Anarchy, p.2
Anarchy, page 2
They hadn’t just sent an omega.
They’d sent a gold pack goddess with curves on her that were heating my veins just by looking—and they’d sent her into the pits of hell to be torn apart by demons.
“A female omega?” Karma hissed. “There ain’t no way... That’s an execution, plain as day.”
My lips were parted in shock. I wasn’t alone; the entire dining room was frozen, utterly entranced.
He was right—they’d never sent a female omega.
I’d seen more than a few poor souls being forced through those doors, and to her credit, she held her back straighter than many of the others.
But she wore next to nothing. Might as well slather her in honey and drop her into a bear’s den.
My stomach twisted uncomfortably, which was a foreign sensation. This wasn’t a place where empathy could survive. Not for anyone beyond a packmate.
Despite her straight back and clenched fists, I saw the traces of tear tracks shining down her cheeks, and the way her wide eyes darted around the room, with pupils that were pinpricks of terror.
Not my business…
We should leave before this gets messy.
I managed, at last, to tear my gaze from her at the first sound of movement.
Of course, it was Holden—the Ronan pack lead—getting to his feet. He was a brute of an alpha with a strong jaw, shaggy black hair, and rough skin, littered with small scars from his time here. And right now, his eyes were fixed on the omega, a snarl of delight on his face.
I felt it from Sin in the bond and heard it in the low growl rumbling in the air between us—rising vitriol and disgust as he watched Holden make his claim.
Ah, shit.
I side-eyed Karma, who looked as on edge as I felt.
Absolutely not.
The first invisible energy of an alpha aura split the air—and not from any of us or from Holden. That was the problem—this offering, it was unspoken that the Ronan pack would stake claim, but it wasn’t absolute—nothing was here.
Rule number one of Anarchy: there were no rules.
And the rogues, the packless alphas who’d never truly found their sanity with months of shitty ruts still lingering in their system—those alphas didn’t care one bit about etiquette, or even threat. Less so with a petite piece of ass being dangled before them like this.
Packless, unanchored and still mad, one alpha made for her, and then a second aura burst out.
The collision happened before they reached her, two hulking mad beasts careening into the wall at her side. She staggered away, chest heaving, eyes darting about as if she wasn’t sure what to do.
My stomach churned, and I was still frozen. Something was… wrong with her. I couldn’t quite put my finger on it.
Auras went off like dominoes. Some packs were standing up, a few with omegas of their own, ready to exit before getting caught in the mess.
I couldn’t catch her scent; it should’ve been sharp and ripe with fear by now, but it must be hidden behind blockers, like ours was. And those blockers were the only thing stopping an entirely different level of pandemonium.
At my side, Sin got to his feet.
“What are you doing?” My hiss slid over to him, meant for us alone.
“I want her,” he said simply.
I stifled my groan. “Because she’s cute, or because she’s destined for Holden?”
Sin’s grin broadened. “Both?”
Any chance to fuck Holden over, and Sin pounced. I didn’t blame him, but this—this was declaring an all out war.
“We can’t claim her,” I snarled.
“Why ever not?” Sin asked, cocking his head as he stepped over the bench.
“You know full well why fucking not!” I launched to my feet, almost crashing into the table after him.
It wasn’t just Holden. No pack would accept our claim on her. I squared Sin up, blocking his way. I was a big alpha, but only topped Sin by an inch. He tilted his head, eyes narrowed at the challenge.
I glanced at Karma, but even as I did, Sin side-stepped me, tugging his shirt off to reveal lean muscle. He had the tail of his hand wrap between his teeth, tugging it tight, as he began into the fray.
Arrogant asshole.
I tried to grab him as he stalked away. “Don’t—!”
“You gonna let him get pulverized?” Karma cut me off.
Fuck.
He’d be snapped in two without us.
Plus, leaving still felt off. Something within me was shivering with an undercurrent of urgency like I’d never felt before. I wasn’t just following Sin because he was a fool. That omega would be dark bonded or dead by nightfall, and there was a nagging part of my brain screaming at me that it would be… wrong.
It couldn’t happen.
“Even if we make it, we’ll be gutted by morning,” I warned.
Karma nodded his head in a so-so motion, tugging a strand of auburn hair loose from his braid. I could see the indecision on his own face as if he could feel it, too—a soul-deep resistance to leaving her behind.
There was a growl, and a horrible sound of bones snapping from the ongoing fight. Echoing it was a faint, feminine whimper.
Her fear seized me like a vise, and Karma flinched too.
Behind us, I saw Sterling, the Wakefield pack lead, and half of the Emerald pack get to their feet, eyes tracing Sin as he sauntered into the fray toward her, a perfect picture of aura-less, idiotic confidence. Him and his fucking alliances—I don’t know how he did it, but if our allies were in, we might actually make it out alive.
I tilted my head, cracking my neck with a snort, letting the old ache of insanity rush to the forefront of my mind, blitzing away all those pesky, rational thoughts that had slowly crept back over the last few years.
Sweet, sweet release flooded my mind as my aura split the air.
3
CRESCENT
My hand, which was pressed to the grimy wall, was the only thing keeping me standing.
