My alphas were dead.
Gone.
The guards opened the back of an SUV and shoved me into a small metal cage, slamming the trunk closed and leaving me in darkness.
I was completely and utterly alone.
ChapterTwenty-Seven
Josie
The exposed wire bottom of the cage dug into my knees, each bump and turn in the road jostling me painfully against the sharp metal. The windows were covered, leaving the back of the car in darkness. The rhythmic pounding of my heart mocked me—a reminder that I was alive and my alphas...
I gripped the sides of the cage and waited for something to wake me from this nightmare.
The car took a hairpin turn, and I was thrown against the side of the cage, my bracelet catching on the bars.
The bracelet.
I cursed myself, a pit forming in my stomach as I tried to keep myself from vomiting. In the chaos, I had forgotten all about the bracelet and enclosed alpha tabs. The weight of it on my wrist taunted me. If I had acted faster, been smarter, beenbetter, I could have used it to incapacitate the soldiers so we could get away. It was my fault my alphas were dead.
I squeezed my eyes shut, refusing to let a single tear fall. I didn’t deserve to cry.
I felt myself falling into that dark, numb place where I’d spent so many of my days. I could almost hear my alphas yelling at me to use the tabs now to get away, but their voices were distant. I would never hear them speak to me again.
My fault.
My fault.
My fault.
Was my life worth saving? Glen had won, and the only thing I could see in my future was darkness, where I was a prisoner forced to bond him or someone else against my will.
I ran my finger along the silicon bumps in the bracelet, recalling the tenderness in Theo’s eyes as he attached it around my wrist. Earlier, I’d been training with Cam, planning a future with Ben and… and...
I choked back the emotion that threatened to spear through my haze of numbness, but hard truths began needling their way into my mind all the same. I might not believe I was worth saving, but that didn’t mean I had the right to give up. I thought of Donovan’s paintings, Angie’s bravery in providing medical care, Jewel’s determination to survive what the government had done to her, and Luc putting his safety on the line for a group of omegas who wanted to train in his gym. They were all fighting, risking everything to fight Glen and his government. Could I really just give up hope now? What would my alphas think of me if I did?
I could remove a tab from the bracelet and have it ready to use the second the door opened, but wherever they were taking me was sure to be well-guarded. I wasn’t sure how many alphas each tab could incapacitate, but I only had five.
The car turned and this time, the cage vibrated, digging deep grooves into my skin. It sounded like we were on gravel.
Shit. Was this a driveway? Had we arrived already? If I was going to do anything, I needed to decide on my plan.
Bile filled my throat as my mind flashed back to all those times I’d laid helpless and naked on the metal slab, and I realized that anything I wore would likely be removed. Where to hide it?
My hands traced down my body, frantically thinking and coming up with nothing until I had an idea. Glen might have them take thingsoffmy body, but what if…?
Before I could second guess myself, I removed the bracelet, shoved my hand down the front of my leggings, and stuffed it into my vagina. I clamped my legs together to make sure it was secure. Knowing Glen, he’d be prepared for me to try and escape now. Maybe it was better to bide my time. I hoped beyond all hope I wasn’t making a colossal mistake. And if someone did find the bracelet…
I shut down the thought. I could only deal with one nightmare at a time.
The car stopped and voices sounded before the trunk was opened. Rough hands pulled me out of the cage. In the split second before they blindfolded me, I caught the familiar facade of Glen’s mansion.
Oh god.
Ice flooded my veins and I regretted my decision to wait to use the tabs. I’d been forced to spend so many evenings here growing up, but I knew something much more sinister than a dinner party awaited me inside. The only comfort was that I knew this house—I had run through the halls with Sam as we escaped the tedious parties and explored its secret rooms and passages.
My heart raced.The secret exit by the kitchen.
