Chapter 6
I’d long since stopped fighting to free myself and settled into the drive, trussed up in the trunk like a turkey.
Sweat beaded at my nape from trying to wriggle free of the zip ties.
A pinch assaulted my shoulder from how long my arms had spent behind my back.
My thighs burned from kicking at the side of the small trunk with my ankles tied.
All the light I had was a little yellow light on the top of the too-close trunk.
My Scent Matches tied me up like this.
A thick knot formed in my throat and pulsed like it was trying to make a point. My Scent Matches hated me, and didn’t deem me worth treating like a fucking living person.
What could I expect from a pack that purchased an Omega? If they didn’t know who I was to them and they behaved this way, would they have accepted me if they knew?
That felt wrong too.
I rolled the back of my head against the felt floor. What could possibly be their reason for buying me? They were attractive, and from the look of it, filthy rich, so what was it they wanted from me?
Children?
My stomach turned, and I gave another tug at the ties. All they did was abrade my already numb and stinging wrists.
Purchasing me to impregnate me didn’t feel right. If they wanted children from me, they wouldn’t have mentioned taking me somewhere, right?
I groaned.
If that was what they wanted from me, I had to escape sooner than later. I wouldn’t allow myself to be trapped because of a child. Not like this. I would never allow a kid to feel so used as I’d always felt.
To get away, I had to know where I was. Hopefully there were signs nearby to give me a better idea of my location.
All I knew was I’d landed in Northern California, closer to San Francisco.
On the drive to their house, I’d only had brief glimpses from the back seat of the rental van Father drove.
What I had seen consisted of a dry, sprawling landscape.
Bland to the point that everything looked the same.
Fields, lots of agriculture, then the landscape morphed into compact bunches of sycamore trees.
The car jolted, and I went rolling to the side, smacking my head on the bulge at the side of the trunk. Once the engine went silent, the sounds of car doors shutting reached my ears. A few moments later, the trunk popped open. I squinted against the blinding light, wincing from the sting.
My sight still hadn’t adjusted to the fluorescent beams when a grip wrapped around my forearm and hoisted me upright. At the same time, the other hand scooped my legs so they hung off the lip of the car. The metal dug into my flesh, and I winced.
Rafe slid his finger between my skin and the plastic, then jerked.
The band dug into flesh even more, and I couldn’t hold back my pained gasp.
Once the zip tie snapped, he tossed it in behind me.
I rubbed my raw wrists. Thin imprints of the hard plastic had dug in to the point that it burst open capillaries under my skin.
Keeping my expression stiff, I waited on Rafe’s next move. He crouched and ripped the band around my ankles. This time, the edge sliced across my shin. Unable to keep it in, I hissed a breath out. He swiped his thumb across the blood and popped it into his mouth, leaving me gawking at him.
What the fuck is wrong with these men?
After tossing those broken ties into the trunk, he grabbed something from the ground that had been shadowed by the car. My heels. He slid them onto my feet. Muscle rippled under his black fitted T-shirt. Wide shoulders to grip while he slid in—
I squeezed my thighs together so hard that there was no way he didn’t notice my swell of lust, but he didn’t say anything as he carefully slid the heels on, almost gingerly. Quite the opposite to how he’d yanked the ties. Wavy hair fluttered in the brisk breeze, playing along his forehead.
“Why did you guys buy me?” I whispered.
Rafe’s shoulders rolled, and he peered up at me. Without saying anything, he stood, placed a hand under my arm and pulled me to standing. Tingles spiked directly to my feet.
I stumbled into him, my hands settling on his abdomen. My Omega instincts swelled to life, and slick accumulated at the apex of my thighs. The abs under my palms rippled as Alpha pheromones tickled my nose, causing another wave of slick.
I groaned, and his breath hitched.
“We don’t have all day!” Cade shouted.
Reality was a slap in the face, and I yanked my hands back. Rafe’s lips twitched at the corners. He grabbed my arm and pulled me away from the trunk to shut it.
A parking garage? The click of my heels echoed loudly. Cade slid his arm around my waist in a limp grip while Rafe stayed on my other side. Dorian strode ahead, leading us to frosted glass doors that didn’t allow us to see through.
An Alpha stood at the entrance of the door. The man looked like a mountain, and Dorian reached him first. He swept his gaze across everyone and settled his gaze on me. Interest lit up his gaze.
