Chapter 8
The Institute
Istumble along the silent back corridor of the Institute, keeping my head down.
My legs feel like jelly and only adrenaline is keeping me going. If it wasn’t for my physiotherapy sessions with Lark, I’d have fallen down by now.
Lark still has one arm around me and is taking most of my weight. I’m glad that he’s so tall, although his breathing is labored. Despite the strength in his arms and his attempts to hide it, he’s been suffering himself through Broken Bond Syndrome for longer than me.
Lark may have to carry me, however, if we need to go much further.
My hair hangs over my face, and my heart hammers in my chest. My bare feet are cold on the wooden floor, and the stuffy stench makes my nose wrinkle.
The neon light flickers overhead.
Antonio’s warm hand rests on the back of my neck, firmly. He’s holding Lark in the same way, pushing us both to walk in front of him.
The clatter of Antonio’s boots echo in the corridor.
I’m sweating with anxiety.
What if someone sees us?
Yet Antonio seems supremely confident as he swaggers with us in his grip.
It’s the first time that I’ve felt like he’s a guard, and the irony is that I know now that he’s never been a guard in the first place.
He’s a criminal.
An outlaw.
Mafia.
Shit.
When my breath stutters, Lark tightens his hold on my waist.
“Keep walking,” Antonio orders.
He keeps looking steadily ahead, but I can tell that he’s hyper alert in case we come across another guard.
What will we do if that happens?
Can we fight our way out?
Well, can Antonio (and possibly Lark), fight their way out?
I’m more likely going to be slumped on the floor using glares as daggers.
Unlike the laid back, rumpled Beta who I’ve got used to dropping by my cell, now we’re on this daring break out, Antonio appears transformed into someone entirely different.
Lark growls, but we both obey.
Is Antonio truly rescuing us, or is this a trick?
What’s at the end of this corridor?
After everything that’s happened to me, it’s hard to trust anyone.
Nothing’s worse than being separated from Lark in an auction, however, so I’ll take my chances with Antonio.
When the walkie-talkie that’s hooked to Antonio’s belt crackles to life, he drops his hand from my neck.
I glance around at him, but he gestures at me to keep walking with a serious expression.
He unhooks the radio and holds it to his mouth. “Yeah, boss?”
“Where the hell are you?” Connall’s furious voice explodes. “Why did you tell Sanderson that you had permission to take the Broks out of the cell?”
“Fletcher wants me to get them prettied up ready for the two packs who win them at the auction,” Antonio smoothly lies. “To be honest, boss, they need a bath, shampoo, and at least a month’s worth of hot meals.”
Connall snorts. “I don’t know why he’s bothering. They won’t live out the month anyway.”
Both Lark and I freeze.
We won’t survive a month?
Lark pulls me closer against his side.
Antonio turns off the radio, sharply.
“Any chance you didn’t hear that?” Antonio whispers.
I shake my head.
“Here’s some truth bombs,” Antonio says, returning his hand to the scruff of my neck and pushing us to a large steel door even faster, “Broks are usually fucked up. They often die in their first heat. The types of packs who buy them don’t do it to help them survive, understand? The right pack would do. My pack will protect the shit out of you. But it’s why you’re not wearing those ugly Rej accessories on your wrists. The Government don’t think that you need them. Because of the whole thing about only being able to survive with scent matches anyway. The fated mates myth.”
“Fated mates?” Lark and I both splutter at the same time.
What the fuck?
“You didn’t know about that? Wow, I really am dropping those truth bombs today. Forget about it. For now, let’s focus on the positives.”
“There’s a positive buried somewhere?” Lark mutters.
“Me, of course! Because you’re not wearing Rej bracelets, I can rescue you, and you can’t be tracked.”
Having reached the steel door, Antonio lets go of our necks.
I stumble, as my knees buckle, and Lark steadies me.
Antonio twirls past us to study the security pad at the door.
Anxiously, I glance around myself.
This is a floor up from the basement that I was locked in and appears to be a quiet part of the Institute with doors leading off into storage rooms.
I can see why Antonio chose to take us this route.
Has he been studying the plans of the building for an escape?
How long has he been plotting this?
Antonio hunches over the pad.
“Do you have clearance to open that without setting off the security alarm?” Lark asks.
“Partly, but I want to do it without telling the system where I am,” Antonio answers. “It’s probably hard for an old man like you to understand, but that’s no problem because I’m a hacker.”
“Of course you are.” Lark sighs.
I tap my foot with nerves.
It’s taking too long.
Is someone coming?
Suddenly, the door clicks open.
Yes!
Antonio pulls on the heavy lever on the door and swings it toward us.
For the first time in weeks, I find myself looking outside the Institute.
Excitedly, I take a deep breath, waiting for the fresh air to hit me. Only, it doesn’t. Instead, I gag at the smell of motor oil.
I can’t see the sky, but instead, the back of a van, which has been left with its doors open, facing the exit.
Antonio truly did plan this.
“Your chariot awaits.” Antonio grins. “Well, a stolen van but it’s the best that I could do on short notice.”
“So, you’re a thief as well.” Lark arches his brow.
“Jack of many trades,” Antonio says, proudly.
“And master of none.”
“I think we both know that between us, you’re the master.”
Now, Lark looks proud.
I move to scramble into the van, but then I hesitate, when Lark prowls toward Antonio, pressing him against the wall.
Antonio lets him.
He’s definitely letting him. He could fight his way out of the hold any moment, even if he’s lying about the MMA training, and I’m sure that he’s not lying.
