“Try harder, otherwise his death will be on your hands too.”
Sam sank to his knees, the hard floor colder than the surrounding icy air as he pulled the man more into his lap. He didn’t understand being an Omega, his influence something fluent and natural. There was no controlling it.
“Hey, I’m here,” he whispered, allowing a purr to vibrate his chest. The man’s spirit screamed for a release, his body far past what it could take as he twisted and turned. Sweat, blood and a sickly yellow liquid coated his skin, seeping from his pores as his body shifted from one shape to another. Sam ignored the nausea, his stomach clenching at the sight as the man’s limbs broke over and over. Fur burst through flesh before slowly returning to skin, only to repeat the painful process over and over.
Every click, crack and cry would forever haunt him.
“Why’s he like this?” he asked as soon as the man finally went limp, eyes rolling into the back of his head. He was alive, barely. Sam now understood why some of the ‘pack’ killed themselves, he knew for himself how painful going through multiple shifts one after another could be. “What happened to his animal?”
“His animal’s still there,” his father said, reaching down to scruff the man, dragging him to the corner. “Just improved.”
“Improved?” Sam wiped the liquid from his hands, his clothes coated in the sickly thick stuff. “How the fuck is that improved?” The man lay against the wall, left arm folded at the wrong angle beneath him, skin stripped to reveal muscle and bone. There was an extra joint, somewhere between wolf and man. At least, Sam assumed he was a wolf.
Conor turned with a snarl, storming over. “This is our evolution. What we were always meant to be.”
“Evolution?” Sam climbed to his feet, the fabric of his shirt slick to his chest. “This is some sick joke, right? Look at him, look at the others. They’re sick, broken because you’re messing with nature.”
“We have to break to truly evolve.” Conor sneered towards the unconscious man. “We are the first Breed to walk this earth, our magic native to this land. Once I have a stronger pack we can rise up against those creatures and take our freedom.”
“You’re crazy if you believe you can walk away from this. You sold your soul for –”
“Shut the fuck up boyo! Do your job, just like you’re supposed to,” Conor snarled. “Just like you were always supposed to before your failings forced me to kill my entire pack.”
“Supposed to? I was a fucking child, one beaten and molested to the point I barely survived myself. It wasn’t my responsibility to keep the pack stable, Da. You always –”
The fist caught him on his jaw, Sam’s head snapping to the side.
“Itwasyour duty to look after the pack. It’s the only reason you weren’t killed at birth, you eejit. Your whore of a mother was an Omega, which was why she was chosen to bear my child.” Conor pressed his finger into Sam’s chest. “Three babes I killed before you came along, and look at you. This weak, little boy who still can’t put up a fight. Pathetic.” He spat.
Sam laughed, the sound on the edge of hysteria as he wiped the phlegm from his face. “You’re a maniac. No wonder the pack was so unstable, your dominance is a –” He was prepared for the punch this time, moving at the last second so the knuckles only brushed his cheek. Using the momentum Sam twisted, rearing back his arm with all his strength. His fist connected, his father’s nose collapsing with a satisfying crunch.
Conor staggered back, blood pouring down his face. A roar erupted from his throat, eyes reflecting his leopard with a ring of red when they met Sam’s. “I’m going to enjoy showing you your place again,” he said, words warbled through razor-sharp teeth. His body stretched, skin tearing as fur burst through with an audible rip. Crouching down, his back legs extended, the knees cracking as paws formed from his hands and feet, nails falling onto the concrete as claws pierced through. A snout stretched from his broken nose, healing far quicker than it should have as he transformed into a powerful leopard. The entire shift took less than five seconds. Which was supposed to be impossible for a shifter.
It was usually closer to a minute, with an Alpha being able to do it in half that time. Sam could do it in twenty seconds if he pushed himself, except the intense burn afterwards could be a life-threatening distraction. But even twenty seconds was still too long, leaving himself vulnerable to an attack.
Sam steadied his legs when his father returned his attention, tail whipping around angrily. His once orange fur was tinged with grey, rosettes that were almost identical to Sam’s, darker than they should have been. Small spikes protruded from his spine, creating a wave of movement with every step as he prowled forward. The amber eyes of his leopard had bled entirely to red, reminding Sam of the hound from the alley.
Sharp pain seared across his chest, already beginning to ache as his father launched forward, claws catching. Arching backwards, the leopard flew over his head hard enough to hit the solid cinderblock wall with a thump, causing a few of them to wobble and fall. It gave Sam a second to reach for the metal bed, pulling up the mattress as a barrier as his father attacked once more, his powerful claws slicing the fabric and stuffing to shreds.
Shifting the mattress against his shoulder, Sam kicked out at the metal frame, the cheap furniture creaking. Another kick, the screws loosening as part of the bed collapsed to scrape against the concrete. More claws grazed his skin, blood hot as it dripped down his arm as the mattress finally ripped in two. With one last shove Sam bolted to the side, reaching down for the broken frame just as a heavy weight landed on his back.
Teeth at his throat, but there was no instinct to submit as he immediately ripped the leopard over his shoulder, and in the same movement swung the metal pole. It connected with his father’s head, and even though the first hit knocked him unconscious, Sam felt himself lift the pole above his head once more. With a cry he held it, arms wavering as blood pooled below his father, so dark it was almost black.
Sam’s hands clenched, fingers cramping as his father transformed back into the man, slower than his original transition but still far faster than he should be able to. Fur disappeared beneath ashen skin, bones clicking back into place. His chest moved rhythmically up and down, entire body relaxed.
“Fuck,” he whispered, knowing he couldn’t kill his father. Not when he was the one keeping Sam alive right then. Lowering the pole he released it, flinching at the clink it made when it connected to the concrete.
“Well, isn’t this interesting.”
Sam snapped his head to the side, not having sensed Bishop, who casually leaned in the doorway, the only exit open behind him. A grin split his angular face, auburn hair so straight it seemed to shimmer as he moved.
“Seems you’re smarter than your father believes.” His crimson eyes flicked to the blood dripping down Sam’s throat, then to his father in question. “Pity you didn’t finish the job.”
Warmth dripped down Sam’s fingers, droplets pattering onto the floor as he stood there, calming his racing heart. His throat throbbed, but he knew it wasn’t a life-threatening injury. His father hadn’t wanted to kill him, just force him to submit to his dominance.
Sam was way beyond submitting to his father, or to anyone else who believed they could force him.
“Can’t kill him,” Sam said calmly despite the pressure wrapping around his lungs. “He’s the Alpha.” The word tasted sour in his mouth, but he also needed to remain alive to be able to escape.
