Chapter Twelve #2
Jace laid a steady hand on his shoulder, his eyes hard but his voice carefully neutral. “We’ll find them, Voss. We’ll get them back.”
Fox moved slowly through the debris, stepping carefully over broken porcelain and shattered wood, his expression thoughtful as he surveyed the damage.
He paused, head tilted, looking down at the body again before a faint smirk twisted his mouth.
“I wonder which omega did this particular masterpiece?”
Jex glanced up sharply, brows arching in dark amusement. “Judging by the floral bat, I’d put money on Violet.”
“That’s a safe bet,” Dare drawled dryly, shaking his head. “Our omega has flair.”
Romano, who had been furiously working away on his tablet since we’d arrived, finally looked up sharply. His voice cut through the tense silence like a blade. “Guys, I’ve got the security footage from the attack. I’m putting it up now.”
Instantly, every alpha crowded closer to the massive TV screen mounted on the wall.
My pulse quickened as I watched Romano bring up the footage.
The room fell deathly silent as the video played, filling with grainy but clear images of our omegas lounging peacefully just moments before everything shattered.
Then came the sudden, violent entry of the six men. I felt Ravik’s deadly quiet presence behind me, his fury radiating in silent waves. Micha stood motionless beside me, face carved from granite, dark eyes locked on the screen.
Odette’s voice, quiet but clear, echoed through the speakers. “That’s…that’s one of them.”
The silence tightened painfully as the violence exploded. We watched, fists clenched, as Fallon threw herself recklessly at the massive alpha, heard her furious shriek echo through the speakers: “I am so fucking done with this!”
Despite the seriousness of the situation, I couldn’t suppress a proud snort of amusement. Beside me, Haze chuckled darkly, shaking his head. “I love that tiny psycho. She’s like an attack chihuahua.”
Voss paced like a caged animal, muttering under his breath, wild-eyed. “I can’t—I can’t fucking do this again. How the fuck did this happen again?”
Jace laid a steady hand on his shoulder, his eyes hard but his voice carefully neutral. “We’ll find them, Voss. We’ll get them back.”
Fox moved slowly through the debris, stepping carefully over broken porcelain and shattered wood, his expression thoughtful as he surveyed the damage.
He paused, head tilted, looking down at the body again before a faint smirk twisted his mouth.
“I wonder which omega did this particular masterpiece?”
Jex glanced up sharply, brows arching in dark amusement. “Judging by the floral bat, I’d put money on Violet.”
“That’s a safe bet,” Dare drawled dryly, shaking his head. “Our omega has flair.”
Romano, who had been furiously working away on his tablet since we’d arrived, finally looked up sharply. His voice cut through the tense silence like a blade. “Guys, I’ve got the security footage from the attack. I’m putting it up now.”
Instantly, every alpha crowded closer to the massive TV screen mounted on the wall.
My pulse quickened as I watched Romano bring up the footage.
The room fell deathly silent as the video played, filling with grainy but clear images of our omegas lounging peacefully just moments before everything shattered.
Then came the sudden, violent entry of the six men. I felt Ravik’s deadly quiet presence behind me, his fury radiating in silent waves. Micha stood motionless beside me, face carved from granite, dark eyes locked on the screen.
Odette’s voice, quiet but clear, echoed through the speakers. “That’s…that’s one of them.”
The silence tightened painfully as the violence exploded. We watched, fists clenched, as Fallon threw herself recklessly at the massive alpha, heard her furious shriek echo through the speakers: “I am so fucking done with this!”
Despite the seriousness of the situation, I couldn’t suppress a proud snort of amusement. Beside me, Haze chuckled darkly, shaking his head. “I love that tiny psycho. She’s like an attack chihuahua.”
Voss growls at Haze.
Haze throws his hands up. “Not like that! I have my own omega to love!”
Violet emerged on-screen wielding the infamous bat, and for a brief moment, everyone seemed to hold their breath. Then came her ruthless swing, the metal weapon connecting with a bone-chilling crack, and the large man dropping lifelessly to the floor.
“Holy shit,” Jex murmured in startled admiration. “That’s my girl.”
“Damn,” Micha said quietly, eyebrows raised in grudging respect. “Remind me never to piss her off.”
Romano made a quiet, appreciative noise in his throat. “Honestly, I’m impressed. Brutal efficiency wrapped in floral engraving. Poetic.”
Then Odette’s face filled the screen, fierce and defiant, the fire of anger and determination blazing in her eyes as she fought savagely against her attacker, throwing anything within reach.
My chest swelled fiercely with pride and pain as I watched her fight—so much strength hidden inside her delicate frame.
“Good girl, Odette,” Ravik whispered softly, his voice edged in deadly steel. “Never stop fighting.”
A moment later, a punch connected brutally with Odette’s jaw, knocking her out. My hands curled into tight fists, nails biting deeply into my palms.
Rage filled the room again, thick and suffocating.
The video ended abruptly, plunging us back into stark silence. We stood frozen, breathing ragged, hearts hammering in tandem, until Micha finally broke the quiet, voice low and deadly. “They underestimated them. The girls made them work for every inch.”
“Fucking right they did,” Kingston growled, his green eyes blazing with savage fury. “We’re going to finish what they started.”
Ravik stepped forward, his voice dark and dangerous. “We hunt them down. No more surveillance, no more subtlety. Blood for blood.”
Voss straightened suddenly, something in his eyes shifting to something darker, more deadly. “We get our omegas back. Whatever it takes.”
