The scrape of metal startled me out of my sleep. My head pounded and nausea rolled through my empty stomach. It was clear I’d been drugged for however long I’d been here, and the drugs were now leaving my system. I had shivered all night from the withdrawals, and after a few hours, Ben, Theo, and Cam disappeared. I had wailed in agony, feeling like I’d lost them all over again.
My heart felt like it’d been ripped apart.
After the worst withdrawals subsided, I remembered the alpha tabs. I’d reached down, relieved to find they were still somehow tucked inside me. I needed to use them to make an escape attempt. I could incapacitate the guards and run to the hidden exit, but I had no idea where in the mansion I was or how many guards awaited me if I fled. I was frustrated by my still-clouded brain and fumbling indecision. I needed Theo to help me formulate a plan, but he had left me.
A sliver of light reached its long fingers into the cell as the door slowly drew open, scraping against the concrete floor. I used the wall to force myself into a standing position, not trusting my legs to hold me up. I trembled from stress and lack of food, and every part of my body screamed in pain from having to sleep on the hard, damp floor. I pressed myself into the corner of the room, cringing at what an easy target I was. Everything about me screamed prey. This had been so much easier when I’d been out of it. Now I had to face the reality of my situation.
Two guards entered the room. One had a mustache so massive I was momentarily distracted from the terror flooding my body. I heard Ben’s laughter in my head, and his voice saying, “Does that idiot think he’s attractive? How much gel does he put in that thing?” I almost cried out in relief. He wasn’t the ghost version of himself anymore, but I could still hear him.
“Put this on,” the second guard, a stocky alpha with a mullet, said, tossing me what looked to be a silk nightgown. It fluttered to the floor and I realized I would have to step towards them to pick it off the disgusting concrete.
“Hurry up, omega,” Mustache guard said, his voice harsh as he toyed with the trigger on his gun. It looked like the same model I had used at the shooting range. I hoped he accidentally shot himself.
I bent down to grab the dress while desperately trying to keep the dirty nightgown I had on from riding up. I scurried back to the corner and looked at the material in my hands with apprehension. There was no way this would cover me.
“Why do I have to put this on? Where are you taking me?” I asked, desperately trying to postpone the inevitable.
“Do I fucking look like someone who’s going to explain this to you, omega whore? Put it on, now!” Mullet guard barked.
I flinched, waiting for the bark to take control, but it didn’t. I felt the compulsion to do what Mullet said, but I could choose not to do it.
Holy shit.
My heart sped up as I realized the serum had worked.
A thread of hope cut through the horrifying daze of the past few days. My body was no longer fighting me. The device had been disabled. Before I could allow the revelation to sink in, it hit me that I couldn’t let them know. This was one of my few advantages against them, and I had to be smart about it. I lurched, allowing myself to succumb to the guard’s bark. If my delay in obeying had been suspicious, neither of the guards said anything. I turned around, trying to find some semblance of privacy as I stripped off my rough nightgown.
“Face us,” Mustache barked. I whimpered, my limbs leaden as I turned to face the guards’ lust-filled gazes. I tried to get the dress on as quickly as possible, but my hands trembled so much I kept fumbling it. Mullet cupped his growing erection. I wanted to vomit.
I finally managed to get the dress over my head. As I suspected, it barely covered my boobs and butt. It was more of a silk slip than a dress. I tugged at it as if that would make more material appear.
“Time to go,” Mullet said, yanking me towards him and gripping my arm painfully. I couldn’t stop a whine from slipping out.
The guards flanked me as they led me out of the room, half dragging me through the twisting maze of halls until we came to an elevator. When Sam and I ran around the mansion at those dinner parties when we were younger, we had no idea this secret labyrinth from hell was beneath our feet. I tried to memorize each turn, but I’d always been terrible with directions, and now it felt even more hopeless with how disoriented I was. The guards’ scents filled the elevator, making me cringe. They kept brushing against me, and my skin burned with every touch.
They dragged me off the elevator into a brightly lit hallway with plush carpet on the floors and golden picture frames on the walls. This was the part of the mansion I was familiar with. We rounded the corner to the large dining hall. In the center of a room sat a long table covered with ornate candlesticks, floral arrangements, and glasses of wine. And sitting around that table were Glen and Pack Madden.
The air left my lungs as I laid eyes on Hale, Duke, Pierce, and Henderson. Their vile scents assaulted me as they stood to face me, all wearing smug, satisfied expressions.
A lump formed in my throat, and I squeezed my hands into tight fists to keep from crying. This time, I didn’t have my alphas waiting for me in the next interview room. They couldn’t save me.
Glen Jacoby clapped his hands, a grin spreading across his face. “Isn’t this exciting? A pack separated from their omega, back together again. What a love story.”
