Chapter 2
CHAPTER TWO
Attic, Battle House, The Alpha Underworld
F eral’s growl deepens to something so primal that it makes the hairs on the back of my neck rise.
Instantly, he rolls off me in the cage to crouch protectively in front of me.
Adrenaline surges through me. My pulse spikes.
I’m not the one who is in danger in this attic: Feral is .
Plus, despite the dominant pheromones that are emanating from him, Feral isn’t the threat either.
My Omega sister is.
Allegra’s knees buckle against the wave of his pheromones. She falls against the attic’s door frame, clutching her arm across her nose.
“ Animal ,” she hisses.
Her normally sugary tones are low with vicious rage.
Allegra tosses her head with her straight, golden hair, which is pinned back with diamond clips. She’s tiny and fragile looking, wearing a frilly, blush pink dress with BABY in glittering thread on the front.
I hate that Allegra takes after our Omega mom.
Allegra’s sweet, submissive Omega look, however, is only a mask. She doesn’t bother wearing it around Feral or me, since he’s only fostered into the pack and neither bonded nor adopted, unlike Lionzio.
How different would Feral’s life have been, if Dad had decided that he wanted two Alphas as his sons?
My heart aches.
Allegra has the right as the First Omega to run the household and discipline those underneath her.
If I’m ever lucky enough to be First Omega, I’ll never abuse my power like she does.
“Allegra, don’t,” I plead.
But it’s too late.
She reaches into her pocket and draws out the small, black box, which makes Feral flinch but not drop out of his protective crouch or stop his growling.
Brave dumbass.
Allegra hovers her finger over the button, which will shoot agonizing electricity through Feral.
She draws out the moment with a nasty smile.
I sob, desperate in my powerlessness. “Please…”
“Knock it off, Allegra,” my brother commands, marching into the room.
Lionzio snatches the remote control from Allegra’s hand. He shoves it deep into the pocket of his gray suit trousers.
He looks exhausted with deep purple shadows underneath his eyes. His silky black hair is slicked back from his handsome face, however, and his crisp ivory shirt is perfectly pressed as always.
Lionzio has similar golden skin to Feral but is about a foot shorter.
With his neat black hair, pale blue eyes, and silk tie, he looks like a handsome CEO, rather than being part of an outlaw pack.
What elite pack did Dad adopt Lionzio from…or kidnap him from?
I suspect that Lionzio was either stolen or sold to the Battles.
Yet Dad refuses to allow Lionzio to talk about how he came to be adopted.
My shoulders slump. I wipe the back of my hand over my eyes.
“You too,” Lionzio barks at Feral, although his expression softens marginally.
I crawl to Feral’s side and brush my fingers along his strong back. “I’m fine. Let me talk to my brother.”
I don’t say my sister .
I never want to talk to her.
Feral side-eyes me, before he nods.
I let out a breath of relief, when he stops growling, although his intent gaze continues to dart between my siblings.
Allegra reaches to determinedly link her arm through Lionzio’s, allowing a simpering expression to fall over her face.
Surely everyone can see how fake it is…?
“I was frightened.” Allegra allows her lips to tremble. I roll my eyes. “That brute was pinning Harley down. Aren’t you protective of Omegas?”
“ Pinning her down , huh?” Lionzio appears to be trying not to laugh, before he shoots me a knowing look. “I’m sure that they were just practicing their fighting moves.”
My cheeks flush.
Allegra looks outraged that her snitching hasn’t gained more of a reaction and a punishment.
She drags Lionzio closer to the cage. “He needs a lesson in who precisely he is.”
Something flashes across Lionzio’s face. He pales.
My brother wrenches his arm away from Allegra hard enough that she stumbles in shock. “Who is he then? I wish that I could…” He breaks off, before his expression steels. “He’s a fostered member of this pack. The Champion in the octagon. And our sister’s trusted fighting partner.”
Allegra’s mouth opens and closes in shock.
Then her hazel eyes narrow. “What was I thinking? I’m sorry, brother dearest. I’m asking too much, aren’t I? You’re not Dad, nor are you Vinnie. You’re good with the books and numbers, of course. But you failed your Alphahood Test. It’s wrong of me to forget that you don’t have a pack of your own because you’re a weak Alpha.”
