Anarchy, p.3
Anarchy, page 3
Since then we’d been holding onto every favour we had, in hopes it would be enough to buy us protection.
Both Karma and I had entered this place around the same time; Vandle and Sin—they’d been about a year and a half later, so it was this, or get stuck down here for another eternity.
I couldn’t do it.
Now we’d be a pile of corpses before the week was out.
Sin hoisted her more securely on his back as we made our way down the back hallways to our cell with the Emerald and Wakefield packs flanking us.
I hovered between Sin and the Wakefield’s since they were newer allies—ones we’d tried to secure after the mess that had been my appeal call. Finnian, one of the Wakefield alphas recognizable by the spray paint stains constantly marring his arms and clothing, got on well enough with Karma—they’d brawl in the gym occasionally, and spray painted murals together.
Him and his whole pack enjoyed turning up to Sin’s ‘performances’ a little too much for my comfort, though. It was something the whole Wakefield pack had been eager to join in on—and was the premise of our alliance. Their pack had eight alphas, which made them useful allies, but… also more of a threat.
But at least their pack lead Sterling wasn’t here—I wasn’t a fan of him. It could be the braided necklace of torn up fabric he wore around his neck. The same one he dipped in the blood of the alphas he killed.
We were all a little off our rockers in here, but that shit was insane. And it smelled disgusting.
Right now, Finnian’s eyes were flicking between Sin and the female omega a little too intently. I shifted my gait so he had less of a view before realizing he wasn’t alone. There wasn’t an alpha with us who could keep their gazes averted, and the Emerald pack omega, Justin (and known brat), was openly ogling as if he might get an invite into our cell tonight.
“Name?” Sin asked, tilting his head as he walked down the hall. His voice was a welcome distraction.
“Me?” Her voice was a soft whisper. She still had her eyes closed.
“Yup.”
“Crescent.” She tried really hard to whisper it just for Sin, but both Karma and I had edged closer.
“Beautiful,” Sin murmured back to her.
I caught what was definitely the wobble of a smile on her face. I did a double take, catching her shuffle in his grip, opening her mouth just slightly and grazing his skin with her teeth. Then she froze, biting her lip, one golden eye sneaking open, clearly anxious that anyone had seen what she’d just done. By the flood of glee down the bond from Sin, he’d felt her nip.
I averted my gaze, clearing my throat. But when I caught Karma’s eye, he looked delighted.
She was, uh… attached.
Already.
But it was Sin, so of course she fucking was.
“I’m Sin. This is Phantom and Karma.” Sin nodded in our direction as we turned down the hallway to the wing that held our cell.
I tried to stay on alert as Sin introduced the members of the Emerald and Wakefield pack that were with us. Between those present, they gave us about a dozen extra alphas for protection.
Word spread like wildfire, here. Everyone would know, by now, that a female omega had just been dropped in. We didn’t even know the ramifications it might have. There had never been a target like this in Anarchy as far as I could remember.
Even without that, you had to be tough to survive here, and the strange little creature clinging to Sin’s back looked far from tough.
She didn’t belong in a place like this, where every breath was a deluge of alpha scents and hormones that leached madness, always mixing with the forever trace of dampness, a memory of rain on stone.
I saw her tilt her head, stealing glimpses of our surroundings. Of the worn, graffitied stone walls, lights that began flickering at the faintest hint of a storm outside, and corners full of dust-laden spiderwebs.
What was she thinking right now?
What had she done to buy herself a ticket to a place like this?
They had long faded to the background, but I saw her flinch with each faint howl of a feral alpha that endlessly sounded from every corner of this prison.
Fuck.
We were definitely boned.
Absolutely, without a doubt, dead men walking.
But Karma was already smitten. He was a storm of feeling in the bond, hovering behind the two of them and shooting death glares at any alpha who was staring too long.
I wasn’t alone in my jealousy, then.
With Sin’s shirt covering her up or not, there was still a lot of smooth skin showing. Now I was closer to her, it was hard to keep my thoughts straight. I’d never, in my life, realized how intensely biteable a thigh was capable of appearing.
A hiss snapped me from my trance, and then Karma was flying at him.
Ah—shit.
“Eyes off our—!” Karma cut off with a curse as Rick and Bug grabbed him before he could get us into more trouble by ripping the throat from a curious alpha. The alpha ducked away, a sneer on his face as he eyed the group. He was a dweller—a permanent resident of over a decade, which is why he would be bold enough to walk about alone. He had too many connections, and we didn’t need to make more enemies right now.
We couldn’t have reached the damp, dingy end of our home wing quickly enough.
I needed her bundled into our cell as soon as possible. We lived at the end of the hall, and it was the best place for defence.
Sin was setting her down, leaning against the doorframe with the door gaping open. She peered past him to the bunks within, and looked like she wanted to dive inside.
“This is us, doll,” Sin said.
She nodded, glancing up at him quickly before dropping her gaze and edging closer to him again.
“I’ll warn you, we don’t allow misbehaved omegas inside,” Sin said.