I stared at Glen, unsure if he was trying to make a joke. He had a wild energy to him, as if he were a ringmaster, controlling the ceremony of a circus from hell. Pack Madden’s unimpressed expressions told me Glen wasn’t fooling anyone. All of us knew this was the furthest thing from a love story. Pack Madden needed me for status because even in a world ruled by alphas, they still needed to bond an omega to be viewed as complete in the eyes of society.
My eyes flicked between Glen and Pack Madden as I tried to understand the dynamics. If Glen thought I belonged to him, why had he brought Pack Madden here? I wished I were smarter, more strategic. Then I could pit them against each other instead of standing here frozen like a complete idiot.
Hale and Duke stalked towards me, and it took everything in me to hold my ground.
“We got you a courting gift,” Hale said, his lips curling with disdain.
“Aren’t you going to say thank you, slut?” Duke snarled, gripping my arm.
I whimpered, shying away from him. Don’t anger them.
“Of course, thank you so much,” I said, biting my lip to stop it from trembling.
Pierce stalked over, tugging me out of Duke’s grasp so he could drag me to the corner of the room where a sheet was draped over a large rectangular… something.
“Do the honors, omega,” he sneered.
I lifted a shaking hand and tugged at the sheet, revealing a black metal cage. It looked to be the right size for a large dog, coming up to about my waist. There wouldn’t be enough room for a person to stand up or lie down. Nausea rolled through me, and it was everything I could do to keep from vomiting. I knew what was coming.
Pierce leaned down so his face was next to mine. “We thought it was the perfect present for our new toy, don’t you think?”
I wanted to scream, wanted to tell him to fuck off and kick him in the nuts for good measure. But I just nodded and hated myself for it.
“Don’t forget the best part,” Hale said, pulling something out of his pocket. It was a thick leather collar with a metal tag dangling from it.
“Please, don’t,” I pleaded, looking for any opening, any way to escape this nightmare.
Hale gripped my chin so hard tears streamed down my face. “Don’t make me get rough with you. Or do. I think I’d like that.” I shuddered at the sadistic glint in his eye. He moved his tight hold to my throat, cutting off my breathing, and I automatically reached up to claw at his hands.
“Hands down,” Hale barked. Everything inside me protested, but I forced myself to obey and dropped my arms to the side.
I swayed where I stood, my vision growing black around the edges from lack of oxygen and panic. Was he going to kill me now? I was such a fucking idiot. I should have tried to make my escape when I had the chance. There was no way I could use the tabs now, especially not with a guard posted in front of every doorway.
The tiniest whine escaped me and I was moments from losing consciousness when Pierce cleared his throat. With a roll of his eyes, Hale gave my throat one last harsh squeeze before placing the collar around my neck and buckling it tightly.
I gasped, tears streaming down my face as I tried to take deep breaths. My throat was raw and it felt like I was breathing through a straw.
Henderson opened the cage door. “Get in,” he barked.
I fought every instinct to resist his bark and dropped to my knees, wincing as they made hard contact with the marble floor. I almost wished the device was still working because it was a million times harder to crawl into the cage of my own volition. It felt like I was betraying myself by not fighting back. My dress rode up, and I was sure I was flashing them since I hadn’t been allowed underwear. I clenched my vagina, hoping the tab bracelet didn’t fall out.
“Fuck. Guess it doesn’t matter that she’s so fat and ugly when she’s got a sweet cunt like that,” Pierce said behind me.
My face burned with humiliation as I curled up in the furthest corner of the cage, wrapping my arms around my legs to keep myself as covered as possible. I knew it was coming. They were going to rape me, and not just once. This was what my life would become—being used as a toy by these alphas who hated me.
Pack Madden and Glen took their seats around the table, which looked too grand for such a small party. Glen snapped his fingers and Genevieve entered the room carrying a tray of food.
She served the alphas, floating around the room like a ghost. This was the first time I’d been able to observe her without being drugged. She’d always had the typical petite omega build, but now she was painfully thin. Her collarbones protruded in her low-cut dress. Every time she set down a dish, one of the alphas at the table groped her. Her facial expression didn’t change. It was as if she had been broken, and there was nothing left of her.
I’d spent the past few years hating her and blaming her for my suffering. I had closed myself off from others to protect myself from similar betrayal. My anger towards her had been a constant companion during my time at the DA, but I could no longer find it within me. All I felt was sadness. Sadness for what had become of this omega who used to be my friend. Sadness at what had become of me.
I traced a finger down one of the cage bars, biting my lip to keep from screaming. I wanted my alphas. I needed them here with me, but it was finally sinking in: they were really, truly gone. Because if they were still alive, they would have found a way to come for me. They would never leave me here alone, never forget about me. They had loved me more than anyone ever had, and their love had brought me back to life. Now all that awaited me was death.
Glen let out a high-pitched laugh at something, and pure hatred filled me. Maybe I could take Glen down before I died. That would at least be a poetic ending to my meaningless life.
Genevieve cleared away the last of the plates as the alphas finished their meal. I clutched at my stomach, the hunger pains growing sharper with the rich smells of food.
