Broken Angel: The Complete Collection: A Dark Omegaverse Romance

by Penelope Woods

  Soon, more omegas appear above her, looking down from the banisters. There are hundreds.

  Unbalanced, Rae stumbles. The clone catches her.

  “I know the news is hard, but—”

  “Why would you want my sister alive? She is just as much of an accomplice to my suffering as Severin,” Rae says.

  “Your sister was bought and sold into violence. Like so many others, she was used purely for Cassian’s gain. She is not without blame, but we feel for her,” the clone answers.

  “I know all of what my sister has been through,” Rae sneers. “And I know what she has done to me. She is as awful as they come.”

  “Can you blame her for wanting to destroy herself?” the clone asks. “You left us to die, too.”

  Rae knows she is right. And, again, she remembers the small patch of land with enough green to satisfy her for decades. She envisions a world covered in that same vibrant green, a world that allows for growth rather than expansionary destruction.

  Maybe what these people are asking for is a Utopia, but she’d rather fight for a better future than allow the world to fall into further ruin.

  Rae falls into uncomfortable silence. Instead of arguing, she realizes how important it is to stand with the ones without the same privileges as her. Instead of fighting, she hugs the clone.

  “You’re right. I don’t even know why I’m arguing anymore. Fighting seems so familiar to me, but I’m tired. I’m sorry for abandoning you,” Rae says. “I’ll take you to the royal grounds.”

  “We don’t need guidance,” her clone says. “We’ll take the underground walkways.”

  Rae takes a deep breath.

  Is she ready?

  Rae exhales. “Let’s go.”

  Chapter Fourteen

  Taken back into the prisons, Lucas stumbles as the guards pull their chains forward, dragging them like dogs in mud.

  Severin left. He could have killed them, but he chose to keep them alive, to make them suffer in Hell for an eternity.

  Not only that, he killed Virgil, his loyal hound.

  Indeed, the alphas shouldn’t be shocked. Severin warned them to play by the rules.

  Lucas holds his breath as a guard reaches down to pat down his thighs. “Come on, guys. Let’s strike a deal,” he says.

  The guards are trained to be silent, but the electric cattle prods speak for them. Without Severin around, violence abounds.

  Abruptly, they jab his sides, laughing as the current sinks deep within his flesh, swiftly paralyzing the muscle tissue and nerve endings. He slumps, quietly shaking against the ground. Before he can get ahold of himself, the guards chain him to a nearby trough.

  “Hear you loud and clear,” Lucas mutters, saliva hanging from his quivering lips.

  Chest aching, he turns to search for his counterparts, but the rows of prisoners appear endless. Separated and alone, he holds his tongue and carefully scans the area for any exits.

  Out of all the prisons he has seen and experienced, this is one of the worst. There is one exit, and a line of guards stand ready with rifles. Others circle the inmates, forcing them to sit obediently, kicking their backs to stare at the dense mud below.

  As time passes, he is forced to listen to the harsh cries of the other prisoners. He is good at remaining quiet and selective with his decisions. Analytical to the core, he studies the boundaries of the prison until he holds the blueprint inside his mind’s eye.

  He then focuses his eyes on the locks of his cuffs. When Rae freed them near the stables, she’d given them a set of keys. At the time, he hadn’t thought much of it.

  Is it possible the master key might work?

  The keys currently sit inside the heel of his boot, but if he moves, it could bring attention his way. He has to be careful…

  Lucas eyes an alpha shackled next to him. He is an old militant, weakened by starvation and abuse. Eyes closed, the alpha moves his lips in silent prayer.

  It looks like the coast is clear.

  Cautiously, he leans forward to unhinge the heel of his boot. The ring of keys falls onto the dirt, jingling loud enough to force him to freeze.

  The patrolling guards pause. Although Lucas shuts his eyes, he can feel them staring. As the seconds pass, he feels another set of eyes.

  Finally, he opens his eyes.

  He does not like what he sees.

