Page 30 of Dark Revolution

Next to me, Langston begins to purr as well, the deep rumbling a tad lower than mine. On instinct, I growl at him, snapping my teeth as he gets closer to my mate, but then he looks over at her, and I follow his gaze. Her defiance is now gone, and in its place is that whimper of terror I wanted so desperately to soothe.

Running my fingers across her sallow cheek, I purr once more, joining Langston. He reaches out to place his hand on my forearm, and a small niggle of shame floods my system. I should never have snapped at him like that. Though I should be furious that another Alpha dares to purr to my omega, I should instead shower him with my gratitude. This omega is in bad shape, and I cannot deny her any comfort, even if it’s not all from me.

“If I knew you were a masking omega, I would have never let you into that quadrant. What were you thinking?” he hisses, scolding her like a child. Tears well up in her eyes, and I stop purring again, giving him a warning growl. To his credit, he never stops purring, mitigating the fury, so she doesn’t feel the brunt of it.

“Luckily, she’s no longer yours to take care of.”

Sighing, he finishes unstrapping his side and eases her leg down. Her pained whimper goes straight to my core, and it takes the gods themselves holding me back to keep me at her side and not destroying every person that laid a finger on her.

An anguished, rage-filled howl sounds from several feet away, and by the tone, it’s clear it’s the bested Alpha. He’ll just have to understand that not everything will go his way, and what better time to learn. With my omega fully unstrapped and covered from head to toe in the cloak, I pick her up and bring her close to my chest where she can feel my purr and rest in the lulling vibrations.

The moment she’s gathered up, she burrows herself deep down, snuggling into me, until she’s nothing but a bundle of quivering woman in my arms. Her scent teases my nose, less filled with fear and more filled with her unique aroma. Breathing in deep, I memorize her, noting the differences between her and Annalise.

Though on the surface, they smell the same, there’s a small, subtle difference. Where Annalise had a sweeter scent, this omega has a slight bite, a spice to hers. It’s intoxicating. Holding her as tightly as I dare without injuring her. I scent her, not caring who sees. What better way to show ownership than to show everyone I can take what I want in front of them?

Langston walks beside me, his eyes darting between our front and back. With him standing guard, I can concentrate more on the lump of woman in my arms and less on those who might intend harm. “We can’t go back to your place,” he murmurs as we clear the auction building. “You can go gather what you need and take a moment to rest, but you can’t stay there. I know Caulder. He won’t rest until Annora is with him.”

“Annora.” Tipping her forward, I look down at her face, half-covered by the cloak and half-buried against my chest. “Is that your name, little omega?”

Her nod is half-hearted, and she refuses to speak. I don’t blame her. Soon, I’ll get her to tell me what happened to her and why she chose to hide herself, but I’ll give her some time to get used to me. As much as I want to dive into her, to smear myself in her essence, I know I have to be patient. The problem is, will the other Alphas give me time to seduce her properly, or will I be forced to claim her against her will?

Hopefully, they’ll choose to leave us alone. I have no quarrel with them. All I’ve ever wanted was to live out my life in peace with my mate by my side. I tried that once, and if they can let me be with my mate, then I’ll let them live, but if they cross me, their blood will drip from my hands. Langston is right; by staying at my house, they’ll know just where to find us. If we leave and they still come after us, then their deaths are on them.

Annora remains silent as we get onto the transport, but her shaking intensifies as the door closes behind us. Shaking my head, I do the only thing I know how - I keep purring. It’s agony trying to keep the rage at bay, and I know I’ll have to dispel it soon. Hopefully, there are some fighting pits still located around Stanlion. If not, I don’t know what else I’m going to do.

* * *

My house feels all wrong.Both Langston and I pause as we enter the threshold. Someone else has been here. Nothing has been touched, but there’s a taint of another Alpha that shouldn’t be here. Handing Annora over, I pin Langston with a murderous glare, conveying everything I can into that one look. I don’t think he’ll hurt her. The fact that he seems to know her helps. That and she doesn’t quake in fear as he gathers her to him.

“Here. I don’t know who’s come inside your home or why, but scan any item you plan on taking with this. If there’s any sort of tracking device, it will let you know.”

I nod and take the scanner from him. Sliding my hand into my pants, I pull out the thin knife and hold it in a deadly grip as I stalk through the house. Before the auction, I put everything back, making sure the hidden panels were firmly in place. Walking into the bedroom, the room I am once again unable to share with my mate, I walk over to the closet and place my hand on the panel.