Confused, I rest my weary body against the wall. My legs are shaking.
“I’m not trapped in that cage now,” Lark growls. “No more orders. I’m giving you one: Find a way to rescue Millie because I’m not going anywhere without her.”
How could I have forgotten Millie?
The crushing panic of our escape drove everything else from my mind.
No wonder Lark is going feral.
“She’s in Companion House. I don’t have access to her.” Antonio’s expression gentles. “Plus, here’s a final truth bomb for you. Your daughter’s a Reject. Growl all you like about that, as if you’re the big, bad Omega daddy. Wait, that doesn’t give off quite the vibe I was going for. Putting a pin in that hot image, it doesn’t change the fact that right now, I can’t get that bracelet off your daughter. We’d end up caught within minutes and then we’d be worse off than before. I definitely fucking would.”
Lark raises his hand to Antonio’s neck. He doesn’t apply any pressure but he rests it there like a warning.
For a moment, I think I see amusement dancing in Antonio’s eyes.
I want to urge Lark to jump into the van before it’s too late and we’re discovered. But that means he’s making the decision to leave behind his daughter.
I can’t do that to him. Whatever he decides, I’ll support.
Antonio reaches to gently lay his hand on Lark’s shoulder, and the touch appears to steady him.
Following Antonio’s lead, I totter toward Lark, resting my head on his back and stroking his taut muscles.
Some of the tension bleeds out of Lark.
“We have time to come back and rescue your daughter. At the moment, she may not be happy but she’s safe in Companion House. But I swear that I’ll plot to come back and save her,” Antonio continues. “Staying here and getting caught isn’t going to help her. Being sold to a psycho pack of Alphas won’t help her. Do you want her to lose her dad?”
Lark shakes his head, grimly.
Antonio’s smile is crooked.
He’s so fucking gorgeous with his silver curls and dark eyes. He’s truly like a dashing Beta demon, and I’ve only read about those in romances, where they’re usually seducing Omegas into the underworld.
But can it be worse than the hell that we’re already in?
“Look, I’m a bad guy.” Antonio gestures at himself. “But the posh men at that auction, they’re villains. My darkside is stabby. But theirs is more war crimes, corruption, and probably kicking puppies for fun.”
I blanch.
Shit, the auction with those types of pack are happening right now.
I straighten, yanking on Lark’s waistcoat. “Come on, we need to go. Please…”
Lark clenches his jaw. “How do we know that you’re not taking us to some black market Alpha, who’ll sell us to someone even worse?”
Antonio doesn’t look insulted.
In fact, he looks impressed.
“Smart.” He wets his dry lips. “You don’t. Take it on faith. But my Alpha is going to want to wrap you in snuggly blankets, spoil you, and probably cook you pancakes every morning. He worships Omegas. I know this is a shit rescue mission. It’s a rushed job because the auction was kept secret. But trust me, I’m risking a lot here too. I’m breaking my Alpha’s orders.”
Immediately, Lark lowers his hand from Antonio’s throat.
My eyes widen, and I force my weak legs to carry me forward to stand by Lark’s shoulder.
We both crowd Antonio against the wall.
I’ve never been this close to him before.
I can smell his scent now. A Beta’s scent is usually fainter than an Alpha or Omega’s, and in turn, they have less of a sense of smell.
Antonio’s scent, however, is like a breath of fresh air.
I take a deep breath of his eucalyptus scent, which is sweetly mint with an earthy undertone, tinged with honey and lemon. It makes me feel as if I’m free already and walking in a forest.
I can’t stop myself.
I lean forward, sniffing at his neck. I push one of his curls behind his ear.
Antonio’s eyes brighten. “You smell delicious too, mia amata.”
I frown. “Don’t distract me. Are you really going against your Alpha? Why the hell would you do that?”
Lark’s expression is thoughtful.
Antonio flushes. “Because you’re pack. Don’t you feel it too? How could I stand by and watch you be auctioned off? My Alpha will accept that I did the right thing. Technically, breaking his orders, but I’m a rebel. He knows that about me.”
“But why?” Lark presses.
Antonio is breathing hard now, as his gaze darts between us.
“Because I’m fucking obsessed with you both,” he finally murmurs, clenching his hands. “I’m falling for you, okay? I wasn’t meant to. Possibly, I’m not cut out for being undercover. Look, I’m totally not. I suck at this. And I’ve taken the executive decision to…”
“Steal us?” Lark drawls.
Antonio’s eyes brighten, as he points at himself. “Rogue, badass, yada, yada. If I can steal a car, then I can steal the two Omegas who feel like mine. I can protect them too.”
“And we’ll protect you,” I add, fiercely, “from your Alpha.”
Antonio will be in trouble, whether he’s pretending that he won’t be or not.
He’s doing this for Lark and me: The Omegas who feel like his.
I lean forward and kiss him.
Antonio lets out a startled sound, before grabbing onto the back of my neck firmly and pulling me into a deeper kiss.
It’s hard, passionate, and far too short for my liking.
Lark grabs onto me, hauling me away from Antonio.
“Let’s go, before we’re caught.” Lark meets Antonio’s gaze. He adds, more softly, “Thank you.”
Then he dives to kiss Antonio, brief and butterfly light.
Lark sweeps me up into his arms in a bridal carry. He climbs up into the dark interior of the van that stinks of motor oil.
I have one final glimpse of Antonio’s silver curls, as he turns to slam the van doors shut, then I’m surrounded by darkness.