Turning the page, I’m distracted by my stomach grumbling, and I glance outside at the darkening sky. It must be close to dinnertime, and I’m surprised that Gabe hasn’t come to hunt me down so he can feed me some more.
Shutting the book carefully to save my space, I head down to the kitchen. The door is closed as I reach it, the mumbling of the pack coming through. Smiling, I reach out to open it, but my hand pauses against the wood as Devlin’s voice comes through, angry in a way I haven’t heard since I first arrived.
“So, we’re supposed to inject her and then just tie her down?”
Devlin?
My hand drops like the door is burning me. Swallowing hard, I stare at the door. Gingerly, I lean forward to press my ear against it.
“Apparently,” Rogue’s gruff voice says. “It says here that it takes around an hour for them to pass out. The pheromones get stronger as the mix works through their system.”
“There are metal chains on here.” Ace’s voice sounds weird.
My head is racing, dark thoughts running through my mind. They’re talking about an artificial heat.
I know what happens. I’ve seen it.
Every omega in training has to watch a recording of an artificial heat. The image of the omega moaning, head lolling to the side, legs tied against the x-shaped cross as the males pump into her brings a wave of nausea to my throat, and my legs shake so badly I wonder if I’m going to collapse.
“Have they given us a timescale?” Gabe’s voice chimes in with concern. My eyes squeeze shut, and a tear makes its way down my cheek.
Everything they’ve told me is a lie.
Backing away quietly from the door, I turn and pad softly up to my bedroom. As I push the door closed, a sob escapes, and then another, until I’m curled in a ball on the floor. Everything that’s passed between me and the pack since I arrived here flashes through my mind.
Why did they lie to me? I would have preferred it if they’d kept to the rules instead of this. Do they think I’ll just smile and offer my arm for the injection so they can get their seed into my belly? Waves of grief come over me as I think of my afternoon with Gabe and Ace, and I crawl to the bathroom, reaching the toilet just in time to lose everything in my stomach.
Lies. Beautiful, painful, dangerous lies.
I should have known better.
I’m not sure how much time passes. I’m sat with my back against the door, head on my arms when Gabe knocks. The sound makes me flinch. I can’t face them.
“Harper, love? Are you coming down for dinner?”
He sounds so hopeful. Like he and his pack haven’t just ripped my heart into two. I push my hand against my mouth to stop the cry, forcing it back down and croaking, “I don’t feel great. I think I’m just going to go to bed early.”
Gabe pauses before his voice comes through, filled with worry. “Are you alright? Do you need anything?”
Clearly, they’re worried that their pet omega won’t be up to performing. Bile fills my mouth at the thought.
“I’ll be fine tomorrow. I think I just overdid it today.” My croaky voice adds evidence to my story, and Gabe tells me he’ll leave a tray of food outside my door in case I get hungry at all. He asks if he can come in, but I tell him I need some time to myself. His footsteps pause outside my door before he makes his way back downstairs.
Tears run down my face and I scrub them away, forcing myself to think clearly as I frantically think of my next steps.
I’llneversubmit to an artificial heat.
Shame fills me at the thought of me whining and begging for them, and all the while, they were planning to do this.
It makes sense now, why Gabe wouldn’t bite me this afternoon. You don’t need a bitemark for pregnancy. Just if you’re planning to keep an omega around. And they’re obviously not. Pain sears my chest at the realization that they’ve clearly never planned to keep me.
I stumble into the bathroom, staring at the collar around my neck in the mirror. Leaning in, I try and get a closer look at it. The black plastic is thick, around an inch high, and there are three green lights on the side. I don’t know what they mean apart from that they can track my movements. I try and push a finger through, but it’s fixed so tightly to my neck that there’s barely enough space for my little finger to squeeze in.
I briefly consider trying to force the collar from my neck, but I know that the trip switch will flip, and it’ll shock me unconscious before I manage it. The compound will get an alert and they’ll contact the pack. They’ll know that I was trying to escape, and I’ll be chained and in heat before I even wake up, probably. Tampering with your collar is a serious offense.
I have two options. I can take my chances and try and get the collar off. My thoughts go to Gabe’s knife set in the kitchen. I could take one and run, hide somewhere close and try and cut it off. Maybe they wouldn’t find me before I woke up.
Or I could just go along with it. Be thegood omegaI’ve been trained to be. I think of all of the moments I’ve shared with the pack. Rogue’s stern face hiding his smile, Ace’s devilish smirk, Gabe’s heart-stopping grin, Devlin’s hopeful expression. The choices they’ve given me.
