by L. V. Lane
The Beta standing to the left of my bed shuffled. His lashes were lowered, and his expression was nowhere near as cool as the stern Alpha.
“Take the samples to the lab,” the Alpha snapped at the Beta who gathered a dish from the table. Inside were vials of blood. My blood? I had never been precious about my blood before. It had been many weeks since Erison had taken any for his tests. And much longer since they had used it on actual test subjects.
It wasn’t wholly mine anymore—it also belonged to my Alphas.
And it was so tragic that this should be happening when I finally thought of them this way. Mine.
The Beta hurried out, the samples clattering in the dish as the door swished shut on his back.
The female Alpha selected a vial and administered the contents into a syringe. “You are going to Lyus,” she said. “But you already knew this.”
My gaze locked on the clear liquid being drawn into the syringe.
“There you will be offered…as a prize. The planet has become even less civilized—” Her lips twisted in a cruel smile. “Since the Empire withdrew. It belongs to Salvation now…and Salvation is in the pocket of the Uncorrupted. A thoroughly unpleasant place, or so I’ve been told. Not that it was anyone’s idea of civilized before. Salvation has an agreement with Tsing. You are to be made available for a contest. One of several such prizes.”
She placed the empty vial on the movable table while I contemplated her words. Twisting the drawing needle from the syringe, she replaced it with a finer, dispensing needle. “But we have a little surprise. Would you like to know what that is?”
My eyes lifted from the needle to meet hers. Why had I asked? What was wrong with me? I was playing into her sick hands. I should back away, show nothing, and reveal nothing.
“Your blood delivers a plethora of benefits for Betas. We’re hoping it will prove much more effective on the Alpha candidates we have accompanying us on this trip. By the time we arrive on Lyus, your blood should be well integrated into their systems. Strength, stamina, and there have been hints of other physiological changes. We didn’t have conclusive results with the Betas, but there were indications of changes to the synaptic connections of the brain. Even a tiny percent uplift in intelligence, coupled with the other benefits, will produce outstanding results in the Alphas.”
Outside I was quiet and deathly still.
Inside I was screaming.
I had never met this woman before, but she held a disturbing degree of familiarity with the program. How far back had Tsing begun making these plans?
As she lowered the needle toward my arm, I tried to jerk away, but I was bound, and all I achieved was to cut the straps into my flesh.
The needle stung as it penetrated.
“Did you know the Uncorrupted had an Alpha program of their own?”
I shook my head. There had been rumors, but I presumed they were just that, rumors. Why would the Uncorrupted, a movement based on an aversion to the virus, use the virus on themselves?
“The occupants of Lyus are savage—whether it is Salvation or the other native scum, there is little difference between them. But it appears you are too important a prize, and the Uncorrupted want to keep their Omega Donor. The contest is a farce—the Uncorrupted humoring an agreement they have with Salvation. The Alphas receiving your blood have come from Uncorrupted ranks, and I’m inclined to believe what they have in mind for you will be far worse than whatever fate awaited you on Lyus.”
Who was this woman? Was she an Uncorrupted Alpha too?
The needle withdrew—now empty—and the room took on a swimming quality.
My heart raced, a flush battling against the chemical cocktail. I wanted to rip the restraints from my body and claw at her face. Wished Tsing was standing there so I could feel his nose crunch under my palm again.
I was an Omega, and I should not harbor violent tendencies. Yet, I was changing, had changed, and I thought I might be on the verge of changing again.
The connection to Ethan and Ryker became a lifeline in my mind. Reality or a twisted figment of my imagination? But as the darkness came for me, I clung to it all the same.
CHAPTER EIGHT
AS WE LEFT Lilly’s office, I came to a determination that I needed to kill someone.
It didn’t matter who.
If Tsing materialized at this moment, I would have beaten his slimy face bloody for the hell of it. Whether he deserved such an extreme end was irrelevant in my current state of mind.
