Chapter 4 & 5

Chapter 4

Colby

Maybe the worst feeling in the world is not being able to give your omega what she needs. What she wants and craves. No matter how hard I tried, how long we looked, a pack was completely out of reach.

I’d taken to looking around at our environment and the surrounding people there to see if I could find someone we might be interested in. I’ve suspected for a while now that we weren’t going to find a ready-made pack. Not for the both of us. We were going to have to build our own.

The idea was daunting at best but when we came home from the disastrous Pack Dolby interview, we sat down and talked about it. Discussed our options. And it became quite clear that Pack Listing was a dead end for us.

Talya and I looked at the app one of her omega friends online had mentioned. We made an account with fake information when it became clear that it wasn’t nearly as secure as other omega resources.

And really, all we were looking at was a dating app. A way to meet, mingle, flirt, and send dirty pictures online. We’d been logged in for less than ten minutes and had already received an unsolicited knot pic.

I mean, as far as knots go, it wasn’t all that off putting. But the behavior was, and it told us both right away that we weren’t going to find others serious about building a pack on this site.

“PackTease said she’s heard some happy stories from meetings had using this app,” Talya said as she scrolled through profiles. I was pretty sure she was telling herself that more than me.

“You know,” Fenton said, sitting down on the couch with us and leaning over Talya to look into her phone. Talya shifted so he could see the screen. “You could meet people like a beta.”

Talya looked up, brows knit together and that beautiful way of hers. “How’s that?”

Fenton laughed, pushing his shoulder into hers. “They go out, silly. Bars. Clubs. Parks. Concerts. You know, social activities.”

My omega scrunched her nose. “That’s really how you meet people, Fen?”

He laughed. “I don’t, no. It feels hungry and desperate to me.”

Talya scoffed, playfully slapping him. “I’m neither. I have an alpha who is very satisfying, I’ll have you know.”

“Yes, I’ve heard you two for the past several years.” Fenton hooded his eyes.

“Gotta take care of your lady,” I said, unapologetically.

“Mm, I’m sure.”

Talya sighed. “I don’t know. There’s a part of me that aches for a pack but… I’m so tired of looking.”

Guilt settled more heavily onto my shoulders. It was my responsibility to make sure my omega was taken care of. To provide for her whatever she wanted.

And this was something I had failed at time and time again to bring her.

I woke up Friday morning thinking about how I was going to find my omega a pack. It wasn’t hard to come to the conclusion that our pack was going to be built from the ground up. It would start with Talya and I. Unconventional, maybe, but that’s where we were. There was no way around it. The real question was where we were going to find others. 

Kissing my omega on her temple gently, I slipped out of the bed. After making my way through the shower, I stopped at the door to look at my peaceful beauty. So soft and delicate. Happy. Kind. And with a streak of no fucks to give when dealing with alphas who were clearly shit. I loved to see it. It went straight to my core, making my blood run hot.

The truth is, I couldn’t believe that some of the packs we’ve vistited would ever get an omega. Dolby wasn’t even the worst one we’ve met. They were just the most recent. Did these alphas with a knot up their ass really think they were going to attract an omega with their behavior? With their attitudes towards the designation in general?

It was sick.

Shaking my head, I left our bedroom. I found Fenton in the kitchen staring absently at the toaster waiting for his bagel. The man was not a morning person.

Chuckling, I clapped him on the back as I walked by. He gave me a grunt without further acknowledgement.

I pulled out the mini crock pot and began throwing bits of vegetables and some leftover shredded chicken into it before adding stock, a bit of tomato paste, and seasoning. With the cover on and it set on low, I pushed it back into the corner. This tiny slow cooker was perfect for a single serving. Which meant, my omega would have a warm lunch.

I moved on to breakfast, getting ready to prepare some omelets.

“I won’t be home tonight and probably not through the weekend,” Fenton said. I glanced up to find him sitting at the counter as he ate his cream cheese smothered bagel. “Parents are having a family thing.” He rolled his eyes. “Easier to stay there than go back and forth.”

“Sounds good. Have fun.”

Fenton snorted. “You’ve met my sister. I’m not sure ‘fun’ is ever going to be associated with any event she’s involved in.”

I grinned as I flipped my egg patty and began filling it with cheese and ham before folding it in half. I packed my lunch as I ate my breakfast and cooked Talya a smaller omelet.

