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My eyes were wide, conviction splintering against a brick wall, as, from the crowd before me, the faintest scent rose, stronger than the rest: crisp edges of bourbon melting against the sweetness of honey.
I woke, at last, for the first time since they’d grabbed me from the street.
Couldn’t be right.
My chest heaved, eyes darting across the sea of faces with intensity now.
Because that scent wasmine.
I strained against the metal on my wrists.
I hadn’t believed I’d get another chance—a chance at fixing the broken pieces I’d been left clutching… And I think I’d learned what not to do. This time I might be able to make it work.
A scent match.
My fear was rare, but it rose up my throat as I tried to make out the crowd through the blinking stage lights.
Hewouldn’tleave me, right?
He’d know I was here.
But I didn’t see anyone move as the auctioneer continued to speak.
What was happening?
As the seconds went on, the world began shutting down. I couldn’t see him—I hadn’t heard him.
I jolted in shock, body seizing as an electrified rod made contact with my skin. I heard my own pathetic whine slip between the gag and blinked to feel my cheek against the floor.
What… had happened?
I’d growled, I realised, but it was hard to stop the next coming up my throat.
The room was spinning, but I was already straining to get up, senses resetting, and I prayed the scent was still there.
Where was he?
ROGUE
The terrified scents of purchased Omegas hung in the air, tangling with the traces of blood that lingered in my senses. Each inhale soothed veins that felt as if they’d been torn open by a thousand fire ants.
The scents of the frightened, unfortunate souls on the stage were not the only ones in the space, even if they were the strongest. The room was filled with a mashup of a few Alpha and Omega scents, though many buyers kept theirs hidden. Beneath those, there was an aromatic cacophony of liqueurs from the bar, the glasses of which made a constant clinking around the busy room, drowned by the murmur of conversation from every corner.
Knox lounged a few feet before me, alone in a small velvet-lined booth, sleeves rolled up, swirling a whiskey sour as the auctions went on upon the stage ahead. It was a place maintained to reflect the wealth it hosted, with crisp black leather seating, gold embellishments, and richly patterned carpeting.
I stood behind Knox in the shadows, an Alpha worth nothing—here to serve a master who hated me.
I was a spectacle, and he loved being seen at events with me at his side: his chained pet Alpha, towering over most in a collar and muzzle.
But tonight, I was here so Knox could drag me, once more, from the brink of going completely feral. He got out for events, but I was confined to our home unless he let me out, which meant my contact with Omegas was lacking, and losing my mind to feral hormones was a real threat.
For the last few days, he’d locked me in my cage, and I’d descended further and further, fighting to stay sane for reasons I couldn’t even remember anymore. I didn’t remember what I’d done to earn the punishment, either. Something stupid, a mistake, or… or had I lost my temper? The haze still hadn’t cleared.
His punishments varied, but I would choose beatings and wounds any day over the cage. Knox knew the endless silence was enough to shove me closer to madness: the one thing I still feared.
So, after holding on for what felt like forever, today was my reward.
Earlier, he’d brought me on another raid. He always traded far too much for those. He didn’t have to—business was business whether or not he met the people he destroyed, but for him, there was more to it. Like a leashed dog fighting the chainsthat stopped him from burning the whole world to the ground, sometimes he needed to feel them break in his hands.
