It makes me want to protect her.
Might as well be like climbing Mt. Everest while hogtied, considering I can’t even fucking protect myself.
“What’s going on here?” I ask, my gaze cutting back to my dad’s. I meet his stare head-on, straightening my shoulders and trying to pretend I know what I’m doing. “You’re trying to use this omega as—as bait for the feral alphas?”
“We are,” my dad says, crossing his arms over his chest. “It was Jett’s idea. The two dogs we’ve got are losing it, and with the group showcases coming up soon, they need to be on their A-game.”
My hands clench into fists at my sides. My dad is right. The two feral alpha fighters we keep in the stables are going crazy from their ferality.
Makes sense, considering the conditions they’re kept in and the ridiculous dosages of the enhancement drugs they’re forced to take. Sometimes I feel like I’m fucking losing it, and I’m taking a fraction of what they’re forced to take multiple times a week.
But this? Bringing in a helpless, innocent omega to… to sacrifice? It makes bile roll in my gut.
“We’ve got a new alpha a couple days ago too, in case this plan doesn’t work out. Paid a pretty penny for him. If this plan doesn’t work and one of the current dogs needs to be put down, then we can still take part in duos. Trios if we’re lucky and things go to plan,” my dad continues.
Jett nods eagerly, an excited, bloodthirsty grin on his face.
“This is an awful lot of money to be throwing around,” I say slowly, trying my absolute hardest not to look at the omega. It’s hard because I can feel her eyes on me. Wide and unblinking.
“It’ll be worth it when we fucking dominate the group showcases,” Jett says.
“We got the omega at a good price,” my dad shrugs. “Seemslike they wanted to get rid of her. It’d be a shame if the plan doesn’t work, but she’s the kinda collateral damage we can afford.”
I hear the omega’s breath hitch. The small noise, almost like a choked-back whimper, makes me want to destroy the entire room around me and carry her to safety.
Instead, I swallow down my fury like I’ve done all my life and force my tone into something less insane.
“Let me help take care of her,” I grit out. Despite my best attempts, my voice still sounds far harsher than it normally does when I’m speaking to my family. I’m not one to make demands like this.
My dad knows this too, if his raised brow is any sign.
Jett burst out laughing.
“Look at you, baby bro, finally trying to pull your weight. Funny how you only offer to do that when pussy’s involved,” he sneers.
My gaze cuts to his face, and my lips curl back in an unnatural sort of snarl. —
His features are darker than mine. Darker eyes, darker hair. He takes after our mother. Or at least I think he does. I don’t really remember what my mom looked like. She disappeared when I was six and never came back.
That was fifteen years ago.
One of the few things I remember of her was the way she’d run her fingers through my hair as she sang me to sleep. Pity the son that looks more like her is such a fucking asshole.
“Shut up,” I snap back.
Jett tilts his head at me, his gaze growing sharp and assessing. I never talk back to him like that. I think he’s wondering why I suddenly have the balls to do it now.
“Why?” My dad asks, his voice slow and drawling.
“You think he’s got the skills to keep an omega alive?” I say, shrugging my shoulder in Jett’s direction. “Training alphas is adifferent ballgame than—than training an omega.” My voice wavers on the wordtraining.
I hate it. Always have. But if I want a shot at keeping this poor girl out of Jett’s hands as much as possible, I have to play the game.
“Hmmm,” my dad says, stroking his beard.
“Don’t tell me you’re actually gonna let him train the bitch!” Jett growls, his eyes narrowing.
The venom in my brother’s voice makes fear skate down my spine. It’s only magnified by the way the poor omega’s sour perfume swirls in the air around us. Understandable. You’d need to be insane not to understand that Jett’s not right in the head.
