Page 45 of Unhinged Omega

To wrest her from the clutches of these barbarians.

"You're not handing her over to that monster," I hiss, taking a step forward. Geo's hand on my arm is the only thing that keeps me from lunging at them. "I thought you Ghosts fancied yourselves heroes. Isn't that why you started this war in the first place? To protect omegas?"

I see a flicker of discomfort in Thane's eyes, almost as if there's something else he wants to say, but he schools his expression quickly. "Cosima will be protected," he says firmly. "The rest is none of your concern."

Something snaps inside me. I'm about to throw caution to the wind and attack when Geo's iron grip on my arm tightens. He starts hauling me toward the door, muttering, "Well, that's that, we tried."

I break out of his grasp with a snarl, but I don't draw.

Not yet.

I've got one last card to play.

"You owe me a fucking debt," I say, my voice low and dangerous. "And even if honor among Ghosts means nothing, it's still currency among thieves and rats." I bare my teeth in a feral grin. "I was under the impression it meant something to Surhiirans, too, which is probably why your forces have been allowed to traipse around in the Outer Reaches relatively unbothered. But I imagine that would change if the other rats were to learn of the Ghosts' treachery."

Thane's eyes narrow to slits. "Is that a threat?"

I meet his gaze unflinchingly. "Absofuckinglutely."

The tension in the room ratchets up another notch as we stare each other down. I sense Geo coiled like a spring beside me, ready to go for his gun again at the slightest provocation. My own fingers itch to draw, but I force them to stay still.

Then, to my surprise, Thane snorts. "Alright," he says with what I hope is finally a lick of respect. "A deal's a deal. You want the girl? I'll tell you exactly where she is."

Hope surges in my chest, but I tamp it down.

This is too easy.

There has to be a catch.

Thane approaches and I feel Geo tense beside me. But the massive alpha just stands toe-to-toe with me. I'm tall even for an alpha, but he's built like a fucking tank. I have no doubt he could turn my head into a human stress ball, but I remain rooted where I stand, eyes locked on his.

"Nikolai Vlakov," Thane says.

And just like that, my world stops spinning.

Two words.

That's all it takes to turn my blood to ice in my veins.

Thane's lips curl into a smirk. "There's your intel. That's more than you gave us, so consider us fucking even."

With that, he and Valek—whose hyena grin is clear even with his scarf covering part of it—turn to stride out through the door, leaving me frozen in place.

Nikolai.

Fucking.

Vlakov.

The name echoes in my head like a death knell. Memories I've spent years burying claw their way to the surface. The scent of smoke and blood. The heat of flames licking at my skin. A calloused hand on my shoulder, steadying me as I took my first life.

Gunmetal gray eyes that looked at me like I was worth something.

Until the last time.

Chapter

Eleven

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