Escape

His hand was heavy against my lips, my heart heavier against my chest. And when the lights went off, and the windows shut, my stomach plummeted.

I could see the gammas he came with filling every spot in the firm, the fear on my colleagues' faces, on their desks watching as the most feared enforcers globally invaded their work space.

The black uniform dressing, Pack Eviscera’s Royal Crest on the badges on their chests. My stepbrothers had made sure there was no escape.

“What are you doing?!” I breathed as the silver dagger pressed against my neck. “You helped me run eleven years ago, what are you doing now?!”

“Following orders. Ezra's Alpha now.” He answered unconcernedly, looking to make sure the route was clear, “Be a smart kid and make this easy for the both of us…”

He pushed me towards the exit, fingers still wrapped around my arm. I stumbled and complied, yet still struggling to keep up with his pace.

Grace looked up at me, fear and tears blowing her pupils as a Gramma pushed her aside and off Alexei's path.

If only I hadn't dashed out of Link's office, then maybe they wouldn't have found me, because for all I knew I would rather face the pretty faced Mafia Boss, than Adrian.

They were going to kill me, or lock me up so I never saw the light of day again.

They had had eleven years to prepare. I would never survive their wrath.

I gasped at the exit like it was my first time seeing it 

No.

I couldn't go back to them.

In a flash I dug my elbow into Alexei's side. 

He chuckled, gripping me even tighter, “Pathetic.”

Rage surged, I veered, digging my heels into his crotch. He groaned, dropping to his knees, teeth gritted in pain, glaring up at me with burning hatred.

“Get her, the fuck…” he growled.

But breath caught, I'm already racing off, dragging down desk and chairs and a large shelf to give myself time. 

I found myself in the male restroom, I could barely see through the dim red emergency bulb, still I dashed into one of the stalls jamming the door closed, and standing on the covers of the toilet seat, crouched low and back pressed to the wall.

Half a dozen footsteps thundered in.

I clamped my mouth shut, staring at my door, lips moving in prayer and chants or whatever my brain felt could help at that moment.

I didn't know I was crying until I felt the tears roll down my arm.

 My body trembling in that familiar way I thought I had healed from.

The memories came rushing in, Declan's laughter, Ezra following slowly as I desperately tried to get away only to crash against a solid wall.

And Adrian, watching my tear stained face like I was a specimen he was trying to understand. And the only way to do that…was break me fully.

Fist banged against the door three stalls away and my breath hitched.

“Come out princess.” The voice was tired, “Do not do this to yourself.”

Fuck them. 

Damn them to the deepest part of hell. 

I'd spent years building a new life, I wasn't going to let myself be dragged back to that hell without blood in my fingers.

Another bang against the door, “Just come out damnit!”

I inhaled shakily, silently fighting to keep my terror in check, because I knew what that could cost.

Another boot stomped angrily into the gents. I knew who it was before he spoke.

“Found her yet?” Alexei asked.

“The lights are shit, the doors’ locked.”

“No you are fucking useless.” snapped, Alexei followed by the sickening crunch of fist meeting bones then a man's groan, “It's time I teach you how to gas an omega out. She smells like peaches.”

I shut my eyes.

Alexei sighed, “Really now Ana, you know what Adrian would do with you if he found out you resisted.

Gas a feral omega out…using their scent to find them and the only way you could trigger an omega's scent, was through arousal or fear.

And Alexei…knew the shape of my nightmares.

“Your room is still untouched, you know. The dining too. Declan made sure the packhouse never changed. He knew you'd come home some day.

“This time though, the doors and windows are sealed, so not even the sunlight goes through without them knowing.”

His boots were close now, a stall away, I could feel every thud. 

It wafted past my nose. That scent, My scent 

My teary eyes flashed open back to the dyed stall. Shit.. Shit…

“Remember Missy, your missy?” Alexei continued, his tone dropping a notch, “You thought she was dead, well she's not, Ezra kept her, just above the fireplace, she's his prettiest taxidermy.”

My scent choked me. I looked up at the opening between the ceiling and the edges of the bathroom…I needed to get out of here.

His shadow paused by my door, quiet and stalling.

I held my breath. 

Seconds felt like hours. Minutes, eternity.

 He gently kicked the door twice, exhaled, and continued past it as though he hadn't just given me a heart attack the size of Eviscera's stadium.

Perhaps my scent hadn't reached him. Or had it changed? Did claiming that Alpha do something to me I didn't know about?

They'll be time to think about that later, if I survived this.

I quietly straightened up and turned my back to the door to find an opening.

It was then, the door crashed into the stall, then an arm wrapped around my midsection, dragging me out like a rag doll.

“Got you!” Alexei laughed. "Well done boys.”

I fought, bit and clawed, screamed so loud my own ears stung and my throat hurt. The metal clasped around my wrist.

When I collapsed against him, tired and hopeless, Alexei was there to catch me but he never carried me, just dragged me forward.

“Why do you have to be such a pain in the ass? We both know they won't kill you.”

I spat in his face. “How about you be kept you fucking beast.”

Rage flashed in his eyes, “You think you're still untouchable huh?” He yanked my hair back, “Ezra gave permission to ruin your ankles if you resist, be a smart girl…” he shoved me forward, “and move.”

I found myself on the floor before the entrance, knees hurting.

There the door opened and the shoes, stained with blood came into view. 

Not a boot, but so sleek even in my moment of hopelessness I pondered how much they cost. Probably an arm and a leg, and maybe even a head…

I froze…

That scent…it was that scent, the scent of him mixed with mine, bolder than it was in the office…

Which was impossible, Omega's sense of smell wasn't as strong as Alpha's, but there was no way I couldn't have caught a whiff outside the door and…

Except he was wearing a suppressant.

But suppressants were for omegas.

Claimed bitten omegas.

The memory of my canines grazing his neck…filled my head.

Shit.

“I'm looking for an omega?” A lazy baritone filled the restroom, “Red hair, green eyes, peaches?”

Idiot, he was going to die and it would be all his fault, all his fault he wouldn't have the chance to drag me by my hair and demand why I marked him.

Alexei snickered in confusion, “Back off son. You don't want your pretty face ruined.”

But all those times, I felt his gaze on me, growing hotter and hotter with every single passing second.

And then he sighed, “Found you.”

The lights went off and my blood ran cold.