Chapter 3

• Kira
• It sounded like the biggest joke of the century that I was being led to a cell. I needed someone to wake me up and tell me it was all a prank.
• My bladder loosened as I approached the cell, and my stomach felt rock hard.
• "Move it," the guard said sternly, shoving me into the cell.
• "No!" I cried out. "Please, help me! This can't be happening!"
• "Stop whining," he snapped at me before locking me inside. My heart couldn't take it. I had never gotten into trouble before. What the hell was I going to tell my mom?
• My fingers clenched the cold, unforgiving iron bars, and I turned around. I was alone in the cramped cell, which was empty except for a single bunk bed with rusted springs and a pitifully thin mattress, a locker, and a filthy toilet and sink combination in the corner.
• Weeping aloud, I rocked back and forth, hot tears blinding my vision. The fact that all of my friends had abandoned me hit me hard. Amari, who called herself my best friend, persuaded me to go to the alpha's house. Zion, the coward who led me to the terrace and left me half naked wasn't here.
• The betrayal was as painful as a bee sting. I exhaled forcefully and grew hot as my body temperature rose.
• My fears were temporarily forgotten when I heard laughter across from my cell. The room facing mine was crowded with female inmates. When I lifted my gaze, they started swearing and saying unprintable things at me.
• Their faces bore the marks of hard living—lines on their foreheads, wild, unkempt hair, sunken eyes. One had a patch over her left eye, while another's body was covered in tattoos and missing teeth.
• "Who the fuck is the crybaby?” The person wearing the eye patch sneered with a cold and exact tone. "And why does she have a private cell?"
• "She is Omega; why would they treat her better than us?" another sneered.
• "Shut your mouths over there!" a passing guard yelled, hitting the buttstock of his pistol on their gate. I broke into a nervous sweat.
• This wasn’t how I’d imagined my birthday to go. I lowered myself onto the sagging mattress and winced as the rusty springs jabbed at my back like tiny daggers. Although the living conditions in the Omega camp were no better than this, I had my freedom and a mother who loved me.
• I was unsure of the exact reason for my arrest. Was it because an omega dared to enter the main pack, and did D'Angelo arrest me because I was his mate and he intended to get rid of me?
• Horrible thoughts flooded my mind. I became desperate for a way out. If only I'd stayed back at home, I wouldn't be in this mess.
• It was a miracle I slept at all. When I opened my eyes, it was morning. Now completely sober, my head banged with a headache, as if there was a drumming competition in my skull.
• A wild grief swept through me, and my eyes welled up with frustrated tears. I imagined my mom's terror when she learned I'd been arrested.
• She would wonder why the same person she'd shared a tent with the night before was now miles away from her and locked up in the pack cell.
• None of my friends had come to my rescue. I knew they wouldn't, because who would risk their lives when the alpha was so involved in this case?
• Footsteps approached me, and the iron door opened. The same guard from yesterday came in and grabbed me roughly.
• "You have a visitor."
• My heart beamed with hope as I remained still. Maybe Zion or Amari were here. He led me to a waiting room, and as soon as I saw my mom, I held back tears of guilt. She looked disappointed in me and shook her head, with pain in the depths of her eyes.
• I sobbed into her arms without being invited. "Mom, I'm so sorry."
• She hugged me so tightly that breathing became difficult. "Kira, how could you do this? How could you follow those troublemakers to the alpha's coronation, of all places?"
• "I'm sorry," I wept aloud. "I wasn't thinking..."
• "I hate it when you use that word," she snapped and pulled away from me with a bitter look. Her crystal blue eyes contained no sympathy for me.
• "Nobody forced you to go with them. Look how they managed to escape. Why couldn't you?"
• Even my mom was against me.
• "Zion and Amari's mothers locked them indoors; they didn't let me talk to them. Everyone is blaming you and saying you were the only one who snuck away."
• I gasped in shock. "That's not true; they were all there with me."
• She wiped my tears away with the back of her palm, blinking. "This doesn't look good, Kira. The alpha is in charge of your case. How can Omegas gain favor with an alpha?"
• The guard, who'd been watching us with amusement, announced that my mom's time was up.
• "Please, just give me a minute," she started begging desperately, but he refused. My mother embraced me tightly, and I refused to let go.
• "I don't know what to do," she whimpered and was about to hand me a basket when the guard snatched it from her. He examined my food and curled his nose in disgust before handing it to me and dragging me away.
• I was a crying mess. The guard was stopped by a very tall figure, who I assumed was the senior guard. The way he looked at me was creepy as if he wanted to swallow me up.
• "Take her to my office," he instructed the guard. The office was painted a lifeless gray, with the only decoration being a plastic flower vase.
• Alone with the senior guard, he made deep and prolonged eye contact with me, then explored my body, causing goosebumps to itch my skin.
• "What a beauty. I never knew omegas were this good-looking," he said with a wink. I looked away, swallowing my disgust. *What did you do to get arrested by the alpha?"
• My gaze shifted upward. His eyes were so unsettling that I couldn't look at them for very long. I explained how we snuck into the alpha's party but left out the part where Zion led me to the terrace.
• He laughed, displaying his crooked teeth. "Typical. Didn't your mom teach you not to trust your friends? You were so careless. If they could get away, so could you."
• I shivered while staring at my feet. He was silent for a moment while watching me, and then he leaned back.
• "If you want to leave this place, you must cooperate with me because, believe me, the alpha will leave you here and you will rot for years. So maybe I can make this all go away quietly."
• I sank to my knees and clasped my hands. "Please, I'll do anything. Just get me out of here."
• "Anything?" he smirked wickedly, watching me, and I knew that I'd just shot myself in the foot. I recognized that look so well. It was the same lustful look Zion gave me last night.
• The guard wanted to sleep with me.
• "Well then, let's see what you're made of,” he said and moved closer. He gripped my arm and squeezed my buttcheeks, causing me to jerk in surprise. "How about showing me how well you can satisfy me."
• "No!" I cried out and tried to wiggle out of his grasp. Unfortunately, he was stronger and bent me backward.
• With all my strength, I elbowed his beer belly when he tried to press his hardened shaft into me, causing him to stumble backward. His face darkened and he rushed forward to slap me. It was so loud that I felt my teeth rattle.
• He had a good laugh. "Feisty little thing. If you want it rough, I'll make it worth the while. When I'm done leaving your back a dripping ruin, I'll proceed to take what I want."
• "Please, I beg you," I cried as he brandished a whip and began lashing my shoulders, face, chest, and abdomen.
• Red liquid trickled down the back of the turtle neck sweater D'Angelo gave me, leaving a small trail. Each lash felt like a sharp pinprick on my skin. I attempted to curl into a fetal position but was unable to move an inch. My voice was hoarse from screaming.
• The door flew open, and the guard assigned to me rushed in with terror in his eyes.
• “Boss! We're in trouble. The alpha is in the building. I told you not to touch the girl for fuck's sake!"
• The bastard flogging me didn't take his colleague seriously. My strength was failing me, and I was passing out, but before everything went black, I heard the alpha's guttural roar and the sound of a cracked jaw after a hard punch.