Fenton had been a decent distraction from my thoughts but as I walked out the door and climbed into my car, the stress and guilt of not having a pack for my omega settled around me again. There were plenty of people in the world. Designations didn’t matter but the real question was, where do you go to look for someone who might be right for you and your omega? The Pack Listing was a place to scout packs. But where do I find singles with the same values, drive, and morals that we might like? Someone who turned us on both intellectually and physically?

Work was another decent distraction though my thoughts continued to drift to different ridiculous ideas on how to go about finding packmates. Take out a listing? Suggest a reality TV show to one of the networks? Or maybe something stupid like going to the grocery store and just scoping out who was around.

I was up for promotion at work so there was a lot to do that continuously pulled my thoughts back to something productive. At least this part of my life was going the way I’d hoped. I’d managed to acquire a decent entry level salary and found us a small townhouse starter right after college. Talya provided the roommate we needed to make ends meet.

Since then, I received a few raises and bonuses but this would be my first true promotion. It was a low-level manager but it was a start. And moving up would be easier as I proved myself further. I was hoping that within the next couple years, I could buy my omega a house with a true nest.

Sighing, I leaned back in my chair, picturing Talya’s face clearly when I could bring her into a nest filled with all her favorite things. Cushions. A huge bed. Blankets of all kinds. Stuffies that she pretended she didn’t need but loved so much. Carpets and warm colors. Low lighting. And a view to make her sigh in contentment.

I stopped at the store on the way home and picked up some flowers with a little stuffed bear wrapped around the stems. While there, I took note of those shopping. Who watched me and with what expressions. While I didn’t have a preference for or against a beta, I wasn’t interested in one who chased an alpha just to satisfy their want of a pack.

If I was bringing anyone home, it needed to be someone who was genuinely into me. And they also needed to be just as interested in my omega. And that was difficult to find. The stigma in the world between betas and omegas could be violent. It wasn’t fair or either of their faults. Not on a wide scale.

But individually, it was uncalled for.

No one struck me as particularly noteworthy so with my purchase, I headed home.

There was nothing better than walking in to find my perfect omega with a smile for me. She always stopped whatever she was doing to greet me. And after I held her for a few minutes, letting us both settle from being apart throughout the day, we went to the kitchen.

I prepared dinner and Talya sat at the counter. We talked of our days, what we did, and reflected on other things. Tonight, we didn’t talk about needing a pack. I think we were both more interested in letting that topic rest for a while. One dead end after another did that to a person.

Throughout the evening, Talya smelled her flowers and continued to snuggle her little stuffy. It wasn’t about the big gestures. It had always been the thought behind little presents.

We snuggled on the couch to watch a movie before heading into bed. 

And when I came out of the bathroom from brushing my teeth and washing up, I found my gorgeous Talya on her hands and knees, presenting me her glistening wet pussy. A shiver of arousal swept through me, bringing my cock to immediate attention. My nostrils flared as her sweet orange creamsicle scent filled the air, making me growl with need. 

She smiled sweetly at me from over her shoulder. “Alpha,” she whispered. “I’ve missed you so much.”

A brief flash of guilt surged through me. If we had a pack, Talya wouldn’t be home alone all day.

Thankfully, it was difficult to concentrate on that with the way she wiggled her bottom. My dick was already dripping as I crossed the room to kneel on the bed behind her. Running my hands over her smooth, round ass. 

“So perfect,” I purred, the vibration filling the air. “So good for your alpha.”

“Yes,” Talya agreed as I continued to explore her satin skin. “I am always good for my alpha.”

I leaned over her back, gently biting at the back of her shoulder as I slid my fingers between her folds, rubbing her wetness and letting it coat my digits. Again, my nostrils flared as her scent filled the room and my lungs. Making me ache.

If I didn’t get inside her soon, I couldn’t swell while already buried. As much as I loved to push my knot past her muscles until we locked, I also really loved letting myself swell while already buried inside her. It was a different sensation. While one was like coming home before driving me straight into wanting to rut, the other was a complete sense of calm and belonging. The perfect fit as I spread to fill every nook, cranny, and crevice of her pussy. 

I was also sure that there was a different sensation for her when I ballooned while inside her. The way she bucked and cried out was an entirely distinct way than when I simply push my already engorged knot. 

And all this thinking about it meant I was beginning to knot. I pulled my fingers from her and licked them off, letting her tangy juices mingled with orange cream cover my tongue. Before I had finished lapping myself clean, I began pushing my dick into her. 

