Track 26 Blur

My head's all swimmy when I wake up. My vision is blurry when I try to open my eyes and I snap them shut again. I have the worst case of cottonmouth ever. My body aches in a way that isn't normal, not even after I've spent too long swimming laps in the lake, followed by a bike ride or a hike along the trails of Lake Kilrose.

What happened?

My eyes flutter open to see my bare thighs smeared with dirt and dried mud. I'm in my jean cutoffs and a Snack Shack t-shirt, also covered in dirt. But I can't for the life of me figure out how I got so filthy.

I was on my way to work… or heading home?

No. On my way, and there was… someone following me.

In a flash, everything comes back to me, and my head shoots up, making pain radiate from my skull down my shoulders and my arms to my bound wrists. I gasp, a sharp inhale that does nothing to help ease the hurt, but I can't stop myself from making, anyway.

"Oh, good. You're awake."

Tall frame. Broad shoulders. All black coveralls. Sheep mask. He has longish dark hair poking up from behind the mask, but beyond that there are no other defining features. His voice isn't familiar to me, but he sounds… young. Maybe even younger than me.

I blink at the unfamiliar man in front of me. I have no clue who he is or why he brought me here. It leaves me feeling untethered and freaking terrified. I was expecting the devil I knew—the Stillwell pack—and I'm confronted with this stranger.

"Who are you?" I rasp.

He tilts his head and narrows his eyes at me. "Who I am doesn't matter. It's who I work for that should concern you."

Huh? That doesn't make any sense, I don't think. "Okay," I say slowly. "Who do you work for? The Stillwell pack?"

He barks out a laugh. "No. Not the Stillwell pack." His tone is mocking, and it sets my teeth on edge, like he thinks I should know where this is going, but I really have no idea. "We'll be joined by a couple more guests in a moment, and I'm sure they'll be more than happy to explain."

I swallow thickly, and jerk at my wrists, trying to free myself, but nothing happens. Of course it doesn't. I'm not exactly an expert on escaping impossible situations. "Just tell me!"

The only other reason I can think why I would be kidnapped is because of… Liam. Is this guy a stalker? Trying to get Liam to come to him, using me as bait. I'd laugh at the absurdity of that happening if I wasn't pissed off about it.

"He won't come for me," I say, pretending like the truth of those words doesn't tear me up inside. "None of them will. Haven't you seen the news? Hollis Grailess is cozied up with their pack and I'm a vile, lying, conniving woman hellbent on destroying them. They don't couldn't care less about me."

He frowns, running his eyes over me. "Who?" Then his chin jerks up as understanding must hit. "Oh, we don't give a shit about the Cordova pack. Though if I'm being honest, I'd pick you over her any day. She's too skinny. I like a woman with a little cushion on her." His tongue swipes his bottom lip as he smirks at me like this is a compliment.

And stupid me, I reply with, "I-Thank you? I guess?"

He shrugs. "You're welcome." He leans against the wall. "But no, this isn't a ploy to get Liam Cordova to give himself over to my wicked ways. In fact, this isn't even really about you."

My frown deepens. "I beg to differ. If it's not about me, then why the hell am I tied to this chair?"

His head tilts toward the door next to him, like he's hearing something I can't make out. "Ah, right on time." His strange colored eyes move to me. "Don't worry, little beta. You'll get your answers soon."

I strain my ears to hear whatever he heard, and when I do the blood drains from my face. The faint sound of shouting reaches me through the walls and door. A voice that I recognize all too well.

Hearing the voice, I know who this man works for. I know why I've been taken.

"Apex," I breathe, and my captor laughs.

"Got it in one." He beams at me. Then he wobbles his head like he's considering. "Well, not in one per se, since you first thought I was with the Stillwells and then thought I was trying to seduce the Cordovas. But you get it."

I nod slowly. "Yeah, I do." I get that I am fucked. Just like he said.

The door opens and in walks a giant of a man, a twin to the one standing in front of me, but with slightly longer hair and wearing a horse mask. Slung over his shoulder in a fireman carry, hands bound at the wrists and ankles, is Sadie. She's cursing up a storm, struggling like hell against her bindings, and looks like she's trying to throw herself off his back. It won't happen though, because his hands are laced through her bound arms and legs.