  The militant prisoner smiles, unhinged. “You…”

  Lucas speaks without moving his lips. “Don’t do it, old soldier. I can get you out of this place. Just shut your fuckin’ mouth, and we will both be free.”

  But the alpha’s smile grows. His mouth falls open, issuing emotional cries to pull the attention of the sentinels. “Guards. I have something for you.”

  “You dumb bastard,” Lucas growls and bends toward the floor. He takes the keys in his hand, quickly unlocking his chains.

  Rolling back, he prepares for the bullets that sink into the soil near his body.

  “Fuck,” he groans.

  As if the guards were ready for his sudden escape, red lights flash above his head, and the trumpets of alarm begin to echo madly throughout the hellish prison.

  Lucas dives against one of the guards, tearing through the alpha’s neck. He steals the weapon and rolls.

  He tenses as the guards circle him, rifles aimed at his heart.

  One of the guard inches forward. “Stand down.”

  “Vash, where you at?” he calls out.

  “We have orders to kill,” the guard says.

  “Vash, I need your help,” Lucas reiterates.

  As soon as Lucas sees Vash’s head dart up, he throws the keys. Exhaling sharply, he feels his energy build.

  A few of the guards start to back away.

  “Here we go again,” he mutters.

  Before he unleashes the weapons’ fury, he grins. “This one’s for Killian.”

  There is a time for violence, and that time is now. With total satisfaction, he hugs his fingers tightly around the trigger. Death to the New Republic. Death to the rulers who refused them their rights.

  Death to anyone who stands in their way.

  Against a crowd of guards, he opens fire. And suddenly, he feels Vash’s presence join his side. They are missing Killian, but more prisoners join their side, as the master key is tossed along the line.

  Hordes of guards run to subdue the exit, but the tables have already turned. The riotous group of prisoners, alpha men with nothing to lose, outnumber the guards.

  The prisoners roar with might, storming the exit, and trampling all that stand in their way. It is clear there are thousands of them, a tidal wave that cannot be beat.

  The guards don’t stand a chance.

  “Let’s get the hell out of here,” Lucas says.

  They run toward the exit, climbing up the ladder that leads back into the city. Once outside, explosions ricochet through the buildings around them.

  The streets break out into mass terror. Bombs explode as alphas and omegas run in every direction.

  Vash grabs Lucas’ arm, shaking him out of his trance. “Time is ticking. Do you have any clue where Rae is?” Vash asks.

  Lucas scowls, searching the red horizon for any clue. The devastation rolls across the city, the buildings imploding with terror. It feels too familiar.

  In the distance, searchlights penetrate the sky. “How much you want to bet that Killian is still alive?” Lucas asks.

  Vash chuckles, but he doesn’t seem too hopeful. “That son of a bitch better be.”

  Lucas turns to face the prisoners. He shouts, “Who will follow us to the towers?”

  Amidst the chaos, one prisoner in particular marches forward. “We’re not stopping until they’re all dead.”

  Lucas tosses the alpha a gun. “Anyone else?”

  More alphas march forward, screaming with brutality and rage. “We’ll take over the subway cars and head to the grounds. In just an hour’s time, we’ll be the victors. They’ll be the prisoners.”
>
  Killian leans against Ruby’s doorframe, smearing his bloodstained fingerprints over the gold edges. The last guard had been killed, but he didn’t feel any safer. He hears the explosions outside. He’s not sure what will happen next.

  He pushes the door open to find Ruby in bed, groaning in pain. Marching forward, he expects to wake the same powerful omega he met so many years ago. Instead, he sees how hurt she is.

  She doesn’t even notice his presence.

  He should kill her. After all, that’s why he came. But as he looks upon her shivering body, he suddenly feels bad for her.

  After some time, she turns, eyes opening to tears.

  Killian brings out his blade, hand trembling above her.

  Ruby does not scream. She watches in horror.

  Footsteps echo behind Killian. He turns wildly and grimaces when he hears Severin’s voice. “Ruby, the communication lines are down,” a voice says.

