Chapter Thirteen
Odette
a few days later
unknown
“Alright, hear me out,” Fallon began confidently, leaning casually against the cold bars of our cage. Her blue eyes glittered mischievously, unfazed by our grim surroundings. “I say we make it interesting. Ten points per asshole. Double if they scream.”
Violet smirked, effortlessly elegant even with smudged makeup and messy hair. “And triple points for creative methods.”
I snorted, unable to help the laugh that bubbled out of me. “Instant win if you kill them with a single blow from bare hands. No strangling.” I laugh.
“Come on, that’s too easy,” Violet replied with mock seriousness. “I set a standard with the bat.”
Fallon grinned widely, clearly delighted. “Alright, that’s fair. And bonus points if any of us manage to use one asshole to take out another.”
Across the aisle, Riven was staring at us, eyebrows raised so high they practically disappeared into her dark hairline. Several of the other omegas had paused to openly stare at us, expressions varying between admiration and concern.
“Are you three seriously placing bets on murder?” Riven asked incredulously, shaking her head with a mixture of horror and amusement.
“Yes,” Violet deadpanned immediately.
“Absolutely,” Fallon agreed cheerfully.
I shrugged sheepishly, smiling despite myself. “It helps pass the time.”
Riven huffed a laugh, shaking her head again. “You girls are insane.”
“Thank you,” Fallon said brightly, inclining her head in exaggerated gratitude. “We really do try.”
“Besides,” Violet added coolly, stretching casually despite the cramped space. “It’s only murder if your an asshole.”
A snort of genuine laughter erupted from Riven’s cage, and the tension in the room loosened slightly. A quiet murmur of whispers spread through the surrounding omegas, some laughing softly despite the darkness of our situation. Humor, I realized, had become our most powerful weapon.
“I still can’t believe they’ve kept us here for days and haven’t even bothered to show their faces,” I muttered, frustration edging into my tone as I picked half-heartedly at the stale sandwich in my lap. “I’m sick of sandwiches. And the only one we see is that beta woman.”
“Seriously, are they scared of us?” Fallon huffed irritably, tossing a crust aside with dramatic disgust. “Because they should be.”
Riven shook her head, her expression turning more serious. “They’re keeping us waiting and wearing us down. It’s psychological warfare. But honestly? I think you’ve got them worried. Usually, one of us would have been taken to fight by now.”
Violet smiled darkly, a flash of menace in her eyes. “They should be.”
A gentle shuffle of footsteps echoed softly down the corridor. Moments later, the same beta woman appeared again. She was quiet, almost timid, her dark eyes never meeting ours as she took the trays away. The bruises on her wrists and the faint tremble of her hands didn’t escape my notice.
I hesitated briefly before softly addressing her. “What’s your name?”
She flinched slightly, clearly surprised at being spoken to, her dark eyes flicking quickly to my face before lowering again. “Lena,” she murmured, voice barely audible.
“Thank you, Lena,” I said gently, offering her the kindest smile I could manage. “We appreciate the food.”
She looked startled, as if kindness was foreign here, then quickly moved on to the next cage without a word.
Fallon sighed heavily, shaking her head. “If we’re here much longer, I’m going to forget what actual hot food tastes like.”
“At least we know one thing for sure,” Violet mused, casually inspecting her chipped black nails. “Our alphas are probably losing their minds right now. I almost feel bad for whoever stands in their way.”
Fallon grinned wickedly, eyes gleaming with mischief. “Almost.”
Riven snorted quietly from her cage, her eyes meeting mine, something warm and fierce passing silently between us. She nodded once, her smirk playful but resolute. “Alright, count me in. I’ll join your ridiculous bet. I need something to look forward to.”
I grinned broadly, feeling strangely hopeful despite our surroundings. “Welcome to the dark side.”
She rolled her eyes fondly. “Pretty sure I crossed that bridge when I laughed at your murder jokes.”
Fallon cackled gleefully, rubbing her hands together with dramatic flair. “Oh, this is going to be fantastic. First one to five hundred wins.”
Violet arched an elegant brow. “Wins what, exactly?”
Fallon paused thoughtfully. “Eternal bragging rights, obviously.”
“I’m in,” I said decisively, finding myself oddly eager for a fight for the first time in my life.
Violet lifted her chin regally, her voice dry yet amused. “Challenge accepted.”
A soft chorus of quiet laughter rippled through the cages around us, a gentle sound in the oppressive silence. Despite our jokes, the anticipation hung heavy in the air, but I felt stronger knowing I wasn’t alone. We weren’t just surviving anymore. We were planning. Ready to fight.
