Chapter 9

Chapter Nine

FREYA

R aised voices slowly pull me from the muddied blankness of my mind. I don't try to make myself more comfortable on the floor, knowing that even if I tried to put my hands under my throbbing head, the shackles would be in the way.

There's no use in trying to make this situation better. My guys are here if what I remember is true. Sometimes I feel like I can't tell what's real and what's a hallucination.

My limbs are so heavy it feels like I'm pinning myself to the ground. Like I'm taking the coward's way out and giving up. I don't know what drugs they are pumping into my body anymore. Whatever they did at first paused my heat, but I can't tell what state my body's in now.

My omega went quiet as soon as the fancy beta mentioned our mates. It's like she shut down, and I followed right on her heels. If my pack can't save me, then there's zero fucking chance I can save my mates.

I'm just a weak, broken, exhausted omega, after all.

I couldn't care less that every dip of my bare body is exposed to the cool air. Nothing so demeaning matters anymore.

The heavy door creaks open, allowing the swarm of voices to pierce my ears right before it's closed once again. "Hello again. I have a gift for you!"

Internally, I'm groaning and rolling my eyes at the asshole in charge. I might be giving up, but that doesn't mean I don't find the beta beyond annoying.

The beta hums and sits himself in a chair a few feet in front of me. "You know, I don't think I've introduced myself. I'm Doctor Ken."

I snort. I can't fucking help myself.

Doctor? Ken? Sure, if doctors experimented on unwilling people, and Ken wasn't a beautiful blonde Barbie doll but an old abusive, greying prick. Sure .

Ken hums at me again. "I wonder how long your laugh will survive when your heat restarts at the scent of your alpha."

That shuts me up and wakes my omega all at once. Itchiness joins the heavy feeling in my limbs, making the urge to move flare all at once. He's lying. It's not true.

The world stops moving. Everything but the opening door funnels out of my focus. My heartbeat thumps wildly as my nostrils flare at the familiar smell of my scent match, even if it's tinged with rage. There, in dirtied jeans and a ripped black T-shirt, is Ronan. My alpha.

A keening cry rips from my soul as my omega rushes forward, shoving me to the side. Absentmindedly, I feel my skin heat and my scalp prickle with the beginnings of sweat. No longer do I feel like I can never move again, the scent of my alpha bypassing all my exhaustion.

I need him. I need him now!

"Alpha!" I cry.

"Hold him," a grating voice demands, but I only have eyes for Ronan as he's forced to his knees by three beta enforcers.

I whimper at the sight only for a stinging slap on my cheek to silence my pleading sounds. The whipping twist of my neck pushes my omega down just a bit, allowing me some control. I now notice I am also on my knees with my arms straining behind my back as I pull against the chains that are keeping me from the comfort of my mate.

"Freya!" Ronan growls, trying to fight off the assholes keeping him from me. "Don't fucking touch her!"

"Hush." Ken waves his hand like my mate is just a bug bothering him. "We are gonna do one little test before we get this show on the road."

I snarl at the doctor , snapping my teeth and threatening to skin him alive for touching what's mine.

Ken chuckles. "What's going to happen, my little pet, is you are going to chain that pesky little omega inside of you. I want no sounds, no whimpering or snarling. I want you to sit back like a good pet and control yourself. Or else your alpha will keep being punished." He smirks.

What?!

"Don't break anything. Begin!" Ken's command is swiftly followed by a meaty fist driving itself into Ronan's gut. "Remember, this stops as soon as you make your omega submit."

"STOP! PLEASE!"

I beg and plead, but each choked gasp and pulled muscle is taken out on my alpha. My strong, kind, smart, amazing alpha.

Seeing his sharp, stubbly jawline redden and drip with uncontrollable drool makes me shift on the tiled ground. It's harder than it's ever been to silence my horrified omega and beg her to trust me, but soon my shoulders relax as I force my body to lean back and away from my bloodied and bruised mate.

The beating slows as my face turns into a cool mask of nothingness. My emotions aren't shuttered, though. No, they are raging and crying, borderline about to make me explode. But for my scent match, the one who recognized me first, I will hold it all at bay.

The punishments, the classes, restricted food, lonely heats? It was all to test how to control an omega's instincts. And it looks like they found the key. An omega will do anything for her mate.

What these assholes haven't realized yet, was I've had over three years of trained submission to hone my rebellious nature. They want to force my omega into a docile creature? Too bad they didn't start with this, because me and my omega? We've fucking trained for this. We may go silent and pliant, but we rage and seethe beneath the surface.

They won't know what hit them until we defy all hypotheses and results.