  Severin. His father…

  Ruby’s feverish eyes turn toward the door. Killian has no choice but to cover her mouth. “Don’t say a word, or I’ll add your heart to my collection,” he whispers.

  Ruby is too weak to fight. Her teeth chatter weakly. With a confused gaze, she nods.

  He lets go, heart pounding.

  “Please don’t kill me,” she whispers.

  Whether or not she dies is Rae’s decision, he decides.

  Severin slams the door open, and Killian dives into a closer.

  “Get up,” Severin demands. “We have a situation.”

  Ruby sits, doe eyed and fearful. Her lips quiver, which seems to anger Severin further. Shaking her shoulders violently, he nearly throws her out of bed.

  “I said, get up,” Severin cries. “The Republic is crumbling. I need you.”

  Ruby closes her eyes, trembled before him, flinching until she can finally speak. “He is—he is right th—”

  Before she can finish, Severin pushes his chin forward and lowers his voice. “Are you really this useless?” he asks.

  Severin drops her, chest rising.

  Finally, Ruby answers him. “Go ahead,” she says. “End my life.”

  “You’d love that, wouldn’t you?” he sneers.

  Ruby chokes on her tears. “At least we know where we both stand.”

  Killian watches his father take out a blade. He holds it into the air. “Keep your eyes fixed,” Severin growls. “Gaze into my eyes as I sink into you.”

  Ruby’s resemblance to Rae is too uncanny. Something inside Killian’s mind snaps.

  His eyes go to the pistol resting on his father’s hip. Diving forward, he tackles Severin, pulling the weapon from the holster.

  “Get off of her,” he cries.

  Severin struggles to get out of Killian’s grasp, but Killian wrestles him to the floor.

  Despite Severin’s frail body, he delivers a punishing blow to Killian’s face, sending him back. “I am your maker. Bow before me,” he grunts.

  “You are nothing to me,” Killian roars, stabilizing.

  But before Killian can get a grasp on what happened, Severin drives a blade into his side. He feels the sharp edges cut into soft muscle tissue. Nearly collapsing, he grunts, struggling to maintain his dominance.

  “Father,” he chokes. “No…”

  Killian drops the gun before he can fire.

  Severin shows his teeth, arrogantly wielding near his face. “I should have never fucked the slut who gave birth to you,” he says.

  Killian feels the shame of betrayal overwhelm him. The pain from the knife wound won’t let up. “Fuck you,” Killian growls.

  Severin forces his hand around his throat, cackling. “When I find Rae, do you know what I’m going to do to her?”

  Killian head-butts Severin’s nose. A harsh crack spells out a break in the cartilage. Severin lets go of the blade, and Killian quickly takes it into his hand.

  “Father, I will end you,” he moans.

  Faced with a new challenge, a wicked smile forms on Severin’s face, and blood soon fills the recess of his mouth. “Go ahead. Kill me. It won’t change the fact that you are my son.”

  “Stop,” Killian grunts. “I will never be your kin.”

  Severin’s growl turns into loud laughter. “Put the knife down. Join me. Once we rape the world, we’ll have everything.”

  For a second, Killian imagines what that might look like. But another explosion rumbles outside. There is no future for men like his father.

  Their connection must be severed.

  “No, father,” he says. “This is the end you never planned for.”

  Faced with the inevitable truth, Severin’s face contorts. “I should have ended you the moment you were born.”

  Killian tugs against the trigger, but it doesn’t fire. He tugs again and listens to the loud clicking noise.

  “Empty,” Severin chokes with relief.

  But another image breaks through the static. Ruby. She’s got her own gun, and she’s got it pointed directly at Severin’s head.

  “Bang,” she says.

  Three shots ring out through the palace.

  The cold spray of blood.

  The heavy thud of death.

  The relief of life.

  Killian drops to the ground, and Ruby follows. “Get up,” she pleads. “You can’t die on me, yet.”

