Chapter 3

Chapter 3

Emma

T he three alphas stared at me in silence. Part of me waited for one of them to bark orders, or press a button, for me to be locked down and never see another soul again.

Finally, the one named Owen spoke. “Kitten, what have they done to you here?”

My head jerked backward. That was not the response I’d been expecting. “You know what they’ve done to us, what they do to us.”

The giant growled, low and frightening. “We don’t, but you’ll tell us, little omega.”

“Liam,” Owen warned. “We discussed this.”

“Fuck being gentle,” Liam said, and somehow, his name fit him perfectly. “If they’ve been hurting her, I want to know exactly who and exactly how, so I can deliver the same punishment right back.”

I stared up at him, floored by his comment. Belle was right then, wasn’t she? These men weren’t here to rape us, to torture or play with us, to break us. But then why were they here? And why did they care?

“Later,” Alec murmured. To me, he said, “What did you mean by ‘I’ll give you me ?”

I cleared my throat, lowering my voice. “I’m not stupid. I know you want me. I… I feel this draw to you, too. I’ve been forced by alphas for what feels like my entire life, but I’ve never given myself willingly. And I can tell you, you won’t find any willingness in here. So, unless you want to rape us like the rest?—”

Liam growled again.

“Liam!” This time, both Alec and Owen barked his name.

I gathered myself. “—Unless that’s what you want, your only shot at me is this. I’ll give myself over to you.”

“For how long, sweetheart?” Alec asked.

“For as long as it takes for you to help me get out of here,” I told him truthfully. “I won’t be claimed. Not ever again.”

“You were claimed before?”

“An alpha tried. He’s no longer of this earth.”

Alec chuckled. “Good girl.”

I blinked, stymied. I had not expected that response.

Liam spoke, his voice low and almost threatening in its intensity. “If we agree to this, you’ll give yourself to us entirely. Whatever we want from you, you’ll give.”

I nodded, relieved. “Yes, I will. Anything that is, but a claiming bite.”

“Well, of course, kitten,” Owen said smoothly. “We don’t want to end up like the last alpha who tried.”

Don’t worry, I see your claws, and I respect them , the look in his eyes said.

I relaxed.

Slightly.

Owen continued. “We’ll come to you tonight. There’s supposed to be a big storm. It will be easy to create a distraction. You’ll give yourself to us and when we’re done, we’ll get you out of here. Deal, kitten?”

Joy and relief and a little bit of wariness sparked in me. “Yes. Deal.”

I should’ve read the fine print.

I paced the small cell as I waited for them. Outside, the thunder sounded, so fierce it shook the door to my cell. Nothing felt right. I was hot, too hot. My skin felt too tight, my heart was racing, and everything, everything, was wrong. With my cell, with my life.

If I didn’t know better…

…But no. Even though we never knew when it was coming, we knew at least when the wardens had induced a heat cycle. They made a whole show of it, lining us up naked, one by one, and injecting us with Friedum while the guards watched. No one had injected me with anything. Besides, I was fully conscious, not lost to omega brain at all. This had to just be my fear and worry and excitement.

It wasn’t excitement over letting Owen, Alec, and Liam fuck me. Rather, it was excitement over finally escaping Hell. The image of my little cottage appeared in my mind, and I held it tight. Soon , I promised myself. Soon. Soon I’d be free. Soon I’d be home.

Home , that voice—which I now thought of as my inner omega—giggled with joy. Home is close!

My inner voice was a boy crazy idiot.

I glared at the walls of my small cell as I started to pace again. In the corner, my one blanket sat, folded carefully on the hard prison mattress. Striding over to it, I picked it up, shook it out, and then refolded it. And then refolded it again.

It was wrong. It smelled wrong. It felt wrong. There wasn’t enough. I needed more. I needed…

What the fuck was wrong with me?!

There was a knock on the wall outside my cell. I peered through the slats.

Liam, Owen, and Alec stood there, Alec holding a folded pile of bedding and clothes.

Oh, shit.

My senses pinged, and I immediately beat myself up for trusting these alphas, even for a goddamned second.

“You tricked me,” I accused, and I hated how betrayed, how hurt , I sounded.

“Let us in, kitten,” Owen said.

“We didn’t trick you, Emma,” Alec said. “Did no one ever teach you about how true heats work?”

I knew the fairytales, the ones my omega grandmother had told me. Your first heat was supposed to happen naturally, a scientific reaction to being around your true mates for the first time. Those heats happened with full consciousness and agency.

But my alpha, the dead one, the one I’d killed…he hadn’t brought on a heat. It was a lie. Every heat I’d ever had had been medically induced.

“You’re lying,” I told him.

Alec’s face was grave. “I’m not, sweet girl. Let us in.”

“And if I don’t?” I challenged.

I didn’t want this. Didn’t want to lose myself to these alphas. Didn’t want mates. I’d fought—hard—and lost—harder—to avoid being owned by powerful men who would hurt me. I refused to become nothing more than a desperate set of holes for their cocks. Men… These men , with their intoxicating scents and the sympathy and tenderness in their eyes, could hurt me—badly.

Liam’s face was hard, but his eyes were not. “You don’t have a choice, little omega. None of us do. We’re fated. Soon, you’ll be begging for us, for our cocks, writhing on the floor and screaming from the pain of being empty. And you’ll be conscious for all of it. You need us, and we’re here to give you what you need. Let. Us. In.”

The stubborn part of me wanted to resist. The sane part of me knew he was right. Regardless of what had caused it, it was too late.

Besides, that little voice asked, wouldn’t it be better to experience pleasure instead of only pain?

Liam held up a key, waiting for my agreement. After a moment, I nodded. And as the key turned in the lock to my cell and the door slowly swung open…

…I hoped I wasn’t making a mistake.

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