"Omega."
Scout tensed. He tried not to let his voice waver. "Yes?"
"Are you already used up?"
At first, Scout didn't understand. But then the question hit him like a bolt of lightning. His blood ran cold.
Not knowing what to say, he stammered, "I don't understand."
Warren grunted. "Don't play dumb. You know what I mean." A sneer spread across his ugly face. "I'm talking about the only thing omegas are good for, after all."
Scout felt like he was going to throw up. His fingers gripped the edge of his seat so hard his knuckles went white. He broke out in a cold sweat. He didn't know what to do, what to say. He was frozen in fear.
A snarl exploded out of Warren as he slammed his fist onto the table. "Answer me, omega!"
"Yes," Scout said without thinking. "No." He didn't know which answer Warren wanted. He didn't know which one would cause him the least amount of suffering. Inside his chest his heart felt like a panicked bird slamming desperately against his ribs. More than anything he wanted to be by Killian's side, safe and loved. Instead the full gravity of the situation hit him — the enemy alpha wanted him as a slave. He was in incredible danger.
"Well, it can't be both," Warren sneered. "Yes or no? Which is it?"
"A few days is more than enough time for a newlywed pair of mates to get busy," Thistle muttered. "Could be pregnant already."
Scout didn't like the way Warren's expression turned to disgust. He recalled his horrible words from earlier.Used up.
"No," Scout said suddenly. "No, I'm not."
Both shifters turned to eye him warily.
"How do we know you're not lying to us?" Thistle asked.
Scout felt as if he was under a spotlight, like the day he snuck onto the stage of omegas. That day seemed it had happened years ago, now.
"I... I don't know how to prove it," Scout admitted. "But we were taking it slow. There's no way I could be..." He paused before he forced the word out. "Pregnant."
This was insane, he thought. Hearing himself say it out loud made everything feel so much more real. He was gripped by a furious sense of injustice. He should have been at home, at his palace with his alpha, loving each other. Maybe even in the future they could have thought about children. Everything was happening way too fast. Children weren't Scout's first priority, but now that he thought about it, the idea didn't seem so farfetched.
Too bad he was miles away from the safety of his alpha's arms. He sunk further into his seat in misery.
Warren grunted and sat back down, leaning back in his chair and throwing his legs onto the tabletop. "Let's see. I've lost all my omegas now anyway, thanks to this one."
Scout bristled. He wasn't the only one who helped the omegas escape, but he didn't interrupt.
"If heisused up," Warren began with a nasty grin. "Then when that kid's born, I'll have either a new slave or a bargaining chip with Whitewood — assumin' the prince still wants his spawn."
Scout's stomach churned violently. He couldn't stop trembling.
"And if he's not," Thistle added. "Then you have him all to yourself. It's perfect!"
Warren barked out a wretched laugh that nauseated Scout to his core. He shook with fear and anger. In that moment, he wished he were stronger. If he was an alpha, maybe he would have stood a chance in a fight. If he lost, he could at least go down fighting.
But he wasn't an alpha. Scout was overwhelmed by his weakness. Fighting back against two alphas and escaping this new prison was only a fantasy.
He was nothing without Killian.
Warren stood suddenly with a cold expression. "Put him in my chambers and lock the door. I don't want him escaping." He lumbered towards the door. "I need to deal with business first. Maybe I'll let the prince know I have his ex-mate in my hands. Haha!"
"Yes, sir," Thistle said.
"And if he somehow gets out again while you're supposed to be on guard, I'll have your head," Warren snarled.