Talya groaned, dipping her shoulders down further and arcing her back down so her ass was the only thing I could see. She wiggled against me before pushing herself back, bringing her ass to my hips. 

She was always a tight fit, but her body stretched to accommodate me. With her legs trapped closed between mine where I knelt behind her, her body didn’t have the right position to stretch and so the grip around my dick was harsh. Strangling. 

Her sounds were erotic. The way she bucked against me, moaning and yipping. 

“So good, sweetheart,” I told her, patting her back as I gently pushed my way inside her. This never got old. Never felt routine. Every single time was like the first, getting better and better. Like we never stopped learning each other. Never stopped feeling how exactly right we fit. “You were made for your alpha.”

Talya nodded, wiggling her hips again. Already asking for my knot without saying so. Still, I took my time, enjoying the way her body crushed me as I used her natural lubricant to work my way inside her.

“Alpha,” she whined. Not a true omega whine but it was hinting at it. I could feel that pull in my chest. The way it demanded I fix whatever it was she needed. No matter how great or small the task. It was my job to always make it right. 

And I would. I would go to the ends of the world to give my omega everything she wanted. Anything she needed. 

My knot was just beginning to expand as I bottomed out. I closed my eyes and relished in the bliss of her for a few thrusts before I decided that right now, all we really needed after the disaster with Pack Dolby was gratification. No need to work up to it. Not tonight. 

I pushed myself back inside and let her perfume fill all my senses, urging my knot to expand. The moment it stopped being just a secure fit was when the first throws of true heat began coursing through both of us. Talya gasped, burying her face into the bed, her hands gripping the comforter tightly. 

As I swelled, my knot getting fatter and harder, her body loosened to accommodate me while still holding me tightly. It wasn’t just a lock. It was a true fitting to my exact size and shape. Not all knots are the same. Some are smaller but wider. While others are simply big all around. 

Mine was a bit on the bigger side but was rightly proportional to the length and girth of my cock.

My mind stuttered as I hit fully inflated and the need to rut was almost a ruthless desire. I shook as my omega began crying out, a long drawn-out, beautiful moan that was almost borderline screaming as her orgasm built. 

I held still, trying to give her a minute to climb to the peak before falling. 

“That’s it, omega,” I crooned, rubbing her back with praise. “Lock my cock, baby. Take my knot like the perfect omega you are.”

Her pleasure burst inside me through our bond and that was the end of my restraint. The first sensations of the perfect moment, my flawless omega that I was meant for, filled me until I couldn’t catch my breath. 

And then it was intertwined with an intense pleasure so deep that the only thing I could hear was Talya’s cries of pleasure as I rutted into her. Driving myself deeper and harsher as I jerked within the tight confines of her body, unable to truly move more than a fraction of an inch. 

I carried us through the intense heat until we collapsed on the bed, still fastened together. Our heavy breathing mingled as I wrapped myself around her. Holding her to my chest and curling my body under hers. 

She made a quiet humming sound. A sweet, happy sigh as she nestled into me. I kissed the back of her head, feeling her falling asleep in my arms. 

This was my omega. And I’d do anything to make her happy. All I needed was to focus on locating the perfect patckmates for us. They were out there. They had to be. 

I couldn’t be sure what made me open my eyes. But I was suddenly awake. Talya was still curled into my side, breathing soundly. For a moment, I thought that it must have been a dream. Something just on the horizon of memory that startled me awake.

With that comfort, I closed my eyes. They opened immediately when a soft scraping outside met my ears through the cracked bedroom window. I frowned, glancing at the clock. 2:39. The sun was nowhere near coming up. Was it… a raccoon? A stray dog, maybe?

The scratching stopped and a breath later there was a quiet squeak that as if something that was too tight with no oil rubbed against each other. The noise stopped as soon as I heard it.

Narrowing my eyes, I sat up, gently disentangling myself from Talya.

“Colby?” she asked, her voice heavy with sleep as she reached for me with her eyes closed.

“Yeah, baby. I need to-”

The thump I heard had Talya sitting up, clutching the blankets to her chest as she stared around the room with wide eyes. “What’s that?” she whispered, fear heavy in her voice. Her perfume turned acerbic.

I shook my head, quietly creeping from the bed. “Don’t move,” I whispered as I slipped on some pants and my house shoes. I didn’t have a weapon, but I still had a metal bat from high school. Once, I thought I’d play baseball. As it turns out, I wasn’t that interested in it. But I kept the bat.

