Page 25 of Dark Revolution

Chapter 7

Annora

Cold,hard concrete and steel bars. That’s my current prison. The Alphas have stolen my datacom, so there’s no way I can even attempt to check on Karis. No new reports have come in, so I have to assume she’s okay. To think otherwise would lead me down a path that’s not good or healthy for my mental state.

Wrapping my arms around myself, I shiver in the damp air, my breath coming in short, hard pants. Nothing feels right. My body feels so alien to me right now. Without the safety of my wigs and contacts, the Alphas swarming around see me for what I truly am - an omega ashamed of my dynamic. They don’t understand. They’ll never understand. While they hold the power, women like me are forced to protect ourselves.

If I’m being honest, being a beta isn’t that much better. Every time I close my eyes, I either see the ravaged omega or the poor beta forced to pull herself off of Derek’s knot. I know she was okay enough to get him his drink, but after that, I have no clue. Why did my Lady Alpha Marlana ask Langston to take me home and not the poor beta who could barely walk after Derek was done with her? What made me so special? Unless the poor beta was already dead.

No use sending extra help for those who don’t need it, I guess. Gripping the bars, I force myself to breathe in shallow inhales. I’m not stupid. Now that I no longer have my suppressants, it’s only a matter of time before I revert to my born dynamic. The Alpha pheromones will surely send me into a heat.

It’s the last thing I want or need.

Like clockwork, the Alpha with the medical coat and light touch comes to my cell and motions for my arm. Needle pricks line both limbs, and for a brief moment, I wish they came from something else. Like all students, we were shown videos of those that took in illicit drugs. They had similar marks on them but always had a smile on their face.

I don’t even know his name. No one speaks around me. They just walk past, staring at me like I’m some fresh cut of meat about to be prepared and served up to them. In a way, that’s true. I only know what I can see. Even if he didn’t smell like an Alpha, he’s the right shape and size - tall, broad, with brown hair, and eyes the color of water as the light from the suns refracts on it. Like most Alphas, I can’t tell his age, but the shadow of a beard gives him more of an air of authority than the fresh-shaven lackeys around him.

Wincing as he grabs my arm, I brace for the pain. How are they even getting blood out of me? By this point, I should have nothing left. Every hour he jabs me. Every hour I still show as beta. Though I don’t want my dynamic to change, though some part of me hopes I’ve polluted my body enough that it will never revert, I almost want it to come back, showing me as an omega so that the pain will stop.

I’ve been taking these drugs for years. There’s no way they’ll clear that fast. Clucking his tongue, the Alpha turns my arms this way and that, searching for a place to stick me without causing more harm than necessary. No doubt needle marks will make my value go down. With a jerk of his head, two other Alphas approach, their broad shoulders bristling with irritation.

“Omega, you will stand perfectly still as I open the door. Any show of movement from you will result in punishment.” Bending forward, the doctor lowers his voice. “Please. I don’t want to hurt you any more than is required of me.”

That’s a first. Keeping myself as still as possible, I wait for the woosh of the steel bars to open. Caulder must have spun quite a tale for them to feel the need to put two additional Alphas as a guard. They’re at least a good foot or so taller than me, and since they’ve been doing these hourly blood draws, I’m even weaker than I had been when I was caught. What could I possibly do against these brutes?

Motioning towards a white gurney, the Alphas corral me over and hover as I struggle to climb onto the bed. Every joint aches. Every muscle is stretched taut in a way I never dreamed possible. Gods save Karis from a fate like this. I’ll endure anything, even death, if it means she’ll be safe. Once I’m in place, the Alphas go on either side of me and attach padded cuffs to my wrists and ankles. At least that’s one comfort. They could have strapped me down with something more unyielding.

“That will be all. I’ll take it from here.” The two hulking Alphas pause, looking at both the doctor and me. “I said that will be all. I need to do a full workup to see why she’s still presenting as beta. You are not allowed to look upon her until the auction. Or do I need to reconfirm with the High Echelon?”

Their gazes slide over to one another, an uneasy tension filling the air. With a nod, they leave the room, pulling a thick curtain around us. The doctor goes over to a nearby machine and flicks it on. Instantly, the space is flooded with a loud hiss and series of beeps. No one comes back to the curtain despite both the doctor and I staring it down.

After several moments, he turns to me, a sympathetic smile turning down his lips. “I’m sorry. There’s nothing I can do to make this easier on you.” Reaching into a nearby drawer, he opens it up and pulls out some pills. “Open.”

I clamp my lips shut, refusing yet one more pill. It’s pills, blood draws, and bland food. That’s my life now, and I want no more of it.

“Do not fight me, little omega. I’m not here to harm you.”

“Have you seen my arms lately? Have you noticed how I’m now skin and bones?”

He winces as I hurl accusations at him, but he doesn’t deny any of it. “I have no choice. I’m the only thing standing between you and certain death.”

“Fine. Let me die then.” Tears well up, but I refuse to let them fall. These Alphas have taken everything from me, but I’ll no longer let them take my dignity. Sighing, he sits on the edge of the gurney.

“Don’t say that. The type of death that would await you is not one that’s pleasant. There’s no drifting off to sleep before waking up with the gods. That is if you believe in that sort of thing.”

He doesn’t have to say it. I know just what type of death he’s speaking of. I watched it happen with the Ferals, but deep in my gut, I know it would be a lot worse with an Alpha. There really are no choices left. I open my mouth and let him put the pill in. With a gentle nudge, he props the water glass up to my lips and helps me drink before wiping the extra water away.

“It’s a pain pill. Highly effective. It should help with the continual sticks. I’m going to request you not be put back into your cell but instead, remain here. I’m going to have to find other places to draw blood, and none of them will be easier or more pleasant.”

Nodding, I lie my head back against the pillow. At least here, the gurney is soft. I might actually be able to get an hour of sleep in between each blood draw. “I’m sorry, he murmurs before palpating my inner thigh. I know just how badly this is going to hurt. I still have a small scar from when I fell down the tree and caught a small branch there. I remember screaming as Mother helped me down.

Wrapping my fingers around the edges of the cuff, I swallow hard as the first part of the prick touches my delicate skin. I don’t even have anyone to come look for me or rescue me. I am all alone in this hell, not even knowing if Karis is alive or dead. Pain blossoms as he drives the needle in, and try as I might, I can’t keep the anguished sob inside. At least this way, they’ll all think it’s from the pain and pain only. They won’t know it’s also me masking the hollow desolation that’s taking root deep inside my soul.

* * *

The pill helps.Every time the Alpha doctor comes in, my mouth salivates like a dog waiting for its next meal. He’s not always the one to visit me. There are others. Cruel ones. Not like him. Though all Alphas are evil in my mind, the kind one is just a bit less. I wouldn’t cry if he were to die, but I wouldn’t bring it upon him either.

The curtain opens, and he enters. My body relaxes just a touch as he walks over to the drawer that holds my new addiction. Without those pills, I’m sure to have died by now. The pain is still excruciating, but these wondrous pills hold me together. I open my mouth, waiting for the small round salvation, but it never comes.