Chapter 15
FIFTEEN
Faye
After my dance with Ezra ended, I was left alone, feeling uneasy. Cayson and Ezra seemed to be constantly trying to make their way toward me, but as the sons to two powerful packs’ leaders, they were a hot commodity, and the women flocking into their arms knew it.
Which felt a little strange.
I knew that the next step of the games would be starting shortly, possibly exposing me to the man I fear. My uneasy feeling built until I couldn’t ignore the overwhelming need to escape any longer, and I bolted for it. I fully plan to be back for charades, but just need a moment to myself.
The last thing I saw as I slipped out of the ballroom was my best friend grinning in the arms of a handsome brunette, while another talked to her nearby. Addilyn was clearly overjoyed… It now seems like she has the interest of two alphas, at least at the dance, even though she’s from Pack Ivory, a weaker pack. We might not be the top pack that alphas want to create alliances with, but the rumor that our women are the most beautiful always tends to circulate among the packs making us sought after in a different way.
Addilyn was doing a great job being seen by the alphas, although I knew this was hard for her. Given how she was when we were girls, she was always good at setting people up, and less good at attracting the attention from men herself.
I just wish Addilyn knew someone who could take Kurt’s interest away from me.
But that’s not true, I think, as I fit the key into the lock on my door. I wouldn’t wish Kurt’s interest on anyone. The entire time he was dancing with Serra, some part of me was worried about what he might do or say to her, even though she was rude to me on the water. Tensions run high during The Selection. That doesn’t mean I would wish Kurt on my worst enemy.
I finally get the door to my room open, already thinking about how good it’s going to feel to fall into bed and relax, when suddenly, pain bursts across my left cheek, sending stars ricocheting across my vision.
The breath is knocked out of me when I hit the floor, and I raise a hand to my face, already feeling how tender the bruise will be when it forms. My mind is not quite catching up to what’s happening.
It’s not until I look up that I realize what, or rather who, hit me.
Kurt is towering over me, breathing heavily, his hand hanging loosely at his side. I stare at it, thinking about how it cost him nothing to hit me. He’s a strong alpha, they heal so fast. But me? This is just another bruise that I’ll have to cover up with Addilyn’s borrowed make-up. The mark will linger on me for weeks.
Then my mind starts working and goosebumps erupt on my skin. Kurt is here, in my room, where no one can hear us. A bruise is the least of my worries.
How am I going to get out of this alive?
Glancing up at him, I don’t have to feign the terror that washes over me as he glares down at me. His entire chest is heaving, like he just ran really far, and his knuckles are clenching so hard that they’re turning white.
What does he want? What is he going to do to me?
Instead of speaking, he grabs a fistful of my hair and drags me into my room, letting my door slam behind us. Sealing me in with this monster.
“You will never embarrass me like that again, do you understand, Faye?” he asks, bending down and grabbing my chin hard between his fingers.
I whimper as his breath fans over me—stinking of booze—and he turns my head so I have to meet his eyes. Earlier, they were cold and calculated. Now, they’re brimming with fury. It sends me hurtling through time, back to the day he killed Miles, that dull crack of my brother’s neck breaking echoing again and again though my head.
I retch, but nothing comes out, and Kurt pulls his hand back in disgust. His face is a mix of loathing and arousal, and fear courses through my body. I prefer his loathing, his temper, to his arousal.
This is why omegas aren’t supposed to return to their rooms alone. This is why we’re supposed to stay in the event space with everyone else. Because there are just some alphas who believe they can do whatever they want, and nobody tries to stop them.
When it’s clear to him that I’m not actually going to vomit, he reaches down, grabbing me by the front of my dress. I hear several of the stitches pop, but I don’t even care about the wardrobe people. He could shred the whole dress if it means I get out of here alive.
“Did you think it was cute? Dancing with another man like that? Right in front of me?”
I open my mouth to speak, but Kurt’s other hand closes over my throat. Stars dance in my vision, my body already going hot and limp. If he doesn’t let up, I’m going to pass out.
“Do something like that ever again, and I won’t hesitate to kill you like I killed your little bitch brother.”
Kurt raises his other hand from my dress, and I flinch, wondering whether I’ll feel the blow or pass out first, but neither of those happens. The door to my room flies open and Kurt drops me. I fall heavily to the floor, my outstretched hand and wrist taking the brunt of the impact. A sharp pain shoots up my arm. I roll to the side and hold my wrist against my chest, looking up and seeing Ezra as he thunders inside, grabbing Kurt by the front of his shirt and bringing an elbow squarely to his nose.
Blood spatters all over Kurt’s face, and Kurt stumbles back, his hands to his face.
“What the fuck?” he cries, the words wet and warbled through the blood in his mouth. I move at the last second to keep from getting stepped on by him, crawling back until my back is against the wall.
“My question exactly,” Ezra says, rolling up his sleeves and waiting for a moment, a small smile twisting his lips for a brief second before disappearing.
It’s like he can predict what Kurt’s going to do, because when Kurt launches toward him, catching him on the jaw, it’s like Ezra wanted it to happen. Ezra moves with a swift motion, grabbing him and bringing a knee to his stomach.
Kurt lands hard on the floor.
Blood is everywhere. Kurt is coughing it up, and it’s smeared on his face and hands, although I notice that, somehow, Ezra doesn’t have a single drop of it on him. Kurt screams and runs at Ezra again. Ezra’s hand flies out, punching his already broken nose.