Armed with the only thing I had available, I headed for the door, pausing with my hand on the knob. The minutes stretched on, and I began to relax as silence surrounded us. Maybe it had just been something outside. Someone roaming around the neighborhood in the night. Cutting through our yard.

Still, I needed to make sure the house was locked up tight. That no one had tried to break in. I would keep my omega safe at all costs.

Smiling reassuringly at Talya, I slowly opened the bedroom door and peered down the dark hall. Is it wisest to turn the lights on or keep them off in a scenario where you think your house has been broken into?

Hell, the smarter thing would be to call the cops first. I should have had Talya doing that while I checked out the house. But I was already in the hall, taking careful, silent steps closer to the stairs. Just as I was beginning to think that whatever had disturbed us outside had moved on, there was an unmistakable scratch on the floors downstairs. Inside. A noise like a chair scraping across the floor when someone ran into it.

Someone who didn’t know it was there because they shouldn’t be in the house.

Suddenly a bat didn’t feel like enough. I began making my way back towards the room. We would call the cops and barricade ourselves inside until they arrived. There was definitely someone in our house.

What are the odds that Fen came home early? I paused as I considered this, looking back towards the stairs. No sounds followed but I wasn’t convinced that it was Fenton. Something in my gut said it wasn’t him. But I remained planted there, staring into the dark, waiting for a sign that I needed to get Talya out.

Fucking knots, I already had a sign. There was someone in my house!

I turned away this time and closed the rest of the distance between where I stood and our bedroom door, taking care to close it as silently as possible. Then I turned the little latch that locked the door, rolling my eyes at how flimsy that was. It wasn’t truly a barrier. It was to keep little ones from walking in on their parents fucking. To keep roommates from barging in when you’re taking care of your omega in a spike.

Not to keep an intruder out.

Talya hadn’t moved and I stopped at the side of the bed, cupping her face and kissing her lips lightly. “Get dressed as quietly as possible.”

She nodded and I went around the bed to pick up the phone. I kept my eyes on my girl as I turned it on, moving back towards the door to remain an obstacle between an intruder and my omega. I dialed 911 and waited for it to answer.

As soon as someone picked up, our bedroom door was smashed open, and I dropped the phone in favor of holding my bat properly. Behind me, Talya screamed. 

Chapter 5

Talya

There are things an omega is taught from an early age. Omegas are rare and cherished. Treasured. We’re wanted. We need a pack, and we shouldn’t deny that craving.

But there was also that scarier topics we were schooled in. Do not travel alone. Ever. Because with the rarity that came with being an omega also came those who would do anything to obtain one. And if they were willing to take you against your will, there wasn’t anything you were going to be able to do to convince them to let you go.

It was a dark world. A nasty world under the bright, promising blue skies.

While I was growing up, I dreamed of a pack. I learned to recognize the part of me that yearned for a home, for my alphas, as that biological demand for the security and home that only a pack offers. I never tried to deny that. Never tried to look beyond it. I have never wanted to be something I’m not.

And though I always took the warnings seriously, omegas were taught that we should always be protected. Therefore, we were not taught how to defend ourselves. In the same breath that tells us that we are hunted like large game, we are also told that an alpha’s biological calling is to always keep an omega safe. Whether that omega is theirs or not.

We’re also told that betas have a stick up their asses concerning omegas and omegas just need to learn to deal with it. Look beyond them because they don’t matter to our internal needs and drive. They’re just there. Around every corner. Every face.

I’ve never met or known an omega personally who has been a victim of these dark recesses of society. Though before I joined the Omega Forum, there was a male omega named KnotWanted who had disappeared. There was speculation that they’d been abducted by these people.

There were a lot of names that went around about what the groups were called. The notorious crime lords of Decrescenti were in the business of dealing with human sales and drugs. But there were many other groups as well.

Why does all of this flash before my eyes as I barely get my shirt over my head as our bedroom door is broken down? Because I know three things immediately.

One: although Colby managed to knock one of the intruders out with a superb swing of that bat, filling the air with a nasty crack and thwack, he was a single man against three others. That was already taking into account the man he’d dropped.

Two: omegas needed defense training. All I could do was scream as one of the men came after me.

Three: we were not going to escape this.

Time slowed as I watched in horror as one of the men who were fighting Colby jammed what I thought was a blade into his neck. I screamed in terror as he fell. But in the moonlight, I could see that there was no blood. It wasn’t a blade but a needle. They drugged him.