  Killian dully opens his eyes, glancing at his father and then at his own wound. He growls with pain, shuffling back against the bed frame. “Ruby? What the hell are you doing?”

  Ruby stands above him, handing him the gun. “Saving your life.”

  Killian takes one last glance at his father. The evil that once graced his eyes is now gone. He is an empty vessel.

  Killian spent many days in his prison cell wondering who his family was. Now, he knows. His family is Rae. His children. The alphas.

  He has no father.

  He attempts to stand but the pain causes him to collapse. He tries again, and Ruby helps him steady. “Stop,” he tells her. “It’s too late. I’m bleeding out.”

  “I’m not going to leave you to die,” she says.

  He looks at her, partly disgusted, partly wondering why the hell she’s helping him. “Took you long enough.”

  “You can blame me all you want later. Right now, we need to get you stitched up,” she says.

  Unable to protest, she leads him through the hallway to a med-bay not too far away. When they get inside, he collapses onto the surgical bed.

  He never thought he’d give Ruby his trust again, but these were extenuating circumstances.

  Outside the windows, he can see the decimation of the city clearly. Buildings cave-in and fall, settling into the flames below. Helicopters shine their lights as sirens cut through the air.

  “Where are my children?” he asks.

  Ruby pauses. “In the nursery wing. You’ll need my fingerprint to get into the room. I can stitch you and take you to your children, but you must promise that you’ll spare my life,” she says.

  Killian growls. “I can’t promise you anything. Whatever happens to you is up to Rae,” he says.

  She exhales. “Then, I’ll just have to take a leap of faith.”

  Killian closes his eyes as though dreaming.

  A leap of faith is all the world has left.

  Chapter Fifteen

  As the train car comes to a slow stop, Lucas can’t quit eyeing the large towers in the distance. With the cities evacuated, the whole region has been put into a state of emergency.

  They are hanging on the brink of chaos, and for once, things feel… normal.

  “You feel it too?” Vash asks.

  The prisoners who follow their lead shoot aimlessly from the broken car windows. Lucas turns away, feeling his throat tighten. He understands that the next few hours might be the hardest. Rae is still missing, as is Killian. There are guarantees they can get them back.

  But they have to try.

  “I just want to put things back together again,” h
e says.

  “You and me both, brother,” Vash says.

  When the doors open, Vash stands and addresses the crazed lunatics. “It’s about a mile from here. Be prepared to fight.”

  There is an eerie silence surrounding the area, a calm before the storm. It doesn’t sit well with them.

  One convict loads a few shells into his shotgun. He asks, “Where is the Republic’s military?”

  More alphas grumble, and concern starts to spread.

  Lucas bites his cheek as he steps out onto the platform. He doesn’t have an answer. Either Killian subdued the generals, or they’re about to walk into a big fucking ambush.

  He doesn’t even want to think about the alternatives.

  Lucas feels the icy fear pump from his heart, but it does not stop him from grinning. “I’m sure we’ll meet the defensive front soon enough,” he says. “And when we do, we’ll end the New Republic, once and for all.”

  But they don’t. As they run through the vast landscape, the wind howls, and some minor explosions can be heard in the distance, but there are no soldiers waiting to disrupt their cause.

  A chilly mist spreads over the long stretch of land. The nearer they get to the towers, the more shocking the destruction appears. The tower on the east side is falling apart. Flames whip violently against the air, sucking in the surrounding of the oxygen.

  The siege brings up old feelings. War. Endless fucking war. That was the alphas’ natural state. It seems as though every time someone vowed to change things, the world only got worse.

  Will it ever change?

  This battle feels different. They aren’t fighting to keep the old systems in place. Nor are they fighting for a new way of life. They are fighting for her. Beyond that, they are fighting for her love.

  Rae suffered unjustly for them, and though it seemed as if they had lost, the world is now waiting for her to rise up and save them.

  Eternal war breaks most omegas, but Rae never gave up. Wherever she is, Lucas believes she will come back like the morning star. Once she does, he’ll stand by her side forever.