Page 3 of Omega Inked

Phoenix finishes mixing the ink and turns back to me, holding up the tattoo gun.

"Ready?" he asks.

I nod, my heart beating fast. This is it--the moment when I'll be marked forever.

But just as he's about to press the needle to my skin, a loud crash sounds from the parlor's lobby.

Phoenix curses under his breath and sets the tattoo gun down. "Stay here," he orders me, before stalking out of the room to see what's going on.

I sit there, heart pounding as I try to calm myself down. I can hear muffled voices from the lobby, and then the sound of someone being thrown against the wall. I bite my lip, wondering if I should go help, but I know better. I'm just an omega--I wouldn't stand a chance against whoever is causing the commotion out there.

After what seems like an eternity, Phoenix finally comes back into the room, his face grim. "We have to go," he says, grabbing my arm. "Now."

"What's going on?" I ask, as he leads me out through the back exit of the parlor.

"It's a raid," he says, pulling me along behind him. "The ACB found out about this place."

My heart beats wildly in my chest. The ACB--the Alpha Control Bureau--is the organization that enforces omega subservience.

"How?" I stammer.

"Were you followed?"

I think back to my trip here. Fuck...I probably was. Without suppressants, my scent must have been all over those streets.

"I don't think so," I whisper. "I tried not to, but--"

"There's no time to explain," he says. "Come with me."

I don't know where he's taking me, but I let him pull me along, my heart racing. We run through dark alleys, down side streets, and across empty parking lots. Every sound makes me jump, and my mind races with thoughts of what will happen if we get caught.

Finally, he pulls me into a small apartment building, leading me up a flight of stairs and into a cramped studio apartment.

"Wait here," he says, gesturing to the couch. "I have to make some phone calls."

I sit down nervously, my eyes darting around the room. It's a mess--clothes and empty takeout containers are scattered across the floor, and the only furniture is a sagging couch and a rickety coffee table. But it's a haven, at least for now.

Phoenix disappears into a back room, and I wait anxiously for him to return. My mind races with thoughts of what will happen next--will we be able to escape, and what will happen to the Enclave?

As I wait, I can't help but think about Phoenix. He's scary, sure, but there's something alluring about him. Maybe it's the way his muscles bulge under his shirt, or the way his tattoos crisscross his skin. Maybe it's the way his scent fills the room, or the way his eyes seem to see right through me.

I shake my head, trying to clear my thoughts. Now is not the time to be thinking about alphas--especially not one as dangerous as Phoenix.

But as I sit there, waiting for him to return, I can't help but feel drawn to him. And when he finally comes back into the room, his phone still in his hand, I can't help but feel a jolt of desire shoot through me.

My stomach twists and cramps in a way that's too familiar.

A way omegas always feel when they're around a powerful alpha.

But now isn't the time.

"We have to leave," he says, looking at me with serious eyes. "The Enclave's been compromised."

"What does that mean?" I ask, standing up from the couch.

"It means we have to get to a safehouse," he says. "This has happened before...but I'm sorry you're caught up in it."

I nod, my heart still racing. "I understand."

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