12. Captive Fear
12
CAPTIVE FEAR
~KAMARI~
" C hhor do mujhe!" I struggle against Maharaja's iron grip, the Hindi plea to let me go falling on deaf ears. He says nothing as he drags me through the parking lot, his silence more terrifying than any threat.
Pain radiates through my arm as his fingers dig into my wrist, sure to leave bruises that will mark his cruelty. Each step takes us further from safety, from the warmth and protection I'd found so briefly inside Cardinal.
The sight of his matte black sports car makes my blood run cold.
The vehicle is as much a symbol of his personality as anything else – flashy and impressive on the outside but neglected where it truly matters. Just like his treatment of Omegas.
Panic claws at my throat as I look back over my shoulder. Cardinal grows smaller with each forced step, its elegant facade now seeming like a cruel mirage.
Inside those walls, Damon and Kieran probably haven't even noticed my absence yet.
They won't realize I'm gone until it's far too late.
Tears burn at the corners of my eyes, but I fight them back with desperate determination. I refuse to show weakness to this man, this monster who views my defiance as a personal insult to be punished.
The passenger door flies open with violent force, the sound making me flinch. Before I can process what's happening, he throws me into the seat with brutal efficiency. The action drives home just how physically outmatched I am.
I used to be stronger.
Back when I had access to my accounts, I maintained regular self-defence classes. Built strength and skill that made Maharaja wary of pushing me too far. But months of limited resources and hiding have taken their toll. The muscle memory is there, but the power behind it has waned.
I try to lunge for the door, but he slams me back against the seat. The impact knocks the breath from my lungs.
"Kutte! Main tumhari aurat nahin hoon!" I spit the words at him, calling him a dog and reminding him that I am not his woman. "I walked away!"
His hand shoots out, wrapping around my throat as he forces me still. His face inches from mine, spittle flying as he roars.
"YOU are MY fucking property!"
The burnt rubber scent of his rage fills the confined space, making it hard to breathe even without his grip on my neck. His eyes hold a manic gleam that I recognize from the stories whispered about Lakshmi's final moments.
Is this how she felt at the end?
Trapped in his car, realizing too late the true depth of his cruelty?
Every instinct screams at me to submit, to go limp and compliant like a proper Omega. But something deeper, more primal, refuses to yield. The same spark that gave me the courage to run from my wedding now demands I fight, even if it's futile.
The elegant saree I wore with such pride earlier now feels like a hindrance, the yards of fabric restricting my movement. The diamonds on my borrowed sandals catch the streetlight, mocking me with their beauty.
All the trappings of status and wealth mean nothing in the face of raw violence.
My mind races to Damon and Kieran, to the safety I felt in their presence. How different their touch had been – respectful, caring, focused on mutual pleasure rather than dominance. The memory feels like a dream now, something too pure to exist in this nightmare reality.
Will they look for me when they realize I'm gone?
Would they even know where to start?
The irony of my situation isn't lost on me.
I ran from an arranged marriage only to find myself in even greater danger months later. All because I dared to believe I could have one night of freedom, one taste of what real connection feels like.
Maharaja's grip tightens, his fingers pressing against my windpipe with calculated pressure. Not enough to cut off air completely, but enough to remind me of my vulnerability.
"Did you think I wouldn't find you?" His voice drops to a whisper that somehow carries more menace than his shouts. "That you could shame me in front of our entire community and just...disappear?"
The scar on his face seems to writhe in the dim light, a testament to another Omega who dared to defy him. Lakshmi might have marked him, but she paid for that defiance with her life. I’m once again reminded how this man used his power so the official investigation ruled it an accident, but every Omega in our circle knows the truth.
Just like they'll probably never find my body if this man loses his marbles and decides I’m the next victim to die by his own hands.
The thought sends ice through my veins.
This isn't just about reclaiming a runaway bride anymore. The darkness in his eyes speaks of months of festering rage, of carefully planned retribution. How long could he have been lingering at Cardinal? Did Prince Rajveer contact him immediately to tell him my location?"
I try to remember the self-defence techniques I learned, but panic makes it hard to focus. Every option seems to end with me in worse danger. If I fight back and fail, his retaliation will be swift and brutal. If I submit, I'm accepting a fate worse than death.
Even if I dare think of escaping somehow, where would I run? The parking lot is deserted at this hour, the few other cars likely belonging to Cardinal's wealthy patrons who won't want to get involved in someone else's drama.
The diamond sandals Kieran so carefully placed on my feet now feel like shackles. I couldn't run in them if I tried, and kicking them off would cost precious seconds I don't have.
"The pack has missed you," Maharaja continues, his thumb tracing my jawline with mock tenderness. "They've been so...eager to remind you of your place."
The implication in his words makes bile rise in my throat.
I remember how they would look at me during engagement parties, their eyes holding promises of violence masked as passion. How my father would encourage me to sit close to them, to let them touch me under the guise of getting to know my future family.
All those nights I spent planning my escape...
Only to end up here anyway.
A single tear escapes despite my best efforts, trailing down my cheek. Maharaja's eyes follow its path, his lips curling into a cruel smile as he interprets it as submission rather than fury.
