I didn’t waste my time replying.
When we reached the empty seat, I shoved her into it by her shoulders and set to tying her hands behind her back with the length of rope. It was one of the only things I hadn’t found in theabandoned building; I’d lucked out and stumbled upon it in one of the nearby alleys.
I finished in silence and stood to loom over her, admiring the way her pulse fluttered rapidly in her throat. She was doing her best not to seem afraid, but I could see through her pretty mask.
“You had no right.” Her eyes narrowed on me.
“Didn’t I?” I chuckled, pulling a throwing knife from my belt and twirling it between my fingers. “Considering you stole my shirt, I could say the same.”
Her mouth opened and closed, then opened again. “I-I didn’t mean…”
“Y-you didn’t mean… to what?” I mocked, shaking my head. “You started this,omega. I’m just finishing it.”
The way she trembled, trying to swallow down a pathetic whimper, had blood rushing to my cock again.
Goddamn it.
Fucking her wasn’t part of the plan. It was actually theoppositeof the plan. I couldn’t afford to get sidetracked.
“You know, I’ve met omegas before,” I said, quickly changing the subject. Slowly, I walked around her chair while I continued twirling my knife. I let my gaze drift around the room, admiring the dusty chaos. “You’re nothing like them. I never suspected a thing. Bravo, honestly. You did your job well.”
When I completed a full circle, I stopped in front of her, poised with the knife in my hand.
“But not well enough,” I went on. “When I noticed my shirt was missing, do you know who I suspected first?” I held the blade up to admire its shine. “You. In all my years with the circus, no one has ever touched my things, never stolen from me.”
“I didn’t steal it, I was just?—”
In a blink, the point of my blade was at her throat, a hairsbreadth from her skin. She fell silent and caught her breath all at once.
“As I was saying,” I continued without moving, “I knew it was you. So, I decided to play along, to take something of yours and see how long it took you to fess up or return it. Imagine my surprise when I found thousands of dollars’ worth of illegal drugs stowed away on our circus bus.”
Her face paled, her eyes bulging. With my knife at her neck, she was too afraid to speak, but she didn’t need to. Her thoughts were plain as day on her face.
“You put us all in jeopardy.” I flinched, and the knife kissed her skin, creating a tiny divot in her neck. Not enough to cut skin… yet. “What the fuck do you think will happen if we get caught harboring illegal drugs? Do you think they won’t come after the rest of us? After Hallow?”
She swallowed, and the bob of her throat pressed against the knife enough that it pierced her skin. A single, scarlet bead formed and rolled down her porcelain skin, and she whimpered.
“You can be reckless with your own life all you want, but when you threaten our livelihood with your carelessness, we have a problem.” I withdrew my blade and returned it to the sheath on my belt, my eyes lingering on her blood. “Something must be done, don’t you think?”
“What are you going to do?” she croaked. “Do you want to sell me? Bite me? Breed me?”
I shook my head, chuckling low. “You think just because you're an omega, you’re worthy to carry my mark?” I turned my back on her and strode to the other chair, running my fingers over the zipper of her backpack. “Something being rare doesn’t mean it’s coveted by everyone,pet.”
My eyes snapped back in her direction, locking with hers.
Fear bled from her pores, flowing freely into the room. The way she watched me, eyes wide with her lips slightly parted made her look even more desperate.
Pathetic.
“We have no need for you,” I said, slowly pacing back and stopping in front of her. “You’re useless; a waste of circus resources. Not only that, but you’re a threat to our safety. I think it would be best for everyone if you weren’t part of the troupe.”
A tear slid down her cheek, dropping onto the front of her hoodie. It was quickly followed by another.
“Then, I’ll go,” she said, her voice cracking. “Give me my things, and I’ll leave. You’ll never see me again. Please.”
My mouth curled into a giddy smile; I was hoping she’d beg.
Still, it wouldn’t save her, because I’d already made up my mind.