I wince at the same time as Lionzio does.
Weak Alpha.
In this pack, it’s worse than being called a bad Omega .
Every Alpha is tossed into the octagon, when they turn eighteen.
Lionzio is athletic but is more into math than fighting.
He lost his first and only fight.
If he wasn’t the boss’ adopted son and such a genius at numbers that he’s trusted to keep the pack’s secrets and books, he’d have been thrown away as worthless.
When I turned eighteen, I insisted to be the only Omega to take that test.
I won my fight.
“Not w-w-weak.” When Feral meets Lionzio’s gaze, it makes me smile to see the way that my brother’s shoulders straighten under the more dominant Alpha’s praise. “Strong.”
“W-w-w-what?” My sister mocks, cruelly. “Ferals shouldn’t talk.”
I slam my hand against the bars. “Allegra…”
Feral shakes his head at me.
My sister has the authority to discipline me, as much as the other Omegas and Betas in the household.
My brother is a hard man. My sister is worse.
I need to watch how I talk to both of them. Hierarchy and competition for status is everything within the Battle Pack.
Feral and I may win hundreds of fights within the octagon. But within this house, which isn’t a home, we’re bound by harsh rules that put us at the bottom of the pack.
I press closer to Feral, needing the solid feel of him to ground me. I take a deep breath of his spicy scent.
I hold tightly onto my self-control. “What’s going on, Lion? Where’s…?”
“Riv?” Feral adds.
Lionzio looks surprised. “Last I saw he was scrubbing the floors of his workshop, before he needs to do the chores in the training rooms. He’s excited about some new flower seeds and medicinal herbs that I did a deal for the Hades pack to bring back on their last kidnapping trip from Above. I heard that the Hades snatched some elite, billionaire Omega. Poor guy. You know how happy Riv’s flower collection makes him. I don’t get what he talks about most of the time, but hey, it’s good to see him smile.”
I shutter my expression.
Yet it hurts in a bittersweet way to see how my brother’s normally stoic expression brightens when he talks about River’s nature obsession.
I love that about River and normally, I also don’t understand half his sunny ramblings. They cheer me up anyway.
Yet it’s terrifying to see Lionzio’s devotion to his best friend.
His love, as if it’s mine reflected back at me.
Have I already lost River?
I swallow.
Feral and I exchange a glance.
Should I admit that River didn’t bring us breakfast? Will he be punished, if he’s simply forgotten his duty?
“Why?” Suspiciously, Allegra peers at me.
“No reason,” I say, quickly.
“Liar,” Allegra sneers, before nuzzling against Lionzio. Lionzio stiffens. “What sweet care for your little Beta nurse. Isn’t it thoughtful, dearest brother? Do you think that they’re covering for him because they’re frightened he’s earned a spanking? Will you punish him yourself? Or shall I tell Dad?”
Lionzio shakes Allegra off with a grimace, adjusting his tie. “Breathe one fucking word, and I’ll make you regret it. Do you think that I don’t know about your secret late night trips to the enemy Hades estate? Dad’s been promising to announce me as his official heir for months. Don’t you think that if I tell him about your rule breaking, it will seal my succession?”
I chuckle.
Go Lionzio.
What’s Allegra scheming? Or is she trying to bond with the pack that I rejected because of Vinnie’s brutality?
The Hades pack is the center of the kidnappings and Omega trafficking. But perhaps, my sister doesn’t care about that, as long as she becomes First Omega to the second most powerful pack in the Underworld.
Allegra becomes ashen. “Y-y-ou wouldn’t.”
“Are you stuttering?” Lionzio brushes off imaginary lint from his suit jacket. “Be a good Omega and run along to breakfast. I’ll join you soon. Remember, don’t say anything about either River or Feral to Dad, or I may start to tell him everything that I know about you .”
Allegra squeaks with alarm.
Fucking satisfying.
Feral shoots my brother an impressed look.
Allegra scurries out of the room without glancing back. As soon as she does, however, my brother’s bravado deflates out of him.
He rests against the front of the cage.
Lionzio looks shattered. Is he sleeping? How hard is Dad working him?