"Sadie," I choke out and she goes still, silver eyes finding my face, a look of horror on hers when she confirms it is, in fact, me.

"No," my friend snarls. "No. You fucking assholes! Leave her out of this!"

The one holding her just tsks and heaves her off his back, lifting her over his head before he puts her in the seat next to me, making quick work of tying her down the same way I am. She fights the entire time. I wonder why I was drugged, and she's obviously not.

Maybe just a difference between who snagged us?

Though if they were smart, they would have drugged Sadie and left me awake. I'm not a fighter like she is. I probably would have held my hands out to be tied up just to make it easier for all of us.

When he's done tying down Sadie, he steps back and leans against the wall next to his partner, in the same position, arms crossed over their chests, the sole of one boot pressed against the cinderblock. My friend keeps her eyes on him, her silver glare narrowed to pinpoints.

"What are you waiting for?" she asks, tone mocking.

Neither of the men in front of us rises to the bait. "One more."

If I had any blood left in my face, it would have drained at that, because with Sadie and I already here, there's only one more person I can think of that they would go after. And sure enough, two more men enter, both wearing. One is wearing a pig mask and the other a bunny. The second one is holding Vee in his arms, her head is resting on his chest, her eyes closed.

I have a moment of panic, where I think that maybe they've killed her, but her chest rises and falls with gentle breaths.

The first one stops and stares at me and Sadie, head cocked slightly. Then he turns to the two men with us. "You didn't drug her?"

The one who brought in Sadie shrugs. "You know I like it when they fight. And this little omega had a lot of fucking fight."

I watch as bunny mask places Sylvie in the chair on my other side from Sadie, almost reverently. When she mutters incoherently, he settles her, smooths her hair back from her face and makes sure her head isn't tilted at an angle that's going to give her a crick in her neck when she wakes up. He's so fucking gentle with her that I have a momentary burst of hope that maybe he won't tie her to the chair, but that hope is smashed when he loops a rope around each of her wrists.

Then the four of them stand in front of us, a veritable wall of muscle. It's creepy. All of them in masks just staring at us.

"So what happens now?" Sadie asks, straining against her ropes. "You hand us over to Apex and allow them to run medical tests on us."

I lick my lips and glance at Sylvie, still asleep, then look at the bunny, remembering the way he was so careful with her. "I thought alphas were supposed to protect omegas."

The pig tilts his head as he looks at me. "You aren't an omega."

Sadie snarls like it's an insult when really it's just the truth.

I shake my head. "No, I'm not. But they are. You're handing them over to people who only see them as a way to make money, an answer to a problem that doesn't exist. They've been through enough."

I don't know why, but they all laugh. And then the Pig steps forward. "Here's the thing, little beta. We only see them as a way to make money." He reaches out and pats my cheek. "We've been paid a lot of fucking money to deliver you, so that is what we're going to do. What happens after is irrelevant."

I swallow thickly and share a look with Sadie, only to whip my head around when Vee whimpers. "Sylvie," I whisper, pulling at the ropes binding me, wanting to help her come to. Hoping it'll be easier for her than it was for me.

I watch as she blinks at her thighs a few times, then pulls her head up with obvious difficulty, blurry hazel eyes meeting mine. "Sor? Wha-What's happening?" Her arms jerk and a scowl forms on her face.

" A-fucking-gain? " she snarls, pulling her gaze from me to glare at the alphas still in the room with us. "Jesus, you just won't give up, will you?" Her voice is dripping with more venom than I've ever heard it, but the words are slurred, a side effect from whatever they gave to the both of us.

"We aren't keeping you," bunny face says, sounding disappointed with the fact. "We're merely the delivery boys."

Sadie whistles. "Oh, honey. You call yourself a boy? How sad."

I have no clue what she's doing, how she's so fucking fearless in the face of these strangers, these men that hold our lives in their hands. But then, that's Sadie.

