"Do you think she's even still alive in there?" The voice was curious, compassion absent.
"I bet her little bubble popped. Probably suffocated while we were sleeping.” The speaker sounded like he couldn’t care less. My death would be, at most, an inconvenience.
“Think that voids the contract? I’ll be fucking pissed if that happens.” The words held no hint of potential sadness, only worry that I might ruin their Eros deal.
“Damn, imagine if she rots in that suit. Can you imagine the smell? Sealed up like that, marinating in her own juices.” All I heard was pure disgust.
“Porta-john in a heat wave.” The obvious amusement stung.
One of them released a sinister laugh.
The pendant around my neck seemed to grow heavier as their voices continued; the silver heart pressing against my skin created a permanent divot.
A million years of isolation. A lifetime of fighting to survive. Endless days spent watching the world through windows and barriers while others lived without constraints.Hadn't I suffered enough?
"Maybe we should check on her.” This voice sounded unsure. It caused a crack in the orchestrated cruelty. “If she actually croaked in there, Eros would have our asses."
"Concerned about our little medical curiosity, Kane?" One of them taunted. "Getting soft on us?"
"Fuck off. I’m just being practical. Dead Omega means legal complications.” Kane, who hadn’t been genuinely worried for me after all.
Something snapped inside me. Before I could reconsider, my gloved fist connected with the formidable door between us, the impact reverberating up my arm painfully.
I struck again, harder this time, ignoring the way my arm screamed for mercy.
Slam.
Slam.
Slam.
Again. And again. Each impact fractionally lifted my inner aching.
My breath came in ragged gasps, fogging the inside of my helmet. Lightning bolts of agony radiated from my shoulders. But the physical discomfort was almost welcome. It was real, a sensation I’d chosen for myself.
When my arms finally grew too heavy to continue, I turned and pressed my back against the door, sliding down until I sat on the floor. I closed my eyes, still sucking in erratic gulps of air. After I’d calmed down, I realized the house on the other side of the door had gone silent.
I smiled weakly.
I satfor what felt like an eternity, the words they’d said echoing in my mind. I had no way of telling time, save for the way the light changed as the sun moved higher in the sky. Was it ten now? Or twelve? My stomach grumbled and my bladder ached for release. Trying to ignore my bodily needs, I tilted my head and stared up at the ceiling. Blank white. No texture. Zero cracks. Nothing to keep my attention. After assaulting the door, I hadn’t heard a lot of activity outside the room. Had they left?
After sitting so long, my body was beyond stiff. I had to baby it to life, one small movement after another, to successfully stand up. I waited, making sure there was no movement in the house, then I gripped the knob and twisted. Pulling the door a few inches inward, I peeked outside.
“Hello?” I spoke hesitantly, afraid to pitch my voice higher than a whisper. “I need to pee.”
My guts clenched, waiting for one of them to appear and anticipating a vicious response.
I hated feeling timid.Hated it.Even when I was a kid, I’d faced being sick head on as soon as I understood what was happening to me. I didn’t hide. Any time there was bad news, I wouldn’t let doctors hide the truth from me. Living in lies wasn’t real. And I wanted, oh-so-desperately, to be real.
The fact was that I couldn’t ever be real if I let these Alphas dictate everything about my existence, including when and where I could relieve myself.
“Is anyone here?” I asked, a little louder this time. Not a shout though. I didn’t have the nerve for that yet.
Still, nothing stirred. No answering voice. No approaching footsteps. No ghoulish performance meant to scare me. They really weren’t here. Relief fluttered in my chest, and I opened the door fully. Each step I took felt like reclaiming freedom. About six feet from the room, I stopped. Where was the stupid bathroom?
While I stood there, looking from side to side and wondering where to go, I worried the men would come back before I could pee. The moment I picked a direction; two figures rounded the corner. They moved soundlessly. Nitro and Asher.Crap.
“Now, now. Who said you could leave your room?” Nitro drawled, twirling a throwing knife around his index finger.
