Chapter 23 Dax
Watching Calliope work was like watching an artist at their easel. Her face was so focused that it was like we weren’t even in the room with her. She was regal as she took her revenge. Her hands and forearms were covered in blood, making her look like a Goddess of battle. It was so incredibly sexy; I couldn’t wait to worship her. My gaze flicked over to Cain, he was just as enraptured with her as I was. Our world had narrowed down to just her, and I couldn’t think of anywhere I would rather be.
“Open up.” She smacked the back of his head. “You better know how to take a real alpha’s knot.”
My cock couldn’t get any harder at that moment, watching her torture him was doing something that no amount of violence had ever done. Watching her move was intoxicating, the screams of her victim making me want her more than anything. A woman so powerful she could bring men to their knees with her rage. “She’s so…”
“Terrifying?”
That broke the spell she had on me. I had to look at him to see if he was serious. The smirk on his face told me he was kidding. “No, I was thinking more along the lines of sexy, but that doesn’t seem to fit just right.”
That made Cain smile at me, leaning in, he kissed my cheek before resting his head on my shoulder. Calliope had finally seated the toy inside the alpha who was weeping. He wouldn’t last long, the barbed wire had to have torn him up, the trauma alone would probably kill him soon.
She came around so she could face him. The minute he saw her he started to beg. “Please, I’ll do anything, just take it out.”
“You know I said something similar when you were inside me. Speaking of which…” she turned and went to her torture table. Her hand caressed a pair of leather gloves with metal claws at the end before moving on to pair of garden shears. Grabbing the handles, she moved back to Samuel, lining the shears up with his dick, she set the open blade above it. “I believe you swore you would hunt me down and, I’m quoting you here, ‘take that omega pussy like you weren’t allowed to.’”
“I didn’t mean—”
His words were cut off by Calliope closing the blade, blood flowed from the open wound as the lump of meat hit the ground. “See, the thing is, I don’t care what you meant.” She moved the blade again, lining it up with his balls. “I know what you said and did.”
Closing the blade again the rest of his manhood fell to the ground. He was screaming, and she just shook her head and moved back to the table. Setting the shears down and pulling on the gloves, she went back to her prisoner. Her hand moved in a flash of metal, blood running down the alpha’s chest as she removed the bulk of his throat.
Cain moved from where he was resting, going to Calliope and helping her clean her tools. They moved in tandem, wiping things down until the metal was sparking in the light. It felt so domestic, the way they were flirting as if Calliope hadn’t just killed someone. It made my heart ache in my chest looking at them together. This was what home was supposed to feel like. A pack, united. That thought made me look around for the other alpha. He was conspicuously absent. I suspected this wasn’t strange, but something told me to check outside.
Pushing open the door I was blinded momentarily as I waited for my eyes to adjust. When they did, my gaze flew to the Hummer sitting there. That was a minor comfort when I noticed the car in the warehouse gone. I nearly ran back to Calliope, trying the whole way to figure out how to tell them. Cain was coming out as I was heading in, and whatever he saw there froze him in place.
“Are the cops here?” He was calm, that was good, too good.
“Why would you ask that?”
Calliope answered that for him. “You’re panicking, it’s kind of hard to miss.”
“Ayden’s gone. What isn’t there to panic about?”
They both looked too calm, like they expected this. “Let’s get to the car, and Cain will explain.”
Calliope took my arm and led me to the Hummer, Cain got into the driver’s seat. She got into the back with me. He cranked the car, pulling out of the warehouse and onto the main road. Her head found my lap, my hand moving in her hair as I waited for one of them to start talking. All of this was too weird for my liking. Ayden was adamant I was not to be alone with either of them, but he suddenly takes off. It just wasn’t adding up. “Does anyone want to tell me why you guys aren’t surprised Ayden left us there?”
“He trusts you.” Cain shrugged. When I huffed, he spoke through his laughter. “Omegas aren’t the only ones who are sensitive to rejection.”
“That was vague and unhelpful.”
“He had a pack before I met him. Wasn’t their alpha, not like he is ours.” There was no questioning that. Challenging him for control wasn’t something that even crossed my mind, at least intentionally. If it had happened, he was the only one that thought that way. The way he felt wasn’t rational as far as I was concerned. I just felt incredibly blessed to be welcomed into his pack as I have been.
“He is your pack’s alpha.”
“You stayed, that means it’s your pack too,” Calliope declared.
My hand stilled in her hair as I thought about the best way to respond to that. “I’m pretty sure Ayden taking off says I’m not.”
“Like I was saying.” Cain cut in before Calliope could say anything else. “Ayden had a pack before us. He was just one of many alphas. They went to a matchmaker and found an omega—“
“She didn’t like him, did she?”
“No, she didn’t,” Cain confirmed. “She went out one day and collected another alpha.”
“They pushed him out.”
“Yes.”
“Why does this sound so familiar?”
Calliope sat up then, leaning her head on my shoulder when she answered, “Because you killed his first pack.”
“That’s not possible.”
“Do you remember an omega that smelled like lilacs?” Cain had genuine curiosity in his voice.
“Not really. But then all omegas are pretty revolting. Betas too.” Calliope tensed next to me, Cain caught my eyes in the rearview, sadness plain to see there. “There are exceptions, of course.”
Calliope relaxed next to me, her fingers spinning on my thigh as if she just wanted to be touching me. Cain looked relieved, prompting me again. “Do you remember a pastel blue house with black trim?”
“That, I remember.” That kill flashed through my head as I tried to force the details into focus.
It was much like my other hand victims, the omega came to my attention during an interview. I couldn’t remember what she looked like, didn’t even know her name. But I did remember that spoiled milk scent that followed her around like an oppressive cloud. The way she whimpered and begged as I killed her pack one right after the other was burned into my head. It was glorious, her desire to live. I loved watching it fade as each person she loved was taken from her. Their blood mixed, that I also remembered. The way it soaked into the carpet as I slaughtered my way through them made my heart sing. The more I thought about it, the clearer what the omega was saying as she begged became. I had been ignoring her, enjoying the panic, but one name was clear.
“Well, fuck.” I sighed. “They always try to bargain, but she was insistent.”
“That sounds like Sabrina.”
I smiled at Cain, “She was a little annoying. But she did keep mentioning Ayden. I think she was trying to trade her pack’s lives for his.”
“I’ve never been glad to hear an omega died before.” Calliope smiled at me.