Kurt lets out a very unmanly wail.
Ezra circles him, waiting for him to stand again. Kurt does, trying to punch Ezra. This time, Ezra rains down blows on the other man. His shoulders, his arms, his back. Kurt crumples face down on the ground.
“Putting your hands on an omega,” Ezra murmurs, before kicking Kurt in the side. “Fucking unbelievable.”
Kurt rolls onto his back, and Ezra stands over him, watching and waiting to see what he’s going to do. And although Ezra’s face is calm, there’s a dare in it. A dare for Kurt to try to come at him again. It’s… hard to believe it’s real. Kurt is so big, so strong, it feels like nobody and nothing can hurt him. But maybe that’s just because I’m an omega.
I watch in stunned silence as Kurt peels himself off the floor and gets shakily to his feet, before turning and limping out into the hallway. Every second I expect him to turn around and run at me, to take Ezra down and finish what he started with me, killing me just like he killed my brother, but he doesn’t look back, just continues limping out.
As soon as he’s gone, Ezra turns and looks at me, his face full of empathy and pain. “Faye…”
As though waiting for the right moment, a sob rips out of me, and Ezra is there beside me on the floor. He wraps his arms around me gently, and his scent is soothing, calming, bringing me comfort until my sobs slowly subside. It’s strange, like magic, what this man can do to me.
I don’t understand it at all.
I glance up at him as I wipe my tears away, wincing at my bruised cheek, I look into Ezra’s sapphire eyes. How can such a strong alpha be so gentle? And then my gaze moves to his face.
“Oh, gods,” I say, touching my fingers to his jaw, where there’s a bruise dusted over the skin. “I’m so sorry this happened—it’s my fault?—”
He wraps his fingers around mine, gently pulling my hand back.
“Faye,” he says, “it is not your fault. And besides, this little thing will be healed by nightfall. I’m more concerned about the fact that you keep accumulating injuries from this guy. We’re going to have to do something about him.”
I shake my head. There’s nothing we can do. No way to stop this.
He gives me a pointed look. “I’m guessing this is the same man responsible for killing your brother?”
I don’t answer. How can I? At best, he would believe me and do something that would lead to Kurt coming after me even more. At worst, he’d be just another alpha who pretended like I must be wrong because I’m an omega. Neither of which I think I’m strong enough to handle.
“Well, I know the answer, but we can pretend that I don’t.” There’s a note of anger to his voice that I don’t understand.
I fold my arms over my chest. “Whatever you want to think.”
He sighs. “I can understand. Pack Obsidian is powerful, with many warriors, and few women and children. Not many packs would want to cross them.” He hesitates. “Still, even they aren’t above the laws.”
I give a humorless laugh. “Right.”
Touching my chin just below where Kurt had punched me, he studies me. “How long will this take to heal?”
I bring my hand to my cheek, wincing at how tender it feels. It’s going to take an expert hand to cover it up with makeup tomorrow morning.
“Weeks,” I say softly, and Ezra swears under his breath.
I shrug. “That’s how it is for omegas.”
He doesn’t look happy. “I’ll be speaking to the council about this in the evening, when the games are over,” Ezra says, his voice hard, his eyes far away.
I remember what he said about leading his people, creating a community, and realize he thinks that going to the council will be the best thing for me. As an alpha, he doesn’t understand what it’s like to be an omega in this world. He doesn’t understand that when all of this gets looked at I’ll most likely be blamed for going to my room and being a temptation for Kurt, rather than him being to blame for any of his actions.
Except maybe fighting with Ezra, although Ezra might get in trouble for that.
Besides, I’ll be heading home soon, and what happens here will matter back home.
“No, Ezra,” I say, leaning forward and taking his hand in mine. It’s large and weathered, dwarfing my own in comparison. “Please don’t go to the council. Kurt—his pack’s territory borders mine. If I fight back against him now, he won’t hesitate to come and hurt me when I get home.”
“Faye,” Ezra says, his eyes serious. “He’s going to keep hurting you like this if you keep letting him. You have to stand up to bullies, or they’ll never stop. Things will only escalate.”
“That’s really easy to say as an alpha,” I say, pulling my hand back and already regretting it, wishing I had the contact back.
Ezra looks down at our hands like he’s thinking the same thing.
“Touche,” he says finally, and when his eyes meet mine, there’s something new and determined there. “Faye, that’s exactly right that it’s easy to say as an alpha, but omegas are not without protection themselves. You just need an alpha by your side. You need to take The Selection seriously, or this guy will have nothing stopping him.”
“He’ll get bored,” I insist, praying internally that it’s true. “I don’t need an alpha. I just need to get through this and go home so I can continue on with my life.”
I can tell from the way Ezra sighs that he doesn’t agree with this, but to my surprise, he doesn’t keep arguing with me about it. He just wraps his arms around me, pulling me into his chest and holding me while we sit on the floor together. The room is quiet and peaceful, a nice, stark difference from the rest of the day so far.
If I could, I’d lay with Ezra like this forever.
“Then what do you want to do, little one?”
I take a shaky breath. “If we’re not back at the games soon, we’ll be in trouble.”
He’s quiet for a long minute. “Then we’ll go back to the games.”
“In a few minutes…?” I rush out.
He holds me tighter. “In a few minutes.”