Our captor had hit the nail on the head, though.
Of course Freya would come for us. She was stubborn and resourceful as fuck, and wouldn’t give up until she felt the bonds break between us.
Maybe that was why we were bound so tightly. They didn’t want us killing ourselves while we were the only thing stopping Freya from going back to a life of running and hiding.
“If you’re lucky, she’ll come quickly,” Grey said after another long, tense pause. “And then you won’t have to live in this shithole anymore.”
What a discreet way of saying he would be able to kill us.
Shan couldn’t stop himself from letting out a small rumble, but Grey’s footsteps were already receding. They echoed through the hall of prison cells until a resounding slam indicated he’d left the facility.
I opened my eyes, the rage pushed down for the time being, and caught a flash of movement from the cell across the way. It was dark in the depths of the cells, but the walkway was lit for the guards. A small form pressed itself against the bars, gaze darting up and down the hall to ensure we were alone before squinting into our cell.
“They’ve got you strung up in there?” she asked in a small voice, surprised. “No one’s ever been restrained like that before.”
She’d been here a while if she’d seen multiple people occupy this cell. I hated to say, but she looked it. Her dress was dirty and well-worn, full of holes. Every inch of her was filthy and she was covered in scents that weren’t hers. My stomach clenched when I caught the hint of her scent beneath it all.
Omega.
When she brushed her dark hair behind her ear, she confirmed my suspicion.
Fae Omega.
They were often kidnapped and sold off in Zemterra. This woman was young, but didn’t have the youthful look of being in her late teens. Fae aged incredibly slowly once they hit their early twenties, so she could be any age, really. There was also a bond mark on her neck, darkened to indicate the Alpha who’d marked her was dead.
I was trying not to focus too hard on her body, intently paying attention to only the words coming from her mouth and her general demeanour. Yet, despite my efforts, my gaze narrowed in on her neck. One second I wanted to lick it, the next I wanted to rip out her throat.
“We’re dangerous,” Shan said, glancing to me then back to the woman. “How long have you been here?”
She shrugged noncommittally.
“Ten years? Twenty? Five? Time blurs together when there’s barely any food and no sun.”
My heart clenched. Longer than I’d thought. “Why are they keeping you?” I blurted out, though the answer was obvious.
“Kylan likes having an Omega on hand. He doesn’t like that I’m a filthy fae, so he doesn’t see me very often. The others are less… picky.”
Her body had gone tense at the topic of conversation, a hand coming up to rest over the dead bond mark.
“Sorry, I assumed that. I shouldn’t have asked.”
“No harm in it. And I’m curious, too. Why are you here?”
“Kylan wants our Omega,” I said.
Thoughts of Freya soothed me, and I mentally grabbed onto the bond. I needed to keep holding it. I’d be able to stave off the beast… for a time.
She raised an eyebrow. “So, why aren’t you dead?”
“Because he’s failed to capture her so many times, Grey has resorted to using us to lure her in,” I said.
It was more information than our fellow prisoner needed, but Shan didn’t stop me from giving it. Where was the harm? We weren’t telling her anything our captors didn’t already know. The woman was wide-eyed now, clutching the bars. “Wait, he’sfailed? He doesn’t fail.”
“Freya is deadly.”
She let out a little sigh, awe filling her tone. “I wish I was deadly.”
“Who would you kill if you were?”
