Page 18 of Verses and Blooms
Blood sprayed, hot and wet, across my face.
I screamed without meaning to, the shock and disgust exploding out of me.
“Stop that screaming,” my captor snapped with a snarl.
I slapped a hand over my mouth, choking it back, forcing my body to obey even as tremors wracked me. This man was unpredictable now and I didn’t want to test it. I had to survive, to fight, to get back to my pack.
He smiled, pleased with himself at my obedience. “Don’t worry, little omega, it’s just that another opportunity came about, that’s all. You see, when money likethatcomes along—” his eyes gleamed at the thought of it, “you don’t turn it down.”
“Youcould,” I hissed, my voice raw and rasping now. “Be a good alpha. Let me go. I just wanted to live my life. You had no right to drag me back here.”
His grin widened again. “No right? I haveeveryright. I’ve owned you your whole life.”
“No one owns me.” My voice shook, but the conviction in it did not. They would come for me. No matter what he said, they would never give up.
He snorted in response. “Maybe not anymore. A million dollars says I gave up that right. I’d say you were worth every penny, princess.”
The nickname made my skin crawl almost as much as ‘little omega.’
Princess.
I hated it with every cell in my fucking body.
Princesses lived pampered lives in castles. I’d never known safety or comfort until I met my pack. My parents hadn’t cared, and this man only cared about the money I brought him.
“In fact…” He leaned closer, voice dripping with that sick excitement. “Why don’t we give him a warm welcome? You wouldn’t want to disappoint me, would you? After all, he paid handsomely for you.”
Before I could move, his hand shot forward and wrapped around my throat, pinning me to the wall.
The needle plunged into my arm before I knew what was happening.
Fire tore through my veins again, this time it wasn’t slow. The burn was immediate and vicious. My body convulsed as the heat spiked higher, crushing down on me until I was drowning in it. Slick flooded my thighs and my scent swelled in the air. It was humiliating, but impossible to stop.
I collapsed to the dirty cement ground, cramps wrenching me to the floor in mere seconds. The cool cement burned against my fevered skin, even as I kept my cheek pressed to it as if it could ground me and stop the inevitable.
His voice followed me into the dark.
“Don’t worry,” he whispered. “It won’t be long now, princess.”
Chapter Eight
Ares
Ledger rushed ahead of me as we stepped outside. I heard him send Ansel off with the others, which was probably for the best.
I wasn’t slowing down for anything.
My gaze landed on the holster at Ledger’s hip. I’d pretended not to notice the sheer amount of weapons he’d concealed earlier. He’d need them.
“You better truly know how to use that thing,” I said as I caught up to him. We both knew damn well he could but I couldn’t help but warn him. I didn’t need him to make mistakes. He was more than a little out of practice now.
He didn’t dignify it with a response, just spared me one glance before he approached the shed.
He didn’t bother saying a word to the men waiting outside. They were Alliance agents who I told to meet us here. They knew they were backup and simply stepped aside for him.
Everyone had been briefed. I’d bet the Chief knew exactly what they would do the moment we showed them the armorytruck. We just all had to feign ignorance for the sake of ending this, once and for all.
We’d handle the mistakes and fallout later. There would be plenty of pointing fingers as we called out the depths of corruption hidden away here in ARC.