Lionzio gives a tired smile. “Sorry about Allegra this morning. Riv didn’t bring your breakfast on Rom’s order. Riv will be in with Feral’s food later. Actually, it’s Dad who has messed up your training. Again, sorry. I know how important this fight is, as it’s the end of the season.”
Except, he doesn’t.
He has no idea that this is the most important fight of my life.
My brow furrows. “What’s Dad done?”
My heart beats faster in my chest. When I shiver, Feral grabs my hands between this.
Lionzio coughs, sweeping his fingers through his hair like he needs a moment to compose himself.
Shit, this is going to be bad.
Has he whacked someone? Ordered a hit? Decided to bond Feral?
I grit my teeth.
“He’s summoned the three of us to breakfast with him,” Lionzio replies like we’ve been summoned before a firing squad.
In a way, we have.
Anyone else would laugh and relax, thinking that they were safe.
They’d be wrong.
My pulse races.
When I whimper, Feral tightens his hold on my hand.
“Why?” I whisper.
“I don’t know.” Lionzio’s lips pinch. “Guess we’ll find out, huh?”
He straightens, before pulling out a heavy set of jangling keys from his pocket. He undoes the heavy padlock on the front of the cage with a grimace of distaste.
Lionzio’s assessing gaze settles on Feral. “Move back.”
Feral stubbornly doesn’t move, lifting his eyebrow as if to say, make me .
I disentangle our hands. “It’s okay, Fer. Lion will look out for me.”
Feral snorts, rudely.
I fight not to smile.
Lionzio wags his finger at him. “I’m not entirely knotless, even if I can’t break people in half like you can.”
Feral flexes the muscles of one arm.
Lionzio’s lips twitch. “Yeah, yeah, you’re badass. But out here, I swear to keep my sis safe.”
I pretend to believe it for Feral’s sake, even though we both know that my brother has never even been able to protect himself from Dad.
What happens over our rare breakfasts and dinners with Dad, however, are a secret that us three siblings have jointly guarded our entire lives.
I meet Lionzio’s eyes, recognizing the gratitude there that I haven’t spilled our family secrets to Feral.
I recognize the flush of shame as well.
He doesn’t have anything to be ashamed of — Dad does.
Reluctantly, Feral turns to me, nuzzling and licking my neck. Then he carefully tucks the paper rose more firmly behind my ear. It’s been crushed in our playfight, but Feral brings it back to life with his nimble fingers.
I smile. “Thanks, Fer. I’ll see you later, yeah?”
“Be careful.”
I know what he means.
Don Battle is not only my dad and Head Alpha but also the leader of the entire Alpha Underworld.
His word is law.
He’s a brilliant showman but also a volatile, violent narcissist.
I’ve been playing the game of survival in this pack successfully my entire life.
Yet every encounter with my dad is like playing Russian roulette.
I nod.
Feral slowly moves to the back of the cage.
When Lionzio swings open the cage, I scramble out of it.
Immediately, Lionzio slams the door shut and clicks the padlock back on.
My muscles ache. I wince, shaking out my arms and legs.
This brief freedom is only an illusion. The entire Underworld is a cage for all of us.
My Omega Mom, Bea, was kind and the type of sweet that my sister only pretends to be.
I remember the way that Mom was always smiling, even when I knew in my young heart that she was sad most of the time.
Mom is the only person, apart from Feral and River, who has unconditionally loved me for who I am and not who others want me to be.
Mom and I would lie together in her nest, while I snuggled her, excitedly laying my hand on her stomach and feeling the hard kicks of my baby sister.
I felt loved and cherished.
I couldn’t wait to play with a little sister.
How wrong could I have been?
The best memory I have before her death, however, is of her reading me bedtime stories, which she would change to give Omega heroines the starring roles.
Yet after her death, Dad took over her role. Then there was no more unconditional love or acceptance. Worse, the bedtime stories were dark and terrible, leaving me shivering with nightmares.
Dad would lean over me, while I shook under the blankets, wishing with all my heart that Mom would somehow appear, as if the last few years had been nothing but a cruel prank… not real .
