tenuous because they’re fugitives. I appreciate that you’re careful of who you let into your circles.”

“Who are they running from?” Corbin winces as he looks around. It’s a Friday night, so it’s not as quiet as it’s been earlier in the week. “Let’s move this to the office.”

Standing, I follow them out of the main area down the hall. I don’t want to be overheard, so I don’t mind the change.

Shaw unlocks the door to the room and turns on the light, and I replace that it’s a smaller version of a lounge. There’s a bar, comfortable chairs, and not a single paper or device in sight.

“Ambrose does all the back office stuff at home,” Corbin says with a shrug. “Why spend more time away than necessary?”

“Corbin,” Shaw says from the bar, brow raised.

The man in question winces, as if he’s been caught giving away too much information. I can tell Corbin wants to let me in, but Shaw is going to be who I need to win over.

Not a tall order at all. Fuck me.

“Of course. Can you pour me a whiskey neat, please?” Corbin asks.

“As if you drink anything else,” Shaw teases him, easily forgiving his boss. There’s respect between them, regardless of the fact that there’s an exchange of power.

It’s almost as if they’re friends who happen to work together instead. Hmm.

“A drink?” Corbin asks me as Shaw pours it.

“Same, please,” I say, knowing I probably will sip it slowly. I won’t make the mistake of simply holding a full glass of alcohol in front of Irishmen again.

I’ve learned my lesson, thank you. Sleeping it off in my car isn’t something I want to do tonight.

Shaw smirks, and I wonder if Ambrose told him about it. No one has really talked about whose pack Ambrose is in, though they talked about how insane they were. Are they together?

So many questions, and no answers to them.

“I’m not spilling any secrets I shouldn’t when I tell you that this room is swept often for any type of listening devices,” Corbin says ruefully. “Meaning, it is safe to speak here. Now who are your omegas fugitives from?”

“A club called Slick Dreams,” I say. “All the omegas there are bought for that purpose.”

“And you’re telling me you just happen to frequent this club?” Shaw asks, disgust leaking into his gaze.

“I didn’t say I wasn’t part of the problem,” I sigh. “If you’re going to be protective, then do it. Nitpicking every goddamned thing that I say isn’t the way that happens.”

“And there it is,” Shaw says, slamming down a bottle of whiskey that appears expensive. “So fucking closed off, it’s hard to want to help you. Regrets are one thing, secrets are quite the other.”

“I don’t know you from Adam,” I grumble. “I’m not showing all my cards.”

“Goes both ways, boyo,” Corbin says, shrugging as Shaw comes over to hand us our drinks. “I get it, but we don’t deal in skin. We’re doing our best to dismantle the auctions, protect our omegas in our city.”

“By the same token, we are a safe haven for them,” Shaw adds. “There’s resources here that don’t exist in other places. Who is the douchebag who runs this club?”

“Bret Harris does,” I explain. “The club travels so it’s never in the same place.”

Corbin has been absorbing this all, thinking hard. I wonder if he knows Makayla somehow, or anything about the club. I feel as if I’m entering one of the most important tests of my life.

“I need to tell you a story,” he says slowly. “Don’t interrupt, as it will all come together in time. The information is important for you to understand what you’re up against, and why you’re going to have to work harder for what you want.”

“Old Irish men enjoy their stories,” Shaw says with a smirk. He looks very comfortable in his armchair, as if he has all the time in the world.

Alright, I’ll play. I like my stories as well.

“I understand,” I reply, miming zipping my lips. Shaw snorts in response, and I wait for Corbin to begin.

“A girl named Quinn Hughes disappeared from the mall in Minneapolis when she was fourteen years old,” he says. “She had guards with her, and she snuck away from them due to peer pressure. I know this, because the two girls she was with were grilled by their parents. Apparently, they ditched to go to a diner across the street.”

“Girls will do stupid shite when they’re fourteen, right?” Corbin continues. “The issue with this decision is that as they were walking through the parking lot, a paneled van drove through and grabbed Quinn before speeding away. No one had any idea where she was taken or any idea if she was alive or dead. It’s become a cautionary tale to tell children of how easy it is to be kidnapped.”

“Her mother was devastated, and became a shadow of herself, while her father amassed a fortune in an effort to move on. He always said it was something to do so he wouldn’t fall into the same depression as his wife, which I believed,” he says. “Until I heard from Quinn herself that her father sold her.”

Taking a sip of whiskey to keep my mouth shut, I wonder why he’s telling me this. This can’t be Makayla, can it?

“You’re a smart man, Christian, and I’m sure you can draw your own conclusions,” Corbin drawls. “I saw Quinn at a dinner the same night you saw Linus at Club Serenity, when he was dancing alone at work. I do my homework, keep tabs on the new people in my city. That girl has been burned more than anyone ever deserves.”

