I wait, just like I did the first time we met. I wait for him to hit me with his dominance and prove how much stronger he is. Prove, without action, that he could control me if he only barked. As an Alpha, it’s much easier for me to resist another Alpha’s dominance than it would be if I were an Omega.But if he’s really strong?I glare, fidgeting with the rings that line my knuckles. Nothing. No dominance. None at all. How the fuck is he doing that?
Frowning, I once again contemplate stabbing him, just to be safe.
Not the best look on my first day, but what kind of Alpha has no dominance? Even my own has already filled the area with a low hum of violence, and if I wasn’t wearing scent blockers, the effect would be stronger. He must realize what I’m waiting for when all I do is stand here, staring intensely, until finally the tiniest, barest bit of dominance reaches me. It's there and then gone, like he’s proving he’s an Alpha but showcasing he’s neither a threat nor stronger than me.
Trev doesn’t look at me with pity, even though we both know he’s aware of my history. If anything, he seems amused and curious.
I should definitely stab him.
My heart races, and I get dizzy as I blink away the mental fog that tries to set in.
“Hey, it's okay…” Trev says, but the words trigger my memories, and I’m sucked right back to the night we met four months ago.
I snarlat the man standing before me.Alpha…but…different, not like me. Not like the others... No dominance—no scent.
I glare, not understanding. Alphas all smell like overwhelming dominance and power, but this one…he’s unusual. No rancid burning in the back of my throat when I sniff the air.
It could be a trick.
“Hey, it’s okay. You’re okay, you’re safe; I’m not going to hurt you,” the massive beast of an Alpha says as he holds his hands up in surrender.
“Liar.”
There are babies in here, and I can’t risk believing him. I won’t go down without a fucking fight.
“We’re here to save you, to save them.”
“No Alphas!” I hiss, adjusting the scalpel in my grip, readying my body to lunge at his throat. He can’t hurt them if he’s bleeding to death. His scent lightly fills the air around me, meant to soothe the Omegas. Make them trust him. Make me trust his intentions. Still no dominance.
How the fuck is he doing that?
I’m going to stab him as soon as he gets close enough.
“I’ll kill you before you can blink, Alpha.” My words are a gnarled growl in my throat.
“You can trust me; I won't hurt the Omegas. My parents were Omegas. You have the weapon, see. My hands are empty.” He shows me his open palms again, as if there aren't several visible weapons strapped to his large form. “We just want to take them to a hospital, a place that will treat their wounds. Yours too. There are Omegas there waiting to help.”
“Let’s go, Apollo. It can’t be worse than what’s waiting for us if we stay here,” Mari murmurs behind me; the fear in her voice doesn’t hide the desperation. She’s suffered more than most.
She’s right. If this Alpha isn’t what he claims to be, then our lives can’t get much worse. His people are already here. He’s alone for now, but he won’t be much longer. Even if I kill him, what then? I don’t trust him. I don’t know that I’ll ever trust anyone, but there’s something about him that makes me think he means what he says. Maybe it’s the drugs I was pumped full of while the guards escaped. If I wasn’t higher than the clouds right now, I might be able to further assess what that is.
“Who sent you?” I ask for a moment of clarity, reminding myself I found help. They never responded, so I gave up hope.Is this them?
“Hayes Pack," he answers, and my heart seizes. “Easton Hayes, he’s the pack Omega. He got an anonymous tip. His mates sent us in. They’re all here, too. Tatum is waiting at ABO Care to help all of your Omegas. I just want to help you. I swear to you, I would never hurt an Omega.”
But I’m not an Omega…
He didn’t say he wouldn’t hurt me.
Is that the price? My life, for their safety?
“The Omegas carry their babies. No Alphas touch,” I warn, lowering the scalpel but not letting it go. Once they’re okay, I’llneed it. I won’t be a prisoner again. I take one step away from the strange Alpha, and the world goes black. Fuck.
“Apollo?”Trev’s low, rumbling voice is soothing in a way that irritates me deep down in my soul.
Why the fuck is he so gentle with me? What fucking game is he playing?
With the flick of my thumb, the blade in my smallest ring is revealed, and I jab it into the side of his thigh. He shouldn’t be standing so close. He’ll learn. I’ll make sure of it.