I dodged the man coming at me. His diluted scent told me that he wasn’t an alpha but a beta. The one coming after me smelled like sunflowers. There was a moment before he caught me that I thought how inappropriate that was. How could he smell of something so pleasant when he was committing such a heinous crime? It wasn’t right.

And then his hands were on me. I kicked and flailed as I tried desperately to get away. I even managed to sink my teeth into his arm, immediately gagging when I got a mouth full of arm hair, a spurting of blood, and the disgusting taste of skin on my teeth.

He grunted, his hand going to my hair and craning my head back at a painful angle. I thought I’d receive a needle in my neck, too. But instead, my hands were zip-tied behind my back and a dirty, oily scarf that certainly wasn’t mine was tied over my face, wedged in my mouth.

I continued to scream as the man picked me up in a bear hug, so I was almost suffocatingly immobile. Tears streamed down my face as fear consumed me and I watched the two men haul Colby up like a limp noodle and drag him into the hallway.

Once outside, I tried to make as much noise as I could in hopes that someone would hear me. I thought I was doing a decent job of making racket and that maybe I stood a chance. But then the hand of the man holding me closed around my throat, cutting my air off so I couldn’t breathe.

Colby and I were loaded into a van. As soon as I was loose, I flailed once again. Kicking everything I could reach. Thrashing my body to make as much noise as possible.

Then a foot landed in my gut, making me gasp in pain and I rolled away.

“Stupid fucking omega,” one of the men mumbled.

Another snorted.

I rolled until I was pressed against Colby’s still body. I stilled against him, trying to shimmy my way into his arms. Even in an unconscious state, he would still wrap me up in an embrace. I knew he would.

But the only indication that he was alive was his breathing. Otherwise, he was lifeless on the floor of the van. I quietly sobbed as I struggled to get myself calm. The panic in me made me irrational. I was half convinced that I should continue to make as much noise as possible. But the threat of pain was enough that I laid where I was.

“Enjoy him while you can, omega,” one of the men snarled. “Your days together are numbered.”

A new fear blossomed inside me as I tried to suck in a breath. They were going to kill me. Or Colby. Maybe both. How was I supposed to get out of this?

I snuggled further into Colby and used his warm sandalwood and allspice scent to calm me. For a long time, I concentrated only on him. Letting his scent fill me until I was thinking somewhat lucidly.

The betas – they were all betas based on their floral and herbal scents – didn’t speak as they drove. Thankfully, they left me alone. I wasn’t surprised. Betas didn’t have that drive for an omega. In fact, part of me was sure they’d love to make omegas extinct so that alphas had no choice but to take an interest in them.

I supposed it could be worse. These could be alphas with me, a helpless omega. I’ve heard horror stories. And I had no doubt they were true.

Focus, Talya. Right now, I needed a plan. I needed to figure out how to wake Colby up. And short of that, I needed an idea on how to rescue us. How to maybe dispose of the betas.

Speaking of… they left the one behind. The one Colby took out. Surely that should tip someone off. But without Fenton being due home for a couple days, it would be at least that long before he was found. And by then, we could be who knew how far away.

But surely, that should be enough to track us. Right?

I just needed to find a way to hold out until then. It’s not like I could appeal to them. Not while I was gagged. Oh! I’d seen a hack on how to get rid of zip ties. Except that was when you were wearing shoes. I was barefoot.

I took a breath, pushing the frustration aside and racking my brain for any possible solution. Based on the darkness outside, we weren’t on a well-traveled road. There were no streetlights and very few headlights. So conserving my energy was certainly in my best interest. No use in making noise when there was no chance in being overheard.

I didn’t give myself time to think about how dooming this was. Or give much thought to where we were headed. My goal needed to be strategy, which was almost comical since I was a fucking graphic designer. I didn’t even like action movies. How was I going to think of a useful plan?! One that was even semi-successful took a much different skill set than the one I had.

“We’re sure this is the pair they’re after?” one of the betas asked, making me calm my breathing to almost nothing so I didn’t miss a word.

“Bonded and no pack. Seems about right.”

“They were the only ones there, though. I thought there was a beta, too.”

“There’s a heavy beta scent all over the house that I know you didn’t miss. It would have been better if we’d have gotten him, too, but the omega and alpha were our primary targets.”

Chills raced down my spine. This wasn’t a chance abduction. We were targeted. I swallowed, trying to keep the panic that was once more trying to take over reach my conscious thought. I needed to glean whatever I could from them. As much as I could.

