I can tell from the expressions on the mercenaries’ faces that they hadn’t known about my father’s machinations. Not surprising, given how secretive Cain was.
“Yes, I was born anomega.” I spit the word out like the foul curse that it is. “And several females born within my father’s scope of influence were born as five-seven-six was. As alphas. Abominations, incapable of bearing children–without my help.”
“You’re insane.” Gage’s annoyingly beautiful blue eyes glimmer with jealousy. That must be what it is. He’s probably livid that he doesn’t have the intelligence that I do, the knowledge to save an entire pack.
I grab my gorgeous new knot and stroke it. It’s a bit sore, achy where it’s stitched to my cock, but worth every ounce of pain.
“I’m no more insane than you are. You really think that five-seven-six is with you out of love? She’s just searching for sires, donors. Once she realizes I can now provide her with what she needs, she’ll leave you four for me.”
The one who so kindly donated his knot to my cause–Emmett, I believe–growls and brandishes a knife. “You fucking idiot. I should cut my ring off you right now. Do you really think your quack doc got my knot? That’s a ring of skin you’re wearing. It won’t work any better than your broken omega dick did to begin with.”
“This ismyknot now, boy!” I snarl. “You can’t have it back.”
Five-seven-six steps forward and holsters her gun. “He’s mine, Em. I know he hurt you, too, but Sneed is mine.”
My lips spread in a wide grin. “See? I told you fools that she wants me now.”
The hybrid shakes her head as she draws a knife from a sheath strapped to her thigh. “No. I don’t want you for anything more than target practice, Sneed. I’m going to kill you and cut Em’s ring off of you. You haven’t earned the right to wear it.”
Rage surges within me. How dare she defy me? “It. Is.Mine!”
“It’s dead, you idiot! That skin is dying, rotting. Are you really too stupid to see that?”
I grip it tighter. “You can’t have it! The only way I’ll give it to you is inside you, when I knot you and breed you, you little bitch!”
The mercenaries spread out in increments, apparently thinking if they move slowly enough I won’t notice them boxing me in. Fools. I’m ten times smarter than they are, ten times the men they are. Do they think I don’t see the explosives strapped to the Mexican? Do they think I don’t know about their plans to burn down my house? The house can be rebuilt. I don’t care about it. All I care about is getting five-seven-six back in my possession and rutting her.
I hold up my secret weapon, the thing I’ve been using since I let five-seven-six escape.
The thin wires drip my blood from where I tore them from my flesh. Gage eyes the device warily, but he can’t have a clue what it is. I hid the sister device so well inside five-seven-six that there’s no way even their beta brainiac could know it was there.
“I know you’re pregnant, five-seven-six. I know you’ve lain with these other alphas, but I forgive you. You didn’t know I fixed myself, didn’t know I made myself whole for you.”
“What is that thing?” Emmett asks.
I chuckle. The idiots. “It’s a communications device. It’s how I knew you were coming last time, how I know everything you fools say in five-seven-six’s presence.”
“My name is Auryn!”
I square up against the hybrid, holding my cock in one hand and the device in the other. She thinks I’m unarmed, but she has no idea. “You don’t have anything that I didn’t give you, five-seven-six, and that includes a name. Your designation is all you have, your hybrid blood,everythingyou own is at my leisure.”
“I have a family. My mates. You didn’t give me that.”
My head falls back as I fill the room with laughter. “You think I didn’t plan for this? You think I didn’t hand-pick these mercs to take you in, to prepare you for me?”
“What are you talking about?”
I lift the wired device and nod at a button on it. “See this? With one little press, I can release a chemical inside you that will end your bastard pregnancy. I own you, five-seven-six, and I own that life inside you.”
“You wouldn’t …”
“Indeed I would. Why shouldn’t I press it now? I have no use for another alpha’s child. I should free your womb for my uses. It’s only through my good graces that you even conceived to begin with. I had to make sure that the omega process took, that you achieved fertility. Now that I know it was a success, there’s no need for the test fetus. I only allowed you to have it as a boon to you, but if you insist on misbehaving, you might force my hand.”
That stops the mercenaries’ movements. They freeze, afraid to call my bluff–only I’m not bluffing.
“It’s not a Deadman’s switch,” I say as I meet each alpha’s gaze in turn, “but if you shoot me, you’d better be certain you kill me with the first shot. If I survive even one second after, that brat will never see the light of day.”
Chapter 43