A death would calm me. Yes, a quick, bloody end for someone was exactly what I needed. Then I would be able to think straight.
Yet, I wasn’t in the middle of a war zone. And I wasn’t deep within enemy lines where I could indulge in some physical therapy.
No, today, when I most needed such an outlet, I was standing in a prestigious research center in the cultural and civic heart of the Empire.
The plush elevator door opened, and Ryker and I stepped inside where two smart-suited research personnel, and a laboratory assistant decked out in a white lab coat, made subtle moves to give us space.
Their actions reminded me of the civilized setting, of the decent, law-abiding citizens who went about their everyday lives ignorant of the horrors of war, and of how different I was.
I was a savage; a throwback, and I didn’t belong in this world. Nor did I belong with pretty, bratty, princesses born of the ruling elite.
She was here, though, and I’d taken her, and I wasn’t about to give her up.
I still needed to beat the fuck out of someone, and I was caught contemplating this dark longing when the elevator doors opened on the ground floor.
I needed to snap out of this. I was no use to Lilly locked up. Her surveillance was gone, all of it wiped. Her tracking band ceased to function over an hour ago. Her last known location was inside her apartment. As if this were not enough, Eloise had definitely sensed Lilly’s anguish, a private conversation with Logan after Merry’s chat with her had confirmed this.
Traumatized was the word Logan had used to describe his Omega’s reaction.
That word was fucking with me, and once Logan realized Eloise’s anxiety wasn’t simple nervousness due to her imminent heat, he’d indicated he’d be watching her more closely.
There were a lot of if-onlys, rushing through my head.
When I got my hands on her—I knew what I would do—I would be chaining her to the fucking bed while I slept.
“That’s an evil grin,” Ryker said, eyeing me as we headed for the foyer.
“I’m imagining her in a collar,” I said.
Ryker raised an eyebrow. “I didn’t know you were into pets?” He frowned. “Then again, Lucian’s preference came as a surprise…There is a whole world I know nothing about.”
“I’m not into pets,” I replied. “But I heard somewhere you can get collars fitted with proximity sensors.”
Ryker chuckled as we stepped outside.
It was early, but the temperature was climbing. My homeworld, Lyus, was fucking freezing, and I didn’t cope well in the heat.
It had been years since I’d thought about that hell hole in a way dangerously close to reminiscing. I didn’t miss it, not even a little. Life was hard and brutal on Lyus, and for those who couldn’t cut it, short.
It had been far too short for my younger brother, a gentle Beta with a ready smile. It didn’t matter what I did in the war, nothing came close to the level of hero I’d seen reflected in Dillon’s eyes. He was still a kid when they ripped me out. Big for a Beta, but still a Beta, and he didn’t stand a chance against Uncorrupted soldiers in their exoskeletons.
My fists clenched.
Why the fuck am I thinking about this now?
Lucian and I were both former residents of Lyus, but our recent conversation about Salvation’s activity was the extent of our discussion on a place we’d rather forget.
The conscription had left a blight on all of us.
No one wanted to leave. It had b
een our home, a fucked-up, monstrosity of a home, but still home.
I hated the ruling elite with their god complex, moving the pawns of the Empire about to do their bidding. I wanted to hate Lilly. Yes, I wanted to destroy her perfect world. I didn’t have an end game in mind when her father approached me. But I wanted to fuck up a piece of his life like he and his kind had done to me.
Had he foreseen how this would play out?
Victor Brach was a devious bastard if ever I met one. I bet he’d laughed his ass off when I called him to make my demands.
Yes, I bet he laughed long and hard.
And now I’d lost his princess.
Yeah, he was going to make events on Lyus look like a kid’s party once he found out.
There would be blood on the floor, and all of it would be mine.
My wrist plate flashed a message. Seeing it was Lucian, I signaled Ryker to hold and clipped my ear communicator in. “What have you got?” I asked.
