Page 49 of Knot Shattered
I shivered at the casual mention of fighting, horror seeping through my bones. Fallon’s hand landed gently on my shoulder, steady and reassuring.
“They’re making omegas fight each other?” Violet asked, eyes blazing angrily.
Riven nodded grimly. “It’s entertainment for sick bastards who pay good money to see us hurt. But listen—keepyour heads up. The fact that you fought back is already legendary here. You’ve given us a spark of hope.”
Fallon smirked proudly, lifting her chin. “We don’t do meek very well.”
“Good,” Riven said, voice turning hard and determined. “Because we need fighters. Especially now.”
I met Riven’s gaze steadily, my heart beating hard with a new kind of bravery I hadn’t felt before. Gone was the terrified omega from months past. The girl who cowered and broke had died in that basement. Now, something new rose fiercely in her place.
“We’re not going to let them break us,” I said firmly, surprising even myself with the certainty in my voice.
Violet’s smile was sharp, fiercely proud. “Not that they could.”
Riven smiled back, a feral gleam in her eyes. “Welcome to the fight, ladies. Glad to have you.”
As I sat back, shoulder to shoulder with Fallon and Violet, the whispers around us grew stronger, determination spreading from cage to cage. And for the first time since waking, I felt something other than fear.
Chapter Thirteen
Odette
a few days later
unknown
“Alright, hear me out,” Fallon began confidently, leaning casually against the cold bars of our cage. Her blue eyes glittered mischievously, unfazed by our grim surroundings. “I say we make it interesting. Ten points per asshole. Double if they scream.”
Violet smirked, effortlessly elegant even with smudged makeup and messy hair. “And triple points for creative methods.”
I snorted, unable to help the laugh that bubbled out of me. “Instant win if you kill them with a single blow from bare hands. No strangling.” I laugh.
“Come on, that’s too easy,” Violet replied with mock seriousness. “I set a standard with the bat.”
Fallon grinned widely, clearly delighted. “Alright, that’s fair. And bonus points if any of us manage to use one asshole to take out another.”
Across the aisle, Riven was staring at us, eyebrows raised so high they practically disappeared into her dark hairline. Several of the other omegas had paused to openly stare at us, expressions varying between admiration and concern.
“Are you three seriously placing bets on murder?” Riven asked incredulously, shaking her head with a mixture of horror and amusement.
“Yes,” Violet deadpanned immediately.
“Absolutely,” Fallon agreed cheerfully.
I shrugged sheepishly, smiling despite myself. “It helps pass the time.”
Riven huffed a laugh, shaking her head again. “You girls are insane.”
“Thank you,” Fallon said brightly, inclining her head in exaggerated gratitude. “We really do try.”
“Besides,” Violet added coolly, stretching casually despite the cramped space. “It’s only murder if your an asshole.”
A snort of genuine laughter erupted from Riven’s cage, and the tension in the room loosened slightly. A quiet murmur of whispers spread through the surrounding omegas, some laughing softly despite the darkness of our situation. Humor, I realized, had become our most powerful weapon.
“I still can’t believe they’ve kept us here for days and haven’t even bothered to show their faces,” I muttered, frustration edging into my tone as I picked half-heartedly at the stale sandwich in my lap. “I’m sick of sandwiches. And the only one we see is that beta woman.”
“Seriously, are they scared of us?” Fallon huffed irritably, tossing a crust aside with dramatic disgust. “Because they should be.”