I sighed, pinching my nose, hearing Justin chuckle behind us—his pack were meandering around their cell door, which was opposite ours, as they watched curiously. Bug cuffed him on the cheek before he could put his foot in it, though, shoving him into their room.
“Um…” She swallowed, anxiously glancing at the floor. “Yes, Alpha.”
I rolled my eyes, feeling Sin almost explode with smugness in the bond. “Get her inside, you great prick,” I grunted, stepping past him and nudging her into the room. My nerves were fraying, demanding we get her out of eyeshot now. “And stop lying.”
I almost stumbled on the last word as my outstretched hand brushed her arm.
It was a shot of static and euphoria, and her eyes snapped to mine.
Oh. My. God.
She was… I had to blink away the haze of heat that tried to boil me alive. She was still, and both of us were staring at each other. She shrank, once more, against Sin.
My heart thundered in my chest, mind careening out of control. Demanding I grab her. Protect her.
Bite her.
Claim her.
Don’t wait.
I could barely breathe, the need was so vicious. Unlike anyone else in my pack, I carried a decent amount of memories from before.
Echo rut syndrome was a nightmare affliction that would have always wound me up here. But afflicted or not, I’d been a young alpha living in New Oxford, so I’d been around a fair amount of omegas.
Never, in my life, had I felt an omega as touch starved as she was.
I forced myself to take another step, forced myself to listen to what Sin was saying.
“Bug—after we settle her, can we split to go get her some clothes from the Redgraves? They should have something.”
I heard Bug’s grunt of assent.
Good. Right. Yes.
The Redgrave pack would have something we could trade for. Crescent would have to stay in here, at least for now. I wouldn’t leave her unless we had backup. It wasn’t as simple as locking the cell up to keep other alphas out. We couldn’t do that ourselves—all the cell doors were automatic.
After eleven, once a cell door was closed, it locked until seven in the morning. Until then, we were vulnerable, even in our own wing.
But I also wasn’t going to let Sin go wandering off on his own, so we’d have to split up.
The Emerald pack had Justin, and being stabilized by their own omega (and the fact they were our longest standing allies) was why I trusted them more than the others.
But Holden would be out for blood, and we might be headed toward an all-out fucking war.
5
CRESCENT
We had reached their cell safely.
I squinted around it, and when my vision adjusted I first noticed the sea of colourful art that was spray-painted across the walls, which was odd, but comforting. It wasn’t too cramped, fitting four bunk beds against the walls, along with a plain dresser. In the centre was a decent space where a few old weights were scattered, and along the walls were two heavy iron doors.
There was a major issue with it, however. I took a deep breath.
It smelled really good in here.
Like… dizzyingly good.
Gunmetal. An ocean storm. Ironwood and ember. The dark, dry taste of a desert eclipse…
Those scents were in the air. In the blankets, and walls. Knit into every corner, every breath.
I hadn’t caught them before—the alphas must be wearing scent blockers—but now…
I jumped violently at a touch on my shoulder, then swallowed, looking up into blood-red eyes.
Which scent belonged to him? I couldn’t know for certain, but instinctually I came up with only one answer.
One scent was different from the others, soothing and caressing me with a presence behind it that spoke of something calmer.
Mine…
A dry wind in darkness.
My eclipse.
That was definitely Sin's scent.
I was shaking; I realized.
“Crescent.” Sin was frowning down at me and I grounded myself.
You’re touch starved, silly. Any alpha is going to smell like heaven.
It was just the way I was wired. Even if the scents I’d caught back there hadn’t been like this.
I was scared, then. Now I felt safe.
That was all.
They reduced my exposure to alpha scents at the Convent if they could help it.
Or alphas at all—not unless the alpha chose it, fully knowing the risks of being around omegas with golden eyes, and the temptations that came with them.
What about this pack?
Did they know?
Now, I was in here with three alphas, and Sin was just standing there topless. It had been so kind of him to give me his shirt and protect me—and the other alphas in there—from temptation, but it was so, so hard not to stare at how much muscle there was across his chest.
My pulse got thready just thinking about it.
Or the kiss he’d given me…
With a name like his, I was half convinced this was all a test.
Maybe… maybe the Sisters knew what was happening in here, and just needed to be sure I wouldn’t be a problem again…
But it wouldn’t do to bank on that.
I forced a smile onto my face, then glanced around—not at Sin.
All of them were staring at me.
Just an hour ago, the idea of being stuck in a room with three strangers like this would have been terrifying, but my fear… it wasn’t of them. Which was unexpected.
“What… what can I do?” I asked. I looked around, examining the two doors along the walls, both bland and metal—one, oddly, with a metal peephole at around head height that seemed to be shut. The beds were messy, though, and I edged over to the nearest one, giving the blanket a little tug.
That’s what they’d want, right?
I’d been taught a thousand things about the role of an omega and internalized every one, always listening so raptly to Sister Josephine, knowing it was so silly to dream I might one day get to put that knowledge to use, but not being able to help it anyway.
It was dangerous to offer a bond to an omega as sinful as a gold pack without being steadfast in their faith.
