Amos.
Or what was left of him. There was no way of counting the number of cuts on his chest, arms, and abdomen. That took determination. He lifted his head, his eyes darting from Dane to Kade. They widened, and for the first time in the entirety of knowing him, I saw fear in his eyes.
The man who had spent years telling me I was nothing, reducing me to a shell of my former self until I believed it, was a bloody, battered mess. Seeing him like this, broken, powerless, caged, was shocking. It rewired my brain chemistry.
While I feared the shadows in the place I’d called home, my Alphas had caged my nightmare. The man behind my fears, the nights where I’d lost sleep, lookedweak.I stepped forward, releasing Uriel’s arm, my bare feet cold against the concrete. But my ex still hadn’t noticed me.
“Amos,” I choked.
He twitched, inhaling as he lifted his nose. The one eye that wasn’t swollen found me. Up close, he didn’t look like a monster. He looked like a dying animal. The man who had destroyed my self-worth and abused my trust didn’t compare to the men in this room.
I must be crazy because instead of crying and begging them to let him go, I reveled in it. The man who had beat, choked, and raped me was the one in pain now. Emotion bubbled up in my throat as tears blurred my vision. A dark, primal satisfaction sent goosebumps breaking out over my arms, drowning out the broken woman who used to flinch at the sound of his steps.
Dane watched me, his expression unreadable, but his scent was heavy, dominating, and comforting in the suffocating pressure of Amos’ scent. He didn’t ask anything, he didn’t have to. He stepped to the side, opening the space between me and my ex, forcing me to look at the blood they’d spilled for my sake.
Dane didn’t move, but I felt his gaze shift from my ex to me. He was waiting. A tremble worked its way through my body. He was giving me the power, the choice to stop it or okay it. Idemandedit.
I could see it–every way this could unfold. The hurt, battered woman he’d torn apart knew exactly how I wanted to make it hurt. I could make it last for hours. Every slice, every broken bone, every scream he’d earned. I could taste the satisfaction I’d draw from it, the justice of making him suffer the way he’d made me suffer for years.
But the new me, the healed, loved Omega didn’t want that. Not anymore.
The silence stretched. Amos’ hate-filled gaze locked on me. The scent of my Alphas filled my lungs, and I felt the lingering slick of them between my thighs—a physical reminder of who I belonged to now. The corner of his lips curled, understanding dawned.
“Kefe. You?” he shook his head, laughing. A finalfuck you—his last attempt to hurt me. It was a choked sound. He hated it. He hated me, and his lack of control. I knew him so fucking well. Dane kept his eyes on me as he walked behind Amos.
I nodded.
Dane’s eyes held mine for a beat. Then his eyes moved with the precision of a soldier who’d done this before. The crack echoed in the concrete chamber, sharp and final.
Amos slumped to the floor, his head slapping against concrete. The execution was swift. There was no grand speech, no slow death. This wasn’t about revenge; it was about removal. It was the end of a life, a book that couldn’t be reopened. My Alphas gave me safety, but it was more than that. It wasfreedom.
He no longer breathed the same air as me. He didn’t walk beneath the same sky. He was gone.
The monster was dead, and I was free.
I trembled uncontrollably as Dane and I stared at each other as Kade walked over and kicked Amos. Uriel stood beside me. His jaw locked so tight I could see the muscle jumping beneath his skin. His hands had curled into fists at his side, and his scent—usually warm vanilla and sandalwood—had gone bitter, like burnt sugar.
We never talked about him, but he was angry in my stead. When I glanced at him, his jaw was set, his eyes hard on Amos’ body. He didn’t flinch. Didn’t look away. I felt him exhale slowly beside me, a long deliberate breath. Accepting.
“I’m going to be gone, but I should be back later tonight, if not tomorrow,” Dane said, my gaze returned to him. He was talking to Kade, but his eyes were still on me. “Keep her safe.” Then he stepped over the body, his movements rigid. He walked out without another word.
Mine
The silence in the basement was heavier than the scent of blood. I stood frozen, staring at the space where Dane had been. The front door slammed, the sound echoing down here. The roar of his Audi was muffled in the distance.
He didn’t say goodbye.
The cold settled into my bones, seeping through the shirt that smelled like Kade. I wrapped my arms around myself, but it didn’t help. The chill wasn’t from the basement, it was from the hollow space Dane left behind.
“Come on, Lumberjack,” Kade said softly, his hand on my shoulder. Not pulling, just… there. “Let’s get you upstairs.”
I let him guide me up the concrete steps, Uriel close behind. My legs felt like jello. When we reached the kitchen, Kade pulled out a chair, and I sank into it.
Uriel took a seat beside me, his eyes filled with sadness. “You guys didn’t mark me.” It wasn’t an accusation, just the truth.
“As much as I wanted to, no, we didn’t,” Kade said as he straightened. He placed his palm on my forehead. An action I recalled from when I was in heat. “It wasn’t the right time. You have to make things right with Dane.”
“He hates me,” I whispered.