“Well, I think it’s time for dessert,” Hale said, leaning back in his seat and leering at me. “We have some omega sweetness to sample.”
My blood ran cold.
“Oh, tut tut. Someone didn’t learn their lessons about eating their vegetables before dessert,” Glen said in a sing-song voice, although there was a dark glint in his eyes. He snapped his fingers for Genevieve to pour more wine.
Pack Madden exchanged confused glances.
“No sampling little birdy until the delivery is complete,” Glen said, taking a long drink. I wished it were poisoned.
“It’s practically done,” Duke spit out. “The last of the… cargo will be delivered in two days.” He glanced over at me.
My mind whirred as I tried to make sense of what they were saying.
“You understand I haven’t gotten where I am by relying on almost completed tasks. Once the delivery has gone through, we’ll finalize the paperwork, giving you ownership of little birdy before she flies, flies, flies away,” Glen said, wearing an unsettling, wide grin. The Glen I knew had always been evil, but this new version of him had a volatility I hadn’t seen before.
Pack Madden bristled, their rage-filled scents filtering over to me. I fantasized about them getting up and ripping Glen’s head from his shoulders. My omega clawed inside my chest as if she were trying to break free and unleash her viciousness on the room. But then, Glen was apparently the only one standing between me and being raped in this dining room.
Hale’s eyes flitted to the armed guards lining the walls. He cleared his throat and locked eyes with Duke. For a moment, I thought Duke might fight Glen, but then the tension seeped from his body and a smile spread across his face.
“Of course,” Duke said to Glen, leaning back in his chair. “We understand needing to have concrete assurances. The transport is scheduled and all will go smoothly.”
“When is the new legislation coming through?” Henderson asked.
“Jericho is ready to push through six new bills once we secure the shipments,” Pierce answered.
Glen’s wide smile transformed into a horrifying grimace, but I didn’t understand why. It seemed like Pack Madden didn’t, either.
“One of them is the Alpha Choice bill we discussed,” Pierce said slowly.
“Omegas should never have more power than alphas when it comes to pack selection,” Hale said, his eyes flitting over me.
Glen’s expression morphed back into a smile. “Right you are,” he said, waving his hands in the air as if he were directing a silent symphony.
“Have you found that omega bitch, Amirah?” Pierce asked, his hand clenching around his whiskey glass.
Glen didn’t respond and instead took another long drink of wine. Judging by his pinched expression, Amirah was still in hiding, and I guessed she was doing plenty to wreak havoc from wherever she was.
“It’s unbelievable she was allowed to stay in her position for so long,” Hale muttered, eyeing Glen.
They clearly felt brave enough to critique Glen to his face. Was he losing control over his own party?
The alphas continued talking, but my mind kept tugging at the edges of my memory, trying to piece together what they were talking about. What shipments were they waiting on?
Oh my god.
The realization struck me like lightning. They had to be talking about the kidnapped omegas. If they were waiting for the “shipments” to go through to pass new legislation, it meant senators were being blackmailed.
Something animal and feral gripped me. I clenched my jaw and averted my eyes from the table, needing to get myself under control.
“The Sol expansion is going well,” Duke said, spreading his legs wide.
“The candidate we’re backing for governor has a strong chance of winning,” Pierce added smoothly.
I couldn’t imagine a world in which the Designation Government took over other provinces. Sol had always seemed so untouchable.
The desire to fight warred with my grief. My window for escaping was rapidly closing. And if Pack Madden bonded with me…
I pressed my nails into my palms, trying to stave off my panic attack. While I wasn’t familiar with the layout of Glen’s dungeon, I knew my way around the main floor. I needed to act tonight when the guards took me back to my cell.
I lay curled up in the cage as the evening dragged on, going over my plan in my head. If Mustache and Mullet took me back to the elevator alone, I could use one of the tabs on them, shove them in the elevator, and then make a run for it. My plan—a generous term for it—was idiotic and foolish, and I desperately wished there was a way for me to get more information about these omega facilities to take with me, but I had to prioritize just getting out.
The dinner finally wrapped up and all the alphas stood. Pierce sauntered over to me, leaning over to rattle my cage.
“I hope you enjoy your new bed tonight,” he said, putting a padlock to the front of the cage and slipping the key into his pocket. “We thought it’d be good for you to get used to it. See you tomorrow evening, omega. We just can’t wait for our mating ceremony.”
Ice ran through my veins as the guards approached me and picked up the cage. I cried out as it swung precariously.
“Fucking fat omega,” Mustache grunted.
They hauled me back to the dungeon, taking no care to prevent me from being tossed around and jolting whenever they hit the cage against a corner.
They set me down in my cell. Their hands slipped so I was slammed against the floor, the metal wire of the cage cutting into my knees and making them bleed. I screamed after them as they retreated from the cell, begging them to let me out, but they ignored my pleas as they slammed the door shut.
Leaving me alone with my hopeless despair.
