43. King
King
The lights show her standing, looking tiny beside the menacing figure that is Father. She is so close, I could just get down there and snatch her up, rip her away. That’s my plan, right up until the power goes, and suddenly, we’re plunged into the dark.
I prowl forward, inching towards them, listening intently to their conversation to give me clues about who is there. Rolly trained me well.
Speaking of, I can feel him moving around in the dark, whisper quiet, climbing the machinery and moving into a position to strike. My deadly alpha.
I almost miss the scrape of the shoe, the sound of someone coming at me. But at the last second, my instincts, finely honed by years of fighting, kick in. I turn and slam my fist into ribs. We collide, and he falls back because my fist is not something he was expecting.
He’s as big and as well-muscled as I am, and he knows how to fight; that much is clear as day, but he underestimated me. He thought I would be an easy target. This beta is an idiot.
“She told me about you,” I snarl. “You liked to watch her suffer. You liked to make it worse,” I murmur, staring at the idiot in revulsion.
Unlike the rest of Father’s little army, Brian doesn’t get to wear a bird mask.
He has not earned it. Instead, all he gets is just a pissy half mask. How embarrassing.
“She cried so nicely,” he taunts.
I roar and lunge at him, hitting him hard and driving him back.
“Is she yours? He won’t let you keep her. She’s promised to me. My first kill, the one that will get me my very own mask.”
The thought of this scum killing her is laughable and enraging. I slam an elbow into his gut and follow it with a punch to his jaw. He stumbles back, grunting.
“I’ll take your face as a mask,” I promise.
“She was a perfect killer. One so graceful and talented that she made it look easy. She will die painfully, I can promise you that. Every scream until her throat breaks.”
He talks too much.
I snarl at him.
“It’s a shame she went rogue. He won’t forgive her. He will destroy her. It’s sad, but it’s the way.” The way this idiot taunts and talks. He has no idea he’s just wasting air.
“You’re brainwashed and pathetic,” I murmur.
“He is God.”
I shake my head and block a punch, assessing and watching how he moves, looking for weaknesses.
“God? He is a man with a complex.”
“He is unstoppable, unbeatable. He is the Crow.”
I groan in exasperation. “His name is Anthony, and he is an old man past his prime who likes to beat up children.”
He roars and throws his whole self at me; I brace for impact and punch his kidney hard, over and over. This is what I wanted. That’s it, lose control, Brian.
He howls and struggles free of me, ripping himself back. He’s got blood pouring from his nose, but his eyes look completely unhinged.
Brian reaches out and picks up a large wrench and hefts it. I want to roll my eyes, but what’s the point in wasting my energy?
She screams.
Okay, I’m done playing.
He swings; I duck under him and attack, blow after blow after blow. Each punch hits him with the force of a truck. He falls back stunned, but I’m not done.
He hurt my omega.
He enjoyed seeing her in pain.
I pull out a knife.
He screams, then he howls.
I don’t stop until he stops speaking and his insides are in a steaming pile on the floor by his shoes.
“No one hurts my omega and lives,” I murmur, and in my hands, I have his face, just like I promised. He can’t hurt her anymore.
I turn away, scanning the dark, trying to locate where she is.
“Hello, King.”
I turn my head and find Pack Prince melting out of the dark and spreading out around us. They move as quietly as we do.
“Are you here to help?” I ask warily.
“Of course.”
“Hey, Little Brother,” Cyn murmurs, staring at the faceless beta on the ground. “I like your work.”
I grin at him, but it falls flat. “They hurt my omega.”
“Then, they’ll die. We’ll help you. No one will leave this place alive.”
Cyn and I don’t have much in common, but I’ve always known I can depend on him if I really need it. I don’t think I’ve ever asked for help before.
But I’m asking now.
“Pix and Merle are in trouble. Help me save them.”
Bonnie walks out of the dark and pulls on a mask. “Of course. You’re all family, after all.”
I turn to where I last saw her. “Don’t hurt the children.”
I can feel them looking at me, but I don’t have time to explain.
Kestrel roars, and I lunge forward through the dark, searching for my omega while I’ve got a direction to hunt in.
“Kill everyone who tries to stop us,” I shout, knowing my pack and my family will hear me and obey.
I’m going to rescue my omega.