Page 51 of Knot Broken

My pulse pounds loudly in my ears as Fallon, Voss, and I quietly slip through the dim, narrow corridor, following Romano’s precise instructions whispered through our comms. I grip the handle of my knife tightly, fingers flexing with anticipation, adrenaline coursing through me like liquid fire.

“Next door on your left,” Romano murmurs sharply. “Guards stationed inside—four of them. Omegas are being held in cages.”

We pause just outside, Fallon exchanging a look with Voss, her eyes practically glowing with a terrifying kind of excitement. Voss is quiet, cold, but fury radiates from him. The man is always intense, but tonight he’s pure lethal energy wrapped in calm silence.

I nod sharply at Fallon, inhaling deeply, steadying my nerves. Fallon counts silently, mouthing the numbers: three…two…one.

We explode through the door simultaneously, catching the guards completely off guard. I barely register the terrified cries of the omegas caged around us as Fallon and Voss launch themselves at the closest guards with brutal, ruthless efficiency. Fallon moves like a hurricane, vicious and precise, her blade slicing mercilessly through flesh, while Voss is pure ferocity, silent and deadly.

I throw myself forward, dodging a wild swing from one of the guards and swiftly sinking my knife deep into his thigh. He howls, stumbling to his knees as I follow up with a brutal kick to the side of his head. He shakes it off and lunges for me again. I spin out of reach, lashing out with my knife again. My attacks are more controlled than Fallon’s—but still fierce, still deadly. In a moment, my blade is buried deep in his chest, right into his heart. I yank my blade a little too hard, and a spray of blood hits me in the face. I sigh. Gross.

Within moments, the guards lie incapacitated at our feet, all of them dead. Fallon wipes blood from her blade, a satisfied smirk curving her lips.

“I swear, next time, I want a sword,” I joke breathlessly, my heart hammering as I catch Fallon’s eyes. “Knives are way too small for this kind of dramatic entrance.”

Fallon laughs sharply, stepping forward to slap my palm in a quick, triumphant high-five. “Hell yes, girl. We’ll go sword shopping after.”

Ignoring our banter, Voss moves swiftly to search the fallen guards, tossing a ring of keys toward us. Fallon and I immediately start unlocking cages, comforting the frightenedomegas inside. They’re shaken and wary but clearly better cared for than the others we’ve seen before—clean and reasonably healthy but terrified nonetheless.

“You’re safe now,” Fallon murmurs gently, helping one trembling omega to her feet. “We’re getting you out of here.”

She and Voss begin ushering the omegas toward the side door, toward Jace, waiting outside with an extraction vehicle. I hurry toward the last cage, quickly fitting the key into the lock, heart aching as I see the frightened face of the omega inside. “There's more omegas.” Her voice is nothing but a rasp. “There's another location with a lot of omegas.”

“We will find and rescue them too.”

“You don’t understand. The man that took us isn’t in charge.”

“What do you mean?”

She licks her lips, whispering. It's an omega fight ring. I came from there.”

A sudden shout and sickening thud behind me sends icy dread crawling down my spine. I whirl around to see Voss crumpled to the ground, Fallon hunched protectively over him, eyes wide in shock. Marcus Whitlock stands above them, wild-eyed and desperate, a heavy baton clenched tightly in his hand.

“Voss!” Fallon cries out, voice thick with panic and fury.

Footsteps thunder in the hallway behind us—our packs approaching fast. Marcus’s gaze snaps to me, desperation and madness flashing across his features. He lunges forward, grabbing my arm roughly, knife falling from my grip as he yanks me backward. Panic surges, but I see the lock I’d just opened dangling loosely on the cage door.

“Run!” I yell fiercely at the omega inside, kicking out desperately and knocking the cage door open. “Get out! Go!”

Marcus drags me roughly toward the exit, his breath hot and ragged against my ear. I struggle violently, twisting and kicking, fighting with every ounce of strength I have left. But his grip is unyielding, frantic.

“Stop struggling!” Marcus snarls, dragging me from the room. “Or I’ll kill you right now!”

I grit my teeth, heart racing as I hear Fallon calling my name frantically behind me, and the shouts of my pack echoing closer. Marcus hauls me further down the corridor, desperation sharpening his grip, but deep inside, I know my pack is coming.

They won’t let him get far—and neither will I.

Marcus’s arm tightens painfully around my waist, his breath ragged against my ear, the cold press of the blade digging into my throat. I barely dare to breathe, my pulse pounding furiously beneath the sharp edge. The hallway fills suddenly with the commanding presence of my mates—Dare, Fox, and Jex—alongside Kingston, their eyes blazing with deadly fury.

Dare steps forward, his expression chillingly calm, eyes hard as ice as he locks onto Marcus. His voice slices through the air, lethally precise. “If you harm her, Marcus, your death won’t be quick or merciful. Put the knife down now, and maybe we’ll let you live.”

I roll my eyes dramatically, letting out an exasperated huff despite the blade pressed tight to my skin. “Oh, please,” I mutter sarcastically. “This jackass can barely hold me. I could handle this myself if he’d just put me down.”

Marcus snarls in frustration, pressing the knife harder against my throat in a weak attempt to silence me. I winceslightly as a thin trickle of blood trails down my skin, but I refuse to show fear. My eyes meet Dare’s, and I flick my eyebrow in a subtle signal—ready to move.

Without another heartbeat, I act swiftly, sharply throwing my head backward and connecting with Marcus’s nose with a satisfying crunch. Warm blood spurts across the back of my neck as Marcus cries out, his grip loosening just enough for me to jam my elbow viciously into his gut. He wheezes, doubling forward and gasping for breath.

Fox lunges forward in that instant, moving with ruthless precision. He grabs Marcus’s wrist, twisting violently until the knife clatters harmlessly to the floor. Jex immediately pulls me away, hauling me protectively into his chest. His arms tighten fiercely around me, strong and secure as relief floods through my veins.

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