“We’re going to need you to pay your dues before you’re allowed to see Makayla, who is our Quinn,” Shaw says. “She’s in the middle of her very own Shakespearean bid for power, and planning to kill her father so she can be free of him. You see, we just heard from the Kelly brothers that her father has been in contact with Bret Harris.”

I feel as if I’m still missing things, and as if I’m drowning in ice water. Swallowing hard, I keep my face imprisoned in a state of nothingness, though I know it’s speaking volumes to them. I need them to keep talking, because I’m scrambling as I put together the puzzle of everything I don’t know about my scent match.

“The Kelly brothers were her childhood best friends,” Corbin says. “They’ve been looking for her for twenty years. They never stopped, there are tattoos of her claim on them on their bodies. It’s always been Quinn and the Kelly boys against the world.”

“I hear they’re not taking your calls,” Shaw says with a cruel smirk. “Sucks to be you.”

That’s the last hammer in my heart that solidifies my realization that they’re the same girl.

“Mak- ah, fuck, Quinn spoke to you?” I ask dumbly. I’m having trouble stringing my thoughts together it seems.

“Aye,” Corbin says. “There are many ways to speak to someone, if you’re willing to listen. Her father, Hudson, is an idiot, and thinks the girl is deaf and mute. Quinn clearly got all the brains in the family from her dear mother, as she allows him to think whatever the fuck he wants. The bigger they are, the harder they fall, after all.”

Shaw shrugs in agreement, and I feel as if I’m losing my damn mind. Why am I here if they’re not going to help me?

“What dues do I need to pay?” I ask, grasping at the straws they’re giving me. Fuck, I’d be willing to do anything to speak to Linus and Quinn.

A part of me knew many of the omegas at Slick Dreams had stage names or ones that were given to them. God only knows where she was before Bret bought her, because I met her sixteen years ago.

What terrors live in your head, Quinn? I ask myself. I don’t want to be another burden to either of them. Should I just turn tail and leave Linus and Quinn alone or fight for them the way I should have from the beginning?

“There’s a shelter that needs interim housing for omegas that need a halfway house as they get on their feet,” Shaw says. “They bought property in a nice neighborhood, but need bodies to build it. An organization called ROWS is encouraging the contractors in the city to boycott all business with Omega’s Haven.”

“Can I just kill the people in the organization?” I blurt out. I’m not a handyman. I’m more likely to stab myself in the eye with a nailgun than figure it out properly.

“If it were that easy, I’d do it myself,” Shaw says, barking out a laugh. “Those bitches are protected by someone, and none of us know who. Emilia Richardson is a fucking menace.”

I’m unsure why, but that name rings bells in my head. I’m going to need to do some research when I get back to where I’m staying.

“I’m not going to be very helpful building a house, but I’ll give it a go,” I sigh. “I sell shit that tends to blow things up instead.”

“Show us that you can be part of the community,” Corbin says stonily. Fuck, he’s not going to budge on this. “In exchange, I’ll begin to invite you to meetings to introduce you to the mafia families. If Quinn happens to be there, then so be it.”

“You can’t act like a fool,” Shaw warns. “I don’t know how you fucked up, but getting back into her life is going to take grit. Allow her to walk away, let her take things on her timeline.”

He must never have done anything wrong in his life to be giving me this advice.

“Please, don’t play poker,” he says, amused. “You’re very easy to read.”

“I typically am better at keeping myself under control and without expression,” I mutter. “My face isn’t the only thing fucked up right now. You mentioned Quinn only. What about Linus?”

“He has nothing to do with the families,” Shaw says almost apologetically. “It’ll simply depend on whether he happens to be where Quinn is for the pack. Pack Kelly has claimed them officially as their omegas, and also changed Quinn and Linus’ last names to match.”

Damn, they didn’t waste any time. It’s yet another stab at my integrity and heart, as well as a reminder of the things I didn’t do when I should have. Fuck, I have to move forward, and Shaw and Corbin are giving me an opportunity to do that.

Every callous, busted finger, and curse word uttered will be worth it.

“Alright then,” I acknowledge, “sign me up for house building then. Anything to get a step closer to being able to be around either of them.”

Corbin raises his glass, nodding, “We’ll hold you to that. Someone from the shelter will email you, so be sure to leave me with one you’ll answer.”

My life is surreal. No one would believe this turn of events, fuck, even I am having a hard time with it.

Raising my glass of whiskey, I gaze at its rich color before nodding as well, “Let’s get this done then and then call it a night.”

Every step matters, and I plan to be living proof of that. I just have to hope Quinn and Linus will give me a chance to get to know them.