~Dan~
I stormed into the briefing room like I was ready to punch a wall, and honestly, if the wall had a face, it would've been Jax's because he was already talking before I even sat down.
"Daniel, chill, man, we got the body, it's.. "
"Shut the fuck up, Jax," I snapped, slamming my coffee down so hard it splashed across the table. "Don't 'chill' me. Pregnant omega, gutted in a warehouse, baby dead too, and you're sitting here like it's just another Tuesday?"
Lena looked up from her tablet, eyes narrow. "It is Tuesday, Voss. And no, it's not just another Tuesday. But the body wasn't posed. No porcelain, no note, no doll shit. Kid was stabbed clean, quick. Doesn't match."
Marcus, on speakerphone because the old bastard refused to come in anymore, grunted. "Doesn't match doesn't mean not him. Could be evolving. Could be sloppy. Could be a copycat. Or could be the Dollmaker got interrupted and had to bail."
Sofia the new transfer, alpha, thinks she's God's gift to homicide leaned back in her chair. "Or it's not the Dollmaker at all. Pregnant victim, no ritual, no message. We are chasing ghosts while the real killer laughs."
I laughed. Short and bitter. "Yeah, Sofia, great theory. Except the call came in anonymous, same burner pattern as the last three tips. Same warehouse district. Same type of omega. You think that's a coincidence?"
Jax rubbed his face. "Dan, we're all pissed. But yelling at us isn't finding the killer."
"Then what is?" I yelled back. "Because we've been spinning our wheels for years and now a pregnant kid's dead and we're sitting here debating if it's 'consistent' enough? Fuck consistent! A baby died!"
The room went quiet. Even Marcus stopped grunting.
Lena finally spoke, voice low. "We know. We're not blind. But if we lose it, we lose the case."
I dropped into a chair, head in my hands. "I know. I just... fuck. I keep seeing Sky's face when I told him about the body last night. Kid looked like he was gonna break."
Jax raised an eyebrow. "Sky. The rescue. Still at your place?"
"Yeah. And?"
Sofia snorted. "And you're emotionally compromised. That's what."
I shot her a glare that could've melted steel. "I'm not compromised. I'm pissed. Big difference."
Marcus chimed in. "Kid, get some air. Go home. Sleep. We'll run the forensics overnight."
I stood up. "Fine. But if this turns out to be the Dollmaker, and we missed the window because we were too busy arguing semantics, I'm burning this whole task force down."
I walked out. I didn't look back.
I didn't go home.
I went to Vivi's club instead. The one downtown where the music's loud enough to drown out your thoughts and the drinks are strong enough to drown everything else.
I sat at the bar. Ordered whiskey. Neat. Then another. Then another.
Some beta tried to hit on me. I told him to fuck off. Politely. He left.
Vivi herself slid onto the stool next to me around the fourth glass. "Rough night, profiler?"
"Every night's rough lately."
She poured me another without asking. "Messy."
"Yeah. Messy." I downed it.
She nodded slowly. "Doesn't feel like your guy."
"Doesn't feel like anything. Just feels like failure."
She touched my arm. "Go home, Daniel. Get an omega and fuck the shit outta them, calm yourself down. There are so many in this bar too."
I laughed. Hollow. "I don't need to fuck anything right now." But deep down I kept thinking about the twenty year old prolly chilling on the couch in my living room. Hot big eyes and pretty.
Vivi sighed. "Go. Before you puke on my bar."
I paid. Left. The drive home was blurry. Rain again.
When I opened the door, the apartment was dark except for the lamp by the couch. Sky was sitting there, knees up, hugging them like he was trying to disappear into himself. Eyes red. Face pale. He looked up when I came in.
"Daniel?"
I shut the door. Locked it. Leaned against it. "Hey."
"You okay?"
I laughed again. Same empty sound. "No. Not even close."
He stood up slowly. Walked over. Stopped a foot away. "What happened?"
