Anything.
A creak.
A drip.
But nothing came.
Minutes stretched into what felt like hours.
Instead of focusing on the aching emptiness in my chest. I thought of Kaelen. My alpha. Unconsciously, my hand slid to my neck, fingers grazing the unbroken skin. I blinked away quiet tears, wishing now more than ever I had his bite.
If I did, he’d be able to find me.
A mated alpha was an unstoppable force, able to find their omega through their bond. I sniffled, wanting Kaelen’s bond more than anything. I loved him. Unequivocally. He was mine and I was his. Regret weighed heavily on me. I wished I hadn’t been so frightened.
That I had told him I loved him while I still had time.
I worried I might never get that chance now.
An unpleasant thought slithered into place.
One where I never got to tell him that. One where my husband didn’t know I loved him. One where my alpha suffered because he had lost me.
I shoved my hands into my lap, huffing.
No.
Fuck that.
I was Willow Finnegan.
The most powerful woman in Boston.
All I had to do was buy time. Kaelen would come for me.
Or maybe find a way out. I suspected they’d open that door at some point.
I dozed in and out, ignoring the hunger pangs in my stomach. A sudden, jarring sound rattled on the other side of the door. I sprang upright, splaying a hand over my sternum, trying to calm my racing heart.
The door clicked, and the metal scraped against the cinder block. I swallowed the viscous taste coating my tongue, feeling like shards of glass were poking their way down my trachea.
A figure emerged in the doorway, silhouetted against the bright lights in the hallway. My nose twitched, and I gagged, met with the distinct scent of mildew, spoiled fruit, and musty cigars. My hand flew to my mouth, afraid I might vomit.
Even in the dim light, I recognized Vittorio Rossi. My blood ran cold, freezing in my veins. He stepped into the room, suckingwhat little warmth remained with his presence.
A looming shadow followed behind Rossi, the man’s face obscured by shadow. My eyes scanned over their frames, looking for their weapons, not the least bit calmed by the fact I didn’t see any.
Rossi’s thin lips curled, revealing dripping canines. He silently tapped his breast pocket in an unspoken threat. His Armani suit hugged his hulking body. I crawled back onto the bed, gasping when my back hit the icy wall.
A terrifying sound echoed in the darkness, his smirk not quite reaching his eyes as he stepped closer. Every nerve ending sizzled, urging my body to run. I panicked when my mind caught up, realizing there was nowhere to go.
“Ahh. My omega is awake,” he said, his voice a silken whisper.
“I’m not your anything,” I hissed.
The meaty man beside Rossi lunged forward, his hand disappearing into his jacket when Rossi stopped him with a stiff arm to the chest.
Fiery defiance swam in my belly. An intensity that refused to be extinguished. I wouldn’t give Rossi the satisfaction of being the compliant, submissive omega he craved. I tilted my chin, glaring.