“You weren’t lying, Dorian,” the man said.
His pheromones tickled my nose, and I had to stop myself from making a face. Alphas wouldn’t smell as good now that I’d smelled them. I turned my head slightly to the side to sniff Cade. The coffee scent soothed my senses.
We didn’t stick around outside for long.
Cade shuffled me through the door, Rafe falling into step behind us because the entrance was too slim to accommodate us.
Upon entering, there was a pitch-black section and another door.
My heart felt ready to jump out of my chest, but without a choice, I was shoved through the second entrance.
Sounds of dings and chatter filled my ears. Slot machines and tables with green felt coating the tops littered the huge space. It was packed with people.
A gambling hall.
Cade glided his hand down the small of my back in soothing circles. His touch relaxed my shoulders. I hadn’t even noticed they’d tensed up.
My designation’s fault. Especially so close to my heat. All I wanted was to be surrounded by my Scent Matches. To top off the discomfort, I wasn’t enjoying all this noisiness either. I pressed harder against Cade, and his arm slid over my shoulders, tucking me tighter against him.
I hated myself a little more for seeking comfort from him.
We had only taken a few steps across the multicolored carpet when a woman sauntered over. Her stride was wide and she held her head high. Her leaner build made it seem like she floated over the floor with how her dress fluttered around her ankles.
“Cade,” she said in a sultry voice, such assurance in her tone. She leaned forward and kissed his cheek. Cade did the same to her.
I tensed, and he must have caught my reaction because he whipped his head to me, raising an eyebrow with that smug smirk.
“Always a pleasure, Kelly.” He cupped her hip, and his hand was so large his fingertips reached her ass. Nausea roiled in my stomach.
I wanted to wither and die.
She pulled back and kissed Dorian’s cheek, and he kissed hers, then went to Rafe.
They killed me—no, slaughtered me. With a few harsh words, with their callousness, and now they were touching another woman?
As the pack destined for me, there was no coming back from this. I could hear my teeth grind.
Keep it together.
“Elias has been waiting for your arrival,” she said and settled against Cade’s side so we framed him.
She pressed into Cade’s other side, and I scoffed with disgust before yanking myself out of his grip. He reached for me, but I avoided him by sliding behind Dorian and gripping his arm.
I froze and sucked in a breath. He was so still I could feel his muscles bunch under my hand. He watched me with that same expressionless face, giving nothing away, just as before.
“Lead the way,” he finally said and bent his arm so it formed a nook for my hand.
I avoided Cade’s glare, clinging to Dorian. I wasn’t happy with any of them, but I wasn’t opposed to using him as a barrier. Dropping my eyes, I followed Cade and Kelly.
Wait, no, I couldn’t let myself look away. I had to see it all. Not only their betrayals, but all and any surroundings.
Alphas and Betas mingled at the tables with very few Omegas interspersed between the crowd. I could tell which women were Alpha-Chasers. I wrinkled my nose.
Dorian hadn’t tensed. Even as we walked deeper into the gaming hall, his gaze swept across the surroundings . . . Not only as if he were aware, but as if he were searching for something. I frowned and peeked at the chattering Cade.
Who was also seemingly scanning the area.
Hmm.
Kelly guided us through a spot where dark curtains hung from the ceiling. Upon crossing were two large Betas framing the velvet rope. The carpet ended and became gray tiles. Baldy on the left jerked his chin and undid the rope.
We passed through another parted curtain, and it opened to a large room. There was so much happening, it took me a moment to take it all in.
A round couch circled a center stage where a woman danced to a thrumming tune. She twirled, shaking her breasts for the Alphas watching from the couch. There were two men.
One sprawled in a black suit, his arms spread outward across the backrest. A ring on his thumb glinted in the light as he watched the woman make the pole her bitch. The second man sat reclined with his eyes closed, and the gold piercing gracing his eyebrow complemented his bronze skin.
A third disappeared through the curtains at the furthest end of the lounging area, a woman in tow. He left so fast I didn’t have a chance to see either of them. All I could note was that he was the size of an Alpha.
High-pitched tittering reached through the pump of music.
The man in the black suit met Dorian’s gaze and held it. Dorian approached him, and they shook hands, not looking away from each other—posturing. Dominance plumed from them both and hit me hard.
I bit my lip to contain my whine.
“Elias,” Dorian murmured in greeting.