A family.
My mind flashes to Stone, and I push the feelings down. He’s not my family.
“Along with me and Max, there are two other pack members. Bastien and Niko – Nikolai. We’re the Grey pack, although we’re not registered with the Government.”
“My sister, Leah, lives close by to us,” Max explains, but my attention snags on his previous words.
Four alphas? An alpha pack?
A tremor starts in my arm, and Luc notes it straight away, pausing.
My mind fills with images of the omegas at the compound. Pretty, broken toys. Property. The fucking omega creed.
Distaste and disappointment choke me. For a moment, I thought they were different. But they’re the same as every other alpha I’ve met, just with a softer smile to draw you in.
Fury rises up my throat. I feel… betrayed.
Yanking my hand from Lucien’s fingers, I pull my hand as far away from him as I can.
“You don’t need to do that.” My voice is ice cold.
They cast concerned glances over my head and Lucien looks at me, confusion swirling in his eyes.
“Why not?” he asks. He seems genuinely perplexed.
I close my eyes. “What’s the point? I know the drill.”
This is just another cage.
“Ava,” Max says. His voice is so careful. I could kick myself for nearly falling for it.
When will you fucking learn, Ava?
“Will you tell me what’s wrong?” he asks.
I laugh. It’s rusty and broken.
“I thought you were different,” I say dully. “But you’re the same asthem.”
My tone is savage, and Max flinches away from me.
“Hey,” Lucien’s voice is low but firm. “We arenotthe same as them. I know that you’ve been through hell, but Max has turned himself inside out to get you out of there. To get you somewhere safe. I don’t know what you think you know, but I won’t let anyone speak to my family like that. You hear me?”
His tone is quiet, but the passion in it takes me aback. Only for a second, though.
“To get me somewheresafe? Where you can lock me in a cage until you want me? Make me crawl for you?”
I’m shaking again, but this time it’s not fear. It’s fucking fury.
“You don’t own me,” I hiss at this black-haired alpha who thinks he can tell me what to do, just like every fucking alpha I’ve ever met.
“I’m not joining your little pack to call you master and present when you want to knot. I’ll kill myself before that happens. And in case you haven’t noticed, I’m not currently available forfucking breeding!”
Lucien’s eyes widen as my voice gets louder, and Max groans behind me.
“We’re messing this up,” he says to Luc in a frustrated tone.
“Ava.” Max grabs my hand and doesn’t let it go. “Listen to me. None of us are expecting that. None of us want it. We only want to help you.”