And if our kidnappers thought we’d break easily, they were about to get the rudest awakening of their lives.
Fallon leaned lazily against the cold metal bars, her midnight blue hair in a disarray, a playful smirk curling her lips. “Do you remember the last time we did this? We placed bets on whose alpha would come bursting through the door first.”
Violet snorted delicately, inspecting her nails with exaggerated nonchalance. “Of course I remember. And for the record, I absolutely won.”
“You did not,” Fallon protested, eyes wide in mock outrage.
“Oh, I absolutely did,” Violet shot back with a wicked gleam, eyes glittering dangerously. “Dare came through that door like the devil himself.”
Fallon narrowed her eyes playfully, huffing. “Okay, that part might be true.”
Violet’s laughter echoed brightly, filling the oppressive space with unexpected warmth. I shook my head fondly, smiling despite myself. Honestly, the fact that my best friends could argue over the particulars of our repeated kidnappings was surreal enough to be hilarious.
The metal door at the far end of the room suddenly swung open, slamming heavily against the wall.
All conversation ceased instantly, tension gripping us again as a tall man in a sleek, impeccably tailored suit strode purposefully into the room.
A guard followed closely behind, expression unreadable.
Both men paused abruptly, clearly surprised to see us watching them so casually.
The man in the suit stared at Fallon first, his entire body tensing visibly. Fallon offered him a cheerful wave, a sunny, absolutely infuriating smile gracing her features.
“Marcus? I thought we took you down with the auctions.” Fallon tilts her head to the side, narrowing her eyes. “You’re not Marcus. Wow twins? What's your name? Bet it starts with a M?”
Not Marcus closed his eyes tightly, breathing out slowly through his nose. He opened them again, turning sharply toward the guard behind him, his voice dropping into a growl of pure frustration. “Tell me you didn’t kidnap the Rosetti omega.”
He jabbed a finger sharply toward Fallon, who wiggled her fingers at him again, completely unbothered. The guard shifted uncomfortably, suddenly pale, clearly beginning to grasp the weight of his mistake. “Malik.. I..”
Fallon snorts, turning to us. “Called it.”
Malik slowly turned his gaze to Violet next, recognition and dread mixing openly on his face. “Tell me you didn’t kidnap the Frost omega, too.”
Violet offered a chilling smile, delicately waving a hand. “Hi! Lovely accommodations, truly.”
Malik’s shoulders sagged, frustration radiating from him in waves. He finally looked at me, confusion clear in his eyes as he sighed deeply, already weary. “And I don’t know who your alphas are, but I assume equally important, and equally lethal?”
I tilted my chin up, a wicked grin pulling sharply at my lips. “Pack Hael.”
Malik blinked slowly again, clearly processing the new information. Recognition hit him like a punch, color draining swiftly from his face as his eyes widened. “You… kidnapped Pack Rosetti’s omega, who is friends with both Pack Frost and Hael’s omegas. You kidnapped the fucking mafia’s omega?!”
The guard visibly shrank, muttering nervously, his voice barely audible.
“Not the mafia,” Fallon, Violet, and I muttered simultaneously, exchanging exasperated glances. Riven coughed lightly, clearly amused as she fought to hide her grin behind her hand.
Malik snapped around sharply toward his guard, finally losing his composure entirely.
“Do you realize what you’ve done? You have kidnapped the omegas of three packs that have literally built their reputations on violence!
The Rosetti pack alone would rip this city apart for a fraction of this insult.
The Frost pack thrives on hunting down people who wrong them!
And Hael?” He gestured furiously toward me.
“They’re insane. They’ll leave bodies in their wake and call it entertainment! ”
I tilted my head, pursing my lips thoughtfully. “Well, he’s not wrong about the body part. At least two out of four of my alphas would do that. Maybe all four”
Fallon shrugged, almost apologetically. “I mean, we have a reputation for a reason.”
Violet smiled softly, eyes gleaming darkly. “Frankly, I’m flattered.”
Malik spun around again, glowering at us through the bars. “You three think this is funny?”
“Yes,” Fallon said brightly.
“A little,” I admitted, smirking slightly.
Violet just shrugged elegantly, her eyes dancing with suppressed laughter.
He closed his eyes again, looking like he desperately wanted to scream. “Do you have any idea how much damage control I’m going to have to do now?”
“Oh, don’t worry,” Fallon said sweetly, her voice dripping with mock sympathy. “You probably won’t have much time left for damage control. Knowing our alphas, they’ll be here soon to help you redecorate, with your blood.”