"Nothing personal, of course," Pigman, who seems to be the leader, says. "Purely financial. We simply need money and the offer was too good to pass up."

"Oh, of course, there's nothing personal about kidnapping omegas, drugging them and tying them up," I mutter.

Horseman runs his fingers over my cheek. "You aren't an omega," I'm reminded again, like I shouldn't have a problem with this, because I'm a beta. I guess it's fair though since I only used the word omega to remind these alphas of their instincts to protect and cherish the weaker designation.

The guy in the pig mask checks his watch, then glances over at the three other men. "Showtime. Take a picture and send it."

The man in the sheep mask, the one that attacked me in the woods, pulls out a phone and takes a picture of the three of us bound to the chairs, glaring as best we can while drugged and bruised.

I make my tongue work, even though it still feels heavy in my mouth. "I thought you were sending us to Apex."

"We are."

I frown. "Then why are you sending a proof of life picture?"

The pigman chuckles. "Don't get too excited. This isn't going to any of your packs, or the police. It's going to Apex to make sure we brought the correct merchandise before they pay us."

His phone chimes and he glances down at the screen. Even though I can't see his mouth, I just know he's grinning. "Perfect." He looks at the guy in the bunny mask. "Make sure we received the payment."

He's already nodding. "Yep. It's there."

"Well, ladies," pigman says. "It's been lovely. But this is where we take our leave of you."

I frown, not understanding what is happening. They're leaving us here? Alone?

Horse mask grins. "Don't get too excited, beta. Someone will be along to collect you shortly. We just aren't keen on waiting around for them to decide we've outgrown our usefulness."

I nod slowly. Right.

"Makes sense," Sadie all but snarls. "Apex is a bunch of shady dicks. Just like you. They'd probably kill you, huh?"

I tense, waiting for one of them to hurt her for her insolence or something, but they don't. Instead, they just laugh. The one in the sheep mask shakes his head. "Fuck. I hope when we find our omega she's like you. Sassy. Fearless."

The three of us scowl at him. "I pity whatever poor soul gets stuck with you," Vee murmurs, voice still slurred from the drugs.

"Don't worry about it," Sadie says, teeth snapping together with each angry word. "Assholes like them don't get fated mates."

" Sassy ," sheephead purrs as he ducks out the metal door.

The rest of them follow on his heels, the door slamming shut behind them. A lock sounds on the other side of the door. "Well, fuck," Sadie says, sagging into her chair, but only for a moment, before she tugs at her wrists, hissing when the ropes bite into her flesh. "Fucking assholes tied it too fucking tight."

Vee hums, and I turn my attention to her. She is also working at her ropes, trying to get them undone. Overall, they're… really fucking calm about this. Like way too calm. At least outwardly. Their scents are telling a different story, turning acrid with fear, but they aren't letting it control them.

"We need to get out of here," I mutter. "Who knows what Apex will do to the two of you."

"And you, to get us to comply," Vee says.

Guilt I shouldn't be feeling pinches me. It's not like I asked to be kidnapped and drugged and used to make my two best friends behave.

Sadie makes a little growling noise. "It's not going to fucking happen. My pack is probably already tearing the world apart to find me. They'll get here in time."

Vee makes another noise of agreement. "Yeah, you're right. Our packs will find us."

It's not the time to have a swell of heartbreak. I have bigger things to worry about than that the Cordova pack didn't want to keep me and that Gage apparently thinks I'm someone who would trade sex and a bond for material wealth. But I can't help it.

Sadie and Sylvie both have mates would burn the world for them. Pack that will stop at nothing to bring them back, to save them. I'll be saved too, but only because I'm with them. If it was just me that was taken, if Sadie and Sylvie had made it safely back to their packs, no one would come for me.

"Hey," Sadie says, voice softer. "We're going to get out of this, Sor. I promise."

I take a deep breath and nod. "I know."

As new footsteps sound outside the room we're in, I push away the heartbreak and focus on what's important. Escape. If not for me, then for my two best friends.

No matter what, I will make sure they make it back to their packs.

Even if I don't make it out at all.