An alpha leaped for me, but never made it as another collided with him. Both crashed into the wall to my side.
I’d been dropped into a huge prison cafeteria by the smell of food in the air, but around me was chaos. It was a massive room, and my weak long-distance vision meant any alphas further away were a sea of humanoid blurs, but I could tell there were so many.
There were already auras in the air—the shivering, invisible energy that alphas could let loose to make them stronger and faster.
Half a dozen, if not more? I felt like it was choking me.
I took a shuddering breath.
Don't cry.
I shut my eyes to hide the gold. Anything not to tempt them further. Anything to stop this madness.
I wanted to be fierce, like that omega on the TV, but I was quaking, my quick breaths not taking in enough air.
Their scents were everywhere, sending my weary mind into a frenzy. Alphas were supposed to make me feel safe, but these ones didn’t. They'd seen the golden eyes marking me as a mistake—not an omega to protect at all…
They wanted me broken.
They want you as broken as you'd leave them…
Could I blame them?
I was desperate to run, but there was nowhere to go, and I knew instinctively that running would make this chaos look like child's play.
My jaw ached from clenching it so hard, and a strangled cry sounded beside me. I dared open my eyes just in time to see and hear a crack as the alpha to my left crushed another’s neck in his fist.
Choking down a whimper, I staggered away as the insane alpha looked up at me with wild eyes. I dodged another brawl.
I was dead.
This was it.
I yelped in pain as a fist closed around my hair, yanking me back. I struggled, a low strangled whine slipping from my chest.
“What a sweet gift,” a low voice growled. I tried to turn, and only just caught sight of the alpha towering over me, a strong scent of sour whiskey filling my nose. He was close enough for me to see his features clearly. He was huge, with shaggy black hair and cruel, dark eyes. He had a neatly kept beard and a handful of scars across his cheek, neck, and bare torso.
I lashed out, catching his cheek with my nails, and he flinched.
The next thing I knew, he shoved me, and I gasped as pain exploded up my back when he slammed me into the wall.
Panic brought more tears to my eyes. I was nothing like the omega on TV, who had a growl in her chest and glowing eyes. Instead, I let out another pathetic whine when his fist snapped around my throat. I was so winded, I could barely draw breath.
“Stubborn bitch, huh?” he growled.
Along with my terror, though, I felt the shock of his touch, a crackle of static that set every nerve on fire. I bit back another whine as that pain rolled along my nerve endings, a reaction to his skin making contact with mine. I watched as his pupils constricted, his whole body tensing as he drank in how starved I was of touch.
It was a boiling temptation trying to swallow us both.
He bared his teeth. “I was going to take you back to the cell first, but now I think I’ll bite you and claim that tight little cunt right here for everyone to see.”
N-no…
Didn’t he know what that would cost him?
Of course he didn’t. I’d already driven him mad, I realized, flashes of fury and lust and violence were all swirling in his eyes as he stared at me.
My strength was a leaf in the wind beneath the intensity of his aura, and he slid me up the wall, his grip on my throat lifting me. I kicked against him as he crushed me against the stone with ease, my nails digging uselessly into rock-like muscle. The heat of his breath against my neck sent a strangled scream of protest from my weak lungs.
His teeth grazed my skin, and I went absolutely still.
A dark bond.
From his scent to his aura, I could feel his insanity, his cruelty, and I knew what he was going to do. A dark bond would leave me at his mercy. I would have no choice but to follow his every command.
It was what I deserved—the only bond I was allowed to hope for, cursed as I was. I should want it, but his scent of sour whiskey made my nose wrinkle as it grew stronger, an affront to my senses.
His teeth found my skin, and I choked out another protest, flailing with all my might, kicking out, but I might as well have met a stone wall.
Then a dull click sounded, and he went rigid. A shadow shifted, though I couldn’t see properly with this alpha so close.
“One drop of blood spills, Holden, and I’ll blow your brains across the cafeteria.” The voice was low and deadly, though no scent came with it.
Very, very slowly, the alpha shifted back. I could feel the tenseness of his frame, the faintest rumbling growl with each exhale, but his teeth released my neck.
I saw the one who’d stopped him, then.
A small handgun was jammed against my attacker, Holden's, chin.
My eyes were locked on the newcomer, though, and I couldn’t look away. He had messy, midnight hair, pale skin, and a sharp, lean jaw. What was most shocking about him were his eyes, which were blood red. As I stared, dumbstruck, I thought he was the most beautiful alpha I’d ever laid eyes on.
Hormones talking, a little voice whispered.
They won’t save you.
Still, this newcomer felt safe, and it couldn’t get worse than this horrible alpha who’d threatened to claim me in front of everyone.
Slowly, Holden drew back, grip loosening on my throat. “Dangerous game, flashing that out here,” he growled, eyes flicking down in the direction of the gun.
I struggled, finding his grip weak enough to break, and I didn’t pause before diving toward the devil-eyed alpha.
The moment I collided with him, his arm came around me as if on instinct, drawing me against his chest. I looked up at him so quickly, a sharp pain shot through my neck.