“She’s older than I thought they’d be interested in.”

“This isn’t that kind of assignment. They’re bonded.”

Silence followed this information.

“Ah. I’d love to be a fly on the wall.”

My heart raced at the dark satisfaction in his voice. Internally, I begged for them to continue to talk. But was it better to know what was ahead or not? Better to mentally prepare yourself for the worst or go in blind?

The drive was long enough that I dozed, even in fear. I opened my eyes as the door to the van slid open. Anger washed through me as I mentally kicked myself for not using every spare minute to think of a plan to save me and my alpha.

My time to think was over. A rough hand grabbed my arm and dragged me harshly across the floor of the van. He yanked me out and hauled me to my feet. I could have continued to act like the victim I was and scream. But I wasn’t stupid. It was daylight and if they were pulling me out of their vehicle still tied up, there would be no one here to help me.

Not even as an omega. I was on my own. And my alpha was still unconscious.

“Let’s go, omega,” the beta said, shoving me forward. I stumbled but kept my balance as I glanced behind me to find that they were dragging Colby out of the van now, too.

“Take a good look at him,” the beta said, smirking nastily. “You’ll never see your alpha again.”

I froze at his words, my eyes going wide as I stared at Colby. Everything around me fell away. The day darkened as I focused solely on my alpha.

This beta couldn’t be serious. What good was a bonded omega without their alpha and vise versa?

It wasn’t until I came to a painful stop and slammed into the ground that I realized I had begun sprinting to Colby. The beta once again grabbed me by my hair and forced me to stop. This time, it was my terrified panic that had me trying to pull free and scream through the gag still wedged in my mouth.

The beta laughed as he unceremoniously hauled me over his shoulder and began leisurely walking away. I screamed and squirmed in his hold, but all the beta did was laugh at me, his hand harshly gripping my thigh so I couldn’t so much as knee him in the throat.

My view of Colby was cut off as we stepped inside. I hadn’t taken a good look at the building since the beta had startled me with the worse case scenario right off the bat. There was no way I was going to let this separation be my future. This wasn’t going to be permanent. I wouldn’t let it. That wasn’t an option.

I stilled as I watched the hall we passed through. It didn’t look like a warehouse. If anything, it looked like a hospital. I closed my eyes a moment, fearing the unknown that lay ahead. What was the plan? Why did they want me? I was bonded. They couldn’t just sell me to another pack.

And they knew I was bonded. Their short dialog said as much.

A door opened and the beta dropped me onto a hard mattress that rested on the floor. I took a good look at his face, memorizing every detail that I could. His confidence in his victory was written in his nasty smile. In the way his scent blossomed with pleasure at seeing me on my ass in little more than a cell.

“Enjoy your new life, omega.” He turned on his heel and slammed the door behind him.

This was not my new life. That was not an option.

I turned inward for a moment, concentrating on my bond and feeling for Colby. He was there, strong and steady. But he was silent. Unmoving. Which likely meant he was still unconscious. I needed him to wake up. How could I make that happen?

I was left alone in the room for several hours. The only indication of the passing of time was the way the sunlight shifted through the high window. Too high to reach. Too small to fit through. Not that any of that mattered since my hands were still trapped behind my back.

Perhaps one might think being left alone was a good thing. It meant their attention wasn’t on me. It meant I wasn’t being tortured, raped, or anything else. But it also meant that I had nothing to do but play all the worst-case scenarios over in my mind, each minute coming up with something worse than the previous. All the while, feeling that my alpha was still unconscious.

My nerves were frayed by the time the door opened. It wasn’t any of the men who’d been in the van. None of the ones who’d abducted us. In fact, one of the betas who walked in the room was a woman.

There was no compassion on her face. She wasn’t even looking at me as if I were a living person. I was an object that she was studying.

She nodded, and the three men with her pulled me to my feet. They were gentler than those in the van and for a minute, I reconsidered that perhaps these people weren’t going to hurt me. A blossom of hope built in my chest as I took a breath after they released my hands and pulled the gag out.

I was given water, which I drank all of it. Then I was given half a sandwich before being led to a bathroom, where I was left alone to use the facilities. They brought me to a different room; this one was more of a bare-bones guest room if I’ve ever seen one. A bed on a metal frame. A long table against the wall. And a couple chairs.

“Alright, omega,” the woman said as she placed her hands in her pockets and faced me. “Time to see what we need to do to get rid of your bond.”