After a few beeps, the door slides open. Nothing seems to have been touched, but that doesn’t mean anything. When these bastards chose to come after me, they didn’t count on the fact that I’m from a completely different era. I think differently. I act differently. While the Alphas here and now seem content to hold their heads down and go along with orders, I was a fighter. I bucked the system whenever it was justified.

I also didn’t have unblinding faith in the government. Many of us knew something was brewing; we just never fathomed it would take less than one hundred years to crumble into something not even close to resembling life as we knew it. Sliding my fingers under one of the low shelves, a grin spreads across my face as I feel the small device, still firmly lodged where I last put it. Langston may think he’s ahead of the game with this little scanner of his, but I hid my own here years ago.

Pulling it out, I put in my code and start to scan the contents. So far, nothing sets off the alarm, but I still go through each item, grabbing the clean stuff and placing it behind me. As I hover over the objects I wanted most, namely the jewelry I planned to shower Annora with, the shrill beep alerts me that it has indeed been tampered with.

Frowning, I click on the device from Langston and run it over the jewelry. It beeps about the same as mine. I bring it over to the items that registered as clean and scan it, horrified when it beeps even more than the jewelry.

Curses flow from my lips as just about every piece has some sort of tracking device implanted in it. Between the jewelry and the clothes and other items, every single thing is being tracked. This means that even back then, they knew where to find me. I thought I was hidden, invincible, but I was far from it.

I desperately wanted to put my symbol around Annora’s neck, but it looks like my claiming mark will have to do. Stuffing the tainted items in a bag, I debate whether or not I should use them as bait or stuff them back inside the wall. Settling for the wall, I chuck them in, scan the last of the clothes I wish to take, and pack the clean ones up. Annora won’t have much to wear, but I’ll change that soon as possible.

Gathering a few other items, I take one last look at the bed, allowing a wave of sorrow to pass over me. I have to stay strong for Annora, but right now, by myself, I can let a few of the emotions through. If only it was all anger. I know deep down once I claim Annora as my own, the bond will be restored, and these feelings of grief will pass, but until then, it still hurts like a knife being plunged into me over and over with no sense of relief.

Holding Annora staves it off, makes it manageable, but without her in my arms, I’m lost; I’m adrift with no anchor. Biting down on my bottom lip to keep the bellow of rage inside, I slam my fist into the bed. There is no need to distress Annora any further with my fits of anger, but I will need an outlet soon.

I would ask Langston, but something tells me underneath that brute exterior is a kind soul that would choose pacifism over violence whenever possible. That’s fine for him, but I need someone with as strong a penchant for violence as me. Again, I ram my fist into the covers, delighted when the fabric splits, spilling feathers out onto the bed and floor.

Drawing in a deep breath, I hit it repeatedly, not stopping until the room resembles a slaughterhouse more than it does a bedroom. It takes the edge off, and I feel like I can approach Annora once more without letting the taint of my rage affect her delicate disposition. I grab the bags and hurry down, locking eyes with Langston.

Annora is still in his arms but not burrowed nearly as tightly as she was with me. A niggle of satisfaction rushes through my body as her eyes find me and hold on. She doesn’t feel or smell frightened of Langston, but she doesn’t seem content either. Setting down the bags, I open my arms, praying that she’ll choose me of her own free will.

It doesn’t matter exactly. I will take her by force if needed, but there’s a small part of me that hopes that she might want me at least a little. She will be mine and carry my claiming mark, but I want her to not loath the situation. Minutes tick by, and I wait there, patient but unyielding with my arms spread wide.

Lowering her eyes to the floor, she gathers the cloak further around her body and slides down, her face scrunching up with every painful step she takes towards me. I can’t help the grin that widens on my face as she picks her way across the floor to me. Gathering her in my arms, I slide my nose against her hair and breathe in, needing her scent deep in my body more than I need air.

To my knowledge, she has yet to scent me, but that will come in time. Pushing her away, I look her up and down, judging her size. She’s a little bit taller than Annalise but still tiny. Annora’s head comes up a bit further on my chest, but not by much. I hope the clothes I brought will fit her. They certainly won’t be stylish.

Even if they weren’t outdated fashions, only a few articles hadn’t been littered with tracking devices. “I’m sorry these aren’t pretty, and they might not even fit you, but I figured you’d be more comfortable covered up with clothes.”

The looks she gives me pierces my heart. Her soft gray eyes water as she nods, a tremulous smile lifting up the corner of her lips. Smiling back at her, I reach down and give her the bundle before showing her where the closest bathroom is. She goes inside, and I hear the door lock. Normally, I wouldn’t allow my omega to shut herself out from me like that, but these are different times and extremely different circumstances.