He has no idea that I'm crying for my own foolishness.
For believing, even for a moment, that I could have something pure and beautiful. That I could experience real connection with Alphas who saw me as an equal rather than property.
Damon. Kieran.
Their names echo in my mind like a prayer, even though I know they can't hear me. They're probably still in their VIP booth, assuming I left without saying goodbye.
By the time they realize something is wrong, I'll be long gone.
The thought of never seeing them again hurts more than Maharaja's grip on my throat. One perfect night of feeling valued, desired, respected – and now this.
The universe's cruel reminder that Omegas like me don't get happy endings.
We get what we're given, and right now, all I'm being given is a choice between submission and destruction.
Maharaja leans in, his nose trailing along my neck in a deliberate show of dominance. The action makes my skin crawl, memories of gentler touches from earlier turning to ash in my mind. His aggravated sigh carries none of the appreciation I'd heard in Damon's voice – only disgust and rage.
"Of course you'd be a whore," he growls, his fingers tightening around my throat until spots dance at the edges of my vision. "You run away from the sanctuary we provided thanks to our business deal with that foolish man you deem a Father, to go fuck any Alpha that moves."
His words drip with venom, each one carefully chosen to wound.
"You think you were doing yourself a favor? Trying to find a way out by riding a rich man by coming to Cardinal?"
The hold on my throat vanishes suddenly.
I gasp desperately for air, but the relief is short-lived. The crack of his palm against my cheek echoes through the car, the force of it snapping my head to the side.
Pain blooms across my face, hot and sharp. I stare at him with wide eyes, taking in the manic fury that has transformed his features into something barely human.
The scar on his face seems to pulse with each ragged breath he takes.
"You're going to learn tonight that none of those fuckers can stop me." His voice drops lower, taking on an edge of smug satisfaction. "I'm richer than all of them, and once the final deals are passed, I'm going to be richer than your useless father as well. Then I can discard you like the piece of trash you are."
I'm still processing his words when the second slap lands on my other cheek.
The symmetrical pain makes my face burn, not from embarrassment but from the sheer brutality of the impact. I can feel the heat radiating from where his hands struck, know there will be marks that match his fingers perfectly.
His attention shifts to my feet, to the diamond-encrusted sandals that Kieran had so carefully placed there hours ago. A frown creases his brow as he crouches down, his movements suddenly precise and controlled.
"No wait! Those are borrowed—" My protest ends in a shriek as his hand tangles in my hair, using it as leverage to slam my head against the dashboard.
The impact is devastating.
Pain explodes through my skull, white-hot and all-consuming. The sound of my head hitting the glass-finished surface seems impossibly loud in the confined space of the car.
"You're not deserving of such lavish gifts," he snarls, still gripping my hair. "And nothing a man has given you will remain in your possession."
When he finally releases me, I slump back against the seat. Something warm trickles down the side of my face – blood, I realize distantly. The metallic scent of it mingles with his burnt rubber rage, making my stomach turn.
I watch through blurring vision as he yanks the sandals off my feet, throwing them with violent force into the muddy grass beside the car. The diamonds catch the streetlight one final time before disappearing into the muck – like stars being swallowed by darkness.
The passenger door slams with enough force to rock the entire car. I barely manage to snatch my arm back in time, the rush of air from the closing door brushing against my skin like a warning.
Everything seems to be moving in slow motion now. My head throbs with each heartbeat, the pain radiating outward from the point of impact. Nausea rises in waves, and I recognize the symptoms from first aid training – possible concussion.
Definitely a concussion, based on how the interior of the car seems to be swaying even though we're parked.
My gaze falls on the dashboard where my head struck.
The sleek glass surface is spiderwebbed with cracks, spreading outward from the point of impact like a frozen explosion. My stomach sinks as I realize what this means.
He'll blame me for the damage.
It will become another mark in his ledger of my transgressions, another reason I deserve whatever punishment he has planned.
The world tilts alarmingly as I try to focus. Two of everything swim before my eyes – two steering wheels, two rear-view mirrors, two versions of the monster who claims to own me. I squeeze my eyes shut, trying to fight back the wave of dizziness, but that only makes the nausea worse.
If he hits my head again with the same force...
The thought trails off as spots dance behind my closed eyelids. I can hear him walking around to the driver's side, each footstep like a thunderclap in my aching skull. The way he deliberately takes his time tells me he knows exactly what state I'm in — knows I'm too disoriented now to attempt escape.
My fingers brush against the cracked dashboard, feeling the sharp edges where the glass has fractured. A hysterical laugh threatens to bubble up as I think about how this perfect veneer has shattered, revealing the damaged truth beneath.
Just like the polished facade of our community.
All those careful social niceties, the elaborate traditions, the emphasis on reputation and honor – they're just as fragile as this glass finish. One forceful impact and everything splinters, revealing the ugliness that lurks beneath.
Blood continues to trickle down my face, each drop a reminder of how quickly the situation has deteriorated. Less than an hour ago, I was experiencing perfect pleasure with two Alphas who treated me like a person rather than property.
Now I'm trapped in a car with a man who sees me as something to be broken and discarded.