Being a gold pack—marked by these golden eyes—meant I was lesser than other omegas. Within the first year of perfuming, all omegas were supposed to go to the Institute to get an injection that would make us fit in with society. Fail to do so and our eyes would turn gold, marking us traitors.
Our hormones, our instincts, everything about us was more… feral.
Evil.
I was a danger.
A coward.
Temptress.
It’s why I both wanted alphas, and was cruel in following that desire all at once. It’s why I should plead for a bond that would give alphas all the power, because how else would they withstand a connection with me?
Very rarely—a pack blessed by the Priests took pity on us—ones devout enough to endure a gold pack’s sin.
They would visit and we would line up, eager to be the one picked to escape the cold, lonely walls of the Convent. We could never have a bond like a normal omega—we didn’t deserve it—but being picked meant maybe being held in the arms of an alpha.
And perhaps, if we did well enough, we might even be loved.
But uh… I didn’t know how to start applying any of the rules I’d learned now that I was in Anarchy.
Anxiety skittered in my chest as I thought back to the chaos that had first met me.
These beautiful alphas had saved me from it, but if I couldn’t figure out what omegas were supposed to do down here…?
The room I’d been dropped into had been a cafeteria, so I supposed they wouldn’t need someone to cook. I didn’t know how long-term this was, but if I didn’t figure it out they might drop me back off for the others to fight over.
I should want that. I should even, perhaps, find the most feral alpha and allow that claim so I didn’t ruin anyone else, but… I was weak and afraid, and they seemed so much more gentle than I had expected.
If I did well, maybe they’d… I glanced at the beds. There were enough for me to sleep alone, but maybe…? For a moment, my skin had brushed Phantom’s, and I thought, as my mind went hazy, that I would go insane myself.
I inwardly kicked myself.
Horrible omega—all of this had happened and I was still so weak to temptation.
If I had any respect I’d hide in the furthest corner and make sure I didn’t sabotage their healing…
I swallowed, turning back to Sin, and realizing all three of them were watching me closely as I tugged at the base of the shirt that was keeping me barely decent. “I can make sure everything… is in order. And I’ll try to keep to myself.”
“Keep to what?” Sin asked, eyebrows rising as he turned to me.
“You saw what happened…” I swallowed. “They went mad.”
These were alphas trying so hard to balance themselves so they could reach freedom. How many had I just condemned? Gold pack omegas were nature’s traps. I shouldn’t be around regular alphas, but most especially not ones who were vulnerable to temptation and sin…
“Went mad supposes a lack of prior condition,” Sin chuckled.
I stared at him, unsure what he meant by that.
“We all backed the car off that cliff a long time ago,” Karma laughed, sinking down onto the bed nearest to me.
“Uh…” I frowned, parsing through that. “Oh.”
“Karma,” Sin said. “Go get cleaned up.”
“Really?” He looked unimpressed, poking at the sticky stain of red that was still coating his neck.
“Yeah. And take her with you. Me and Phantom will sort out some clothes.”
“Take me?” I asked, looking between them.
It was impossible to ignore how all their gazes seemed locked on me at all times.
“You need a wash,” Sin said. “I won’t have Holden’s scent in this room.”
I thought of the cruel alpha who’d slammed me against the wall. My back and head still ached from how harsh he’d been. “Of course.” I didn’t really want his scent on me either, now that I’d caught theirs.
But then…
The last thing I’d managed to do before I was shoved down here was to get a hold of one of the guards’ scent dampeners. I’d emptied the whole tiny bottle over myself in a panic.
A shower would ruin that.
But it would wear off at some point, anyway. Especially with how scared I was. And my heat…
How long before it was here?
I had to find a safe place to ride that out.
The spiral of thoughts cut off as Sin nudged me. I realized Karma had stood up, and was already in the open doorway to a room beyond this one. The same white clinical lighting was shining through it.
I hurried toward Karma, who was watching me expectantly, but when I stepped through the doorway, I drew up.
“Oh.”
I had no idea what I’d been expecting, but it was just one big bathroom.
No stalls or anything.
Just a barrier for the toilet, and a wide cool room with floors that looked more for utility than comfort, with a slope to a grate in the corner.
It reminded me of the shower in the Convent. Except there, only other female gold pack omegas were permitted.
Karma was tugging his top off, dumping it in a rickety metal hamper beneath the line of sinks, and heading for the showers to turn one of the streams on. He tested the water heat with the back of his hand before glancing back at me.
Lord, this was too much.
If it was a test, I’d failed.
Sin was more slender than Karma, with lean muscles making up his chest and arms, but Karma’s rich, umber skin covered thick, corded muscle. He had a long auburn braid that fell to his waist, and a brilliant, mischievous smile he flashed my way as he caught me looking. He was so beautiful it made my chest tight.
I dropped my gaze, cheeks burning red-hot.
These damned eyes were going to screw up these poor alphas.
But I was sure he would just wash first, and then I could use the shower after.
That was what he was going to do, right?
And maybe, by then, the hot water would be used up, and it would be cold. I needed that. Even just looking at him for a few moments, I could feel slick pooling between my thighs.