" Pregnant omega. Dead. Baby dead. There was no pose and no note. Doesn't match the Dollmaker. Or maybe it does and we're all just too stupid to see it." My voice cracked on the last word.
Sky's eyes filled. "Hey you're fine, breathe . I'm here."
"Yeah." I stepped closer. "You're here."
He backed up a step. "You're drunk."
"I know."
"Daniel…. "
I closed the gap. Cupped his face. "I need this. I need you. Just... shut up for a second."
He froze. Eyes wide. "You're not thinking straight."
"I'm thinking clearer than I have in weeks." I leaned in.
He put a hand on my chest. "Daniel, stop. You're drunk. You don't… "
"I do." My voice broke. "I do want this. I want you. I've never seen anyone like you. Not in any man, any woman, anybody. You're... fuck, Sky, you're beautiful in a way that hurts. Like if I don't touch you right now I'll stop breathing."
He stared at me. Tears spilling over. "You're gonna regret this tomorrow."
"Then let me regret it." I kissed him.
Soft at first. Just my lips on his. Waiting for him to push me. He didn't push me away. He made a small sound, like sob or a sigh and opened for me.
Then it wasn't soft anymore.
I kissed him harder. Deeper. Tongue sliding in, tasting him, whiskey and….. something sweet that was just Sky. He moaned into my mouth, hands fisting my shirt, pulling me closer like he was drowning and I was air.
I backed him against the wall. One hand in his hair, tugging just enough to tilt his head back. Kissed down his jaw, his neck, bit the spot where scent gland was, gently, then not gentle. He gasped. Arched. Fingers digging into my shoulders.
"Daniel… "
"Shh." I kissed him again. Messy. Open-mouthed. Tongues sliding, wet, desperate. I sucked on his bottom lip, tugged it with my teeth. He whimpered. Pushed his hips forward. Hard. Against me.
I groaned. Ground back. Felt how hard he was. How hard I was.
We kissed like that for what felt like forever, slowly, filthy tongue fucks, then fast and frantic, then slow again. Breathing into each other's mouths. Hands everywhere. Mine under his shirt, tracing ribs, thumbing nipples until he whined. His in my hair, pulling, guiding, like he couldn't decide if he wanted more or less.
I broke the kiss. Forehead to his. Panting. "Bedroom."
He nodded. Eyes glassy. "Yeah."
We stumbled down the hall. Kissing the whole way. Bumping walls.
In the bedroom I pushed him down on the bed gently . Crawled over him. Kissed him again. Slower this time. Deeper. Tongue stroking his like I was memorizing every inch.
He broke away. Breathing hard. "Wait. Lube?"
I reached into the nightstand drawer. Pulled out the bottle.
He stared. "You just... keep that?"
I froze. "Yeah."
He sat up a little. Eyes narrowing. "So what, you bring people home all the time? Fuck them? Is this normal for you?"
"No." I set the bottle down. Voice low. Rough. "Never. Not here. Not in my bed. You're the first person who's ever been in this apartment longer than an hour. The first one I've wanted like this. Ever."
He searched my face. "Why?"
"Because you're you." I cupped his cheek. "I try to stay professional. Detached. It's the job. But you... fuck, Sky, I've never seen anything like you. That face. Those eyes. The way you look at me like I'm the only thing that matters. It's not just pretty. It's... it's everything. I can't look away. I don't want to."
He swallowed. Tears again. "Daniel..."
"I want you." I kissed him softly. "But only if you want me too. Say no and I'll stop. Right now. No questions."
He stared at me. Long. Then nodded. Small. Shaky. "Yes."
I kissed him again. Relief. Hunger. Everything at once.
And then we kept going.
"Hold on condom.?" he asked.
I checked my drawers and everything and I still couldn't find it, No I don't….
Fuck.
"Wanna go raw.?" his eyes shot up wide and genuinely I'd never ask this question if it was any other person and right now all I wanted was to hear him say yes.