The contrast is staggering.
Or maybe that's just this near-concussion making everything spin.
Either way, I know with bone-deep certainty that this night will end in one of two ways – with my complete subjugation or my death. Based on the look in Maharaja's eyes, he hasn't decided which outcome he prefers
At least not yet.
But he'll make sure I suffer either way.
The engine roars to life with violence that matches Maharaja's mood, the sound reverberating through my aching skull. He doesn't bother with his seatbelt, and doesn't even glance my way to ensure I secure mine. My trembling fingers manage to grasp the belt, pulling it across my body more from ingrained habit than any real concern for safety.
That's when I see it – movement in the rear-view mirror.
At first, I thought it's the concussion playing tricks on my vision. The parking lot stretches out behind us, a sea of expensive cars gleaming under strategic lighting.
But there, in the distance near Cardinal's entrance, someone is pointing.
Pointing at us.
My eyes strain to focus through the double vision, desperate to confirm what I'm seeing isn't just wishful thinking. The figure is too far away to make out clearly, but their gestures are unmistakably urgent, drawing attention to our car as Maharaja throws it into reverse.
The vehicle lurches backward with enough force to slam me against the dashboard again. Fresh pain explodes through my head, but I force my eyes to stay open, fixed on that mirror like it's my last lifeline to salvation.
We're only seconds away from hitting the street. Once we reach the freeway, it's over. I know exactly where he's taking me – back to those sprawling mansions set on acres of manicured land. Where high walls and paid silence ensure no one hears what happens behind closed doors.
Where screams are just background noise to the staff who value their paychecks over their conscience.
My stomach turns, not just from the concussion but from memories of other Omegas who disappeared behind those gates. How the maids would avert their eyes when bruised faces appeared at breakfast, how the butlers would turn up the music when sounds of "discipline" echoed through the halls.
If I even live long enough for such a future.
Movement catches my eye again – someone running now, cutting across the parking lot with breathtaking speed. The figure resolves into a familiar form, and my heart leaps into my throat.
Kieran.
He moves with the grace of a trained athlete, each stride eating up the distance between us with incredible efficiency. The sight triggers a memory from earlier when he'd mentioned participating in track and field during his school years. Those skills haven't abandoned him – if anything, they've been refined into something more powerful.
The car is faster, with physics and horsepower giving us an undeniable advantage. But watching him close the gap, his determined pursuit igniting a spark of hope I thought had been beaten out of me, makes me feel less alone.
For one precious moment, as Maharaja navigates around a particularly expensive Bentley, Kieran draws close enough that I swear our eyes meet in the mirror. His usually calm demeanor has transformed completely.
Those mismatched eyes that had watched me with such careful consideration earlier now burn with an intensity that takes my breath away.
He sees me.
He noticed I was gone…
Just before we hit the street, just before the car's acceleration renders the pursuit futile, I catch one final glimpse of his face. The transformation that overtakes his features burns itself into my memory – that serene mask cracking to reveal something primal and devastating.
Anger.
Not the controlled rage of someone whose pride has been wounded, like Maharaja's perpetual fury. This kind of anger moves mountains, reshapes worlds, and leaves no stone unturned until its target is found.
And somehow, my captivity has triggered a monster hidden beneath calm tranquility.
The last thing I see before we turn onto the street before Kieran becomes nothing more than a rapidly diminishing figure in the distance, is the promise written in that anger.
A vow that this isn't over, that my disappearance won't go unnoticed or unavenged.
The realization brings equal measures of hope and terror.
Hope because, for the first time since I fled my wedding, someone with real power might actually be looking for me. Terror because I know what Maharaja and his pack will do to me long before any rescue can arrive.
The car accelerates sharply, pressing me back against the seat. Each streetlight we pass sends daggers of pain through my skull, the concussion making it harder to track our route. But I hold onto that final image of Kieran's face, letting it anchor me as we speed toward whatever horror awaits.
He saw me.
He knows.
And he's angry.
The thought echoes in my mind as the city lights begin to blur, as we head toward the freeway that will carry me back to my gilded cage. Whatever happens next, I'm no longer just a runaway Omega disappearing into the night.
I've been seen.
Acknowledged.
Deemed valuable enough by someone who recognizes my worth beyond breeding potential and business connections.
Someone who looks at cages and sees things to be broken rather than maintained.
Maharaja may think he's won, believing he's reclaiming his property and restoring his wounded pride. But he doesn't understand what he's potentially done tonight.
If I can dare hope whatever connection flourished between Damon, Kieran, and I was true within those sinful walls of Cardinal, I can pray it means I’m worthy of being avenged.
Even if I’m killed in the crossfire.
He's made an enemy of someone who moves through the world like a force of nature, unapologetic and determined to use the power he carries flawlessly to his advantage.
With controlled grace.
That’s all I can think of as dizziness plagues me and my stomach sinks with unease, and I just keep reminding myself of Damon and Kieran’s appearances, hoping for once in my life, that I can be saved.
That Maharaja's actions have triggered a new revolution…
And given that enemy a reason to unleash their fury against him with not a pinch of remorse.