“What do you think happens to bad little Omegas like you Above?” Dad tucked the covers restrictively around me. I didn’t dare tell him that I could hardly breathe. “I heard from one of the Betas that you were sniffing around the tunnels that lead up to the exit. No, don’t try to deny it, Harley. Why would you try to escape? Where would you go? Let me tell you a story. Bad Omegas are marked as Rejects up there. They’d clasp around your wrist an ugly bracelet with an R charm dangling from it. It has a government tracker embedded. Do you want that? To be classed as defective or rebellious? The Alpha Underworld is a refuge. Up there, an Omega like you would be conditioned in an Institute and auctioned to a cruel pack. You’re only safe with me. Your Dad is a hero. Aren’t you lucky? Those Omegas and Betas that I kidnap are being rescued. They’ll be grateful, as soon as they settle in and learn their place.”
As I grew older, I watched the pretty, soft Omegas who were dragged from the Above to become prizes or rewards, as they wept and begged.
I was never allowed to speak to them.
Yet I noticed that none of them wore bracelets with trackers.
Did that mean Dad had the Hades only kidnap non-Rejects, so that they couldn’t be tracked?
Did that mean they came from the best packs? Ones that loved them?
From the times I’ve been able to look through my brother’s phone, I know that Rejects do exist Above.
In which case, Dad must have been kidnapping the elites, often celebrities and the most beautiful Omegas from each state because they make the most dramatic prizes.
He’s no hero.
And I am going to find a way to stop him.
Lionzio watches me sympathetically for a moment, before he drags me into a hard hug.
Taken by surprise, my arms hang at my sides. Then I raise them to gently hug him back.
He smells of fresh coffee.
Family and love.
“I’ve missed you, Harley.” Lionzio’s hand tightens on my back like he’s terrified of letting go. “I’ve wanted to come up and visit you every day.”
“But you’ve been drowning in paperwork for the pack,” I finish for him.
“You don’t want to know about any of that. I often think that the blood the fighters are splattered in is somehow more honest than the work I do, covering my hands in ink.” He stares down at his hands, which are as clean as they always are.
“When did you last use a pen? Is there an equivalent for typing on a computer or touchscreen?” I tease, trying to pull him back from whatever dark place he’s sunk into.
As Dad’s promised heir, Lionzio knows more about the business than I ever want to.
Lionzio appears to shake himself, giving a tight smile. “Not with how clean I keep mine.” He bites his lip like he’s debating whether saying something or not. Then his gaze slides, as if against his will, to Feral who is still on the alert watching us both. Why does my brother look so guilty? “You know that I’m not meant to tell you who you’re fighting. But I have access to all info that passes through the Underworld. It’s the one benefit of being considered useless for the muscle work.”
I draw back from Lionzio, excited. “So, who are we facing?”
“The best fighters from the Hades pack.”
Shit.
Feral cocks his head. “Vinnie?”
Lionzio nods.
I pale, feeling sick. “Vinnie has paired with the new fighter, who everyone says is a psycho, hasn’t he? The one who is popular with the Betas? Harbinger?”
“Trust Dad to leave the most spectacular, closest match for last,” Lionzio replies. “The man’s real name is Wolf. He appears to owe a debt to Vinnie, which is why he’s fighting down here. You know, the old story with that pack.”
“Uh-huh.” I’m distracted, however, worriedly glancing over at my gorgeous Alpha, who is trying to look like this isn’t devastating news. This is the only partnership that could destroy our dreams. “Could they beat us?”
Lionzio taps his diamond cuff links in thought. “I’ve watched Dad’s secret videos of Harbinger training, and he’s fucking good. The Alphahole is the only person I’ve seen who could challenge you both, when paired with Vinnie. Harbinger is cold and brutal. Military style. Focused. It’s likely to be the toughest match that you’ve fought. But I believe in you.”
I swallow around the lump in my throat. “Thanks, bro.”
It feels good to call him that.
Brother.
But then, he rearranges his face into his grim Alpha mask again, taking a step away from me. “Time to go to breakfast and find out what this is all about. We can’t put this off any longer.”
I drag my feet as I follow him to the door.
“Good luck,” Feral calls.
I glance over my shoulder, forcing myself to wink at Feral because I can feel how hard he’s vibrating with potent fury at not being able to stand at my shoulder.
Feral would go to war for me.
We both know that going to breakfast with my Dad is the same as walking into the octagon ring, but this time, I’m alone with my siblings.