Fagan scooted around until he could roll onto his stomach. He wiggled his fingers. "Do you think you could get these ropes off of me?"
He really wanted to be free. Like, really, really.
"Tell me what happened," Beck whispered through their bond right before he shifted and started working on the ropes tied around Fagan's wrists. "Did Elder Ramsey tie you up?"
"No," Fagan whispered out load, afraid of being overheard. "Tyrnan tied me up then hit me on the side of the head when I spit on him. The next thing I knew, you were here."
"Then how do you know the elder is in on it?"
Fagan snorted. "He let Tyrnan inside the house."
"That doesn't mean anything, Fagan. If this guy was one of the guards at the monastery, Elder Ramsey might know him. There could be a hundred reasons why he would let Tyrnan in. We need more than that."
"Well, I'm sure you can ask Dominic when he wakes up. They have him tied up in the basement. They tossed him down there before Tyrnan knocked my ass out."
Beck's jaw clenched.
"I know you don't want to hear this, but your elder is up to this to his neck. After Tyrnan showed up, he started making all sorts of phone calls, but I definitely heard Headmaster Eithar's name mentioned when he started making plans to ship out the other omegas."
Beck growled. "I'll kill him."
"We need to get out of this first."
"Where are Elder Ramsey and Tyrnan now?" Beck asked. "Do you know?"
"I think they are searching your office. Elder Ramsey said something about trying to figure out just how much you knew."
"You stay here."
"The hell I will." Fagan shook the ropes off his ankles and wrists once he was free then stood to his feet. He kept a hold of the ropes. "That asshole tied me up. I'm going to shove these ropes where the sun don't shine."
Beck chuckled. "Just promise you'll let me know if you need help."
"I'll consider it."
Beck was a smart alpha. It was probably why he didn't reply. He just gave a curt nod then shifted back to his tiger form. "Stay close," Beck said through their bond.
Fagan sank his fingers into Beck's soft fur then started walking when he did. They passed through the kitchen and dining room then moved into the living room. He stiffened when he heard the unmistakable sound of paws padding across the floor.
"It's just Jaggar."
Fagan blew out a heavy breath. "It's nice to know we're not alone."
They needed the backup. Fagan might have boasted about taking Tyrnan on, but truthfully, the headmaster's punisher scared him to death. He'd been reprimanded by him before, usually over something small and petty, but Tyrnan seemed to really enjoy inflicting pain.
When they moved toward the office, Fagan picked up the sounds of someone talking. The voices were raised, angry. It took him a moment to figure out what they were saying, and when he did, he felt as if the bottom had dropped out of his world.
"Beck."
"I know. I hear it, too."
Fagan swallowed tightly as he listened some more.
"I want those omegas moved by tomorrow morning," Elder Ramsey said. "If there are no omegas, there is no evidence. No evidence, no complaint."
"Montgomery Beck could be a problem," someone else said.
For a moment, Fagan thought that someone else might have been in the room, then he realized what he was hearing was a man talking through a phone speaker.
It was the headmaster.
"Montgomery Beck will be too busy trying to explain what happened to his mate to be a problem," Elder Ramsey snapped. "Once Tyrnan finishes setting up the scene, no one is going to believe Beck didn't kill Fagan."
Fagan tensed. He was pretty sure that meant Tyrnan wasn't in the office with Elder Ramsey. He knew he was right when he heard Jaggar walk away. Hopefully, he was going to look for Tyrnan.
"If Tyrnan takes him, there won't be a body. How will you explain that?"
Elder Ramsey snorted. "Who said there won't be a body?"
"You promised the omega to Tyrnan." There was a hint of fear in Headmaster Eithar's voice. "He won't be happy if he doesn't get him."
"You still have over twenty omegas at that monastery of yours. Let him pick one of those."
"He wanted Fagan. hHe's been watching Fagan for years. He won't accept any other omega. Believe me, I've tried. Fagan is a fully trained omega. He's worth a lot of money. He's already caught the interest of at least three high rollers."
"How much money are we talking?" Elder Ramsey asked.
"The last offer was two hundred and fifty thousand."
Fagan gasped then quickly slapped his hand over his mouth when he realized he'd made a sound, but it was too late. A few seconds of silence ticked by before a shadow filled the doorway.