“Nothing on your misplaced Omega, yet,” he said, getting straight down to business. “But I understand the urgency, which is why I’ve put every available resource on it. As far as we can tell, Tsing is conducting business from his home here in Chimera for the next few days. He returned home late last night and has not left since. That’s all I have.”
“You fucking owe me,” I growled into the communicator.
“I know,” he said. “I’m working on it…This might not be great timing, but you wanted to talk to Mikal Sanders, and I know where he is.”
“Good,” I said, giving my knuckles a pop. “My gut is telling me Tsing is involved. And Mikal is my best lead on Tsing. Where is he?”
“Just come off his shift—he’s in Mantis.”
My chuckle was dark and full of threat. “Dumb fuck.” Mantis was another of Lucian’s clubs, but this one catered to the underground fight scene. Chimera had no concept of night and day. Fights started on the hour, every hour. And although the bigger gigs still got the premium late-night slot, there were plenty of the young, up-and-coming fighters to fill the remainder of the day.
They were often some of the best fights. And the free entry kept a steady stream of off-shift workers delivering their pay into Lucian’s pocket via the various commodities he offered.
“Yeah, I thought so too,” Lucian said. “He’s not visited the club for a few weeks, but the system shows he tends to stay there for a few hours. I’ve got the team watching him the old-fashioned way in case he decides to leave. Jordan and Kade are on site. I’ll have them meet you there.”
“Thanks. I appreciate that.” Jordan and Kade were the Deltas I’d worked with on the package interception…the shipment which had turned out to be the Omega viral strain. They were competent, and I was grateful to have them there to back me. I checked my wrist plate. “We’ll be there in thirty.”
We took a skycar over to Mantis. Ryker was unusually quiet and brooding, but I wasn’t feeling conversational, so it suited me fine.
I took little comfort in being right about Lilly not willingly leaving us when it meant someone had taken her.
Tsing was still our best lead, and our best lead on Tsing was Sanders. The man who had been handling the shipment, which Ryker, myself, and Lucian’s team had intercepted at Chimera’s central cargo docks.
A package of the Copper virus that could change non-dynamics into Omegas.
“I hope Lucian’s tech-guru isn’t going to be involved,” Ryker grouched as we exited the skycar.
I hoped he wasn’t too because last time we tried to intercept Sanders, it had turned into a fucking disaster.
The district where Manis was located gave off a grungy vibe. A backstreet deep in the shadows cut between two soaring towers that looked the perfect mugging opportunity should an unwary traveler stumble in. The wind howled at the bottom, sending rubbish billowing and grit swirling.
Perpetual darkness hung over the street since not a hint of natural daylight could penetrate this far. Neon signs jostled for space on both sides, blinking and flashing in a psychedelic, visual overload.
The fight-club had imposed its culture upon the surrounding establishments. Boxing gyms, strip clubs, and brothels butted up against bars and fast-food joints serving culinary fairs of dubious quality of every ethnicity.
It was hot, sticky, and noisy even at this time of day, while the vents from the overworked air conditioners spewed out moisture-laden stench.
And there wasn’t a deviant activity or persuasion that couldn’t be found here.
Lucian owned half of this shit and had his hooks in the rest.
And he owed me, which meant I considered his resources to be mine.
The fight-club was multi-tiered, and I’d seen both ends of the spectrum. The glamorous patrons of the high-end fights would fancy themselves playing at slumming it as they traversed the few steps from their skycar to the entry under the watchful gaze of the security team. While the masses headed to the ground floor halls where the lower ranks fought it out.
Arriving, I nodded at the burly Betas on watch at the door. Lucian had notified his security once I arrived on Chimera. I had access to any level or section, and they were prompt to wave me through. Inside, we hooked right, taking the battered concrete stairwell that led into the basement where the cage fights took place.
I enjoyed a good cage fight, even as a kid. Later, I learned that fascination with violence at an early age was a sign of an Alpha. I was eleven when I revealed, and bigger than most non-dynamic adults. I used to sneak in and watch the local underground fights before I revealed, and after, I’d even fought in a few. It was a quick way to earn money; for me, anyway.