Haze’s voice dripped with cold, unhinged amusement. “I’m not stopping until every single one of these fuckers is dead or begging for death.”
A low rumble of agreement filled the room, a promise made silently among alphas who’d been pushed too far. We’d stood on the edge too many times. This time, there was no going back.
As the packs dispersed quickly to gather weapons and prepare, I bent down, gently lifting the floral-engraved bat from the floor, studying the deadly elegance. My mouth twisted into a dark smile.
They’d taken our omegas.
They’d regret that decision until their final breath.
Odette
October 21st
Unknown
Pain exploded through my skull as consciousness slowly pulled me from darkness.
Groaning softly, I forced my eyes open, wincing immediately at the harsh fluorescent lights glaring down from above.
The cold seeped uncomfortably through my clothes, and my hands pressed against something rough and metallic.
A cage. I was inside a cage.
Instantly, nausea and panic twisted together violently in my stomach. Beside me, I felt movement, and Fallon’s voice pierced through the fog.
“Oh my god, I swear if I get kidnapped one more time, I’m going to lose it,” she muttered irritably, rubbing her forehead. “Seriously, do we get punch cards at this point?”
“You’re already losing it,” Violet grumbled, sitting up slowly, her usually messy purple curls tangled around her face. She grimaced at her smudged lipstick on the back of her hand. “You went feral back there.”
Fallon scoffed, shifting on the metal floor and leaning against the cage bars with exaggerated annoyance. “I was perfectly restrained, thank you. You literally killed someone with a flowery baseball bat.”
Violet shrugged gracefully, completely unapologetic. “He deserved it.”
The humor in their voices loosened some of the tight fear in my chest. I took a deep breath, steadying myself before finally looking around.
Our cage was large enough for the three of us to sit comfortably, the steel bars thick and cold.
Beyond our enclosure, more cages stretched out in neat rows through the dark, cavernous space.
Dim bulbs cast harsh shadows across the concrete floor, revealing tired, haunted faces behind bars—omegas, just like us.
My heart ached instantly. Most of the omegas were dirty and exhausted, their eyes dull and hollow. Some had completely shut down, eyes vacant, staring numbly at nothing. Others sat defiantly, jaws clenched, eyes burning with silent fury.
“Hey,” Fallon said softly, leaning forward slightly toward the cage across from ours.
Inside was an omega with long, tangled black hair and tattoos covering both arms. Despite dirt smeared across her skin and dark circles beneath sharp amber eyes, she watched us closely, her posture confident and alert.
“You three okay?” the omega asked, her voice rough but steady, gaze flicking quickly over each of us.
I managed a shaky nod. “Yeah, for now at least.”
“First time?” the omega asked dryly, leaning back comfortably against her own bars.
“Third,” Fallon sighed dramatically. “I’m practically a veteran at this point. However, I’ve never been caged. Third for the goth one, and second for the orange one.”
I snort and roll my eyes at Fallon’s description of us.
The omega snorted softly, a genuine spark of amusement crossing her face. “At least you have a sense of humor. You’re gonna need it in here. I’m Riven, by the way.”
“I’m Odette,” I said softly, feeling steadier now, drawn by Riven’s easy confidence. “That’s Fallon, and this is Violet.” I gently press on the side of my face, feeling the bruise already forming.
Riven’s eyes narrowed thoughtfully, lips quirking into a slight smirk. “You girls caused quite a stir when they dragged you in. Heard one of you offed one of their men with a baseball bat.”
“That would be Violet,” Fallon said proudly, gesturing dramatically toward Vi. “Our resident gothic badass.”
Violet raised an eyebrow smoothly. “I’m not apologizing.”
“Don’t,” Riven said firmly, respect clear in her voice. “Any alpha who takes omegas deserves worse.”
A quiet chorus of agreement echoed softly through nearby cages, whispers of solidarity from omegas I couldn’t yet see clearly. Despite the grim reality, something fierce stirred inside my chest, warm and determined.
“How long have you been here?” I asked quietly, swallowing hard.
Riven sighed heavily, her expression momentarily darkening. “A few weeks. But don’t worry, they keep us healthy—can’t exactly fight if we’re half-dead.”
I shivered at the casual mention of fighting, horror seeping through my bones. Fallon’s hand landed gently on my shoulder, steady and reassuring.
“They’re making omegas fight each other?” Violet asked, eyes blazing angrily.
Riven nodded grimly. “It’s entertainment for sick bastards who pay good money to see us hurt. But listen—keep your heads up. The fact that you fought back is already legendary here. You’ve given us a spark of hope.”
Fallon smirked proudly, lifting her chin. “We don’t do meek very well.”
“Good,” Riven said, voice turning hard and determined. “Because we need fighters. Especially now.”
I met Riven’s gaze steadily, my heart beating hard with a new kind of bravery I hadn’t felt before. Gone was the terrified omega from months past. The girl who cowered and broke had died in that basement. Now, something new rose fiercely in her place.
“We’re not going to let them break us,” I said firmly, surprising even myself with the certainty in my voice.
Violet’s smile was sharp, fiercely proud. “Not that they could.”
Riven smiled back, a feral gleam in her eyes. “Welcome to the fight, ladies. Glad to have you.”
As I sat back, shoulder to shoulder with Fallon and Violet, the whispers around us grew stronger, determination spreading from cage to cage. And for the first time since waking, I felt something other than fear.