Cordian had to hold me up as the guards led the way up the stairs, away from the basement where a lot of my torment had happened. Wherever we were going would be much worse.
“You’re going to be fine,” Cordian whispered in my ear.
His hot breath along my flesh made me shiver. My body’s need was overtaking my brain’s refusal of other alphas, piece by piece. The Ashby pack was looking more tempting every second, and Ihatedit. Especially because of what he’d done.
He hadn’t wanted to. His hands had been gentle as he’d moved my hair away, his teeth hesitating for the barest second before delving into my flesh. When Leighton rejected his bond, his eyes had lit up for a second before he schooled his features again.
It wasn’t an excuse.
He’d still bitten me, tried to force a bond that would allow him to give me commands like I was a little slave. If I hadn’t given Leighton permission to dark bond me, it would be illegal for him to take that bond without my permission.
As it was, who I bonded was ultimately Leighton’s choice now.
I trusted her implicitly with that, and she’d known what I would want.
I’d take this pain a thousand times over before I gave in to what Tobias planned for me.
My body was drenched in sweat, shuddering as my muscles quaked. I peered at Cordian out of the corner of my eye. My vision wasn’t at one hundred percent either, flecks of colour and light appearing where they shouldn’t.
“I will be fine, but you won’t,” I muttered, hoping Tobias wasn’t close enough to hear.
Cordian’s eyes widened, but he didn’t clap back like I was expecting him to. He bit the inside of his cheek and nodded, hoisting me up another couple steps of the seemingly endless staircase.
“No, I won’t,” he said.
His quiet acceptance would have intrigued me if I hadn’t been awash with my own problems.
I hoped my pack would be here to save me soon. Theywerecoming—I had absolute confidence in that. They would never leave Leighton or I to deal with this ourselves, but if they didn’t get here soon… we’d be somewhere else. At some random property my family owned, instead of the easily accessible house Tobias never should have taken us to in the first place.
My brother wasn’t stupid, but he was cocky. He’d wanted me to be forced to come back to the home I’d run from, and he wanted to force Leighton to see the evidence of his treatment.
Although, that room wasn’t the worst of it.
Being half starved and forced into solitude was only the tip of the iceberg. He’d said so many cruel things I couldn’t remember half of them. Comments on my weight, my looks, my designation. How I’d never be lovable and never be wanted by anyone.
Tobias was the reason I’d believed some of the things my father had claimed about the world and about alphas. They couldn’t both be so adamant… and still be wrong, could they?
Except, they could.
My family was so fucking wrong about all of it.
All my alphas cared about me, not because I was an omega or despite the fact that I was an omega. My status had nothing to do with it. They loved me because I was me. They didn’t even mind the fact that I was violent.
We made it to the top of the stairs.
The sun was shining by now, tinged orange by the remnants of the sunrise. I glanced around, wondering if maybe a neighbour was out and about. No luck. Our neighbours were far enough away that they wouldn’t see how I was shaking and almost falling, being forced along by the men holding me. If I shouted they might hear, but Leighton was in the basement and I didn’t doubt Tobias would hurt her to discipline me.
How did I ever think going to Tobias willingly was a good idea?
A van and an SUV were parked in our long, secluded driveway, drivers leaning against the front doors. One had a smoke in their hand, casually taking drags as they watched us approach. Cordian led me to the SUV, and I was halfway inside when a sudden bang startled me.
My hearing was extra sensitive. I looked around frantically, trying to determine if it was the banging of a car door or something worse—like a gunshot. Everyone was frozen as I stared, and then someone fell to the ground.
Blood drenched the pavement.
Then the action began.
Shouts rang out, making my head pound. Cordian cursed, trying to push me into the vehicle, but I resisted. I kicked back without thought, uncaring about what part of him I hit, so long as I wasn’t forced into the immaculate leather interior.