The fight-club owners had threatened to ban me if I didn’t better entertain. Fast fights were bad for business, or so I was told.
I’d learned how to bloody them and draw out the fight.
I was adaptable. My life had forced me to be, both before and after I left Lyus. Survival took no prisoners, and neither did I. Lilly was gone. And every second she was out of my sight was a second too long. She didn’t have a fucking clue about Tsing’s ties with Salvation. But her time as his test subject should have been sufficient to warn her not to trust him.
“She wasn’t controlled,” Ryker had said back at the apartment.
She wasn’t controlled and she was too fucking trusting. The fact she’d shown any empathy toward Ryker and me said as much. She was in danger, I could taste it, and I was prepared to rip through anyone and everyone I needed, to have her back.
At the bottom of the stairs, a set of double-swing doors led into a sprawling basement complex. Thumping base assaulted me, and as I pushed them open stale air, heat, and noise slammed into me like a proverbial wall.
The music was loud enough to drown out most of the raucous din. Three fights were in progress, while two other cages were in transition. The two Deltas were waiting for us inside.
Kade was the dark-haired younger of the two, while Jordan was the blond, more serious of the duo. They were both decked out in the usual security black shirt and pants. I’d guess I had a good ten years on Jordan, and maybe fifteen on Kade.
Ryker and Kade got down to some mutual back-slapping before their heads pressed in close so they could shout to one another over the thumping music. Probably discussing the most efficient interrogation techniques or another equally macabre subject.
Jordan nudged his head toward the far bar, then leaned in to speak close to my ear. “Third from the left. He’s been knocking back the beer enthusiastically for an hour straight. Lucian instructed us to await your direction. We’ve got a room set aside if you want us to escort him there.”
I took a moment to study the man at the bar. Mikal was a Beta, but on the small side of the spectrum; lean and scruffy. I couldn’t see much more through the crowd, but he cast a glance over his shoulder like he could sense me watching him. Last time I had seen him, Ryker had been wrestling with him while two of Mikal’s Alpha buddies had been trying to wrestle Ryker off
.
Turning back to Jordan, I nodded. A dark grin lit his face, and he got straight on his communicator. To me, he said, “Our colleagues are moving in, we’ll escort you through the locker rooms.”
I followed as he cut a path through the crowd, while Ryker and Kade fell in behind me. Deltas were every bit as built and aggressive as an Alpha, and the club patrons were prompt to part.
Deltas were one of the rarest dynamics…and they did everything in twos.
Absolutely everything.
There was no uniformity to the way Alphas grouped. You might find one, or two, or several hanging out.
As for fucking, Alphas weren’t particular about sharing or not sharing unless there was an Omega involved then we turned into possessive pricks.
Deltas liked to share.
My recent relationship foray was throwing their sexual preferences into a new light.
Our path cut a diagonal across the club between two of the cages. The fight had finished in the left-hand cage, and two Betas were hefting an unconscious body out. The right-hand cage was in full swing, and they were pummeling each other to the frenzied joy of the crowd.
In my periphery, I saw two Betas closing in on Sanders. Barely a ripple passed through the crowd as they guided my man out.
Good. I wanted this off the radar. Lucian knew how to keep business low key, and in my present state of mind, Sanders’s chances of survival weren’t good. This could be a quick conversation. And if I thought he genuinely had nothing to offer, I’d cut him loose.
But if there were a whiff of Tsing’s bullshit, this would get deadly, quick.
As we passed beyond the cages, I was shown through a door, and into a long, downward sloping corridor. Locker rooms led off each side at staggered intervals. Fighters and support personnel of every kind hustled along the narrow passage with purpose. The music had dropped a few decibels, blending in a harsh mashup of discord with the occasional blare emitted from the rooms.
At the end, we arrived at a locked door. Behind was a darker, noiseless world.
