Page 11 of These Bonds that Unite Us
“It takes two to tango,Pastor,” I spit. “So I carry your sinful DNA as equally as hers.”
“You will not speak unless spoken to.”
My head snaps to the side when his hand connects with my face and I’m tossed to the floor. Stars dot my vision when my skull connects with the hard surface and I have to bite down a whimper at the flood of pain in my already failing body. My legs burn as I force myself back to my feet, but I refuse to back down now.
I stumble a bit, feeling another piece of me slip away into oblivion. “I grew used to your abuse when I experienced it every day as a child. You have no control over me now. I will not be silenced. The world deserves to see the truth behind your charismatic facade.”
His fist connects with my stomach this time. The breath is knocked from my lungs and I fall to my knees. Pain radiates up my body from the fall, stealing what little oxygen I have left. Black dots swim in my vision as I try to force my lungs to work.
“You think you can destroy the kingdom I’ve built? An omega so weakened by her sins she can barely stand on her own two feet?” His hand digs into my hair, yanking at the long strands and forcing me to look up at him. “So disobedient. You, and your sister. Sneaking behind my back to collude with those pro-designation miscreants. Falling into a life of sin and trying to steal my power from me.”
His anger is suffocating in the air around us. It may not be as overpowering as an alpha’s anger, but my instincts still urge me to escape this treacherous situation.
“I’ve spent too long teaching others the truth about these vile designations to be derailed by a filthy omega.”
“You mean brainwashing them. Advocating for torture, mutilation, and rape. And for what reason? Jealousy because you were born a weak, powerless beta?”
My father slams my head down, the sound of it connecting with the floor is loud in the empty space. Blood coats theinside of my mouth from both my split lip and where I’ve bitten my tongue. I let the liquid seep to the floor. My injuries are inconsequential when he is playing right into my hand. Admitting all of his sins for the world to hear.
“I may have once been a simple beta, but no longer. The people of this church, they come to listen to me. They follow me. I hold the power, and I won’t let you and that silly organization dethrone me. I am their god now.”
“There is no god here, only a man pretending to be something he’s not. Your flock will see through your bullshit soon enough.” I choke out the words between heaving breaths only to have them stolen when he kicks my ribs and sends me rolling across the floor.
“They’ll never have a choice. For years Doctor Harrison has been dosing all of his heat and rut suppressors with a chemical mixture allowing for forced control of alpha or omega instincts. Even if they do realize I’ve been using them to expand my power base, all it will take is one dose of this drug in the air to bring them back into the fold. The same drug that has been pumping into this very room from the moment you arrived.”
A smile stretches across my face as his words ring throughout the building. My pain fades into the background. The peace I’ve been so desperately searching for is finally within reach.
I don’t fight when he kicks me onto my back. Even when they grab my arms and legs and lift me onto the table, I feel nothing but elation. Fingers dig into my jaw, forcing my attention to turn to where my father looms above me.
“Now is the time to start begging for forgiveness.” He drops his hold when I spit in his face, his disgust clear as he tries to rid himself of my contagious, sinful saliva.
My smile falls when I glance down to see the empty hole where my body cam was hidden. Oh well. I’ve done enough. AllI can do now is hope the world was able to see my father for the power-hungry liar he truly is.
The Pastor slides onto the bench of a pew angled in our direction, his eyes glued to me. Movement at my side draws my attention. I flinch when I see Doctor Harrison standing above me, too late to react when he locks the straps on the table over my legs and upper chest.
“The drug currently circulating in the air, its chemical formula came from the dissection of an alpha's voice box.” He says, his gloved fingers tracing up my throat to a spot below my chin. “They have a gland growing right along the vocal cords which produces the compound needed for a bark to be effective.”
He pulls his instrument tray closer, inspecting the tools before turning back to face me, a pair of scissors in his hand. “At first I tried removing the gland completely, but those abominations grew back.” He moves his fingers to the side of my neck and up to where my scent gland is. “It was easy to theorize the compound could be weaponized the same as an omega’s scent. By combining it with the chemical in an omega’s scent glands, the one allowing their perfume to become potent during a heat, I was able to render alpha barks ineffective.”
He begins to cut up the center of my t-shirt. The metal bites into my skin but the feeling is muted. Like I’m not inside of my body anymore.
“I’ve been attempting to manufacture an artificial version of both chemicals, but so far we have been unsuccessful.” He continues, his amber eyes meeting mine after my shirt has been destroyed. “I can see the question in your eyes. If we can’t manufacture the chemicals, how are we able to create the drug we’re using to force your submission?”
A smile so vile stretches across his lips that my heart tries to beat its way out of my chest. Terror the likes of which I’ve neverexperienced before skitters across my skin, raising the hairs along my arms.
“We get them straight from the source.” I watch as he grabs a scalpel from the tray but quickly turn my attention away from the madman before he turns back to me.
The first rays of light from a new day are peeking over the horizon. Their beams shine through the stained glass windows and cast the ceiling of my hell into a rainbow of color. My mind registers a commotion outside but the thought drifts away before I can latch onto it. The world around me slips away. A hazy, fuzzy feeling sinks into my bones and eases the weariness I’ve carried since my mates rejected me.
With a shuddering breath, darkness beckons me, its arms spread wide in a welcoming embrace.
I’m free.
CHAPTER FIVE
Now Playing: Another Life- Motionless in White
Returning from my morning run, I open our apartment door to the sweetest sound. My mental health is much better with my mates back home. I kick my shoes off by the door, uncaring I’m still soaked in sweat, and cross to where they’re talking to Titan in our living room.
