AllFreeNovel
Share Us
I tried to open my senses to Wolf completely. It felt like wading through dense water until a burst of Wolf’s power had my senses sharpening. I didn’t have time to marvel at the intoxicating thrum of power, though. The bed dipped beside me, and my panic spiked again.
“Ava, I know you’re awake. I can hear how fast your heart is beating. I’m trying to be gentle with you, but I won’t tolerate being disobeyed.” The voice was practically purring in my ear, but the tone grew increasingly dark. My eyes flew open in my panic and I looked up into sharp gray eyes that bored into me.
Wolf’s low growl vibrated through me and I tried not to react.
“I’m going to kill him if he touches you.”I figured that meant it worked and Wolf could hear him through my thoughts. It was a relief to know I wouldn’t have to repeat everything and try to listen at the same time.“You need to stall him and if that doesn’t work, fight him off. Do not let him bite you, do you hear me? You are stronger than you know. You can do this.”
I tried to curl inwards slightly and make myself look docile. This perfect, submissive omega act was almost second nature. “I feel sick,” I whimpered as I looked up at him through my lashes.
He stroked a finger down the side of my face and I felt everything in me recoil. “I know, sweetheart. It’s an effect of the chloroform. It will pass soon. Some cold water will help.”
He lifted me up and carried me over to a chair in a living area. I was glad I wasn’t on the bed anymore, but I couldn’t stand having him touch me. It felt wrong and scraped at my bonds. My mates’ rage echoed through me, and I found it oddly comforting. It helped dispel the unpleasant sensation of his touch.
I glanced around the room to get my bearings. We were in a luxurious bedroom suite, done in similar colors to the VIP suite at the Palace. The thought made the nausea flare again. Nicole was sitting on a chair next to me, that same smug smirk on her face. My captor released me and handed me a glass of cold water before retreating to the couch across from us. To my horror, Angel was lying unconscious on the couch next to him. I could see her chest rising and falling, so I knew she was alive, but she should have woken up by now. He gently stroked a strand of her golden curls and everything in me heated to a flash boil.
“How could you abduct a child?” I asked, my tone icy cold in contrast to the wild heat tearing through me.
“Easy, Ava.”Wolf’s warning came too late, as my abductor turned his head and narrowed his eyes at me. I quickly ducked my eyes down and tried to hide the blazing anger I knew was within them.
“I didn’t abduct anyone. I merely recovered my experiment, Ava. It wouldn’t have been necessary if you hadn’t run away, or encouraged your new friends to terrorize my employees.”
“Sorry, I’m a little disoriented,” I whispered as I kept looking down and dutifully sipped my water. I made sure I kept Angel in sight, though. My submissive omega act had always come easily. I had merely played up certain parts of my personality, but now I struggled to keep it in place. He nodded in approval and reclined against the couch, one arm propped casually along the back. I traced his features, but I didn’t recognize him. He’d dressed in a tailored black business suit, with a crisp white shirt and a red tie. I briefly wondered why he bothered.Who could he possibly be meeting during an apocalypse? Surely I didn’t warrant a suit?
“Since she’s awake now and unharmed, let’s discuss how you’ll fulfill our deal,” Nicole purred in a sugary voice. She twisted a curl of hair around her finger to draw attention to the long curve of her neck. It was a practised move designed to entice an alpha to bite. “You promised me an advantageous mating.”
“Shut up, you stupid omega. If you can’t recognize you were a pawn, I won’t humor you after you’ve given up your only leverage. You’ll do as I say, or I’ll hand you over to my men as entertainment,” he snapped.
Nicole blanched at his words, as her finger froze in her hair. She shot me a nervous look, as if she expected me to save her after she sold us out. I wouldn’t let anything happen to her, but right now, it was only an idle threat to shut her up. So she was on her own. My focus was entirely on the only innocent person here. Angel.
“You’re doing great, Ava. Stay quiet and play the part for another few minutes. We’re almost there, and we’re bringing a surprise.”Wolf’s gruff, yet now familiar, voice was a solace, soothing me.
“Now, Ava,” the alpha said as he turned to me. Arrogance was so thick in his manner, it dripped off him like too much honey on a slice of toast. “Do you know who we are?”
Movement caught my eye, and three more men moved into my field of vision. I hadn’t noticed them before. They were dressed impeccably in suits, the uniform of corporate CEOs and rich men everywhere. I had no doubt I was looking at the rest of Maven, which was bad news for me. Only one looked vaguely familiar. He had auburn hair, and I guessed he was Wolf and Hunter’s dad.
“They’re all here, Wolf.”
“Don’t panic, stay calm,”Wolf reassured me.“It’s a good thing. It means we don’t have to hunt them down one-by-one.”
The alpha on the couch narrowed his eyes at my silence, but my grip on the submissive omega act was tenuous. I didn’t feel like the same person who had worn that cloak so easily before. I didn’t trust myself to talk right now, so I just shook my head in answer to his question.
“My name is Phillip, and I’m the CEO of Alpha Tech. Beside the fireplace, looking bored, is Richard, the CEO of Integral Mining. On his left, drinking all our finest wine, is William, our State Governor. Over by the window is Arthur, who has an old-money wife and doesn’t think he needs to contribute to society anymore.” He pointed out each man, ending on Wolf’s dad, but I barely glanced at them. None of their titles or status meant a thing since the Crash. While they were still dominant alphas, the apex predator in the room was Phillip. He was nowhere near as powerful as Wolf, though.
The first two men ignored me. Arthur briefly glanced at me, but seemed more worried about what was happening outside. “Do we really need to have all of our security surrounding the house outside? Shouldn’t we have some in here with us?”
“Are you questioning my methods, Arty?” Arthur clenched his jaw. Either at the answer or the nickname, I wasn’t sure.
Phillip glared at Arthur over his shoulder before he turned his attention back to me. “This manor is the most secure estate in the country. It’s our escape from the world and it’s not listed under any of our public assets, so nobody knows we’re here. It also has every security feature my company has ever invented, as well as bulletproof glass in every window. The men outside are expendable, and merely a precaution. A show of strength, so to speak. Nobody is getting in here.”
He paused to let his words sink in. A tactic that may have worked well in the boardroom, but had no effect on me. I figured he was trying to imply we weren’t getting rescued. To me, it meant he severely underestimated my pack and our friends. I struggled to keep my face blank and politely interested.
“So, I have a proposition for you, sweet Ava. We’re going to claim you as our omega. If you struggle or object, Angel will suffer the consequences. Which will be a pity. She’s the youngest omega we’ve found through our testing. A process that is still being fine tuned. I was looking forward to studying her. But she serves a far better purpose now. Do you have any questions?” He raised an imperious eyebrow at me. There was no warmth or humanity behind his eyes, only a cold lust for power. There would be no reasoning with this deranged alpha.
Nicole sobbed quietly next to me, as she finally realized the mess she’d gotten herself into, but nobody paid her any attention.
I took slow, deliberate breaths, trying to keep my heart beating evenly, and blinked at him, as if I didn’t understand. I only had one option. To stall him, keep him talking.Didn’t sociopaths always like to talk about their dastardly plans?
“Who is Angel to you?” I asked.