"I'm afraid I have to go for now, Headmaster Eithar. Proceed with your orders and I will call you in the morning to discuss how we are going to proceed from here on out." Elder Ramsey hung up his phone and slid it into his pocket. "Well, I can't say I was expecting you back quite so soon, Beck, but it does make things a bit easier."
Fagan tightened his hand in Beck's fur when the tiger growled and took a step forward. He didn't want bBeck to attack before they knew exactly what they were dealing with, because he was a little confused.
"You're crazy if you think you're going to get away with this," he stated firmly. "People will find out."
"Oh, I already have gotten away with this, my dear boy, and have for many years." The elder let out a very unflattering snort. "Do you think you're the first omega to go through the monastery? There's been hundreds. Hundreds!"
Fagan clenched his jaw. His anger warred with his disbelief. He'd been at the monastery for twenty-five years. He knew a lot of omegas had come and gone, but he doubted there had been hundreds. But what if this wasn't the only monastery? What of there were others?
"You're going to pay for each and every one of them," Fagan snapped. "I'll make sure of it."
Elder Ramsey snorted again. "You and what army?"
"This one." Fagan let go of Beck and stepped back.
As he listened to Beck roar and Elder Ramsey's screams, for the first time in his life he was glad he was blind. He could imagine what was happening, and he could certainly feel the waves of anger, but he couldn't see it.
That was a plus.
Fagan jerked when he heard a crash and then a roar from the other side of the house. Beck was fighting Elder Ramsey. Hopefully, Jaggar was fighting Tyrnan. That left Fagan standing there doing nothing and hoping the fight didn't spread in his direction.
But maybe he could help in one small way.
Fagan hurried back to the kitchen then made his way to the walk in pantry. He opened the door to the basement and carefully made his way down each step. They should have done this before they started searching the house.
"Dominic?" he called out in a low tone just in case someone else was around. He was pretty sure no one else was down here, but he couldn't be positive. "Dominic, can you hear me? Dominic?"
When he didn't get a response, Fagan stood still in the middle of the room and just listened. He drew in a couple of slow even breaths to regulate his own breathing and slow his heart rate. It was easier to hear if there was someone else around that way.
He was grabbed before he realized someone was there. A thick muscular arm wrapped around his throat, choking him. Acting on instincts instilled in him over several years of defensive training, Fagan turned his head toward the bend of the arm holding him. He sucked in a breath of air then drove his elbow into the man behind him.
The man grunted, his hold loosening.
Fagan stomped down with the heel of his shoe. At the same time, he reached back and racked his fingernails down the first bit of flesh he felt under his fingers. The man's shout as he shoved him let Fagan know immediately who had grabbed him.
He spared just a moment to worry about what had happened to Jaggar before turning and driving his knee into Tyrnan's groin. He shot out with the heel of his hand, aiming for where he hoped Tyrnan's face was. The sound of cartilage breaking was unmistakable, as was the man's high cry as Fagan broke his nose.
Fagan didn't wait to see what Tyrnan would do. He stepped back then kicked out with his leg, slamming his foot into the side of Tyrnan's head. He jumped back out of the way when he heard the man crash into the wall.
This was one of those times when he wished he could see, not only because he needed to know if Tyrnan had gone down or not, but also because he wanted to see the man pay for all the horrible things he'd done over the years.
Fagan kept his hands clenched as he waited, listening. The lack of sound bothered him on a level he wasn't quite ready to acknowledge just yet. There should have been breathing at the very least.
"Fagan!" Beck shouted in his head. "Where are you?"
"Basement." Fagan heard the pounding of feet overhead before someone came racing down the stairs. "Careful," he called out loud. "Tyrnan is down here."
"Damn, baby, you don't mess around, do you?"
Fagan swallowed tightly. "Is he dead?"
"No, but he's gonna wish he was once he wakes up. You broke his nose, his arm, and his leg. He's going to be laid up for quite a while."
"What about Dominic? I couldn't find him."
"Stay here."
Fagan huffed. He would have rolled his eyes, but it never seemed to have the same effect when you were blind.
"He's okay," Beck said a moment later as he came back. "They had him tied up in the supply closet. He's got a nasty bump on the head, but other than that, and being really pissed that he got taken by surprise, he's fine."
Fagan hated to ask, but..."And Elder Ramsey?"
"They need a new elder for the council."