I stare at his face, trying to figure out his subtle aroma. It’s not right. It’s a soft scent. Almost calming.He’s definitely not an alpha.
“Are you a beta?” I ask, not really believing it.This man is huge.Betas don’t get this big.
The bald man looks past me, not answering my question. “You good?” he asks the other alpha—Stone.
“That little bitch is mine, Kent!” The enraged alpha takes two steps before stopping to take a breath. His face is bright red, veins popping along his temples, and he has a slight limp.I must have got him good.
“Please let me go,” I beg the beta. “I got turned around. I have a whole pack of alphas looking for me. My fathers will kill you when they find you,” I speak in a rush of words. “Please, Kent.” I use his name, hoping he feels some kind of sympathy for me, but judging from the look on the beta’s face, he doesn’t really care. “My pack will hurt you.”
Kent’s eyes narrow and I can’t tell if he believes me or not.
“Give her to me,” Stone barks.
I half-expect the beta to obey, but he pulls me behind him, putting his body between me and Stone. “Fuck that,” he says with just as much attitude.
A shadow crosses Stone’s face and an angry rumble leaves his chest. “Listen here,beta,” he says the word like it’s an insult. “I found her. She’s mine and if you think?—”
“Did you already forget what your fucking job is?” Kent snaps, clearly not bothered by Stone’s harsh, alpha tone. “You're supposed to be looking for prime omegas to add to the auction.Notdestroying the merchandise.” He looks Stone up and down. “This is why your kind shouldn’t be snatchers.”
Hopeless defeat cuts through me. They’re snatchers. I’ve never met one before, but my mother has told me many stories of omegas she knew that were abducted and sold at some kind of black market. She said men who sell our kind are cold and often violent, and if I ever found myself trapped with one, I should aim to kill and nothing less.
“I was bringing the girl to Angelica.” Stone gently palms his crotch.I hope his dick rots and falls off.“I didn’t destroy shit.”
Kent’s dark eyes drift down the side of my face and over my mouth to the front of my bloody shirt. “What did you do to her?”
“Nothing!” Stone’s voice rises, clearly pissed. “I found her that way.”
“He’s lying,” I say, desperate to get away from the alpha. “He hurt me, and?—”
“Shut up!” Stone roars out the forceful command and my mouth snaps shut. “I didn’t fucking touch you and you know it!”
“Goddammit, Stone.” Kent glares at the alpha. “Angelica took a chance by giving you this job, and this is what you do with it?”
Stone’s eyes go comically wide. “She’s lying!” His booming voice makes me flinch. “The bitch kicked me in the fucking balls!” His fangs flash as he speaks. “She needs to be taught a lesson.” His hand moves to his belt, resting on the hilt of a big knife. I zero in on it, flexing my fingers.If he comes any closer, I’ll grab it and stab the asshole.
“Angelica won’t be happy about this,” Kent says, pulling the alpha’s attention away from me. “No one is going to want a battered omega.” He holds my upper arm with his other hand, looking me over. He assesses every inch of me, from the top of my head, down to my dirty feet. “It’s going to take forever to clean her up.”
I frown, fighting the urge to tell Kent that he looks pretty shitty too, but right now he’s the only thing protecting me from Stone. I open my mouth to beg Kent to help me but nothing comes out. The lingering effects of Stone’s command still grip me, making it difficult to speak.
“We need to go.” Kent releases me. “We’ll be lucky if we get to the Morder by nightfall.”
“Morder?” I struggle to whisper the single word. I pray it’s not the black market, but that’s the only thing it can be. Right?
“Turn around, omega.” Kent ignores my question as he pushes one hand into the bag hanging at his side. He pulls outa roll of tape, then he forces me to turn. “Hands behind your back.”
My heartbeat skyrockets. Bitter fear flooding my veins. “What are you doing?” I manage to ask.
“I’m going to tie you up,” Kent says as if it’s no big deal.
Stone smirks then leans in. “If you don’t want to be tied up, I can always fuck the fight right out of you.” He tugs his waistband up, making the knife at his side shift.
“Shit,” Kent says right as a rhythmic bell echoes all around us. “Give me a second.” I glance over my shoulder, watching as he pulls a phone out of his pocket. He brings it to his ear, then turns away from me. “Yes, ma’am?” The beta goes quiet. “Okay.” He looks at Stone, pushing me toward the alpha. “Don’t let her out of your sight, and donothurt her.” Then he walks off, leaving me with the asshole.
“Are you kidding me?” I try to run after Kent, but Stone grabs my wrist and jerks me back.
“Don’t you worry, Kent.” Stone smirks down at me. “I’ll take good care of her.” There’s a flash of something evil in his eyes, making me back up.
“Wait!” I yell at Kent, praying the beta will come back, but he keeps his ear pressed to the damn phone, telling whoever is on the other end that he’s “on it” and that they can “count on him.”