His skin was cool, a little damp with sweat, but his touch… His touch didn’t trigger anything I’d come to fear. None of the lust and temptation that had landed me in this nightmare.
His touch was nothing but safety.
What did it mean?
Still, he didn’t look down at me, focused on the other alpha.
Around us, the fighting was bloody. I dared a glance to the side in time to see one alpha slam another into a table, sending trays and food flying. And closer, a dark-skinned alpha with a long red braid, slammed another into the wall. In a flash, his teeth closed around his neck and he—oh Lord!
I squeezed my eyes shut with a whine of shock, pressing back against the one now holding me, but the arc of red that had sprayed outward was burned into the back of my eyelids.
Each breath I took was painful, my lungs threatening to shut down completely.
The sounds around me were hard to follow, even when I finally found the courage to open my eyes.
There was less fighting now… Fewer auras in the air.
Holden, the alpha who’d wanted me dark bonded, had backed up, expression furious. A few more were standing around, almost like sentinels.
I watched as more ranks closed, pushing the horrible alpha out, and then Holden, along with a few others, turned tail and left.
I didn't miss the unfettered hatred in his eyes as he shot one last look back at us.
I finally dared draw back, fingers digging far too hard into my saviour's arms.
His eyes found mine at last and it felt like I’d missed a step on the stairs. His finger curled beneath my chin and tilted it, examining me, pupils blowing so wide I could barely catch a hint of crimson.
My lips were parted, I realized. I was staring at him like a fool. My gaze darted around. Every eye in the room was on us.
What were they thinking?
I shrank, panic a vise around my heart once more, but he gripped my chin, keeping me upright. He leaned closer, his nose almost touching mine as he cocked his head. Heat rushed to my cheeks.
I’d never wanted an alpha this close before, but he wasn’t like any I’d ever met. Before I could even blink, his lips found mine, and I was melting against him in the first kiss I’d ever had.
His touch was so safe—nothing compared to the alphas I'd met before. I felt something soft pressed against my chest and looked down.
Was he giving me his shirt?
He was…
I bit my lip, fear finally dying in the face of something much more fierce.
Mine…
He. Was. Mine.
Heat bloomed in my cheeks as the faintest rough purr tripped over itself on the way up my chest. I stamped it down—which was harder than I anticipated.
I’d never done that before in my life.
4
KARMA
The blur of movement and scents slowed around us, and my torrent of instincts settled.
The fighting was over, though my chest still heaved, senses a sparking live wire.
I felt the warm blood dripping down my neck as my gaze slid at last to Sin with the sweet addiction they’d just dropped into Anarchy.
Pure adrenaline flooded my veins again at the sight of her.
Burning, brilliant fuel.
Her hair was as pale as moonlight, shining in the harsh lighting, too bright against her pale skin. She was wearing Sin’s shirt now, covering her down to her cute little round thighs.
Startling eyes of liquid gold, still wet with tears, met mine for a moment, and my heart thundered so loudly in its cage I thought it was trying to break out. Perfect pink lips parted in a sweet ‘o’, her gaze drinking in the sight of the blood oozing down my chest. I straightened, tilting my chin up for her to see the blood better, and a primal swell of pride stirred another rumble through my bones.
A purr this time.
She shrank against Sin’s bare chest, golden gaze dropping to the floor, and I watched as he drew her tighter against him on instinct.
Fuck me–the two of them fit well together.
“You can’t be serious with that claim. It’s not fucking fair.”
I spun at the words.
Who had spoken?
I couldn’t tell which alpha.
“Fair?” Sin asked with a laugh as the closest alpha to me flinched back, a few sets of eyes dropping to my neck and chin.
I grinned, my teeth red and white from the iron tang.
A cracked growl of warning rolled up my spine, but the nearby alphas who weren't allies were already backing up.
“Let’s go.” Phantom’s voice was tense, and he nodded his head in the direction of the exit. His usually warm, freckled skin looked sallow with worry, and I almost chuckled—as usual, poor Phantom was far too sane to be trapped in this place with the rest of us.
Sin relaxed, gun hand lowering. To my surprise, our little moonlight omega ducked under his arm, and next thing any of us knew, scrambled up onto his back, arms locking together around his neck. Then she buried her face into the crook of his shoulder, eyes squeezing tightly shut.
Sin, prideful fuck that he was, gave the gaping crowd (because I wasn’t the only one with a bug-eyed expression) a smug grin, before beginning towards the hallway.
PHANTOM
We were so boned.
Ten days. Ten fucking days we had to survive before we might have been free of this godforsaken place.
Three years after being sent down to Anarchy, an alpha got their appeal—one he could bring his pack along for. This would be attempt number two for us, since we’d missed out on our first—which was mine. That had been a month ago.
It should be simple: three calls over the intercom a few minutes apart. Once the first sounded, a pack had half an hour to get to the waiting room. It was the single elevator shaft to freedom—though enter at the wrong time, and your bodies would be sent back for disposal.
But it didn’t take half an hour to walk from one side of Anarchy to the other, so none of it should be hard—that was except for the alphas.
Unfortunately, we had enemies who’d planned for it, and getting down that hallway would have seen us slaughtered.
