Ignoring the possessive thoughts invading my body, I hesitate for all of half a second before I dive into the bed, frantically rearranging the pillows and covers until I’m cocooned in the middle, the covers pulled over my head. It’s dark, and quiet, and absolutely fucking blissful. Any remaining tension in my body slowly ebbs away at the feel of being surrounded. I don’t remember ever feeling this content in the seven years since my awakening.
This feels like anest. Even if it is a tiny one. This is everything I ever imagined. Soft blankets, cosy bedding, plump pillows, and an actual, proper bed. This is such a huge middle finger to the omega creed. If anyone from the compound saw me, I don’t even want to think about the punishment. But Gabe said it would be okay, and I’m trusting him. At least for tonight.
As I curl up, thoughts of the last two weeks begin to creep in. Jason, leaning over me. The ice baths. His weight between my legs. The feel of the cane slapping my feet. Once, then again, then again. My breath starts to speed up at the memory, and I try to push it away as a tear trickles down my face.
You’re safe, I tell myself firmly. I’m safe, and I’m warm, and I have my tiny nest. At least for tonight.
It’s more than I ever thought I’d have.
ChapterSixteen
Ace
“What the fuck? And why is she wearing a collar?” I hiss at Rogue and Dev. Rogue gestures for me to follow him outside. Devlin follows as I stomp after him, the wooden door swinging shut behind us.
Rogue stops by the truck and turns to me. “We’ll talk properly when Gabe comes down. I don’t want to run through it twice.” A rough sound of agreement comes from Devlin.
Nodding slowly, I fight down the urge to argue. It won’t do me any good, anyway. Rogue rarely changes his mind once it’s made up. His normally unflappable attitude is what makes him such a strong pack leader. Especially for a bunch of misfits like us.
Devlin pulls the back doors of the truck open, reaching in and pulling out an actual goddamn metal cage with a grunt of effort. They weren’t kidding. My breath fogs out in front of me, the chill reaching my bones as I eye it with distaste. It looks just like a dog cage, slightly bigger. My gut sours at the thought of our omega folding herself into this.
Shoving the cage into my arms, Dev snaps, “Take this inside. I’ll bring the rest.”
I lug the cage back in, dropping it in the corner of the kitchen. Stepping back, I look at it properly in the light. It’s made up of thin metal bars and there’s a sort of plastic mat at the bottom. Leaning down, I poke at it gingerly through the gap in the bars. It’s solid as a rock, barely an inch thick if that.
She’s supposed to sleep on this?
Dev follows me in, a box of items clunking down onto the table. Shifting over to him, I stick my arms in and start to pull things out, ignoring his irritated grumble. I pull out a thick beige manila folder, turning it over to see the words ‘omega instruction manual’ on the outside. Are they for real?
Pushing it to the side for now, I yank out what I belatedly realize are scraps of lingerie and hastily drop them. They float down on the table, little bits of lace and netting similar to what Harper was wearing earlier. “Where are her clothes?” I mutter to Dev.
He shrugs. “They’re not allowed them.”
His gaze is steady as he meets my eyes. He’s serious.
“Well, that’s fucked up,” I say, leaning in to see what else is in the box. There’s a smaller pack in there, and I lift it out to see.
“Artificial heat package.” My lips curl in distaste and I bite back an angry growl. I’ve heard about artificial heats, and the whole thing rubs me up the wrong way. It’s fucking insane, to be precise. I like my females mewling and dripping, begging and writhing underneath me as I fuck them, not unconscious and strapped down.
Devlin grabs it from me and opens one of the cupboards, chucking it in. I see the tension in his shoulders. He’s not as cavalier as he’s making out.
In my haste to see what other shit they’ve shoved in, I tip the box upside down and Dev swears at me. I can’t help it, I’m an impatient fucker. We both look down at the contents in bemused silence. A pack of what looks like some sort of protein powder and a blue bag. I unzip it to reveal a toothbrush and ratty old hairbrush.
“That’s it?” I ask, turning to Rogue who’s entered the kitchen, locking up the door for the night. He stares at the stuff on the table but doesn’t respond, instead pulling a bottle of scotch and some glasses down from the side. Collapsing into a chair, he groans, rubbing the back of his head.
“What a fucking day.”
Gabe comes tripping into the room, and we all turn to stare at him. He’s been gone for a few minutes – definitely longer than it takes to show someone to a bedroom. I cock a brow at him teasingly. “Been flirting with our little omega, G?”
He frowns at me and doesn’t respond. That’s enough to shut me up. My voice softens. “Hey, I was kidding.” I hold my arm up in invitation, not expecting anything to come of it. My breath catches when he takes it, ducking underneath. I can feel his stress and try not to read into it. He just needs the touch. Hugging him to me, being careful not to overdo it, I look over at Rogue. “So, shoot. What’s all this about?”
Dev pulls up a chair as Rogue launches into the whole story. By the time he finishes, Gabe is a vibrating ball of distress. Low growls rumble from his chest and his normally enticing scent is potent and sharp, hanging thickly in the air. More than once he’s moved towards the door, and I’ve pulled him back. Not that I blame him. My own hormones are raging at the injustice Harper has suffered – and I strongly suspect that we don’t know half of it. Pulling Gabe to the table, I nudge him into a seat and grab the manual I scoffed at earlier. Flicking through it, bile rises in my throat. “I’m not doing this shit.”
Rogue shoots me a flat stare. “Kind of late to back out now. You want us to take her back to the compound?”
Mine and Gabe’s protests erupt at the same time. Gabe sits up quickly. “We don’t have to follow what’s in that book, though. We can just do our own thing. Who’s going to know?”
“It says theyneedit,” Dev cuts in, his voice a knife through Gabe’s proposal.
