Page 53 of Omega Alliance

But then Dani presses her lips to my ear and whispers, "It's okay. We're going to get out of this."

Ah, brave and beautiful Dani.

The Omega Alliance didn't force her to fall in love with me. That part was real. Maybe all of it was real, even if I played right into the bad guy's hands. I was still rescued, still loved. And that's worth fighting for, no matter how much fear seems to weigh me down.

The director leers at us with open contempt—and also a sickening lust. "Of course we knew eventually some foolhardy alpha would try to steal away our omega, but what we neveranticipated was how crucial you would be to our plan, Dani. A beta female falling for an omega?"

He shakes his head and sighs. "It was ridiculous, unheard of, but served our purposes perfectly. And it wasn't that hard to nudge you into action. We humored your alpha Jax as he tinkered and hacked. We allowed your plan to come to fruition even as it happened right before our very eyes. It all seemed to fall into some cosmic master plan, better than we ever could have hoped for. The Alliance got what it wanted and even more. Your alpha will make a fine addition to our research team."

"Jax," I choke out. He left to keep us safe. Did that make him vulnerable?

The director nods and grins. "He's ours now, thanks to you."

Thanks to me. Not just one of my new pack has been captured, but two. All thanks to me.

I can feel Dani tense beside me, but she keeps a strong exterior as she stares down our one-eyed assailant. "Yeah, yeah, we get it. You're big and scary and will destroy everything we love. The thing I'm not getting is why you even let Sin go in the first place? Especially if you're just going to take her back."

"It's all about the numbers. Subscriber engagement, crime rates, the two go hand in hand." He begins to pace the edge of the glass divider, watching his feet as he walks, like the two of us aren't important enough to consider even though he's speaking directly to us. "The people were beginning to get bored with Sin. Our experiment was failing. And when alphas are bored, they act out. Crime has risen precipitously, all because Sin was losing a hold on her audience. But now? This scandal has captivated our watchers all over again." He stops abruptly and turns toward us, clasping both of his hands behind his back. "And think of the numbers we'll see when we announce the people's omega has been murdered, and by a jealous beta no less."

Dani hugs me tighter. Gone is her bravado. Now we both tremble and clutch each other. One of us says, "No."

The director shrugs and reaches into his uniform jacket and removes a blade, holding it up to study in the light. "No? Well, it's only one option, I suppose."

Our breaths come heavy as we wait. We are a captive audience in every sense of the word.

"Waiting on bated breath, I see." He smiles to himself, then tucks the knife away again. "Well, the way I see it there are three ways this whole thing can play out. You already know the first. The second would be for Sin to return to her role and share a very tearful, very convincing story of her kidnapping and eventual return so that the watchers will be satisfied."

"And the third?" Dani asks when I can't. She continues to hug me tight.

"The third is my favorite." He pauses for an insufferable period, leering at us with a snake-like grin. "The third option is that you, Dani, take Sin's place."

Dani shakes her head and mumbles, "But I can't be the people's omega. I'm a beta."

"Oh, but you can." He removes the knife again and taps its handle. I was so focused on the blade before that I didn't notice the small glass vial wedged into the grip.

"We've managed to reverse-engineer omega suppressants to create a false manifestation. We can turn you into a chemical omega, Dani. You won't be able to breed properly. At least not with the current version of our serum. But that doesn't really matter for our purposes. Should you agree, you'll be the first in a brand-new experiment, Dani, one that could change the world."

"What about Sin?" she asks, loosening her hold on me as she contemplates the director's words, and already I feel like I'm losing her. I can't lose her. I won't.

"Dani, no!" I shout and attempt to hug her back to my chest. "You can't possibly be thinking—"

"What about Sin?" Dani raises her voice over my protests, meeting the director with a steely gaze.

"As long as we never see or hear from her again, we will be happy to let the world believe she has perished." His eyes snap to me. "But the moment you cause any trouble for us, we will destroy you and everyone you love."

There are no good options. Of course there aren't. The only practical choice is for me to reclaim my spot as the people's omega. I won't have freedom, but at least I will have sweet new memories to carry into my future.

I need to tell the director this, that he can have me as long as the pack is safe.

But Dani beats me to it.

"Then I agree to your terms." She rises to her feet and I grope for her hand, but she refuses to give in.

The scream that rips from my throat is so raw, I feel as if my lungs have exploded in my chest. And I keep screaming even as they grab me by each arm and force me out of the glass room, leaving Dani behind.

They drop me to the floor and kick me, but I can't run or fight. All I can do is scream as my heart is ripped from my body and left to languish in that glass hell.

JAX

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